Helicon Focus vs PhotoAcute Studio
Helicon Focus
heliconsoft.comPhotoAcute Studio
photoacute.comSide by side
| Figure | Helicon Focus | PhotoAcute Studio |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | — | — |
| Free plan | — | — |
| Free trial | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 12 | 3 |
| Spec score · Focus Stacking Software | 7.9 (#10) | 7.4 (#19) |
| Integrations | The maker describes plugins for exporting stacks from Lightroom and Capture One to Helicon Focus. | The user guide describes opening images from files or by drag-and-drop from Windows Explorer or Mac Finder. |
| Purpose | Helicon Focus combines multiple images taken at different focus distances into one image with extended depth of field. | PhotoAcute Studio processes sets of photos taken in continuous mode to create high-resolution, low-noise images. |
| RAW workflow | Helicon Focus can open RAW files, and its Pro RAW-in-DNG-out mode saves the result as a DNG file. | The maker describes RAW-in-RAW-out processing as a way to add the resulting images to an existing workflow. |
| Support | For technical issues, the maker directs users to submit a bug report through Help → Contact support on Windows or Mac and points users to its FAQ. | The how-to page directs users to PhotoAcute Support for questions, suggestions, and comments. |
Plans
Helicon Focus
- Lite — 1 yearPrice not published
- Pro package — 1 yearPrice not published
- Premium package — 1 yearPrice not published
- Lite — lifetimePrice not published
- Pro package — lifetimePrice not published
- Premium package — lifetimePrice not published
- Helicon Focus Lite — 1 year license$30 a year
- Helicon Focus Pro package — 1 year license$55 a year
- Helicon Focus Premium package — 1 year license$65 a year
- Helicon Focus Lite — Lifetime license$115, paid once
PhotoAcute Studio
- Portable licensePrice not published
- Professional licensePrice not published
- Standard licensePrice not published
In their own words
Helicon Focus
Helicon Focus combines photographs captured at different focus distances into one image with extended depth of field. It is designed for focus stacking in macro and micro photography, close-ups, jewelry, products, landscapes, flowers, animals, and still life. The software processes images at 16-bit precision, supports color profiles, opens RAW files, and can save Pro results as DNG. It handles stacks of hundreds of high-resolution images and supports unlimited stack length. Retouching tools copy areas from aligned source images or combine areas from outputs, with a grid for detailed work. Batch rendering can queue and split stacks, while command-line parameters allow calls from other applications. Lightroom and Capture One plugins export stacks. Pro features add 3D model export and 2D micropanorama stitching. Current downloads support 64-bit Windows 10 or 11 and macOS 12 or later. A fully featured trial lasts 30 days; Demo mode then limits resolution and adds a watermark.
PhotoAcute Studio
PhotoAcute Studio processes sets of photos, especially continuous-mode shots, to create high-resolution images with reduced noise. Its superresolution feature combines frames to increase spatial resolution beyond a single source image. Combining photographs can also reduce noise while retaining detail. For exposure-bracketed images, HDR processing can restore shadows and clipped highlights, including when photos are misaligned. Focus stacking combines images taken at different focus distances to increase depth of field. The software also corrects geometric distortion and chromatic aberrations and can remove unwanted moving objects. It supports automatic alignment and batch processing, with RAW, JPEG, TIFF, and OpenEXR output. The maker describes RAW-in-RAW-out processing for fitting results into an existing workflow. Trial mode allows use of all image-processing features, but stamps saved images; the guide says the trial has no time limit. The paid product has no free plan. It runs on Linux, macOS, and Windows; its v2.96 download page lists Windows and Mac OS X, with Linux supported via Wine.