Adobe Photoshop is unquestionably loaded with the most advanced image-editing tools around. Despite this, there are some things, such as noise reduction and producing certain effects, that third-party plug-ins do better. But this just points to another reason Photoshop is the software to beat—it includes powerful plug-in capabilities that let it seamlessly integrate with other software.

You can use these add-on apps in more software than Photoshop. They also work in many of the best photo and image editing apps on the market, including Capture One Pro, Corel PaintShop Pro, CyberLink PhotoDirector, and even GIMP, as well as in Adobe's own Lightroom Classic (the newfangled Lightroom doesn't support plug-ins). Some plug-ins spawn their own program window and round trip the work to Adobe's app, while others are more integrated, usually adding no more than a dialog box.

Below we list what we consider the best Photoshop plug-ins. You can also find tons more at Adobe Exchange, with ratings and popularity sorting.

There's Always More to Learn About Photoshop

For more information, read our full review of Photoshop and go to our Adobe landing page, where you can keep up with all the latest news, tips, and reviews relating to the leading imaging software in the world.

Got a favorite plug-in we didn't cover? Let us know in the comments.