Best photo-editing software for most Adobe Photoshop Elements 7 *Est. $80
Free photo editor and organizer Google Picasa 3 *Est. $0
Free photo-editing software GIMP 2.6 *Est. $0
Pro-level photo editor and image manager Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 *Est. $275
Professional graphics software Adobe Photoshop CS4 *Est. $665

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Adobe Photoshop Elements 6 (now 7 Windows, 6 Mac)

*Est. $80

Good for most home users
Well organized, intuitive
Has easy "guided" level for novices
Special effects

Expensive if you only need simple tools
Pros need Photoshop CS3 instead

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Reviews say Adobe Photoshop Elements 6 is the best photo-editing software for most non-professionals if you aren't doing at lot of web tasks. Experts say it's simpler and cheaper than Adobe Photoshop CS3 (*est. $620), more complex and versatile than the free Google Picasa, and better organized than its major competition, Corel Paint Shop Pro X2 (*est. $80). There is a "guided" level for novices, though one review says its purpose is getting the job done rather than preparing you for the more advanced levels. There are special effects beyond the usual photo-enhancement. Professional and owner reviews say version 6 has a better interface than version 5, but isn't worth the cost of an upgrade. There are versions of Elements 6 for PCs and Macs.

There are so many credible reviews for Adobe Photoshop Elements 6 that we don't include Consumer Reports' skimpy coverage, which rates Elements 5 rather Elements 6, anyway, and requires a subscription. We found the best reviews at PC Magazine and subscribers-only Which? because they review the most software. PC World compares Adobe Photoshop Elements 6 against Corel Paint Shop Pro X2. Mac users will want to see a detailed report in Macworld. We found about 275 user reviews on Amazon.com.

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Our Sources

1. PCMag.com Details/Subscribe

This overview has a chart (in a separate window on the second page) comparing seven programs in 17 categories, with Photoshop Elements and the free Google Picasa getting Editors Choice awards.

Review: Buying Guide: Simple Photo Editors, Jan Ozer, July 11, 2007

2. PCMag.com Details/Subscribe

This is a single-product review, but PC Magazine tests enough photo-editing software that the Editors Choice designation means quite a bit. When one of the negatives is that there's too many features - "bloat," says reviewer Galen Fott - you know there's nothing missing from the product.

Review: Adobe Photoshop CS3 Review, Galen Fott, April 26, 2007

3. Which.co.uk

The U.K.'s Which? is similar to Consumer Reports. Some major players are missing among the 18 photo-editing software titles reviewed, and you need to be a subscriber to read the individual reviews. Adobe Photoshop Elements 6 is among those rated.

Review: Photo-Editing Software, Editors of Which.co.uk

4. PC World Details/Subscribe

Adobe Photoshop Elements 6 is compared against Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo X2; reviewer Alan Stafford says Adobe is the better choice for beginners. He also says owners of previous generations of Elements have little reason to buy the update.

Review: Adobe Photoshop Elements 6 Review, Alan Stafford, Oct. 19, 2007

5. Macworld Details/Subscribe

This detailed review's weakness is no real comparison with non-Adobe products. Bottom line is the Photoshop Elements 6 is "designed for the non-professional" - meant as a compliment - but on the downside, there is "no Web gallery-uploading capabilities."

Review: Review: Photoshop Elements 6 Review, Leesa Snider King, March 26, 2008

Debbie Grossman says Adobe Photoshop Elements 6 is the obvious choice if you're not going to spend big bucks on Photoshop CS3, but notes one flaw on the "guided" program for novices: It doesn't teach you the tools' names to help you graduate smoothly to more advanced options.

Review: Software Review: Adobe Photoshop Elements 6, Debbie Grossman, Dec. 2007

7. Amazon.com

About 270 owner reviews give Adobe Photoshop Elements a good average score, with about 20 percent negative. Most of the complaints cite assorted bugs, and some say it's not much of an upgrade over older versions.

Review: Adobe Photoshop Elements 6 Reviews, Contributors to Amazon.com