OpenFocus vs PhotoAcute Studio

OpenFocus aligns and fuses multi-focus image sequences to create images with focus throughout. It offers ECC and Homography alignment and several fusion methods: Guided Filter, DCT, DTCWT, GFG-FGF and the StackMFF V4 AI model. A wipe view lets users compare source frames with results, and the software can generate depth maps showing focus position per pixel. It supports folder-based batch processing and a headless command-line interface for scripting and CI. Listed inputs include JPG, PNG, BMP, TIFF, MP4 and numbered image folders; the manual also describes decoding additional video formats. Outputs include those image formats, image-sequence folders and GIF animations. Research functions include metadata-calibrated scale bars and multi-page TIFF stacks that preserve 16-bit depth. The interface supports English, Chinese, Japanese and Spanish, with automatic system-language detection. OpenFocus is free under the MIT License, though included algorithms may have separate license terms. Its Windows and macOS app builds are unsigned and may trigger SmartScreen or Gatekeeper warnings on first launch.

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.