Aftershoot vs OptiCull

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.

OptiCull is a macOS app for selecting photos from a shoot, with manual comparison and automated assistance. It groups duplicates into scenes for side-by-side review, with adjustable grouping preferences and synchronized zoom on a face, all faces, or an image region. Magi-Cull can identify blurry photos or blinking subjects and suggest varied keepers based on user preferences; users can override its assessments. During import, the app can read from an SD card, identify photo sessions, apply custom naming patterns, and analyze images while copying. Selected photos can be sent to Lightroom Classic, Lightroom CC, Capture One, Apple Photos, and other Mac apps following Apple's standard file-import guidelines. The maker says photos stay on the local machine and AI processing runs on-device, though account, purchase, usage, and diagnostic data may be collected. OptiCull supports JPG, RAW+JPG, and RAW formats supported by the host macOS version. It requires macOS 11.0 or later and can run with 8GB RAM. Hobbyist is free; Pro is listed at $79.99, paid once.