ColorForge vs HDR-Merge

ColorForge is a browser-based RAW and HDR photo editor that processes images on the device. It supports camera RAW files including CR2, CR3, NEF, ARW, DNG, RAF, ORF and RW2, with controls for exposure, tone curves, HSL adjustments, LUTs and presets. For HDR images, it can combine bracketed exposures, including RAW brackets, using GPU processing. Exports are available at full native sensor resolution as JPEG, PNG or TIFF, without watermarks; HDR output also includes 16-bit TIFF. ColorForge says photos stay local and are not uploaded to its servers. Editing, RAW decoding, HDR merging and exporting do not require an account. After the web app loads into the browser cache, it can continue working offline. It supports Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari, and the maker lists Windows, macOS, Linux, ChromeOS, iOS and Android availability. ColorForge is free: free, with no installation required. Presets are stored in an account database when signed in, or local browser storage when signed out.

HDR-Merge is a web platform for AI HDR photo enhancement and 360° stitching. It detects exposure sets, combines bracketed images, and applies tone mapping automatically. Each HDR merge accepts three to nine exposures, and the service supports both RAW and JPEG files. Optional AI processing adjusts color, contrast, and detail. HDR images can be stitched into 360° panoramas in the cloud. HDR-Merge also describes bulk processing for hundreds of bracketed sets, with batches of 1,000 or more images. The browser-based service requires no installation or GPU and works on any device with a browser. AI-enhanced outputs are listed at 4K or 2K. Plans start at $27 a month, with no free plan but a free trial. Starter includes 150 credits monthly; Pro includes 400 and bulk processing; Agency includes 1,800, unlimited bulk processing, and 24/7 phone and email support.