AKVIS HDRFactory vs HDRMerge

AKVIS HDRFactory is paid HDR software for Windows, macOS and Linux. It provides both listed HDR merge modes, multiple tone-mapping controls, RAW-file support and batch processing for groups of images. Finished HDR images can be saved as TIFF, BMP, JPEG, WEBP or PNG files. The product has no free plan but includes a 10-day trial. Home Plugin and Home Standalone each cost $69 as a one-time purchase for a lifetime license covering two computers and non-commercial use. Home Deluxe costs $99, paid once with the same lifetime, two-computer and non-commercial terms. Business costs $154, paid once for a lifetime license covering two computers, with commercial use allowed. AKVIS was founded in 2004. The editions differ by format, feature grouping and permitted use, while every listed plan specifies the same computer count and lifetime term.

HDRMerge combines exposure-bracketed raw files, or bracketed frames within one raw file, to create raw images with extended dynamic range. It outputs DNG 1.4 images with floating-point data, drawing on less noisy input pixels to retain shadow detail. In its graphical interface, users can adjust the merge mask to address ghosts from objects that moved between exposures. The command-line interface supports batch processing of raw image sets. HDRMerge can align small translations and crop the output to the area shared by the inputs. Input images must match in size, orientation, Bayer pattern, and black and white levels; the manual says this usually means using images made with the same camera. Tone mapping can happen later in another program that supports high-dynamic-range raw DNG images. The maker identifies RawTherapee, darktable, and recent Adobe products as supporting the floating-point DNG output. HDRMerge is free software under the GNU General Public License, version 3 or later, and runs on Linux, macOS, and Windows. The maker describes it as a way to bring merged HDR images into a standard raw development workflow.