Verithiathe honest score on any app
Updated July 2026 · real, multi-region App Store reviews
User consensusAlternativesIs it worth it?
The verdict on

Picsart AI Photo Editor

60
User verdict / 100 High confidence Divided

Picsart remains a powerful and versatile photo and video editor, praised for its extensive tools and AI capabilities, but recent updates have significantly increased paywalls and subscription costs, leading to widespread user frustration over previously free features now requiring payment.

4.7★ lifetime (1,192,991) Free + in-app purchases since 2013 by PicsArt, Inc. updated 0.1 mo ago recent negative 32% 120 reviews across 4 regions
Cost & Paywalls AI Integration Usability & Features Subscription Management & Refunds Performance & Bugs
5★482
4★68
3★66
2★44
1★240
recent reviews across 4 regions, vs the 4.7★ lifetime average

Picsart is a highly capable photo and video editing app offering a wide range of tools for creative expression, including AI features. While many users appreciate its versatility and ease of use, a growing number of recent reviews express significant dissatisfaction with the aggressive monetization strategy, particularly the placement of basic features behind expensive paywalls and subscription tiers.

What users like

  • Offers extensive and versatile photo and video editing tools, suitable for various creative projects like collages, graphic design, and vision boardsR3R7R14R36
  • AI editing features are impressive and can perform complex tasks, enhancing creative possibilitiesR28R37
  • User-friendly interface makes it easy for both beginners and experienced editors to create contentR3R7R22R50

What users complain about

  • Many previously free and basic features, such as adding text or saving/screenshotting work, are now locked behind expensive paywalls or subscriptionsR4R5R49R60
  • Subscription costs are considered very high, with some users reporting weekly rates of $11.99 or annual charges of $84-$90, and additional costs for AI creditsR12R16R29R90
  • Users report issues with accidental subscriptions, difficulty canceling, and unauthorized charges, with some experiencing poor customer service for refundsR27R42R58R62
  • The app frequently pushes AI features, which some long-time users dislike, preferring traditional editing toolsR8R11R91R161
  • Some users experience glitches, crashes, disappearing projects, and slow performance, especially with video editing or larger projectsR15R97R115R168

Latest update · v30.3.1

What the developer says changed (the verdict above weighs this against what reviewers report):

Most of what we build doesn't wait for an app update. While this one tidies up a few bugs, the real action happens behind the scenes-new features, fresh content, stickers, and templates dropping all the time. Stay close to our socials so you don't miss a thing.

Recurring themes

Cost & Paywalls negative
A dominant theme is the high cost of subscriptions and the increasing number of features moved behind paywalls. Users are frustrated that basic functions like saving, adding text, or removing backgrounds, which were once free, now require payment. Many find the weekly and annual subscription prices exorbitant, with additional charges for AI credits on top of a subscription. This contradicts the app's previous accessibility and has led to many canceling subscriptions or advising against paying.R4R5R12R16
AI Integration mixed
The integration of AI features elicits mixed reactions. Some users highly praise the AI for its advanced editing capabilities and creative potential, finding it powerful and impressive. However, a significant portion of long-time users express strong dislike, viewing it as 'AI garbage' or 'slop' that detracts from the app's original purpose of skill-based editing. They feel the app has shifted too much focus to AI, making it less about user skill and more about automated generation.R8R11R16R28
Usability & Features positive
Despite the monetization concerns, many users still find the app to be highly functional, versatile, and easy to use for a wide range of photo and video editing tasks. It's lauded for its comprehensive toolset, making it suitable for graphic design, collages, and general photo enhancements. Users appreciate its ability to bring creative ideas to life and its potential for both beginners and advanced users.R1R2R3R6
Subscription Management & Refunds negative
A significant number of users report issues related to subscriptions, including being charged without notification after free trials, difficulty canceling subscriptions, and being charged double. Many describe poor experiences with customer support when trying to obtain refunds for unwanted or accidental charges. This indicates a problem with transparency and user control over their subscriptions.R27R42R58R62
Performance & Bugs negative
Some users report technical issues such as lagging, app crashes, projects disappearing, and slow export times, especially for videos. There are also mentions of specific glitches like white borders appearing during edits or difficulty with certain tools like background removal. The developer's notes mention 'tidying up a few bugs,' but recent reviews indicate ongoing performance problems.R15R97R115R168

Who it's for

Picsart is for creative individuals who need a comprehensive photo and video editor and are willing to pay for premium features R3R14. It's particularly good for those who enjoy experimenting with AI editing and a wide range of artistic tools R28R37. It is not for users seeking a completely free editing experience for basic tasks, as many core functionalities are now paywalled R4R5. It's also not ideal for those who are sensitive to high subscription costs or who have experienced issues with subscription management in the past .

Evidence note: The evidence for high subscription costs and paywalls for basic features is overwhelming and consistent across many reviews. The positive aspects of the app's functionality are also well-supported, but often overshadowed by the pricing complaints. Evidence for specific bugs and performance issues is present but less widespread than the pricing concerns.

Frequently asked

Is Picsart free to use?
Picsart offers a free version, but many basic and advanced features, including saving edits, adding text, and background removal, are now locked behind a premium subscription R4R5R49R60.
How much does Picsart Premium cost?
Picsart Premium is considered expensive by users, with reported costs including $11.99 per week, $10 per month, or annual charges ranging from $84 to $90, and some AI tools require additional credits on top of the subscription R12R16R29R90.
Can I get a refund if I'm accidentally charged for Picsart?
Some users report significant difficulty getting refunds for accidental subscriptions or unauthorized charges, with customer service sometimes providing generic links instead of direct assistance R42R58R62R67.
Does Picsart use AI for editing?
Yes, Picsart heavily integrates AI editing tools, which some users find impressive and useful for creative tasks, while others dislike the shift towards AI over traditional editing skills R8R11R28R37.

What reviewers actually said

Built only from these 120 real reviews (foreign ones translated). Superscripts jump to the quote here. Apple has no per-review links, so [ref] opens that app's reviews on the App Store.

  1. [R3] 5/5 · US More than expected!: I have an app that cost an outrageous amount of money and doesn’t do half of what this app can do. Heck, I don’t even know what all this one can do lol. It’s easy to use and really cool to mess around with. Anyone who really knows how to use it is probably a professional! Great App! Thank you!
  2. [R7] 5/5 · US Incredible- User friendly: The best app to use for editing, designing…EVER!! Been using for years…looking forward to new updates
  3. [R14] 5/5 · US Versatile and Imaginative: This is by far my favorite creative app, whether for photo editing, graphic design, or collage making it excels in its utility and customization. I frequently use this app for vision boarding and photo effects. I make backgrounds for my phone using the open asset library of stickers in combination with photos and grain effects, as well as matching custom app icons. This
  4. [R36] 5/5 · US I can do anything for you: It could do anything ChatGPT would do and you can remove stuff. Also you can make yourself a wallpaper or birthday card or beach parties so get it right now.
  5. [R28] 5/5 · US Amazing AI editing: I am impressed by how the AI editing can do anything you ask it to.
  6. [R37] 5/5 · US Picsart: Hands down the best AI art program I’ve used. This Christmas will be my 3rd one with them and the improvements they have made are extremely valuable and impressive. Even for a beginner like I was I could create from square one which has give me great joy and satisfaction
  7. [R22] 5/5 · US Bella: Very good app. Easy to use, love the tools and the ease of editing
  8. [R50] 5/5 · US Best app: I make cool things for it and it is so fun and easy to use
  9. [R4] 1/5 · US Not as great as it was back then years ago.: Cannot even to a simple text message in the photo and save it without them trying to make me pay for the app? When did this app involve so much money over the smallest things.
  10. [R5] 2/5 · US Sucks: First time on Picsart and i can’t even save anything, no screen shots and you have to pay to just do stuff. I thought this app was gonna be fun. Sucks!
  11. [R49] 3/5 · US Pay to play: Decent features and good UI but the stuff they put behind a paywall in this app is despicable. You can't even put text on an image without getting locked out of downloading a copy of or screenshotting your work. Fifteen years ago there were apps on the Android store with more and better features that were entirely free with just a small banner ad in the bottom of the screen. Now we ha
  12. [R60] 3/5 · US bruh: makes me pay for almost everything i cant even screenshot my own work
  13. [R12] 3/5 · US It’s okay: It works good if you get it perfect but it is very expensive I payed for the $10 monthly and got to make 2 videos today and now I can’t make anymore until next month. My opinion, not worth it.
  14. [R16] 2/5 · US Use Free Only: The app is pretty good and you can do a lot of photo editing with it. They have the most basic features available on pro which is a subscription for $11.99 per week!!! I don’t recommend getting this, just use the free version. The “pro” version is just basic AI editing that will absolutely mess up your face or other people’s faces when you edit them, especially in group settings. If
  15. [R29] 3/5 · US Too expensive: Nice, but they want to charge you for everything I bought a subscription for a year and then they wanna charge me for credits to use AI tools on top of that so they’ve made it too expensive to use. I canceled the subscription
  16. [R90] 3/5 · US Insane Subscription Hikes: Going from $12.99 to $15.99 was bad enough, now it is up to $18.99 for the same service I once had for $12.99. I gave up. When are these companies going to learn raising subscriptions aren’t the answer. Eventually the working class is going to break and limit which subscriptions they are willing to pay for.
  17. [R27] 1/5 · US I can’t cancel my subscription: I’ve tried everything…
  18. [R42] 1/5 · US Steals money: Charged $90 without even notified of the trial ending like many apps do. So now I have to put a claim for a refund or my bank. Like are you kidding me rn???
  19. [R58] 1/5 · US They denied the refund: I accidentally subscribed to this plan and immediately asked for a refund. But they refused!! I haven’t used the service a single time since being charged. Absolutely horrible experience!!!!
  20. [R62] 1/5 · US Terrible: I downloaded this to enhance 1 photo for one event. The app worked, but it’s designed to trap you into payment. I thought I deleted it before the trial subscription ended, but I guess not - I paid for a test and never used it again. It was layered and confusing which is why I guess I was confused. A YEAR later I get the email that my subscription was going to renew. Customer service was
  21. [R8] 1/5 · US NEED ACCOUNT TO USE: it makes you create an account now in order to even get into the app. You’re unable to skip that now. There’s an ugly amount of ai on this app now too. I miss the way it used to be
  22. [R11] 1/5 · US ai garbage: yet another app implementing ai garbage slop nobody wants
  23. [R91] 1/5 · US AI, Genuinely disheartening: I am incredibly disappointed that this app has so much ai. It even has ai in the name now it is genuinely so disappointing and disgusting. I remember being younger and using this app as a editing app learning and improving my editing skills and now it’s not even about that it’s all about ai and how you don’t even need skills to use it. I will never understand why just
  24. [R161] 1/5 · US GROSS !!!: I hate how this app has turned into an AI app over the years. Ew. 🫠
  25. [R15] 3/5 · US Not bad just a lot of adds and glitches: 3/5
  26. [R97] 1/5 · US HATE THIS APPPP (DONT DOWNLOAD): one of my most HARD worked on projects JUST DISAPPEARED plus TOO MUCH ADS TOO LIITLE SPACE IM DELETEING THIS HORRBILE EXUSE OF AN APP
  27. [R115] 1/5 · US What is going on with your app?: Usually great but I cannot make a video collage. It keeps crashing and I’ve spent hours and have nothing to show for it. Please fix your app!
  28. [R168] 1/5 · US Hate it sorry: I was so happy to edit on here but sometimes it lagged so bad but then I decided to draw on it too but then I drawed a cute character but I saved it but it was lagging and it turned my iPad of and I went back and it resettled my WHOLE drawing I was SO SAD this is why I don’t want to color on this APP so fix the lag thank you.
  29. [R1] 5/5 · US 🌟🌟🌟🌟: Great App
  30. [R2] 5/5 · US Thank you!: Muy buena la uso para hacer flayers para la iglesia invitaciones con foto muy útil blessings
  31. [R6] 5/5 · US Love this app: ❤️❤️❤️
  32. [R67] 1/5 · US Bs: This app is my nightmare. No help from support whenever I struggle to get through the app. I spent 83$ but can’t even use it.

Synthesized from 120 recent App Store reviews · updated July 2026 · View on the App Store