I prefer buying a license and using the software with occasional updates as needed.
Plugin support for Nik and Topaz is also important to me. Corel PSP has been great with those.
Corel Paint Shop Pro has been my go-to for many years (maybe 20 years now?). However, they've been bought out last year and it's not clear that they're planning on any updates to existing product anytime soon. Last update was in August 2023. The application still works fine, and overall, I still like it, but it's not keeping up with RAW file formats.
I've heard that Affinity Photo was decent, but they just announced a buyout this year and have turned off software purchase options pending an announcement on October 30th, 2025.
Tried ON1 Photo Raw 2025, using their free trial, and I do like the app so far. However, not all plugins are supported. Another issue is that the app has fairly stout system requirements. On my main PC it runs fine(ish), but it won't load at all on my outdated laptop, which I use for most of my DPC entry photos (while sitting in front of the TV at night). :-) Short of moving my PC downstairs into the den (which my wife is NOT going to like), I could use this as an excuse for a new laptop! :-D
I haven't tried the newest version of GIMP. It actually looks decent now and has some plugin support (for Nik and other open source, but not Topaz). However, it doesn't support RAW files natively.
RawTherapee is another app that looks decent I haven't downloaded yet. Supports a current range of RAW formats but no plugin support.
Is there anything else I'm missing that is NOT subscription based that I should consider?
TIA
Message edited by author 2025-10-07 11:19:10. |
