Aftershoot vs BirdCull

Aftershoot is photo post-processing software for photographers, with AI tools for culling, editing, and retouching on macOS and Windows. Culling scores and groups images using factors including sharpness, exposure, blinks, duplicates, facial expressions, and composition. Editing profiles learn from a photographer’s edited images, while manual adjustments are also available. Retouching includes adjustable subject sliders and presets that can be synced across multiple images. The software supports RAW, JPEG, and TIFF files, as well as bulk renaming and resizing. Its culling workflow connects with Lightroom Classic and Capture One, preserving ratings, color labels, and flags on export. Aftershoot says images can be processed locally and offline without cloud uploads or a constant internet connection. There is no free plan, but new users can try the service for 30 days without charge and without a credit card. Select costs $10.00 per month billed annually ($120/year), or $15/month with monthly billing. Other plans cover editing, retouching, or combinations, including Complete at $45.00 per month billed annually ($540/year), or $55/month with monthly billing.

BirdCull is desktop software for reviewing bird-photo burst sequences and selecting stronger candidates. It groups similar images, then scores them using head and eye visibility, sharpness, pose, and differences within each burst. The process is local: BirdCull says photo files, paths, and EXIF metadata are not uploaded. Results can be exported as grouped hard-link folders or star-rated XMP sidecars for Lightroom, Bridge, Photo Mechanic, and similar tools. AI-assisted culling and RAW preview are supported. The free trial processes up to 200 photos per capture date. A full license costs $49 as a one-time purchase, removes the trial batch limit, and includes folder rating output, star XMP output, and email support for purchase and activation issues. One user may activate and use a purchased license. Windows support covers 64-bit Windows 10 and Windows 11. The current Mac package targets Apple silicon Macs with M-series processors, not Intel Macs. For large photo days, BirdCull recommends at least 16 GB of RAM, SSD storage, and local drives instead of network folders. Purchases are non-refundable.