FilmLab vs Google Photos
FilmLab
filmlabapp.com
Google Photos
google.comSide by side
| Figure | FilmLab | Google Photos |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $5/mo | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | — | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | — |
| iOS | Yes | Yes |
| Android | Yes | Yes |
| API | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 4 | 10 |
| Spec score · Photo Scanning Software | 9.3 (#1) | 9.2 (#3) |
| Integrations | The App Store description names scanning setups from Negative Supply, Valoi, pixl-latr, Lomography and Kodak as supported equipment. | Google Photos lists camera and digitization partners including Canon and Photomyne, print partners including Walgreens and Shutterfly, and TV platforms including Google TV and Samsung. |
| Privacy | The privacy policy says photos stay on the device and are not uploaded unless the user shares them through another app. | Google says Photos does not sell users’ photos, videos, or personal information and does not use their photos and videos for advertising. |
| Rating on Apple App Store | 2.8 out of 5 from 34 ratings | 4.8 out of 5 from 1.6M ratings |
| Rating on Google Play | 2.7 out of 5 from 163 reviews | 4.4 out of 5 from 53,899,623 ratings |
Plans
FilmLab
- EducationFree
- Monthly$7.99 a month
- Annual$59.99 a year
- Lifetime$199.99, paid once
Google Photos
- FreeFree
- Basic$1.99 a month
- Google AI Plus$9.99 a month
- Google AI Pro$19.99 a month
- FreeFree
- Basic$1.99 a month
- Google AI Plus$9.99 a month
- Google One Basic (100 GB)¥290 a month
- Google AI Plus (2 TB)¥1,450 a month
- Google AI Pro (5 TB)¥2,900 a month
In their own words
FilmLab
FilmLab converts digital captures of film negatives into color or black-and-white images with a processing engine designed for darkroom-inspired tones. Desktop apps open raw files from popular DSLR and mirrorless cameras, along with raw DNG and TIFF files from scanners. Adjustment tools cover exposure, color balance, contrast, brightness, cropping, rotation, and perspective correction. Users can batch-edit and copy or paste settings across images. Editing leaves original scans unchanged and saves processing instructions in adjacent `.fprc` files. Mobile apps can preview negatives, create proof sheets, review older negatives, and make quick scans for sharing. FilmLab is standalone and does not require other software. Listed export formats include JPEG, TIFF, and JPEG XL. It runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android. The paid plans offer full access after a 14-day trial: $7.99 per month or $59.99 per year; lifetime membership is $199.99 once and includes future updates and features. Free education licenses are available by request to qualifying educators. Desktop does not support collaborative real-time editing, and nonrenewing customers can still access images and metadata they created.
Google Photos
Google Photos is a service for editing, organizing, searching, backing up, and sharing photos and videos. It runs on Android, iOS, and the web. A Google Account includes 15 GB shared among Photos, Gmail, and Drive at no cost; Original quality backups use that storage. Users can back up media automatically or manually, and share photos, videos, and albums with people who do not use Google Photos. The app lists AI editing tools including Magic Eraser and Photo Unblur. It supports full-resolution RAW image backup and cloud storage for 4K video. Google lists paid monthly plans including Basic at $1.99 a month for 100 GB, Google AI Plus at $9.99 a month for 2 TB, and Google AI Pro at $19.99 a month for 5 TB; each allows up to five additional people. The natural-language search example is limited to eligible US users aged 18 or older who meet specified language and settings requirements. Google says data is encrypted in transit and at rest, and users can delete or export their content.