11 Best photo printing apps for iOS

Imagine it’s Christmas time and you want to send an invitation to all your friends and family.

Back in the days when the internet wasn’t a thing, our fathers used to go to the printing shops (usually Darkroom) to print the photos from the reel cameras. The photos were mainly family photos, portraits, events, or landscapes.

Thanks to the invention of the internet, now we can do all these things from our bedroom.

The ease of printing shot through the roof after the launch of photo printing websites like Shutterfly, Walgreens, etc.

But it has further increased after Apple and Google launched the App Store and Play Store. Now you don’t need to go to photo printing websites, you can just download their app, upload the photos, and print them.

So, I decided to create a list of the 12 best photo printing apps for iOS.

What are photo printing apps?

Photo printing apps are generally mobile apps launched by photo printing companies. Let’s say that you love Shutterfly the most and you use them to order 2-3 photos every year. You need to go to their website, upload the photos, and order them.

With an app, you can do the same thing but at a faster speed. A well-optimized app is faster than a website and easier to use.

With photo printing apps, you can order one or more photos to get printed and get them delivered to your home.

Why is it better to have a photo printing app?

The answer to this question is debatable. I like to have an app of my favorite companies so that I can use their service on the go rather than going on to their site.

Generally, an app lets you do all the things that a website does.

Also, there are so many offers (like free 4×6″ prints) that are available on the apps that you don’t find on the websites.

How did we rank the best photo printing apps for iOS?

We have mapped the below data points

  • App Store reviews
  • Service reviews
  • App Store downloads
  • Pricing
  • Delivery time

And then gave a certain amount of points to each item. Next we took a weighted average of the points and ranked the best photo printing apps for iOS.

Best photo printing apps for iOS

Here you go.

1. Walgreens

App Store download and reviews: 2,600K and 4.8 ⭐

Lowest pricing for an 8×10: $10.99

PROS

  • Fast delivery
  • Basic online image editing like cropping
  • Grabs photos from social networks for printing
  • Online album sharing

CONS

  • Print quality doesn’t measure up to the competition
  • More expensive than other photo printing sites

Walgreens offers same-day printing but you have to visit the store for that. There’s a very high chance you’re within a 1-2 mile radius of one of their stores as there are thousands of Walgreens photo stores in the US.

The one thing I liked the most is that it can import photos from my Facebook account. I have a very beautiful photo of my mother and me that was uploaded back in 2011. I didn’t have a digital copy of that photo anymore. It’s good that the Walgreens fetched that photo for printing.

2. FreePrints

App Store download and reviews: 459.9K and 4.8 ⭐

Lowest pricing for a 4×6: 0 but shipping starts at $1.99

PROS

  • Fast delivery
  • 85 free 4×6 photos every month
  • Well optimized app

CONS

  • Free printing is only for 4×6 on a glossy paper. So, if you want to print a different size or on a matte paper, you have to pay. This would not typically be a con but because the app is named “FreePrints,” customers would have the perception that all the prints are free

FreePrints offers 85 free prints of a 4×6 on a glossy paper every month. This means that you can print around 1,000 photos every month for free. However, you need to check the shipping price because shipping is not free.

You can also print 85 4×6 photos a month. So, if you want to order 86, you need to wait till Midnight PST on the 1st of every calendar month.

3. Shutterfly

App Store download and reviews: 254K and 4.7 ⭐

Lowest pricing for an 8×10: 0 but shipping starts at $3.49

PROS

  • High quality
  • Unlimited photo storage
  • Well optimized app

CONS

  • Price is higher than its competitors

Shutterfly is currently running a campaign where you get unlimited 4 x 6 prints if you order through their app. However, there are shipping fees.

One thing I like about Shutterfly is that you have a huge array of formats to print. I’ve seen some unusual but interesting formats on Shutterfly that I had not seen anywhere else.

4. Print Studio

App Store download and reviews: 18.6K and 4.9 ⭐

Lowest pricing for an 8×10: $8

PROS

  • One of the best quality prints

CONS

  • Price is higher than its competitors

The app is super optimized and it’s extremely easy to order prints. The delivery time is also good.

I have seen some cases where print quality is not good. For example, if I order an 8 x 10 and 11 x 14, I can see there’s a difference in the quality.

5. Snapfish

App Store download and reviews: 29.9K and 4.7 ⭐

Lowest pricing for an 8×10: $2.99

PROS

  • Quality of the photos is good
  • 100 free prints a month if you order through the app. But there is a shipping fee

CONS

  • I have read so many times that the shipping takes a long time

The app is not very  optimized and is not that user-friendly. If you’re not a tech-oriented person then you may have some difficulty in customizing your prints, entering coupons, etc.

But all these things are shadowed by the extremely good print quality.

6. Moonpig

App Store download and reviews: 18K and 4.8 ⭐

Lowest pricing for a 51×72″: $4.49

PROS

  • Only prints cards
  • Same day dispatch
  • You can design the cards

CONS

  • Can only print cards

Generally, the layout of the card you see on the app before the printing sometimes differs from the layout of the printed card

It’s a bit hard to navigate through the app. You have to make some unnecessary clicks. Also, the app crashes sometimes.

7. Mpix

App Store download and reviews: 15K and 4.8 ⭐

Lowest pricing for an 8×10: $2.99

PROS

  • Nice print quality
  • The app is very user friendly

CONS

  • No TIFF or PNG support
  • Expensive than competitors

While ordering, I noticed that the shipping price is quite high but it was fast.

Sometimes the layout that you see on the app is different than how the print comes. For example, I ordered an 8×10 of a photo that has two people. I aligned the photo in such a way that both people were exactly in the center, but when the printed photo arrived, I noticed that they aren’t in the center. They’re only millimeters off but the difference is noticeable.

8. 1 Hour Photo: Fast Printing

App Store download and reviews: 14.6K and 4.8 ⭐

Lowest pricing for an 8×10: $3.99

PROS

  • Extremely fast delivery

CONS

  • No online delivery. You have to visit a registered shop to collect the printed photos.

As soon as you open the app, it’ll ask for the location of the shop you’d like to print the photo. When you order the printing, you have to collect it from the same shop that you chose in the first step.

I don’t find this useful unless I need a photo in the next 2 hours (which has never happened to me).

9. Printastic

App Store download and reviews: 631 and 4.8 ⭐

Lowest pricing for a photobook: $16

PROS

  • Amazing customer service
  • Print quality is good

CONS

  • Leans more towards creating a book and banners. It’s basically for small businesses

I have never used Printastic but my friend who has a small shop does use it.

He says that he orders all of his banners through Printastic and the customer service is amazing.

10. Casetify

App Store download and reviews: 13.2K and 4.8 ⭐

Lowest pricing for an iPhone 11 case: $40

PROS

  • Amazing customer service
  • Print quality is good

CONS

  • Leans more towards creating a book and banners. It’s basically for small businesses

The name speaks for itself: it’s not a photo printing site but I included it because it’s still a printing app. You can order custom-print cases for your phone, Apple Watch bands, Airpods, laptops, etc.

I noticed that some customers say that the cases scratch after 1-2 months, though there are some customers who disagree with this argument. I believe it’s because the quality is good but not very tough. If you’re rough with the case, it’ll scratch.

11. Nations Photo Lab

App Store download and reviews: 529 and 4.8 ⭐

Lowest pricing for an 8×10: $2.36

PROS

  • Fantastic print quality
  • 10 free 5×7″ prints if you order through the app, but there  is a shipping fee

CONS

  • Delivery takes a long time

The delivery takes time between 1-2 weeks. Other leaders like Shutterfly and Wallgreens get your photo delivered within 2-3 days.

This may be because they’re old players and they have resellers across the USA, while the reseller network of Nations Photo Lab is not that big.

Conclusion

You’ll fall under any one of these categories:

  1. You want the photo to be delivered immediately. In this case, go for 1 Hour Photo: Fast Printing, but you have to visit the store to collect your print. It has connections with Walmart, Walgreens, CVS pharmacy, etc. so, one of their facilities should be within a mile from your house.
  2. You want the best quality but the cost doesn’t matter much. Go for Print Studio. It’s more expensive than its competitors but the quality is really good.
  3. You want the best quality but cost matters more. Go for Shutterfly. It costs only $3.49 for an 8×10″.

Best 7 indoor places to shoot your family photos

My friend, Andrea, has a 3 years old girl. She lives in a remote area as her husband is a scientist and his research facility is at a place where you can’t find a single pizza store. For those who’re feeling sorry for her, she herself bakes better pizza than the leading pizza stores. So, she’s all set.

When her girl was born, she badly wanted to do a baby photoshoot and also when she turned 1. But, you can’t expect to find any photographer at a place so remote that not even pizza stores exist.

She called me and asked for suggestions to shoot the photos herself. She has an iPhone which shoots pretty good photos, but she wants the photos to look professional. And, when it comes to making a photo look professional, the background of the photos plays a vital role.

I suggested that she should decorate the wall to use as the background. Lucky for her, I edit photos. After shooting 50+ photos, she sent the best five to me for editing. I edited them in just 2 days and delivered them to her.

In fact, she ended up printing three of them.

Let’s see some indoor places where you can shoot your family photos.

1. How to shoot indoor photos

You only need two things to shoot indoor family photos

  1. Smartphone (either iOS or Android) or a DSLR camera
  2. Tripod (not necessary but recommended)

You can buy some smartphones tripod on Amazon for as low as $10. Here’s one that I like the most. It’s the Acuvar 50″ Inch Aluminum Camera Tripod

It’s a 50″ Inch Aluminum Camera Tripod for iPhone 11 Pro, 11 Pro Max, XS, SE 2, XR, X, 8, 8+, Pixel 3, XL, Android Note 10, S10, S20, and more.

Simply mount the phone on the tripod, use the camera’s inbuilt timer, and start shooting.

2. Indoor places to shoot your family photos

Let’s see the indoor places to shoot your family photos.

2.1 Walls as a background for indoor photos

2.1.1 Blank walls

Pastel-colored walls look beautiful as a photo background. Here are some examples.

2.1.2 Decorated walls

Here’s a pin that shows you how two photo frames added beauty to a wall background.

2.2 Windows as a background for indoor photos

You can use windows as a background too. They can become a pretty good background in daylight.

2.3 Garden as a background for photos

If you have an independent house then you can use the garden as a background. If you live in a condo/apartment then let’s see the other options.

2.4 Dining room or kitchen as a background for indoor photos

Here’s a pin that shows how beautifully a kitchen can be used as a background.

The dining room can also be used as a themed photoshoot. You can either shoot the photos manually or put the camera on a tripod and let it shoot automatically.

2.5 Living room as a background for indoor photos

Living rooms can be used as backgrounds to create beautiful photos. If you’re wealthy and your living room looks as good as the below photo, then you’re good to go. If you’re an average guy like me, then see the other photos below.

Here’s a pin where studying is the theme.

Here’s a pin where playing is the theme.

2.6 Bedroom as a background for indoor photos

Here’s a pin where the photographer beautifully collated their best photos and made a collage.

You can also use the photos below as inspiration.

2.7 Bathroom as a background for indoor photos

A bathroom can be a good place to shoot photos of the kids.

You can take inspiration from this pin. Here the kids are left to play and the photographer shot a candid photo.

Playing is the theme in this pin.

3. How to edit self shot photos?

4.95/5 rating. Read the reviews here.
I offer unlimited revisions
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If you want to edit yourself, you can download some photo editing apps on your phone such as Snapseed, Enlight Photofox, Picsart, etc. Here’s a list of iPhone or Android photo editing apps.

Best 25 Free Photoshop Apps For Your Phone

Imagine you just got your birthday photos and you see someone there in the background ruining your photo. You don’t have free Photoshop apps to remove the person, but you do have a smartphone.

You immediately go to the App Store or Play Store and download some apps. You’ll probably download multiple apps and see which app gives you the best result, but you don’t know which one is the right one for you.

That’s why we compiled this list of the best 25 free photoshop apps for your phone.

What are the eligibility criteria of choosing the free Photoshop apps for your phone?

The only eligibility criteria is that the app must have:

  • More than 1,000 reviews on the App Store or Play Store

This shows that the developer has enough feedback to further improve the app.

What are the ranking criteria of the free Photoshop apps?

We’ve decided to rank the apps based on the following criteria

  1. Rating (highest weightage)
  2. App functionality
  3. App usability
  4. Number of reviews on the App Store

After collecting all the data, we used a formula to rank all the apps.

List of 25 best free photoshop apps for your phone

Here you go.

1. Instagram

App Store download and reviews: 17,100K and 4.8 ⭐

Pricing: $0.00

PROS

  • Smooth
  • Almost no bugs
  • 30+ filters

CONS

  • Limited functionality

People know Instagram as a very popular photo-sharing social media site but it has a very powerful photo editor also.

It’s a bit hidden and you need to choose the photos to upload and then click on edit to edit the photos.

2. Photoshop Express

App Store download and reviews: 5,420K and 4.8 ⭐

Pricing: $0.00

PROS

  • Full of features
  • Smooth
  • 30+ filters

CONS

  • Not as good as desktop Photoshop even though it is made by Adobe (the parent company of Photoshop)

There’s no doubt that Photoshop is used as the industry standard when it comes to photo editing software.

This software does a very good job but when it comes to comparing its features with the desktop version of Photoshop, it fails. But I cannot blame the app because mobile phones will always have some limitations.

3. PicCollage

App Store download and reviews: 1,100K and 4.8 ⭐

Pricing: $0.00

PROS

  •  A powerful in-app photo editor and layout tools

CONS

  • Lots of ads

This collage app is perfect for you if you’re still new to creating collages. It even shows you what to do with helpful on-screen instructions. With visual illustrations and arrows, you’ll know where to add photos and where to edit them.

Lots of ads is a deal-breaker here. But after paying for the premium version, the ads will be removed.

4. PicsArt

App Store download and reviews: 348.3K and 4.7 ⭐

Pricing: $0.00

PROS

  • The in-house editor is powerful
  • Lots of filters
  • Easily available templates

CONS

  • Deeply integrated with Facebook. Better double-check what you’re editing so that you don’t end up posting than on Facebook.
  • The app crashes often

PicsArt is a super powerful photography, image editing, and drawing app that’s like Photoshop, Flickr, and a professional camera all rolled into one.

The app is also loaded with many artistic features.

5. Instasize

App Store download and reviews: 199.2K and 4.6 ⭐

Pricing: $0.00

PROS

  • 130+ filters
  • UI is nice and clean

CONS

  • Only designed for social media posts

Instasize offers fast and easy editing options that can be utilized to make your social media images more eye-catching. With the app, you get a vast collection of filters and a variety of professional editing tools.

There are many apps in the App Store that offer photo editing tools but Instasize lets you resize your photos according to the platform. How cool is that!?

6. BeautyPlus

App Store download and reviews: 162.1K and 4.9 ⭐

Pricing: $0.00

PROS

  • The auto-enhance feature is one of the most powerful tools I’ve ever seen.

CONS

  • One cybersecurity news story says that the app may steal your data.
  • Loaded with ads
  • This app is mostly about editing faces and adding makeup

The app does a very good job of editing selfies. It lets you add eye shadow, change hair color, etc. But make sure that you read the cybersecurity news article which said that this app is a threat to privacy.

According to CyberNews, 3 app developers are also apparently guilty of trying to hide their connection: they seem to be separate developers with separate apps, but we discovered that they’re likely run by the same group in China.

7. AirBrush

App Store download and reviews: 117.8K and 4.9 ⭐

Pricing: $0.00

PROS

  • Perfect for editing selfies

CONS

  • The app is all about editing selfies and adding makeup. It’s not a versatile app that can be used for any kind of editing.
  • Full of ads

The app offers a variety of editing for free but you have to unlock some features by paying. The free tools do a decent job.

If you want to unlock all the features, make sure you’re ready to spend a good amount of money.

8. Prisma

App Store download and reviews: 95.8K and 4.7 ⭐

Pricing: $0.00

PROS

  • Perfect at turning photos into art
  • 250+ filters available

CONS

  • If you’re looking for a versatile editor that does so many other things apart from turning photos into art, this app is not for you

Overall, we liked the Prisma app a lot – it really reminds us of Instagram when it’s first launched.

Though it’s not exactly like Instagram because it uses a neural network to edit each photo.

10. Adobe Lightroom

App Store download and reviews: 79.7K and 4.8 ⭐

Pricing: $0.00

PROS

  • Batch editing
  • Support presets
  • Supports RAW format

CONS

  • Need to have an Adobe account

Lightroom CC enables you to use ready-made presets or create your own filters for future projects.

There’s also the possibility to download presets from the Lightroom desktop version, simply changing the file format. This certainly makes Lightroom very popular among professional photographers.

11. B612

App Store download and reviews: 56K and 4.6 ⭐

Pricing: $0.00

PROS

  • Good for selfie editing
  • One-click retouch

CONS

  • Lots of ads
  • CyberNews reported that this app could be misusing your data

This app is very similar to BeautyPlus in terms of functionality. I wonder if they’re using the same server in the background to edit the photos because both apps give almost identical results.

Make sure that you read the CyberNews article because it reported that this app may misuse data. It also reported that the country of origin is China.

12. YouCam Perfect

App Store download and reviews: 53.5K and 4.8 ⭐

Pricing: $0.00

PROS

  • Jack of all trades

CONS

  • Master of none

If you’re looking for an app that does everything then this is the app for you. It lets you edit your selfies, remove objects, apply filters, etc. but the quality is not the best.

You may need to spend some time to fine-tune your edits.

13. Photo Lab

 

App Store download and reviews: 45K and 4.6 ⭐

Pricing: $0.00

PROS

  • Artistic filters are very nice
  • App is smooth

CONS

  • A limited type of editing. The main purpose of the app is to turn photos into the art.

Think of it as another Prisma. This app makes your photo looks like art. The look and feel it gives to the photos is different than what Prisma gives.

14. VSCO

App Store download and reviews: 34.8K and 4.4 ⭐

Pricing: $0.00

PROS

  • Powerful photo editor
  • 200+ presets
  • Video editor
  • App is smooth

CONS

  • Most of the good filters are paid

VSCO has a powerful in-house photo editor.

With 200+ presets, I bet you don’t need to find other apps to make your photos look good. The problem is that most of the good filters are not free.

15. PicMonkey

App Store download and reviews: 23.2K and 4.8 ⭐

Pricing: $0.00

PROS

  • Amazing features for design-related activities
  • Doodling

CONS

  • Pricey

Picmonkey is quite an old tool. It also has a very powerful website for desktop users and the site does the same thing that the app does.

But PicMonkey is basically for designers. Consider using it if you want to create flyers, brochures, etc.

16. Hypocam

App Store download and reviews: 18K and 4.3 ⭐

Pricing: $0.00

PROS

  • Eye-catchy filters

CONS

  • Not available on App Store
  • Only has black and white filters

Because of the features it’s offering, there’s a good chance that most of its users are amateur photographers.

If that’s the case then the app is missing some really important features like histogram, shutter speed, ISO, etc. which are very much important to them.

17. Darkroom

App Store download and reviews: 15.6K and 4.8 ⭐

Pricing: $0.00

PROS

  • Edit videos
  • Curves and selective color tools are available
  • Supports RAW editing
  • Batch editing

CONS

  • A little bit buggy
  • Not available on Play Store

Darkroom has been awarded Editor’s Choice on the App Store. So, this leaves no doubt that the app is great.

But I believe that the app is a little bit buggy. When I was editing a RAW format, I could see that moving the sliders weren’t changing the photo. I cross-checked whether something is wrong by editing the same photo that is in the JPG format. And it worked perfectly.

18. Photoshop Fix

App Store download and reviews: 11.2K and 4.7 ⭐

Pricing: $0.00

PROS

  • Fast
  • Easy to use

CONS

  • Not as many features as Photoshop Express

Adobe also offers Photoshop Express which is quite a powerful app. Yet, Adobe still keeps the less powerful, Photoshop Fix, live.

This app offers limited functionality for things like fixing acne, blemishes, adjusting the tone, etc. For people who think Photoshop Express is too hard to use, try Photoshop Fix.

19. Carbon

App Store download and reviews: 9K and 4.7 ⭐

Pricing: $0.00

PROS

  • 50+ black and white filters
  • Photo textures
  • RAW support

CONS

  • Only gives black and white output

Think of it as Hypocam (#17) for iOS. This app does the same thing. It makes a photo black and white and outputs beautifully.

It does not provide colored output.

20. Afterlight

App Store download and reviews: 7.2K and 4.7 ⭐

Pricing: $0.00

PROS

  • 130+ filters
  • 60+ textures
  • Supports double exposure

CONS

  • Cannot create your own filters

Like Darkroom, Afterlight has been awarded Editor’s Choice on the App Store. So, this leaves no doubt that the app is great.

The app features tools that are needed for basic photo editing like healing, curves, etc.

21. Visage

App Store download and reviews: 6.1K and 4.2 ⭐

Pricing: $0.00

PROS

  • Selfie editor

CONS

  • Some better selfie editors are already available for free

Visage is a selfie editor that lacks the features that other selfie editors offer for free.

I think Visage has an edge over its biggest competitors like BeautyPlus and B612 because, unlike BeautyPlus and B612, there’s no report of this app misusing your data.

22. Snapseed

App Store download and reviews: 4.8K and 3.9 ⭐

Pricing: $0.00

PROS

  • Probably the most powerful photo editor

CONS

  • UI is not at all user friendly

Here comes probably the most powerful photo editor. You can do almost anything with your photos using Snapseed.

I badly want to place it in the top five but its low rating and ultra-complex UI forced me to give it 22nd rank.

23. Foodie

App Store download and reviews: 4.9K and 4.7 ⭐

Pricing: $0.00

PROS

  • Very clean UI

CONS

  • Lacks many features like skin softening, etc.

If we go by the name, we’d think that it’s an app for food photography. But that’s not the case.

If you like minimalism, try this app.

24. PhotoDirector

App Store download and reviews: 1.1K and 4.5 ⭐

Pricing: $0.00

PROS

  • The dispersion effect is present
  • Many tools available for artistic effects

CONS

  • Lacks many features like skin softening, etc.

This app is good for artistic effects like dispersion, animation and double exposure.

If you’re an artist, you will like this app. But if you’re a person who just likes to shoot and post on Instagram, this app is not for you.

25. Lens Distortions

App Store download and reviews: 1.1K and 4.7 ⭐

Pricing: $0.00

PROS

  • Layer based photo editor
  • 400+ effects

CONS

  • Targeting amateur photographers
  • Not available on Play Store

If you’re an amateur iPhone photographer who likes artistic effects then you should try Lens Distortions.

This app does make beautiful use of lights and has some very artistic effects.

That’s it. This is the list of the best 25 free Photoshop apps for your phone.

Still can’t find free Photoshop apps to do your job?

If you still cannot find any app that does your job perfectly, you can hire me at any time. Use the button below to see what I offer.