Overview

Colourlab combines real-time color grading, look design, and film emulation. Its Balance feature sets exposure, white balance, and contrast toward a neutral starting point; SMH matching adjusts shadows, midtones, and highlights independently. Together, these tools address two practical stages of a grade: establishing a baseline and aligning individual shots.

Styles can apply grading instructions across related shots in a sequence, while AI look search ranks looks from a library in response to a written description. The homepage says metadata sits on top of the image file rather than permanently altering it, which suits workflows that need to retain the source image. Built-in support for more than 40 camera brands adds breadth for camera-based projects.

Colourlab AI 4 says its matching, analysis, and looks run locally on Mac rather than in the cloud. That is a useful distinction for users who prefer on-device processing, although the free beta's Apple Silicon requirement sharply limits who can use it today.

Key features

Neutral balancing: Balance sets exposure, white balance, and contrast to a neutral starting point. It can streamline the initial correction pass, but it is a starting point rather than a substitute for creative grading.
Targeted shot matching: SMH handles shadows, midtones, and highlights independently, giving colorists more control over tonal alignment than a single overall adjustment.
Sequence-wide styles: Styles carry grading instructions across related shots. This is useful for maintaining a consistent look through a sequence, while individual shots can still require attention.
Look discovery: Describe a desired look in words and the app returns ranked matches from the user's library. This helps users search an existing collection, rather than promising to generate a new look.
Editing connections: AI 4 works natively with DaVinci Resolve, Adobe Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro, and Avid Media Composer via OpenTimelineIO. The paid plans divide some integrations by tier, so the right fit depends on the editor and control surface in the workflow.

Pricing

Colourlab AI 4 Public Beta is free during the public beta, with a new build every 14 days through September. It requires an Apple Silicon Mac; Windows support is coming in October. That makes it a no-cost way for eligible Mac users to try the beta, not a general free plan for all platforms.

Creator costs 14.00 USD per month, billed per month. It includes Premiere Pro and After Effects sync, Final Cut Pro sync, Auto Color, AI Color Matching, AI References, Timeline Intelligence™, and a library of show looks. This is the entry paid tier for users working in those applications who do not need the Pro-only connections.

Pro costs 39.00 USD per month, billed per month. It includes everything in Creator plus DaVinci Resolve sync, Pomfort Livegrade Studio sync, Blackmagic SDI support, Tangent control support, and Look Designer's native interface. The higher price is justified for workflows that need those specific integrations or hardware controls; otherwise Creator costs less while retaining the listed core grading features.

Studio costs 49.00 USD per month, billed per month. It adds Look Designer and Grainlab Resolve plug-ins for Windows, macOS, and Linux, plus a Look Designer Premiere Pro and After Effects plug-in for macOS. It is the relevant tier for users who need these plug-ins; the extra cost over Pro buys a defined extension of plug-in support, not a different set of listed sync integrations.

A 7-day free trial is offered without requiring credit card details. There is no separate free plan beyond the public beta, and all three paid plans are monthly. No seat or usage quotas are given for the paid tiers.

Platforms

The supported platform list covers macOS, Windows, and Linux. The free public beta is narrower: it requires an Apple Silicon Mac, with Windows support coming in October. Studio specifically includes Resolve plug-ins for Windows, macOS, and Linux, while its Premiere Pro and After Effects plug-in is for macOS. AI 4's local-processing claim is specifically about Mac; the listed platform support should not be read as a claim that every feature behaves identically on each system.

Colourlab also supports HDR finishing, Camera RAW, both color-management modes, collaboration tools, and plug-ins. Those capabilities make it relevant beyond a basic grading utility, though the plan descriptions determine which named integrations and plug-ins are included.

Who it's for

Colorists and editors who want dedicated balancing, matching, and look tools alongside an established editing workflow are the clearest fit. Filmmakers and content creators can also benefit from carrying a style across related shots and searching a library by describing a look. Creator makes the most sense for users centered on Premiere Pro, After Effects, or Final Cut Pro; Resolve users and those needing the named professional controls should compare Pro. The beta is only a sensible starting point for users with an Apple Silicon Mac.

Colourlab provides a help center, troubleshooting resources, a support request form, FAQ, tutorials, and a Discord community. That spread of support channels may help users working through a multi-application setup.

Pros and cons

Pros: Separate control of shadows, midtones, and highlights makes shot matching more targeted; sequence styles and look search support continuity and discovery; metadata is described as non-destructive; and the monthly Creator tier starts at 14.00 USD.
Cons: The free beta requires Apple Silicon, and its Windows support is only stated as coming in October; DaVinci Resolve sync and professional controls require the 39.00 USD Pro tier; the Studio plug-ins raise the monthly price to 49.00 USD; and there is no ongoing free plan outside the beta.

Alternatives

Video Color Grading Software is a useful place to compare the broader category. Choose Baselight if you want a free licence option or a fully functioning Baselight M trial for 14 days, and a Linux or macOS platform. Mistika Boutique is worth considering if a free educational tier with all features and H264-only renders, or a 99.00 EUR per month Personal plan, better suits your budget and render needs.

ColourSpace may fit better when manual calibration and display verification are the priority; its free ZRO option has no LUT capability. DaVinci Resolve is the stronger alternative for someone seeking a freemium editor across Linux, macOS, and Windows, with a Studio upgrade priced at 295.00 USD once. fylm.ai offers a free tier for one user and three cloud projects, making it an option for users who want to try its tools without a free trial.

Assimilate Live Looks is another paid option for macOS and Windows. Dolby Vision Professional Tools is a free command-line choice for Dolby Vision processing and QC, rather than a like-for-like grading workflow. Look Designer is a separate paid option with a 24.00 USD per month DaVinci Resolve plan.

Verdict

Choose Colourlab Ai if you want dedicated balancing, tonal shot matching, and look search tied to a post-production workflow, and Creator's 14.00 USD monthly price covers the integrations you need. Look elsewhere if you need Resolve sync without moving to Pro, want a free plan that runs beyond a Mac-only beta, or need a workflow centered on a different kind of color tool.

	Autodesk Lustre	Colourlab Ai
Free trial		Yes
Paid from		$10.75/mo
Platforms	Linux	Linux, macOS, Windows
HDR finishing	Yes	Yes
Color management	both	both
Collaboration tools	Yes	Yes
Plugin support	Yes	Yes
Supported platforms	linux	macOS, Windows, Linux
Free plan		No
Paid from		14 /mo
Camera RAW support		Yes

Autodesk Lustre vs Colourlab Ai

Autodesk Lustre

Colourlab Ai