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 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 390 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.
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Best Monitor For Photo Editing
EditingColor AccuracySDR PictureHDR PictureBrightnessSize27"Panel TypeOLEDSub-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.
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Best Upper Mid-Range Monitor For Photo Editing
EditingColor AccuracySDR PictureHDR PictureBrightnessSize27"Panel TypeOLEDSub-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.
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Best Mid-Range Monitor For Photo Editing
EditingColor AccuracySDR PictureHDR PictureBrightnessSize27"Panel TypeLCDSub-TypeIPSMax Refresh Rate320 HzSee all our test resultsNative Resolution3840 x 2160Should you want a mid-range option that offers good value, check out the Acer Nitro XV275K P5biipruzx. You can often find it for cheaper than the Dell Alienware AW2725DF. Besides its higher 4k resolution, it's different in a few ways because it doesn't have an OLED panel with the same deep and inky blacks. It also has more haloing around bright objects, which is something to consider if you edit dark photos with bright objects. It at least uses Mini LED backlighting that allows it to get brighter than the Dell, making it a better choice for well-lit rooms as it fights glare well.
It comes with an accurate sRGB mode that locks colors well to the sRGB color space. However, you'll need to calibrate it to fix out-of-the-box white balance and gamma issues. It also displays a wide range of colors in common color spaces, and makes those colors look vivid. It even has a local dimming feature that improves the picture quality in HDR by deepening blacks. However, you can't use this local dimming in SDR, so blacks look gray. You may want to consider the KOORUI S2741LM if you want to use local dimming in SDR, but this monitor is less accurate out of the box.
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Best Lower Mid-Range Monitor For Photo Editing
EditingColor AccuracySDR PictureHDR PictureBrightnessSize27"Panel TypeLCDSub-TypeIPSMax Refresh Rate60 HzSee all our test resultsNative Resolution3840 x 2160If the Acer Nitro XV275K P5biipruzx is too expensive for your needs, or you can't find it on sale, look into the ASUS ProArt Display PA279CRV. Despite being another 27-inch, 4k option, it's different from the Acer because it doesn't use Mini LED backlighting. It doesn't get as bright because of this, which is something to consider if you edit photos in well-lit rooms. It also has a worse local dimming feature that results in haloing around bright objects, and blacks aren't as deep. This means the ASUS is worse for editing content in HDR.
That said, the main advantage of this monitor is if you want to edit content in SDR. It has an extremely accurate sRGB mode that doesn't need much calibration to improve it. 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.
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Best Budget Monitor For Photo Editing
EditingColor AccuracySDR PictureHDR PictureBrightnessSize27"Panel TypeLCDSub-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 ASUS ProArt Display PA279CRV 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 ASUS is either, as it lacks a USB hub, which is to be expected at this price point.
Besides these differences, the AOC has a few advantages over the ASUS. 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.
Notable Mentions
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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 -
MSI MPG 274URDFW E16M:
The MSI MPG 274URDFW E16M is a mid-range 4k Mini LED monitor that competes with the Acer Nitro XV275K P5biipruzx. While you can use its local dimming in SDR, it doesn't perform well. However, it's worth considering if you can find it for cheaper than the Acer.
See our review -
Dell S2725QC:
The Dell S2725QC is a lower mid-range 4k monitor that's similar to the ASUS ProArt Display PA279CRV, and sometimes costs less. However, it has a narrower color gamut, and it has fewer picture modes for various color spaces than the ASUS.
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
Apr 24, 2026:
We added the Acer Nitro XV275K P5biipruzx as the 'Best Mid-Range Monitor for Photo Editing' for consistency with other recommendations. We also renamed the ASUS ProArt Display PA279CRV to the 'Best Lower Mid-Range Monitor for Photo Editing,' and moved the Dell S2725QC to the Notable Mentions. We added the MSI MPG 274URDFW E16M to the Notable Mentions as well.
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.
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.