The following iPhoto alternatives we’ve laid out should be considered if you are not too keen on continuing to use this bundled software. Owning a Mac computer certainly doesn’t mean that you can’t have a say when it comes to handling your pictures. There are a number of contenders that can happily take over the task and even offer some additional features that you’ll appreciate. So if you’ve been combing the Mac App Store for the correct replacement or if you’re simply curious to know what other options you have, take a look at our list. And don’t worry if you are using the app’s iOS version. We have a substitute for that as well. Read on to know more.
1 – LynApp:
First up is Lyn, a lightweight image browser and viewer meant for professional photographers, web designers, and graphic artists. It boasts of a user-friendly interface and comes in handy for the purpose of sharing pictures over the web. Featuring geotagging, the application is compatible with file formats including JPEG, TIFF, PNG, GIF, RAW, HDR and a number of others that are supported by Apple computers. You can choose to edit your images with the help of this software and directly share them through social networking websites such as Facebook or Flickr and via Dropbox, Picasa Web Albums and more.
Price: $20
2 – Picasa:
This software from Google is the next contender that deserves to be mentioned on our compilation of programs like iPhoto. Its latest version has been integrated with a Google+ sharing option and some advanced effects including Vignette, Duo-tones, borders and more that allow you to enhance your images.
The app is efficient with the task of organizing pictures and you do not have to worry about losing your original image if you choose to edit it in Picasa. The software simply creates a newly edited version of the photo and preserves the original one. You can also share photographs with friends through the Picasa Web Albums.
Price: Free
3 – Adobe Photoshop Lightroom:
This software developed by Adobe assists you with creating flawless shots out of those not-so-perfect pictures. A horde of cutting-edge advanced tools has been built into this Mac app along with the ability to come up with photo books for better organization. The intuitive application also facilitates sharing them with friends over social networking websites and a number of other web galleries.
Apt for beginners and professionals alike, this app lets you make use of the many photo book templates and get them printed. And if that’s not enough, it works with your videos as well and ensures the original images and clippings are not damaged in the bargain.
Price: $149.99
4 – Aperture:
If you’re on the lookout for a tool that’s better than iPhoto, but can work in association with it, you may consider downloading Aperture to your Mac computer. This advanced photo tool has been optimized for the Retina display of the latest MacBook and shares the photo library with iPhoto so you do not have to go through the hassle of importing and exporting images every now and then. It is capable of refining your images and as you can tag photos by people or location, you shouldn’t have problems when it comes to organizing them. Above all, it comes with Photo Stream so you can have all your images displayed on your iOS devices too.
Price: $79.99
5 – Shoebox:
Managing your huge media library may get a tad bit tedious and the next option on our queue of applications similar to iPhoto is developed for the sole purpose of managing your images. As it organizes pictures by content, finding a specific one shouldn’t be a difficult task. Moreover, you can have photos saved in different categories on this application so you can view photographs according to dates, locations, people and more. And to ensure that your private content isn’t accessible to anyone but you, Shoebox permits you to save them to a different password-protected catalog. After trying out its free version you have the option to purchase Express that holds 10,000 pictures or Pro for unlimited images.
Price: $30 (Express), $80 Pro
6 – GraphicConverter:
Now if you wish to have an app that offers a simpler way of browsing or enhancing images, then GraphicConverter is the software you should download to your Mac OS X-based PC. And it earns brownie points for its ability to convert images. The tool can be employed for the purpose of creating catalogs to either print out the images or save them on the web.
It tags along with the slideshow feature that helps with viewing and sorting images, while standard built-in effects facilitate enhancing images. This graphic file processing application lets you save images in over 80 file formats.
Price: $38.99
7 – XnConvert:
And the final option on our list for Mac OS X is XnConvert, available as a free download through the Mac App Store. This batch image converter and resizer extends support to over 500 multimedia formats that make it compatible with more or less all your pictures. You can add text or watermarks and edit images by adjusting brightness, rotating, cropping or using multiple filters.
Price: Free
8 – PhotoForge 2:
Apart from the Mac OS X platform, our array featuring programs like iPhoto also includes an app for other Apple devices. PhotoForge 2, a definitive photo manipulation software for iOS, can be employed to edit high-resolution images on the move. It boasts of layer support and tools like curves and levels in addition to filters and effects that work together to let you create masterpieces out of your existing images.
Since you can have as many layers as you want and mask the area you do not want to change, editing on the Apple touchscreen devices becomes even easier. Images can be directly shared through the application with family and friends over Facebook, Flickr, Dropbox, Picasa, Instagram and more.
Price: $2.99
Conclusion:
If you were apprehensive about replacing iPhoto with another software, we think our catalog of iPhoto alternatives will tempt you into trying something new for a change. So if any of these applications managed to take the top spot on your wish list, let us know about it. And if you’ve been using another software that’s as good as the ones mentioned here, don’t shy away from sharing that with us too.