ForgePix vs PICOLAY

ForgePix is beta software for automatic focus stacking and computational photography, with workflows for macro, astrophotography, and long-exposure image series. Its Macro, Astro, Hybrid, and Long Exposure modules include a one-click Automatic mode that selects usable frames, aligns and merges them, then applies gentle sharpening. Focus merges can use Laplacian pyramid, depth map, weighted average, à-trous wavelet, or halo fix methods. Astro tools cover calibration-frame detection, star alignment, rejection methods, drizzle, multi-session stacking, and FITS export. Editing and output features include RAW support, a Camera-Raw editor, retouch brush, batch processing, watch folder, and export presets for JPG, TIFF, layered Photoshop TIFF, and FITS. ForgePix says processing is fully local and does not require AI, a server, or external astronomy software. Optional language assistants and external tools are available. Assistant setup sends preview frames, sharpness profile, basic EXIF data, and the user's wish, but not original files or location data. Experimental local AI image models are not enabled by default and may alter faint structures, flux, or star shapes. ForgePix is free under the MIT license, with downloads for Linux, macOS, and Windows.

PICOLAY is a free Windows program for improving images made from picture series. Its focus-stacking process combines sharp areas from photographs taken at different focus levels in a z-stack. From stacks, it can generate depth maps, 3D projections, stereo images, hologram views, and 3D animations. Editing tools cover resizing, color and sharpness adjustments, filtering, rotation, flipping, painting, cloning, text, and scale bars. It can align displaced stack images by their x and y positions and harmonize their brightness. PICOLAY runs without installation and can be copied to a folder or USB stick. Downloads include 64-bit versions and a 32-bit ZIP version. The download page labels the current release Version 2026-09-29 and lists AI-supported builds. The maker says some antivirus programs may flag the download because distribution is limited and its reputation score is weak. PICOLAY is offered as-is without warranty and may be used freely for non-commercial purposes. Manuals are available in five languages, with tutorials and FAQs linked.