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9 Best Cartoon Yourself Software for Instant Transformations

Last Updated on Oct. 21, 2022 – by David Morgan
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Best Cartoon Yourself Software

If you wanted to try a new photo editing technique, like creating a cartoon of yourself but didn’t know how now is your chance. It’s an original way to share who you are with your social media following. There are many fantastic photo editors with cartoon effects and also great cartoon filters to design your very own original cartoon of you.

In this article, we will go over all the steps you need to follow to turn a profile photo into a cartoon photo and review nine of the absolute best photo editing applications for cartooning yourself.


Top 3 Software to Cartoon Yourself Snapshot

PhotoDirector 365 Logo

1. PhotoDirector 365 - Best Overall

PhotoDirector is the best photo editor to turn images into cartoons. Its unique AI algorithm transforms photos into cartoons in one click. Detailed Review >

Photoshop Logo

2. Adobe Photoshop - Best for Professional Designers

Adobe Photoshop is well-known in the advertising, graphics, and film industries because it is the industry standard. It best services professional designers as they spend years studying how to use the programs in school. Detailed Review >

iToon Logo

3. iToon - Best for Simplicity

iToon is a self-described automatic cartoonizer. The only function of iToon is to create a cartoon out of your photo. Detailed Review >

What is Cartooning Yourself?

Cartooning yourself is a creative way to turn your selfies into illustrations. You can also call it creating an avatar or a caricature.

9 Best Software to Cartoon Yourself

1. PhotoDirector 365 - Best Overall

PhotoDirector 365 Interface

Compatibility: Windows, Mac

Overall Rating: 10/10

Cartoon Yourself Effect Rating: 10/10

Key Features

  • Variety of filters and effects
  • Built-in stock library from Shutterfly and Getty Images
  • Layer editing

PhotoDirector simplifies the process of cartooning yourself. This is hands down the best program for creating a cartoon photo because of the variety of cartoon effects and cartoon filters you can work with. You have all the effects you will need and just need to upload your photo and peruse the style and effects options.

PhotoDirector does more than create a cartoon. This program is also a photo editor with AI-boosted power. It can remove objects easily, replace the sky with animations or effects, customize your colors, and create beautiful blurs and effects.

It’s hard to beat such a comprehensive product with its easy-to-use features.

Pros
  • Cartoon, 3D cartoon, and anime face effects
  • AI-boosted photo editing

2. Adobe Photoshop - Best for Professional Designers

Adobe Photoshop Interface

Compatibility: Windows, Mac

Overall Rating: 9.5/10

Cartoon Yourself Effect Rating: 9/10

Key Features

  • Style Filters
  • Live Shapes
  • Smart Sharpen

Adobe Photoshop can do so much for any professional designer. It’s the industry standard for a reason. If you want to create a cartoon photo, you have found a tool that will knock it out of the park for you. Adobe has a ton of filters and effects for you to work with. 

You can also use Photoshop for photo-editing, compositing, drawing and painting, and graphic design. It’s a fully comprehensive tool that works well with Adobe’s host of other programs.

Everyone knows what Photoshop can do, but it’s up to you to know if you have the time and patience to watch the tutorial videos and figure out the processes it takes to create the perfect toon version of you.

Pros
  • Professional and high-quality photo editor
  • Works seamlessly with other Adobe Creative Cloud software and apps
Cons
  • Expensive bundled subscription
  • Need to be experienced with the software

3. iToon - Best for Simplicity

iToon Interface

Image from iToon.

Compatibility: Browser, Windows

Overall Rating: 8/10

Cartoon Yourself Effect Rating: 8/10

Key Features

  • Easy to Use
  • Variety of Toon Filters To Choose From
  • GTA Style Specific Filters

iToon is the site and downloadable PC program to do one job and do it well. It will take a photo that you upload and give you a bevy of options to find the perfect tooned-out look you want to create. There are also some super basic color editing you can use to amplify your photo.

However, iToon doesn’t do anything other than cartoonizing your existing photo. But at least it has a lot of options for you to try out and see if you can create the look you are going for. 

Pros
  • Filter and Effects Options
  • Simple process
Cons
  • Website is full of ads
  • Browser is basic version only

4. PhotoCartoon - Best for Free Filters

PhotoCartoon Interface

Compatibility: Browser

Overall Rating: 7/10

Cartoon Yourself Effect Rating: 7/10

Key Features

  • Free to use on browser
  • Selection of filters and frames

Photo Cartoon is a free online service that allows you to convert your photos into cartoons, paintings, and drawings of caricatures. It’s minimal, like many of the other free browser-based sites. You have access to a limited quantity of filters and frames. 

Photo Cartoon is super easy to use. Upload your photo onto the site, pick a filter and convert the image. You are only able to do one thing, and you will need to use another photo editor if you want to do advanced editing work on your final cartoon photo. 

Pros
  • Blogs to assist in your creative process
  • Free and simple to use
Cons
  • Ads on their site
  • No additional photo editing features

5. CartoonPhoto - Best for Free Facial Morphing

CartoonPhoto Interface

Compatibility: Browser

Overall Rating: 7/10

Cartoon Yourself Effect Rating: 7/10

Key Features

  • Facial morphing
  • Cartoon filter options

Cartoon Photo is in the same family as the other one trick pony cartoon-making websites. However, it has added the ability to face morph as well, so you can emphasize the cartoon/caricature’s facial features and expressions as much as you would like.

If you need a site that will turn you into a cartoon with its cartoon effects, this site is almost as good as any of the others. However, I would say that the quality of the final product does seem to start to border on lower quality. The face morph feature is being touted as natural with its software’s facial detection feature. It may pale in comparison to other professional photo editing apps. But if you needed a facial morphing program that was free, c’est voilà!

Pros
  • Free
  • Selection of cartoon filters
Cons
  • Ads
  • Low quality of output

6. XnSketch - Best for Sketch Images

XnSketch Interface

Compatibility: Windows, Mac, Linux

Overall Rating: 6.5/10

Cartoon Yourself Effect Rating: 7/10

Key Features

  • Sketch Filter Options
  • Basic Photo Editing Features

XnSketch will turn your photos into cartoon or sketch images. It has a limited number of filter options for you to choose from and is available on most platforms. 

While this program is free and available on almost every possible platform, the quality of the final product does look a little blown out and not as clear as would a cartoon or sketch created by a professional photo editing program. 

Pros
  • Free
  • Sketching effects
Cons
  • Fuzzy or unclear final images
  • Limited options

7. FotoSketcher - Best for Paintings

FotoSketcher Interface

Compatibility: Windows, Mac

Overall Rating: 6.5/10

Cartoon Yourself Effect Rating: 7/10

Key Features

  • Limited selection of styles and effects
  • Gallery of artwork
  • Automatic photo to painting

Fotosketcher boasts 20 amazing filters and effects for you to uplevel your photos into beautiful pieces of art from pencil sketches, watercolor, oil, pen and ink, and of course, cartoons. They also have an automatic feature that can turn your photo into landscape, portrait, or architectural art. 

You will also be able to peruse their existing gallery of photos turned paintings and admire the beautiful artist submissions that have already been created.

Of course, the one drawback is that the site uses Google Ads, although it’s not as littered with ads as some free options. 

Pros
  • Gallery of artist submissions
Cons
  • Ads
  • Limited to 20 filters to choose from

8. Sketch Me! - Best for Sketching

Sketch Me! Interface

Compatibility: Windows, Mac

Overall Rating: 6/10

Cartoon Yourself Effect Rating: 6/10

Key Features

  • Cartoon and drawing filters
  • Offered in 23 languages

Sketch Me! Is a free Microsoft product that offers you the ability to turn your photo into a cartoon or drawing in one click with a limited selection of filters and effects. It is widely available in 23 different languages for worldwide users.

Pros
  • Easy to use
  • Good selection of filters
Cons
  • Server stability
  • Limited basic options

9. Image Cartoonizer - Best for Basic

Image Cartoonizer Interface

Compatibility: Windows

Overall Rating: 6/10

Cartoon Yourself Effect Rating: 6/10

Key Features

  • Tons of effects
  • Batch processing
  • Basic photo editing

The free downloadable Image Cartoonizer has a myriad of great artistic and cartoon effects and filters that work perfectly for creating an interesting cartoon photo. You can use the program to edit your photo as you see fit, and you can batch-process a selection of photos with one click. 

The only downside is that it is being discontinued, likely due to it being an older type of software. It is currently still available for free download.

Pros
  • 100 effects available
Cons
  • Ads galore
  • Discontinued, but still downloadable

Best Software to Cartoon Yourself Comparison Chart

Software OS Beginner-friendly Anime Face Specific Tool AI-Tools Auto Cartoon-Styles Free Download
PhotoDirector 365 Windows, Mac Yes Yes Yes Traditional cartoon, anime, 3D cartoon, paint (oil, watercolors, etc), sketch
Free Download
Secure Download
Adobe Photoshop Windows, Mac No No Yes Variety of Cartoon effects, filters, templates for purchase in bundle packs Download
iToon Browser, Windows Yes No No Traditional cartoon, GTA style cartoon, sketch Download
PhotoCartoon Web browser, Android Yes No No Variety of cartoon, drawing and caricature effects and filters Download
CartoonPhoto Windows, Mac Yes No No Limited selection of filters, Facial Morphing feature Download
XnSketch Mobile, PC, MacOS, Linux Yes No No 18 sketch effects (black stroke, white strokes, pastel, pencil sketch, colored sketch…) Download
FotoSketcher Windows, Mac Yes No No 20 effects (cartoon, pencil, watercolor, oil, pencil and pen & ink drawings…) Download
Sketch Me! Windows, Mac Yes No No Variety of effects (black strokes, white strokes, pastel, pencil sketch, color sketch, cartoon, stamp, halftone, hatching…) Download
Image Cartoonizer Windows Yes No No 100s of effects Download

PhotoDirector 365 vs

OS

Windows, Mac

-

Beginner-friendly

Yes

-

Anime Face Specific Tool

Yes

-

AI-Tools

Yes

-

Auto Cartoon-Styles

Traditional cartoon, anime, 3D cartoon, paint (oil, watercolors, etc), sketch

-

How to Cartoon Yourself in a Photo

Follow these steps below to create your very own cartoon profile photo.

  1. Download PhotoDirector.
  2. Import the image you want to transform.
  3. Open the Guided tab and choose Style.
  4. PhotoDirector - Guided, Style
  5. Select from the various styles of cartoons to transform your photo.
  6. PhotoDirector - Photo Effects, Select from the various styles
  7. Save and share your cartooned photo.

Download the Best Software to Cartoon Yourself for Free

PhotoDirector is a powerful photo editing program that can turn photos of yourself into high-quality cartoon versions of you. It’s beyond simple to use, and there are many filters and options to choose from. 

AI also boosts PhotoDirector to enhance its photo editing effects. It can remove any object easily, animate your photos, change the sky, and transform your photos without you having to spend hours studying to learn the program. 

Download PhotoDirector to create an awesome cartoon of yourself!

Cartoon Yourself FAQ

1. Is there a way to cartoonize a picture?

There are many ways to cartoonize a picture. The easiest way is to use the image editing software PhotoDirector.

2. How do I turn a normal picture into a cartoon?

It’s easy: Just import the picture into PhotoDirector, then click on the Guided editing tab. Find the Photo Effects menu and open Styles to browse through all the different cartoon styles you can turn a photo into!

3. Which app is best for converting a photo into a cartoon?

For the quickest and best results, we recommend the PhotoDirector app.

4. Which software is used for caricatures?

The best software to use to create a caricature is PhotoDirector.

5. How can I turn my pictures into cartoons for free?

It’s simple. Download PhotoDirector, upload your pictures, and in the Guided tab, open Styles. Here you can choose from various cartoon styles, including 3D and anime.

6. How do I make a caricature from a photo?

It’s easy. You can use PhotoDirector’s Style or AI Style Transfer effects.

7. How do you make yourself a cartoon?

Download and install PhotoDirector. Then upload a selfie and navigate to the Guided tab. Then open Styles and choose from various cartoon styles, including 3D and anime.

8. What is the app called where you cartoon yourself?

The best app to cartoon yourself is PhotoDirector.

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