Aftershoot vs SnapCuller

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.

SnapCuller is a desktop app for selecting and sorting photos on macOS and Windows. Core culling, sorting, focus-peaking calculations, and bucket routing happen locally, and the app works with files directly rather than importing them into a catalog. Review tools include burst auto-stacking, RAW+JPG pairing, face detection, focus peaking, and exposure warnings. Other workflow options include ratings, flags, color labels, IPTC editing, batch renaming, custom folder buckets, and opening images in Photoshop or Affinity Photo. Ratings, flags, and color labels can be exported as XMP sidecars for Lightroom or Capture One; these are described as non-destructive. AI integrations include OpenAI, Gemini, and Ollama. Cloud AI requires the user's API key and sends high-resolution previews over encrypted HTTPS to the selected provider. With Ollama local models, analysis runs offline and images and metadata remain on the user's computer. The free plan costs nothing and supports JPG, PNG, and WebP viewing, but has a three-bucket limit and a 500-action lifetime culling budget. Pro costs 29.00 USD one time and includes native RAW and HEIC support, AI culling, Lightroom XMP sync, and unlimited buckets.