As iPhone cameras get better and better, I have become a connoisseur of editing apps. I’m obsessed with making even iPhone photos look the best they can look, and I definitely have a few favorite apps to get the job done. Here are the best iPhone photo editing apps I’ve found – I hope you love these as much as I do.

1. Lightroom – Free

Best for: Total Control

This is by far my favorite app for editing photos on the go and IT IS FREE, PEOPLE! Go download it now!! I seriously cannot believe it is free. Lightroom is an amazing tool, and while you do have to pay for Creative Cloud for the upgrade for a few things (like local adjustments), the majority of people won’t miss that upgrade anyway.

Lightroom seems to offer the most control over what you are editing by far. For example, I love bumping the exposure for bright images, but I don’t love important highlights to be blown (i.e. so exposed that there’s no detail left). Lightroom allows you to bump exposure, but also pull down highlights. That kind of control is difficult to find in iPhone apps!

2. PicTapGo – $2.99

Best for: Quick and easy edits

If I have a photo that doesn’t require a ton of editing, or I don’t want to spend much time doing any editing, this app is my go to. It’s SO easy and intuitive. The best part about this app is that it saves your ‘Recipes’ so you can easily apply the same edit to multiple photos. This is awesome when you’re wanting all of your Instagram squares to have a consistent look – or even if you just want to edit photos similarly!

3. TouchRetouch – $1.99

Best for: Removing and retouching

I don’t use this app a ton, but it’s a lifesaver when I need it! If you’ve ever taken a photo and wanted to get rid of a distraction, this is the app you need. Most of the time I use it to remove distracting background objects, or things that mess with my symmetry (hi, I am Type A). However, I’m not going to lie and say I didn’t also use it a couple months ago when I took a super cute selfie with Veda and happened to also have a crater on my face. Cuz I definitely did that.

4. WordSwag – $4.99

Best for: Adding quotes and text

This app is so fun! I will often add text to images before I add them to my Instagram story, like when I publish a new blog post or am showing previews for a wedding, and this is my go-to app for that. If you don’t think you’re creative enough to design a cute quote for your Instagram (or even just for yourself), this app is the perfect tool for your tool belt. Plus, you can browse graphics that other people create which is SO FUN. Beware the rabbit hole because it’s gooooood.

5. ColorStory – Free

Best for: Good, free edits and great upgrades

I admittedly don’t use this app a ton, but I’m always super impressed by it when I do. It’s free, but once you get past the basic edits you do have to purchase packs that allow you to unlock more editing powers – but the good news is they’re really worth it. The upgrades are fantastic and let you do some really fun stuff to your photos (think lens flares and light bursts, HELLO)

All in all, the quality of iPhone photography is truly amazing, and totally worth investing in a couple solid apps to boost your iPhone ‘tog skills. I love using my big camera, but I totally admit that most of the time the camera I have on me is my iPhone – and that’s perfectly okay! The best camera is the one you have with you, friends. It’s all in how you use it!

If you love the idea of these editing apps, but still need a little bit of help editing your images, check out my Lightroom Presets for easy one-click edits to make your phone photos look bomb.