focus-stack vs Zerene Stacker
focus-stack
github.com
Zerene Stacker
zerenesystems.comSide by side
| Figure | focus-stack | Zerene Stacker |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | — |
| Free plan | Yes | — |
| Free trial | — | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 4 |
| Spec score · Focus Stacking Software | 8.3 (#6) | 7.6 (#15) |
| Purpose | Combines photos taken at different focus settings by selecting the sharpest source image for each pixel to create an extended depth of field image. | Zerene Stacker is focus stacking software designed for challenging macro subjects and discerning photographers. |
Plans
Zerene Stacker
- Student Edition$39, paid once
- Personal Edition$89, paid once
- Prosumer Edition$189, paid once
- Professional Edition$289, paid once
In their own words
focus-stack
focus-stack is a free desktop program that combines photographs taken at different focus settings into an image with extended depth of field. For each pixel, it selects the sharpest source image, a method documented for uses such as microscope photography. The tool can resize and rotate stack images to align them, or alignment can be skipped or adjusted. Outputs include a focus-stacked image, an optional depth map, and a 3D preview based on that map. Input formats supported by OpenCV include JPG, PNG, and TIFF, while the filename extension determines output format. Processing controls cover denoising, consistency filtering, batch size, and thread count. OpenCV’s OpenCL interface provides GPU acceleration when available, with an option to disable it. Binary packages are listed for Windows 10, Ubuntu 20.04, and Mac OS X. The project is MIT licensed; Linux builds require OpenCV 3.0 or newer and basic build tools.
Zerene Stacker
Zerene Stacker has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.