Photoshop vs Polarr

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Our analysts compared Photoshop vs Polarr based on data from our 400+ point analysis of Photo Editing Software, user reviews and our own crowdsourced data from our free software selection platform.

Polarr Software Tool

Product Basics

Photoshop is a versatile software designed for photo editing, graphics, and design tasks. It offers a comprehensive suite of tools for manipulating images, creating digital artwork, and designing graphics. Users can perform tasks such as retouching photos, compositing images, and creating intricate designs with precision. The software is particularly suited for photographers, graphic designers, and digital artists due to its robust capabilities and extensive feature set.

Industries such as advertising, marketing, publishing, and web design benefit significantly from Photoshop's advanced functionalities. Unique benefits include its powerful layer-based editing system, extensive brush library, and sophisticated selection tools. Popular features like content-aware fill, smart objects, and customizable workspaces enhance productivity and creativity.

Compared to similar products, users often praise Photoshop for its depth, flexibility, and industry-standard status. Pricing varies, typically offered as a subscription model with monthly or annual payment options. For specific pricing details, users are encouraged to contact SelectHub for a tailored quote based on their needs.

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Polarr is a sophisticated photo editing software designed to cater to both amateur and professional photographers. It offers a comprehensive suite of tools that include advanced color correction, detailed retouching, and a variety of filters and effects. Polarr is particularly well-suited for industries such as digital marketing, social media management, and graphic design, where high-quality visual content is paramount. One of the standout benefits of Polarr is its user-friendly interface, which makes complex editing tasks accessible to users of all skill levels. Additionally, its powerful AI-driven features, such as automatic enhancement and facial recognition, streamline the editing process. Users frequently praise Polarr for its speed and efficiency, often noting that it performs comparably to more expensive, professional-grade software. Pricing for Polarr varies, with options for both monthly and annual subscriptions. For specific pricing details tailored to individual needs, users are encouraged to contact SelectHub for a personalized quote.
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$9.99 Monthly
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Tailored to your specific needs
$59.99 Monthly
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Tailored to your specific needs
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Product Assistance

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Product Insights

  • Enhanced Creativity: Photoshop provides a wide array of tools and features that allow users to bring their creative visions to life, from intricate photo manipulations to stunning digital paintings.
  • Professional Quality: The software's advanced capabilities ensure that users can produce high-resolution, print-ready images suitable for professional use in marketing, advertising, and publishing.
  • Time Efficiency: With features like batch processing and automated actions, Photoshop helps streamline repetitive tasks, saving valuable time for designers and photographers.
  • Non-Destructive Editing: Photoshop's use of layers and masks allows for adjustments and edits without permanently altering the original image, providing flexibility and peace of mind.
  • Versatile File Compatibility: The software supports a wide range of file formats, making it easy to import and export images for various purposes, from web design to print media.
  • Precision and Control: Tools like the Pen Tool and Smart Guides offer unparalleled precision, enabling users to create detailed and accurate designs and selections.
  • Extensive Learning Resources: Adobe offers comprehensive tutorials, forums, and support, making it easier for users to learn and master Photoshop, regardless of their skill level.
  • Integration with Other Adobe Products: Seamless integration with other Adobe Creative Cloud applications, such as Illustrator and InDesign, enhances workflow efficiency and project consistency.
  • Customization Options: Users can tailor their workspace and tools to fit their specific needs, improving productivity and comfort during long editing sessions.
  • Advanced Retouching Capabilities: Photoshop's retouching tools, such as the Healing Brush and Clone Stamp, allow for precise corrections and enhancements, making it ideal for portrait and fashion photography.
  • Creative Filters and Effects: A vast library of filters and effects enables users to experiment with different styles and moods, adding unique touches to their projects.
  • Scalability for Different Projects: Whether working on a small social media graphic or a large billboard design, Photoshop's tools and features scale to meet the demands of any project size.
  • Collaboration Features: Cloud documents and shared libraries facilitate collaboration among team members, ensuring consistency and efficiency in multi-person projects.
  • Regular Updates: Adobe frequently updates Photoshop with new features and improvements, ensuring that users always have access to the latest tools and technologies.
  • Global Industry Standard: As the industry standard for photo editing and graphic design, proficiency in Photoshop is a valuable skill that enhances career opportunities and professional credibility.
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  • Time Efficiency: Polarr's intuitive interface and advanced tools streamline the photo editing process, allowing users to achieve professional results quickly.
  • Cost-Effective: Offers a range of pricing plans, including a free version, making high-quality photo editing accessible without significant financial investment.
  • Cross-Platform Compatibility: Available on multiple platforms including iOS, Android, macOS, and Windows, ensuring seamless workflow across devices.
  • Customizable Workflows: Users can create and save their own filters and presets, tailoring the software to their specific editing needs and preferences.
  • Advanced AI Features: Utilizes artificial intelligence to enhance photos automatically, reducing the need for manual adjustments and improving overall efficiency.
  • Non-Destructive Editing: Allows users to make changes without permanently altering the original image, providing flexibility and peace of mind.
  • Comprehensive Toolset: Includes a wide range of editing tools such as color correction, retouching, and cropping, enabling detailed and precise adjustments.
  • High-Quality Output: Ensures that edited photos maintain high resolution and clarity, suitable for both digital and print media.
  • Community and Support: Offers access to a community of users and extensive support resources, including tutorials and forums, to help users maximize their editing potential.
  • Privacy and Security: Prioritizes user data protection with robust privacy policies and secure data handling practices.
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  • Layers: Allows for non-destructive editing by stacking multiple elements in a single image.
  • Selection Tools: Includes the Magic Wand, Lasso, and Quick Selection tools for precise area selections.
  • Adjustment Layers: Enables color and tonal adjustments without altering the original image.
  • Brush Tool: Offers customizable brushes for painting and retouching with various textures and effects.
  • Clone Stamp Tool: Copies pixels from one part of an image to another, useful for removing imperfections.
  • Smart Objects: Embeds images or vector graphics in a way that preserves their original quality when transformed.
  • Filters: Provides a range of effects like blur, sharpen, and distort to enhance or stylize images.
  • Pen Tool: Creates precise paths and shapes, essential for vector-based design and complex selections.
  • Content-Aware Fill: Automatically fills in selected areas by analyzing surrounding pixels, ideal for removing unwanted objects.
  • Text Tool: Adds and customizes text with various fonts, sizes, and styles directly onto images.
  • Layer Masks: Controls the visibility of different parts of a layer, allowing for seamless blending and compositing.
  • Blend Modes: Alters how layers interact with each other, offering creative options for combining images.
  • History Panel: Tracks and allows undoing multiple steps, providing flexibility in the editing process.
  • Actions: Automates repetitive tasks by recording and replaying a series of steps, enhancing workflow efficiency.
  • 3D Tools: Enables the creation and manipulation of 3D objects and scenes within a 2D workspace.
  • Camera Raw: Processes raw images with advanced controls for exposure, color balance, and detail enhancement.
  • Liquify Tool: Warps and reshapes image areas, useful for retouching portraits and creating artistic effects.
  • Artboards: Manages multiple layouts within a single document, ideal for web and app design projects.
  • Vector Shapes: Draws and edits scalable shapes and paths, essential for logo design and illustrations.
  • Export Options: Supports various file formats and export settings, ensuring compatibility with different platforms and devices.
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  • Advanced Filters: Polarr offers a wide range of customizable filters that can be fine-tuned to achieve the desired look for your photos.
  • AI-Powered Enhancements: Utilize artificial intelligence to automatically enhance your images, including adjustments to lighting, color, and clarity.
  • Layer Support: Similar to professional software, Polarr allows for multiple layers, enabling complex edits and compositions.
  • Masking Tools: Precision masking tools let you apply adjustments to specific areas of your photo, such as radial, gradient, and brush masks.
  • Batch Processing: Efficiently edit multiple photos at once with batch processing capabilities, saving time on repetitive tasks.
  • Custom Overlays: Add custom overlays to your images, including textures, gradients, and shapes, to create unique effects.
  • Face Detection: Automatically detect and enhance facial features, making portrait editing more intuitive and efficient.
  • Color Correction: Comprehensive color correction tools allow for precise adjustments to hue, saturation, and luminance.
  • Lens Distortion Correction: Correct lens distortions such as barrel and pincushion effects to ensure your images are geometrically accurate.
  • Export Options: Multiple export options, including various file formats and quality settings, ensure your images are ready for any platform or use case.
  • Cross-Platform Availability: Polarr is available on multiple platforms, including Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android, ensuring seamless editing across devices.
  • Customizable Workspace: Tailor the user interface to your workflow with customizable panels and toolbars.
  • History Management: Easily revert to previous states of your edit with a detailed history panel that tracks all changes.
  • Text and Graphics Tools: Add text and graphic elements to your photos with a variety of fonts, shapes, and styles.
  • RAW File Support: Edit RAW files directly within Polarr, preserving the highest quality and detail from your camera's sensor.
  • Preset Sharing: Share your custom presets with others or import presets created by the community to expand your editing toolkit.
  • Local Adjustments: Make localized adjustments to exposure, contrast, and other settings without affecting the entire image.
  • Blending Modes: Utilize various blending modes to combine layers and create complex effects.
  • Gradient Maps: Apply gradient maps to your images for creative color grading and stylization.
  • Custom LUTs: Import and apply custom LUTs (Look-Up Tables) for consistent color grading across your projects.
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Product Ranking

#1

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Photo Editing Software

#23

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Photo Editing Software

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Analyst Rating Summary

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Basic Editing Tools
Security
Advanced Editing Tools
Platform Capabilities
User Interface and Experience
Basic Editing Tools

Analyst Ratings for Functional Requirements Customize This Data Customize This Data

Photoshop
Polarr
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Advanced Editing Tools Basic Editing Tools Collaboration Platform Capabilities User Interface And Experience 96 100 75 91 91 77 92 68 81 72 0 25 50 75 100
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Analyst Ratings for Technical Requirements Customize This Data Customize This Data

60%
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Awards

SelectHub research analysts have evaluated Photoshop and concluded it deserves the award for the Best Overall Photo Editing Software available today and earns best-in-class honors for Basic Editing Tools and Security.

Analysts' Pick Award
Basic Editing Tools Award
Security Award

No awards.

Synopsis of User Ratings and Reviews

Industry Standard: Photoshop is widely recognized as the go-to software in various creative industries, ensuring compatibility and smooth collaboration on projects.
Comprehensive Toolset: From basic adjustments to advanced manipulations, Photoshop offers an extensive array of tools catering to virtually every photo editing and graphic design need.
Powerful RAW Processing: Photoshop provides robust tools for adjusting RAW files, giving photographers extensive control over image parameters from the outset of their workflow.
AI-Powered Features: Features like Neural Filters leverage artificial intelligence to enable complex edits and achieve stunning results with simplified workflows.
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Intuitive Design: Polarr is praised for its user-friendly interface, which makes it easy for both beginners and experienced users to navigate and edit photos effectively.
Filter Variety: Users frequently cite the wide array of filters available in Polarr as a significant advantage, allowing for diverse creative options and quick photo enhancements.
Lightroom-like Adjustments: Polarr offers a suite of editing tools comparable to Adobe Lightroom, providing professional-level control over color, tone, and other image parameters.
Creative Overlays: Polarr allows users to apply various overlays, such as weather effects, to add unique visual elements and enhance the mood of their photos.
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Subscription-Based Model: Unlike a one-time purchase, the subscription model means ongoing costs for users, which can be a deterrent for budget-conscious businesses.
Steep Learning Curve: Photoshop's extensive features come with a price - mastering its interface and tools takes time and effort, potentially hindering productivity for new users.
Limited Native RAW Editing: Requiring a separate plugin (Adobe Camera RAW) for native RAW image editing can be seen as an unnecessary hurdle compared to software with built-in RAW support.
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Limited Organizational Features: Polarr lacks robust organizational tools, making it less suitable for businesses that manage large volumes of photos.
Potential Feature Gaps: While Polarr offers a comprehensive set of editing tools, businesses with highly specialized needs might find certain advanced features lacking compared to industry-leading software like Adobe Lightroom.
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Can Photoshop really shop 'til it drops when it comes to features? User reviews from the last year suggest a resounding "yes," with many considering it the undisputed king of image editing. Users consistently highlight its unparalleled power and versatility as major strengths, particularly praising the depth and breadth of its toolset. For instance, the AI-powered features like Generative Fill and Neural Filters are often lauded for their ability to achieve complex edits with surprising ease, setting Photoshop apart from more streamlined alternatives like PhotoWorks. While Photoshop's subscription model and steep learning curve are commonly cited drawbacks, users generally agree that the investment is justified for professionals and serious hobbyists who require the utmost control and precision in their work.

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Is Polarr the 'polar' opposite of a bad photo editing app? Users seem to think so, praising its intuitive design and powerful features that rival even industry giants like Adobe Lightroom. A standout feature is its custom filter creation, allowing for a personalized editing experience. One user raved about finally finding an app that "goes beyond simple" and offers the advanced tools they craved, like creating their own filters. This customization sets Polarr apart from apps offering only pre-made filters, which can feel limiting. However, some users have reported occasional glitches and a confusing interface after recent updates, particularly with the overlay feature. Despite these hiccups, the overall sentiment leans positive, with many highlighting Polarr's value for its price, especially compared to expensive alternatives. Polarr seems best suited for photography enthusiasts and aspiring professionals who want more control over their edits without the hefty price tag of professional-grade software. Its balance of advanced features and user-friendly design makes it ideal for those transitioning from basic editing apps to more sophisticated tools. However, users accustomed to the seamless experience of top-tier software might find the occasional glitches and interface quirks a drawback.

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Screenshots

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