Keeper vs SnapCuller

Keeper is a macOS photo culling app for photographers reviewing large shoots and selecting images for editing and delivery. Its keyboard workflow uses single-key shortcuts to rate, pick, reject, filter, and change views. A cursor-following loupe supports full-resolution checks of focus and sharpness. Face detection and similarity grouping assist with review, while the final image selections remain with the photographer. The app exports chosen original files and their matching XMP sidecars to a selected folder. Keeper runs photo review and AI-assisted analysis locally on the Mac, and culling does not require an internet connection. The maker says it is built for Apple Silicon, can handle 10K+ photos, and targets 60 frames per second. It currently supports macOS 15 and later. Blur detection is listed as coming soon. Keeper is paid, with a 30-day trial and a lifetime license listed at $15 as a one-time purchase as an early access price; the regular price is $30. There is no free plan.

SnapCuller is a desktop app for selecting and sorting photos on macOS and Windows. Core culling, sorting, focus-peaking calculations, and bucket routing happen locally, and the app works with files directly rather than importing them into a catalog. Review tools include burst auto-stacking, RAW+JPG pairing, face detection, focus peaking, and exposure warnings. Other workflow options include ratings, flags, color labels, IPTC editing, batch renaming, custom folder buckets, and opening images in Photoshop or Affinity Photo. Ratings, flags, and color labels can be exported as XMP sidecars for Lightroom or Capture One; these are described as non-destructive. AI integrations include OpenAI, Gemini, and Ollama. Cloud AI requires the user's API key and sends high-resolution previews over encrypted HTTPS to the selected provider. With Ollama local models, analysis runs offline and images and metadata remain on the user's computer. The free plan costs nothing and supports JPG, PNG, and WebP viewing, but has a three-bucket limit and a 500-action lifetime culling budget. Pro costs 29.00 USD one time and includes native RAW and HEIC support, AI culling, Lightroom XMP sync, and unlimited buckets.