The 4 Best Monitors For Photo Editing - Fall 2024 (2024)

Updated Aug 16, 2024 at 01:54 pm

By Nicholas Di Giovanni

The 4 Best Monitors For Photo Editing - Fall 2024 (1)

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If you're a professional photo editor or content creator, getting a proper monitor can help you perfect your craft. While there are dedicated professional displays with perfect color accuracy, those tend to cost a lot, so the next best option is to get a cheaper monitor that performs well enough even for serious photo editing. A monitor with a wide range of accurate colors and a dedicated sRGB mode is useful if you don't want to pay more for calibration, and this lets you properly edit images and create realistic content.

Besides the color accuracy, a high-resolution display lets you see images with a ton of detail, and you can also think about the size, but that's a personal preference. Getting a monitor with a USB hub, wide viewing angles, and good ergonomics also improves your workflow, especially if you need to multitask or often share your screen with someone else.

We've bought and tested more than 325 monitors, and below are our picks for the best monitors for photography and photo editing. See our recommendations for the best 4k monitors, the best ultrawide monitors, and the best monitors for video editing. If you need more than just a monitor, check out the best laptops for photo editing and the best cameras for photography.


  1. Best Monitor For Photo Editing

    ASUS ProArt Display PA279CRV 18

    The 4 Best Monitors For Photo Editing - Fall 2024 (7)

    Editing

    7.7

    Performance Usages: Brightness

    7.3

    Response Time

    5.6

    HDR Picture

    5.5

    SDR Picture

    6.9

    Color Accuracy

    8.9

    The best monitor that we've tested for photo editing is the ASUS ProArt Display PA279CRV. It's designed specifically with content creation in mind because it haspicture modes with various color spaces that you may work with, from the basic sRGB color space to the wider Rec. 2020 color space. Colors are accurate before any calibration, and it also displays a wide range of colors in the Adobe RGB color space, but some colors are oversaturated. Another advantage is that it has a high 4k resolution to deliver clear and detailed images.

    It has a few features to help your workflow, like an extremely ergonomic stand and a big USB hub to which you can connect various devices, including a USB-C port that supports DisplayPort Alt Mode with 90W of power delivery. It's a good choice if you want to edit in a well-lit room as it gets bright enough to combat glare, but it has more limited picture quality in dark rooms due to its terrible local dimming feature. If that's important to you, the Acer Nitro XV275K P3biipruzx has much better picture quality in dark rooms, but it tends to cost more and doesn't have as many picture modes.

    See our review

  2. Best Monitor For Photo Editing On Mac

    Apple Studio Display 4

    The 4 Best Monitors For Photo Editing - Fall 2024 (13)

    Editing

    7.4

    Performance Usages: Brightness

    3.5

    Response Time

    4.5

    HDR Picture

    2.4

    SDR Picture

    7.0

    Color Accuracy

    9.4

    Size

    27"

    Pixel Type

    IPS

    Max Refresh Rate

    60 Hz

    Native Resolution

    5120 x 2880

    See all our test results

    If you want to edit your photos with aMac computer, like a MacBook Pro or Mac Mini, consider the Apple Studio Display instead. While the ASUS ProArt Display PA279CRVis good enough to use with macOS devices, the Studio Display completes your Apple ecosystem andhas features you can use only with a Mac computer. One of those featuresis its dedicated sRGB mode, which results in exceptional accuracy, and you won't even need to calibrate it for the most accurate image. It also has a higher 5k resolution, resulting in anincredibly high pixel density and sharp images.

    It's different in a few ways from the ASUS because it doesn't support HDR, but that doesn't make much difference if you don't edit photos in HDR anyway. You can also consider the higher-end Apple Pro Display XDR if you want HDR support, but it costs a lot more. As for the Studio Display, it's available in two different types of stands, but neither offers swivel adjustment. Instead, you can get athird variant that comes with a mounting adapter, for which you'll need to buy a proper mount if you want a more adjustable stand.

    See our review

  3. Best Mid-Range Monitor For Photo Editing

    Dell S2722QC 14

    The 4 Best Monitors For Photo Editing - Fall 2024 (19)

    Editing

    7.5

    Performance Usages: Brightness

    7.3

    Response Time

    5.0

    HDR Picture

    4.8

    SDR Picture

    7.3

    Color Accuracy

    7.9

    Size

    27"

    Pixel Type

    IPS

    Max Refresh Rate

    60 Hz

    Native Resolution

    3840 x 2160

    See all our test results

    If you don't need a monitor specifically for macOS and you find the ASUS ProArt Display PA279CRV too much out of your price range, the Dell S2722QC is a good choice that often goes on sale. It's a step down in performance from the ASUS as it doesn't have a dedicated sRGB picture mode, meaning it has worse accuracy before calibration, but that's what you must expect when getting something cheaper. It also has a smaller USB hub withtwo USB-A ports and a single USB-C port. Luckily, itsupports DisplayPort Alt Mode with 65W of power delivery, which is enough to charge smaller laptops.

    Besides that, it performs similarly to the ASUS as it has fantastic ergonomics, and it performs well in bright rooms thanks to its high peak brightness. It even has the same 4k resolution, so it delivers sharp and detailed images. That said,if you want a 4k monitor with fewerfeatures, the Dell S2721QS performs similarly and tends to cost less, but it doesn't have any USB ports to connect devices.

    See our review

  4. Best Budget Monitor For Photo Editing

    ASUS ProArt Display PA278CV 10

    The 4 Best Monitors For Photo Editing - Fall 2024 (25)

    Media Creation

    7.9

    Size

    27"

    Pixel Type

    IPS

    Max Refresh Rate

    75 Hz

    Native Resolution

    2560 x 1440

    See all our test results

    If you're looking for a low-cost monitor for photo editing, there are a few good options you can get, like the ASUS ProArt Display PA278CV. It tends to cost less than the Dell S2722QC, but it's a step down in performance because it has a lower 1440p resolution, so images aren't as detailed. It doesn't support HDR either, but that doesn't make a difference if you're editing content in SDR anyway. Besides that, this monitor is focused on photo editing as it has a dedicated sRGB mode with much better accuracy than the Dell, so you won't have to calibrate it for the most accurate colors.

    It has similar productivity features to the Dell; ithas a USB hub with four USB-A ports and a USB-C port with 65W of power delivery, so you can easily connect your laptop. It even has a DisplayPort output to daisy chain a second display. However, if you don't need the extra features like the USB-C or DisplayPort outputs, you can also check out the ASUS ProArt Display PA278QV. It's cheaper and performs similarly, but it doesn't get as bright.

    See our review

Notable Mentions

  • Dell U4025QW: The Dell U4025QW is a high-end monitor for photo editing with an ultrawide screen, offering even more screen space than the ASUS ProArt Display PA279CRV. It has a ton of features, but it costs a lot more than the ASUS, so only go for it if you want such a big screen. See our review
  • AOC Q27G3XMN: The AOC Q27G3XMN is a budget-friendly monitor with better picture quality than the ASUS ProArt Display PA278CV, as it uses Mini LED backlighting. The AOC is a good alternative if you care about having the best picture quality, but it has worse accuracy and fewer features than the ASUS. See our review
  • Dell U2723QE: The Dell U2723QE is a competitor to the ASUS ProArt Display PA279CRV, which performs similarly and has a few more features, like a KVM switch, but it displays fewer colors in Adobe RGB. See our review

Recent Updates

  1. Aug 16, 2024: We replaced the Dell S2721QS with the ASUS ProArt Display PA278CV as the ASUS has better color accuracy. In Notable Mentions, we replaced the Apple Studio Display XDR and the ASUS VG246H with the AOC Q27G3XMN to be more representative of the current market.

  2. May 24, 2024: Removed the Acer Nitro XV275K P3biipruzx and renamed the ASUS ProArt Display PA279CRV to 'Best Monitor' based on user feedback. Replaced the LG 40WP95C-W and the ASUS ProArt Display PA278CV with the Dell U4025QW and the Dell U2723QE in the Notable Mentions to better fit into the scope of the article.

  3. Apr 16, 2024: Added the Acer Nitro XV275K P3biipruzx as the best overall for consistency with other articles as it has good picture quality. The ASUS ProArt Display PA279CRV was renamed as the 'Best Mid-Range' and the Dell S2722QC as 'Best Lower Mid-Range' to reflect their market positions. Also added the ASUS ProArt Display PA278CV to the Notable Mentions.

  4. Feb 13, 2024: Removed the Dell U2723QE and renamed the ASUS ProArt Display PA279CRV to 'Best Monitor For Photo Editing' because it displays a wider range of colors than the Dell. Removed the Gigabyte M32U from Notable Mentions because it doesn't fit into the scope of this article.

  5. Dec 12, 2023: Removed the Acer Nitro XF243Y Pbmiiprx because of lack of availability and added the ASUS ProArt Display PA279CRV as the 'Best Upper Mid-Range' monitor. Replaced the Dell Alienware AW3423DW with the Apple Pro Display XDR in Notable Mentions.

All Reviews

Our recommendations are based on what we think are the best monitors for photography and other types of media creation currently available. They are adapted to be valid for most peoplein each price range. Rating is based on our review, factoring in price and feedback from our visitors.

If you would prefer to make your own decision, here is the list of all of our monitor reviews. Be careful not to get too caught up in the details. Most monitors are good enough to please most people, and the things we fault monitors on are often not noticeable unless you really look for them.

The 4 Best Monitors For Photo Editing - Fall 2024 (2024)

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