PhotoPad vs Sable
PhotoPad
nchsoftware.comSable
sable-editor.euSide by side
| Figure | PhotoPad | Sable |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | — |
| Android | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 9 | 1 |
| Spec score · Photo editors | 9.2 (#8) | 8.4 (#36) |
| Spec score · AI Photo Editors | 8.9 (#13) | 7.8 (#68) |
| Editing | Features include cropping, rotating, resizing, retouching, color and exposure adjustments, and blur and sharpening tools. | Its non-destructive layer graph supports pixel, shape, text, vector-path, and group layers, plus adjustment and live-filter layers, masks, and effects. |
| File formats | The maker lists JPG, GIF, PNG, TIFF, and BMP among supported image formats and says PhotoPad supports RAW editing. | Sable uses a native .sable format for layers and history and supports PNG import and export. |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Privacy | NCH's privacy statement says it does not store credit card information and will never sell personal data. | The maker says its AI tools run locally without cloud access, and the base app remains offline unless the optional generative tier is enabled. |
| Purpose | PhotoPad edits and enhances digital photos and images. | Sable is a cross-platform raster image editor with a GPU-first canvas, non-destructive editing, and locally run AI. |
| Support | NCH offers email support; telephone and live chat support are listed for customers with Platinum support. | The project README links to Ko-fi as a way to support development. |
Plans
PhotoPad
- Pro Edition Annual PlanPrice not published
- Home Edition Annual PlanPrice not published
- Pro Edition Quarterly PlanPrice not published
- FreeFree
- Free editionFree
- PhotoPad Photo Editor Pro Edition Quarterly Plan$9.99 a month
- PhotoPad Photo Editor Home Edition Annual Plan$34.99 a year
- PhotoPad Photo Editor Pro Edition Annual Plan$39.95 a year
- Pro LicensePrice not published
In their own words
PhotoPad
PhotoPad edits and enhances digital photos and images, with tools for cropping, rotating, resizing, retouching, and adjusting color and exposure. Blur and sharpening controls complement its non-destructive editing: users can undo, reorder, or change effects in a layers list. It can also make collages, photo mosaics, calendars, greeting cards, and photo montages. The maker lists AI-assisted super-resolution resizing, object and background removal, and colorizing black-and-white photos. PhotoPad supports RAW editing and formats including JPG, GIF, PNG, TIFF, and BMP; HDR/exposure blending is also listed. A project can contain up to eight images, and panorama types include wide. Edited pictures can be uploaded directly to Twitter, Flickr, Dropbox, OneDrive, or Google Drive. It is listed for Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, web, Windows, and as an extension. The free edition costs nothing and is limited to non-commercial use; no signup is required. Desktop requirements are Windows 7 to 11 or macOS 10.5 or later.