Top 10 photo editing apps to compliment Instagram

Social networking has taken a major turn moving from the PC to the palm of one’s hands. Over the last couple of years and more so over the last couple of weeks, Instagram has gained worldwide popularity at a break neck pace. From an app what was once limited to only iOS devices, Instagram has now become available on Android as well thus opening up the opportunity for casual as well as professional photographers to share their sights, thoughts and visions with the photography community.

Sure Instagram comes with a range of filters that can give pictures that added spark, but sometimes it is just not enough. The main aim of most Instagram users is to get their pictures up on the popular page or have a feed that is amazing to look at. So we have compiled a list of applications for your smartphone that may help you get the best of your pictures.

Snapseed – $4.99

Snapseed

This is probably the best photo editing app available for iOS devices. The description reads, “Snapseed is the only photo app you’ll want to use every day.” The statement is true on so many levels as the app is streamlined well. It can perform simple tasks such as automatic adjust which helps in bringing out the best picture quality and one has the ability to manually adjust the image by tweaking the levels of brightness, contrast, white balance and various other settings. The filter list of the app is not that vast but it is not shallow as well. One can add drama as well as give photos that vintage look which is a popular concept on Instagram. It is slightly on the pricier side at just under $5 but the app does go free once in a while which becomes a good time to snag it. However, even if you have to pay for it, it is money well spent on an app that will compliment all your pictures uploaded to Instagram.
iOS

Frame Magic - $0.99

Frame Magic

Frames on pictures in Instagram are as synonymous as pictures are on postcards. They go hand in hand. Though Instagram has a range of frames for their different filters, one may want their profile to look a bit different than the millions of other Instagram users in the world. That’s where developer Dion Cho came in and launched Frame Magic. It is a simple to use app for frames that gives the viewer the impression that their pictures have the raised effect by adding a shadow. One also has the ability to click pictures from the app itself. One can combine multiple images in one framed photograph. The app comes at a price of $0.99 and from the app itself one can easily upload images to Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and a host of other social networking platforms.
iOS

PicsArt – Photo Studio - Free
If one is looking for an all in one application for all photo editing needs then this would be a great option to download. The pictures on Instagram are loaded with various filters and mostly people use the ones found in the app itself but with this application, one can do so much more than merely adding filters. There are a ton of effects to choose from such as HDR, Fattal, Pencil, Holgaart, Watercolor, Sketcher, Contours and Comic which would definitely set one’s Instagram feed apart from others. The best part of this app is that it is free and one can easily share their edited pictures on Facebook, Flickr, Picasa and a few other sites as well.
Android

Colour Splash Photo - $0.99
Have you ever clicked a picture that you wanted really badly in black and white with just a hint of colour? Then this is the ideal app for you. A picture in this app is desaturated and using your fingers as a brush, one can paint back the colour in the picture. This app is great for adding that highlighted effect in images and these kinds of pictures are commonly found on Instagram’s popular page. This app is available for both platforms and costs $0.99 for iOS devices while Android gets it for free.
iOS, Android