If you're a professional photo editor or content creator, getting a proper monitor to work with can help you perfect your craft. While there are dedicated professional displays with perfect color accuracy, those tend to cost a lot. The next best option is to get a consumer-level monitor that performs well enough even for serious photo editing. A monitor with a wide color gamut and a dedicated, accurate sRGB mode is useful if you don't want to pay more for SDR calibration. You may also want to consider the monitor's HDR performance, like its contrast and color volume, if you edit photos in HDR.
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, a KVM switch, and a wide viewing angle 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 380 monitors, and below are our picks for the best monitors for editing photos. See our recommendations for the best monitors for graphic design, the best monitors for video editing, and the best HDR monitors. If you need more than just a monitor, check out the best laptops for photo editing, the best cameras for photography, and, to complete your setup, the best home printers.
We buy and test more than 30 monitors each year, all of which we purchase ourselves, without cherry-picked units or samples. We put a lot into each unbiased, straight-to-the-point review, and there's a whole process from purchasing to publishing, involving multiple teams and people. We do more than just use the monitor for a week; we use specialized, custom tools to measure various aspects and deliver objective, data-driven results. We also consider multiple factors before making any recommendations, including the monitor's cost, its performance compared to the competition, and whether it's easy to find.
-
Best Monitor for Photo Editing
EditingColor AccuracySDR PictureHDR PictureBrightnessSize27"Panel TypeQD-OLEDMax Refresh Rate240 HzSee all our test resultsNative Resolution3840 x 2160The ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG27UCDM is among the best photo editing monitors that we've tested. It delivers superb picture quality for content creation. Although it's a gaming-focused monitor, the main advantage of getting this for photo editing is that its OLED panel delivers deep, inky blacks in dark rooms without haloing. This also helps if you edit darker photos. It even comes with a remarkably accurate sRGB mode, which is actually more accurate than calibrating it with another picture mode. It even displays a wide range of colors in the Adobe RGB color space, but some colors are oversaturated in it.
Even if you want to edit content in HDR, it's an incredible choice as it displays a wide range of colors that also look vivid. Besides that, it has a high 4k resolution that delivers detailed images and sharp text, and its 27-inch screen is big enough for multitasking. Plus, it has a ton of productivity features, including USB-C with 90W of power delivery and a KVM switch that helps with multitasking. Unfortunately, OLEDs like this risk burn-in with constant exposure to the same static elements over time, but it isn't an issue if you vary your content.
-
Best Upper Mid-Range Monitor For Photo Editing
EditingColor AccuracySDR PictureHDR PictureBrightnessSize27"Panel TypeQD-OLEDMax Refresh Rate360 HzSee all our test resultsNative Resolution2560 x 1440If you want an OLED for content creation, but you don't want to spend a lot, look into the Dell Alienware AW2725DF. It's a cheaper alternative to the ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG27UCDM, with the main difference being that it has a lower 1440p resolution, so images are less detailed. It also has a few less productivity features because it doesn't have a KVM switch. Even though it has a USB-C port, it doesn't support DisplayPort Alt Mode, so you can't display an image from a laptop over USB-C.
Despite these fewer perks, this monitor offers great value for content creators because it has similar picture quality to the higher-end ASUS. It has a QD-OLED panel with the same deep blacks in dark rooms, no haloing around bright objects, and highlights that pop in HDR. It also displays a wide range of colors in common SDR and HDR color spaces. Plus, its sRGB mode is very accurate before any sort of calibration, to the point where you may not need to pay for a full calibration. You can also consider the Dell Alienware AW3425DW if you prefer an ultrawide QD-OLED for content creation, but it costs more than the AW2725DF.
-
Best Mid-Range Monitor For Photo Editing
EditingColor AccuracySDR PictureHDR PictureBrightnessSize27"Panel TypeIPSMax Refresh Rate60 HzSee all our test resultsNative Resolution3840 x 2160If the Dell Alienware AW2725DF is too expensive for your needs or you prefer something other than an OLED, look into the ASUS ProArt Display PA279CRV. It's different from the Dell because it has a higher 4k resolution, so images are more detailed, but it has worse overall picture quality. It has a terrible local dimming feature and disappointing contrast, so blacks look gray. There's distracting haloing around bright objects if you use the local dimming feature. This means it's a bad choice for editing darker content in dark rooms, but it performs well for other types of content creation, particularly in a bright room.
That said, the main advantage of this monitor is its extremely accurate sRGB mode. Not only that, it also offers other picture modes for various color spaces you may work with, including Adobe RGB, DCI-P3, and Rec. 2020. It even comes with a useful USB hub to which you can connect your devices. However, it lacks a KVM switch, which is disappointing if you have two computers connected to the monitor and you often need to switch between them. You can check out the Dell U2725QE if that's important to you, but it costs more and has worse accuracy before calibration.
-
Best Lower Mid-Range Monitor For Photo Editing
EditingColor AccuracySDR PictureHDR PictureBrightnessSize27"Panel TypeIPSMax Refresh Rate120 HzSee all our test resultsNative Resolution3840 x 2160If the ASUS ProArt Display PA279CRV is out of your price budget, the Dell S2725QC is a cheaper alternative that offers good value. It's similar for the most part to the ASUS because it's another 4k, 27-inch option, so text and images look sharp. There are some notable trade-offs for getting this monitor instead of the ASUS, though. Its sRGB mode is less accurate before calibration, and it has less picture modes for other color spaces. That said, it's still a good choice for content creation as it displays a wide range of colors in common SDR color spaces, but like the ASUS, it has limited HDR picture quality.
It also comes with a few productivity perks, including an ergonomic stand that makes it easy to adjust. It has one fewer USB-A port than the ASUS, but it also has two USB-C ports, one of which supports DisplayPort Alt Mode to quickly connect a laptop. As it's limited to 65W of power delivery, it isn't enough to keep a power-hungry laptop fully charged while you're working, though. If you don't need the USB hub, you can also consider the similar Dell S2725QS, which you can get for less.
-
Best Budget Monitor For Photo Editing
EditingColor AccuracySDR PictureHDR PictureBrightnessSize27"Panel TypeVAMax Refresh Rate180 HzSee all our test resultsNative Resolution2560 x 1440Should you be looking for the best monitor for photo editing and you're on a tight budget, the AOC Q27G40XMN is a great choice that offers a ton of value. It's different from the Dell S2725QC in a few ways because it has a lower 1440p resolution, so images aren't as detailed. It isn't focused on productivity the same way the Dell is either, as it lacks a USB hub and doesn't have any USB ports, which is to be expected at this price point.
Besides these differences, the AOC has a few advantages over the Dell. It uses Mini LED backlighting and features great local dimming, which further improves its already-great contrast ratio. This means it's a great choice for editing content in dark rooms or in HDR, as it displays deep, inky blacks. However, using the local dimming feature locks the brightness to the max, which may be worth considering if you're sensitive to bright screens. If this bothers you, the AOC Q27G3XMN is a very similar alternative that allows you to adjust the brightness with local dimming in SDR. It's also easier to find, but it has worse local dimming, and reports indicate that some units have a red tint issue.
Notable Mentions
-
ASUS ROG Strix OLED XG32UCWMG:
The ASUS ROG Strix OLED XG32UCWMG is a 4k OLED that's a larger alternative to the ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG27UCDM. The XG32UCWMG also performs better in bright rooms because it maintains lower black levels in a well-lit room. However, it has less accurate and vivid colors than the PG27UCDM.
See our review -
Dell S3225QC:
The Dell S3225QC is an upper mid-range 4k OLED that's an alternative to the Dell Alienware AW2725DF if you want the higher resolution. However, it has worse accuracy before calibration.
See our review -
Acer Nitro XV275K P5biipruzx:
The Acer Nitro XV275K P5biipruzx is a mid-range 4k monitor that has better HDR picture quality than the ASUS ProArt Display PA279CRV. This is thanks to its Mini LED local dimming feature that improves black levels. However, you can't use this local dimming in SDR, so it doesn't offer advantages over the ASUS when editing SDR content.
See our review -
ASUS ROG Strix XG27ACS:
The ASUS ROG Strix XG27ACS is a budget-friendly 1440p monitor. It has a wider viewing angle and better ergonomics than the AOC Q27G40XMN, so it's a good choice if you often need to share your screen with someone else. However, it has worse HDR picture quality than the AOC.
See our review
Recent Updates
Mar 16, 2026:
We added the Dell S2725QC as the 'Best Lower Mid-Range Monitor For Photo Editing' to give another option, and removed the MSI G274QPF-QD, as it's hard to find. In the Notable Mentions, we replaced the Apple Studio Display 2022 with the Dell S3225QC.
Jan 26, 2026:
We replaced the hard-to-find BenQ MOBIUZ EX321UX with the Dell Alienware AW2725DF. In the Notable Mentions, we replaced the Dell Alienware AW3225QF and the Dell P2425H with the ASUS ROG Strix OLED XG32UCWMG and the Acer Nitro XV275K P5biipruzx.
Oct 01, 2025:
We replaced the Acer Nitro XV275K P3biipruzx with the BenQ MOBIUZ EX321UX because the Acer is hard to find. We also replaced the ASUS ROG Strix XG27ACS with the AOC Q27G40XMN because the AOC has better overall picture quality. We added the MSI G274QPF-QD as the 'Best Cheap Monitor For Photo Editing' to give another option. In the Notable Mentions, we replaced the Xiaomi G Pro 27i with the Dell S2725QC and the ASUS ROG Strix XG27ACS.
May 29, 2025:
We replaced the Gigabyte AORUS FO32U2P with the ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG27UCDM and renamed it to the 'Best Monitor' for consistency with other recommendations. We added the Acer Nitro XV275K P3biipruzx and renamed the ASUS ProArt Display PA279CRV to the 'Best Mid-Range Monitor.' We also replaced the LG 27GP850-B/27GP83B-B with the ASUS ROG Strix XG27ACS, as the LG is hard to find. Lastly, we replaced the Dell U4025QW and the Dell U2723QE with the Xiaomi G Pro 27i, Dell Alienware AW3225QF, and the Dell P2425H in the Notable Mentions.
Feb 19, 2025:
We introduced a new format to the article and updated the text to reflect these changes. Additionally, we replaced the Gigabyte M27U's 'Best Mid-Range' category with the Gigabyte AORUS FO32U2P in the new 'Best OLED' category. Replaced the ASUS ProArt Display PA278CV with the LG 27GP850-B/27GP83B-B, as the LG has HDR support. Removed the Dell P2425H, as it doesn't have an sRGB mode.
All Reviews
Our recommendations are based on what we think are the best monitors for editing photos currently available. They are adapted to be valid for most people in each price range. The 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.