Reviews

Fotor Photo Editor Review – A Clever Combination of Photo Editing & Graphic Design Capabilities

By Novak Bozovic / November 13, 2018

When searching for photo editors online, you can most often find two kinds of solutions. These can be really simple and fully automated solutions, which is what we see on mobile platforms. On the other end of the spectrum are complex photo editors that produce magnificent results but that come with a steep learning curve. This means that finding a photo editor that’s easy to use and that doesn’t restrict your creativity is tougher than it might seem. However, as you’ll learn by reading this article, this task isn’t impossible. Welcome to our review of Fotor!

First, let’s introduce you to this photo editor by listing some of its main aspects. Take a look at the table below to learn more.

Overview
Product Name Fotor Photo Editor
Supported Platforms Web-Based (HTML5), Windows, MacOS, Android, iOS.
Unique Features Platform-agnostic; Highly intuitive; In-depth photo editing features; Includes photo editing and graphic design.
Price Basic Edition – free of charge; Pro Edition - $8.99 per month ($39.99 per year).
Visit Fotor

With the basics out of our way, it’s time to give you a glimpse of what to expect. In case you don’t have the time to read this review in its entirety, take a quick look at the table below. We’ll tell you about the strongest and weakest points of this photo editor, along with our final verdict.

Final Verdict
Pros Easy to get started with; Tons of useful features; Nicely explained tools; Complemented by a capable Web version.
Cons Support documentation could be more comprehensive.
The Bottom Line Fotor is a highly versatile tool that’s equally capable of photo editing and graphic design – and it excels at both of these aspects. Highly recommended!
Our Score 9.8/10

And finally, we are now ready to provide our in-depth review of Fotor. We strongly recommend you to keep on reading, as we’ll be taking a very close look at this application.

Fotor Photo Editor for Windows – TechNadu’s Review

Before we start, we ought to tell you about the PC that was used to test Fotor. Our Windows PC is powered by Intel’s i7 8700K CPU, 16GB of RAM, and Nvidia’s GeForce 1070Ti. However, this is certainly an overkill for Fotor and you’ll be able to run it even on quite dated systems – without any performance issues. And also, we’ve tested the version 3.4.1 - the latest one available.

Platform Compatibility

Fotor Review - Graphic Design Templates

You can use Fotor on pretty much any popular platform, including Windows, MacOS, Android, and iOS. And there’s a Web-version for the rest. Our Score: 10/10.

Even though we’ve tested the Windows version of Fotor, we’ve also taken a look at its Web version. It’s safe to say that no matter which one you pick, you’ll find similar tools and features in both of these - where the Web version even comes with some extras. Finding the official system requirements has proven to be very hard, but we gave it a quick run on some older Windows PCs where Fotor performed without any problems. Therefore, it’s safe to say that if you have a PC bought in the last decade, you’ll be able to run it just fine.

Even though we didn’t test the MacOS version nor the mobile versions (made for iOS and Android), it’s good to know that any possible group of users is covered well.

Installation Process

Fotor Review - Installation

You can get started with Fotor for Windows in a matter of minutes. However, we’re not a fan of Opera’s offer (advertisement) during the installation process. Our Score: 9.5/10.

To get started with Fotor, you can visit the official ‘Fotor for Windows’ page. From there, you can download the installation file (around 250MB in size) and double-click to install the software.

Fotor Review - Installation In Progress

The process is pretty much typical with just one unexpected interruption. Before you install the application, you’ll see a promotional offer made by Opera. We can’t really be mad about this since Fotor can be used free of charge, so this is a way for this company to generate some revenue. And after all, we’re not talking about malware – and everything’s pretty transparent and clear.

User Interface

Fotor Review - User Interface

This photo editor strikes the right balance between simplicity and complexity, which has become a rare thing to find in this software category. Our Score: 10/10.

This is an incredibly easy-to-use photo editor. However, it’s important to note that it brings a highly capable and comprehensive set of features. To gradually introduce you to all of the available tools, the application starts with a Welcome screen offering you four options.

Fotor Review - Collage Maker

Fotor Review - Batch Editing

What we liked about Fotor is that it brings a uniform UI design that spans across all four of its aspects (explained above). The main portion of the window is centered around your photo, while the available tools are on the right. There are no advanced photography terms, so each tool is nicely represented and explained. Of course, there’s a helpful group of online resources if you want to invest some time and learn some advanced tips and tricks (more about that later in the article).

Ease of Use

Fotor Review - Home Screen

Even if this is the first time encountering a photo editor, Fotor will guide you through the photo editing process with ease. Our Score: 10/10.

The best way to explain how Fotor works is by taking a look at how photo editing is done. So, we’ll take a comprehensive look at its ‘Photo Editor’ feature. Everything we do here applies to other portions of the software. The only difference here is that ‘Collage’, ‘Touch Up’, and ‘Batch’ bring different kinds of editing tools, where the main principle is the same.

Once we launch the application, we can click on ‘Photo Editor’ to be taken to the photo editing interface. You can add your image via drag-and-drop, you can click on the workspace area, or import your image via File > Open. The result will be the same – you’ll see your photo on the left, with a set of photo editing tools on the right. Now, let’s take a look at different groups of options.

Fotor Review - Scenes

Fotor Review - Adjustments

Fotor Review - The Main Interface

Fotor Review - Focus

Speed & Performance

Fotor Review - Histogram

We’ve spent quite a lot of time playing around with Fotor’s features. During all that time, we did not have a single problem with this photo editor. Our Score: 10/10.

As said in the introduction, Fotor works across pretty old devices just fine. And it also looks like the application is highly optimized. After applying a bunch of effects and playing around with in-depth editing tools, Fotor remains very responsive. The photo editor didn’t even take more than a few seconds to apply all the changes we’ve done to the photo and export it in a high-resolution format.

Customer Support

Fotor Review - Blog

There are different ways to get help and you do this by visiting Fotor’s official website. Also, this is where you can find some inspiration. Our Score: 9/10.

If you get stuck with anything, you will have to turn to Fotor’s Help Section on the official website. This is where you can find categorized topics based on the version of Fotor you’re using. However, there’s not much information here so you’ll want to turn to tutorials. Strangely enough, you can find user guides but not within the Help page. For example, here’s the user guide for Windows, accessible from the page explaining the main options of this version of Fotor.

Finally, this company has a nice blog section where you can turn for some additional tips and tricks. You’ll often find blog posts about current events or holidays, allowing you to easily check what can be done using the photo editors.

Pricing

Fotor Review - Pricing

Considering the number of features that Fotor brings, we think this is perhaps the most interesting offer out of any photo editor on the market. Our Score: 10/10.

First of all, you can get started with free photo editing by using Fotor. The free version isn’t awfully limited and you can do some basic editing and graphic design. However, you’ll need to pay $8.99 per month to fully unlock the application. Even better, you can pay $39.99 per year, which comes down to $3.33 per month.

If you rely on photo editing or graphic design (for your social media profiles, for example), Fotor presents a compelling offer. For the price, you won’t only get access to a specific version of Fotor – you’ll get access to all of its versions. This includes Fotor’s Web version, which we highly recommend to check out – especially if you want to create custom graphics.

To learn more about the offered pricing plans and about the differences between the free and paid versions, here’s the official information on the pricing of Fotor.

The Final Verdict

When you think about it for a second, Fotor is a strange combination. It’s incredibly simple to use, yet it brings professional-level tools. On one hand, this is a photo editor. On the other hand, this is a powerful tool that can be used for graphic design. When we combine all of this together, we receive a highly interesting product that sets the bar high for any photo editor.

Final Thoughts

Dear readers, that would be all when it comes to TechNadu’s review of Fotor. If there’s anything else you’d like to know, don’t hesitate to post a comment below.

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Review Summary

Fotor is equally powerful when it comes to photo editing and graphic design. It’s quite easy to use – but it can easily compete with pro-level applications. This could easily be the best photo editor out there, as it certainly brings a lot of value for its price.

9.8
Overall Score
Platform Compatibility
10
Installation Process
9.5
User Interface
10
Ease of Use
10
Speed & Performance
10
Customer Support
9
Pricing
10


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