PhotoPad vs Picsart
PhotoPad
nchsoftware.comPicsart
picsart.comSide by side
| Figure | PhotoPad | Picsart |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | $10.50/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | — |
| iOS | Yes | Yes |
| Android | Yes | Yes |
| API | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 9 | 3 |
| Spec score · Photo Editing Software | 9.3 (#6) | 9.4 (#2) |
| Spec score · Photo editors | 9.2 (#8) | 9.3 (#5) |
| Spec score · AI Photo Editors | 8.9 (#13) | 8.9 (#16) |
| API and SDKs | The official product, support and legal pages describe application features and file sharing but provide no public PhotoPad API or SDK documentation. | Developers can use the REST API, type-safe @picsart/ai-sdk TypeScript SDK, gen-ai CLI and MCP-connected agents. |
| Company founded | LinkedIn and Crunchbase identify NCH Software as founded in 1993. | Picsart was founded in Armenia in 2011 by Hovhannes Avoyan, who remains founder and CEO. |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Integrations | Edited images can be uploaded directly to Twitter, Flickr, Dropbox, OneDrive and Google Drive. | Official integrations include Figma, Sketch, Miro, GIMP, Google Drive, Make, Zapier, n8n, Pabbly, IFTTT and Elastic.io. |
| Layers | Effects are kept in a reorderable, undoable, non-destructive layers list with visibility and opacity controls. | Yes |
| Limit: performance | G2 reviewers mention slow loading, long rendering times for large images and occasional hanging while effects are applied. | Independent reviewers report crashes, lag, slow interfaces and drafts refreshing or failing to save. |
| Praise: ease of use | G2 reviewers repeatedly describe PhotoPad as simple, intuitive and quick for cropping, resizing, color adjustments and effects. | TrustRadius reviewers repeatedly describe Picsart as easy for beginners and usable without formal editing training. |
| Rating on Apple App Store | 3.7 out of 5 from 21 ratings | 4.7 out of 5 from 1.2 million ratings |
| Rating on G2 | 4.2 out of 5 from 29 reviews | 4.5 out of 5 from 818 reviews |
| Rating on Google Play | 3.9 out of 5 from 3.97K reviews | 4.2 out of 5 from 12.1 million reviews |
| Rating on Trustpilot | 4.5 out of 5 from about 2,000 reviews for NCH Software overall | 4.4 out of 5 from 1,717 reviews |
| System requirements | The maker lists Windows 7 to 11 and macOS 10.5 or later for the desktop versions. | Mobile installation requires iOS/iPadOS 15 or later or Android 6 or later; the website requires a current Chrome, Firefox, Safari or Edge browser. |
| What it does | PhotoPad edits and enhances digital photographs and other images. | Picsart combines photo and video editing, graphic design, generative AI, templates, stock media and creator sharing in one platform. |
Plans
PhotoPad
- Pro Edition Annual PlanPrice not published
- Home Edition Annual PlanPrice not published
- Pro Edition Quarterly PlanPrice not published
- FreeFree
- Free editionFree
- PhotoPad Photo Editor Pro Edition Quarterly Plan$9.99 a month
- PhotoPad Photo Editor Home Edition Annual Plan$34.99 a year
- PhotoPad Photo Editor Pro Edition Annual Plan$39.95 a year
- Pro LicensePrice not published
In their own words
PhotoPad
PhotoPad edits and enhances digital photos and images, with tools for cropping, rotating, resizing, retouching, and adjusting color and exposure. Blur and sharpening controls complement its non-destructive editing: users can undo, reorder, or change effects in a layers list. It can also make collages, photo mosaics, calendars, greeting cards, and photo montages. The maker lists AI-assisted super-resolution resizing, object and background removal, and colorizing black-and-white photos. PhotoPad supports RAW editing and formats including JPG, GIF, PNG, TIFF, and BMP; HDR/exposure blending is also listed. A project can contain up to eight images, and panorama types include wide. Edited pictures can be uploaded directly to Twitter, Flickr, Dropbox, OneDrive, or Google Drive. It is listed for Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, web, Windows, and as an extension. The free edition costs nothing and is limited to non-commercial use; no signup is required. Desktop requirements are Windows 7 to 11 or macOS 10.5 or later.