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Photography · head to head

ACDSee vs Facetune

ACDSee logo

ACDSee

Photography

Photo cataloguing and RAW editing sold as a perpetual licence or as an ACDSee 365 subscription

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Facetune logo

Facetune

Photography

Selfie and portrait retouching app from Lightricks, sold on a subscription with a short free trial

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Facetune has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: ACDSee aCDSee is Windows-only, so it is not an option at all for Mac-based photographers, unlike Lightroom, Capture One or Pixelmator Pro.; Facetune the free trial is short, commonly around 3 days, and automatically converts into a paid annual subscription unless the user proactively cancels beforehand, a pattern that has generated a consistent volume of complaints about unexpected charges.
  • They diverge on capability: ACDSee covers Digital asset management, Facetune covers Skin and blemish retouching.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which ACDSee and Facetune actually diverge.

Attributes where ACDSee and Facetune differ
AttributeACDSeeFacetune
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelOne-time purchase or per-user subscriptionFree download with a short free trial, most tools require a Facetune Pro subscription that auto-renews annually
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWindowsiOS, Android

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Photography).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in ACDSee

  • Digital asset management
  • RAW processing
  • AI editing tools
  • Perpetual or subscription licensing
  • Facial recognition
  • Mobile and cloud sync

Only in Facetune

  • Skin and blemish retouching
  • Facial reshaping
  • Body contouring
  • Teeth whitening and eye enhancement
  • Background blur and replacement
  • One-tap auto-enhance

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

ACDSee

  • A Windows photographer who wants to own the software outright rather than pay indefinitelynot Facetune
  • A hobbyist with a large existing photo library who wants cataloguing and basic RAW editing without Lightroom cloud storagenot Facetune
  • Someone leaving Adobe Lightroom specifically to avoid a subscription, willing to accept a smaller editing toolsetnot Facetune
  • A photographer who wants AI masking and noise reduction without committing to Skylum or Topaz subscriptionsnot Facetune

Facetune

  • Someone wanting quick, targeted retouching of a single selfie or portrait before posting to social medianot ACDSee
  • A user comfortable cancelling a free trial through their phone app store settings before it converts to a paid annual chargenot ACDSee
  • Someone who has decided to pay for the annual subscription and wants a broad set of face and body retouching tools in one appnot ACDSee
  • A user who has used Photoleap or Videoleap from the same publisher and wants a consistent editing tool stylenot ACDSee

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

ACDSee

  • ACDSee is Windows-only, so it is not an option at all for Mac-based photographers, unlike Lightroom, Capture One or Pixelmator Pro.
  • A perpetual licence stops receiving new camera RAW profiles and AI feature updates after roughly a year, so a photographer who buys a new camera two years later may need to update or wait for third-party RAW support.
  • Its AI tools and masking are noticeably less refined than Lightroom, Luminar Neo or Topaz Photo AI in side-by-side tests, so buyers switching purely for editing quality are often disappointed.
  • The catalogue and browsing performance degrades on very large libraries compared with Lightroom Classic, according to long-time users managing tens of thousands of images.
  • Support and update cadence are slower than Adobe, with fewer third-party plugins and a smaller ecosystem of tutorials and presets.

Facetune

  • The free trial is short, commonly around 3 days, and automatically converts into a paid annual subscription unless the user proactively cancels beforehand, a pattern that has generated a consistent volume of complaints about unexpected charges.
  • Cancellation must be done through the phone Apple App Store or Google Play subscription management screens rather than a clear button inside the app itself, adding friction specifically at the point users most want to stop paying.
  • Nearly all meaningful retouching functionality is locked behind the paid tier, so the free download is not a genuinely usable product on its own, only a gateway to the trial.
  • Heavy reliance on face and body reshaping tools has drawn broader criticism, common to this whole app category, over promoting unrealistic beauty standards, particularly among younger users.
  • Published subscription pricing has varied by region and promotional period, so the price a new user is quoted is not necessarily stable or consistent across markets.

Pricing, plan by plan

ACDSee

On request
  • Photo Studio Ultimate (perpetual)$149.95/one-time
    • One-time purchase, no subscription required
    • About a year of included updates
    • New camera RAW support stops after that unless you upgrade
  • ACDSee 365 Home$8.9/month
    • Always the current version
    • AI credits and cloud storage bundled
    • Billed monthly or 89 USD annually

Facetune

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Very limited basic editing tools
    • Most retouching features locked
    • Trial access to Pro tools for a short period, commonly around 3 days
  • Facetune Pro$47.99/year
    • Full access to retouching, reshaping and enhancement tools
    • Auto-renews annually unless cancelled before trial or renewal date
    • Cancellation handled through Apple App Store or Google Play subscription settings, not inside the app

Which should you pick?

Choose ACDSee if

  • You need digital asset management.
  • You work on Windows.
  • You also want raw processing.
ACDSee review

Choose Facetune if

  • You need skin and blemish retouching.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS, Android.
  • You also want facial reshaping.
Facetune review

Questions people ask

Is ACDSee or Facetune better?
Neither clearly leads. ACDSee starts at On request and Facetune at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ACDSee or Facetune?
Facetune has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for ACDSee and Free for Facetune.
Does ACDSee or Facetune run on more platforms?
ACDSee runs on Windows. Facetune runs on iOS, Android.
Can I use Facetune for free?
Yes. Facetune has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. ACDSee starts at On request.
What is ACDSee best used for?
ACDSee is most often used for a windows photographer who wants to own the software outright rather than pay indefinitely, a hobbyist with a large existing photo library who wants cataloguing and basic raw editing without lightroom cloud storage, someone leaving adobe lightroom specifically to avoid a subscription, willing to accept a smaller editing toolset, a photographer who wants ai masking and noise reduction without committing to skylum or topaz subscriptions. Of those, a windows photographer who wants to own the software outright rather than pay indefinitely and a hobbyist with a large existing photo library who wants cataloguing and basic raw editing without lightroom cloud storage are not what Facetune is typically brought in for.
What can ACDSee do that Facetune cannot?
ACDSee covers Digital asset management, RAW processing, AI editing tools, Perpetual or subscription licensing. Facetune covers Skin and blemish retouching, Facial reshaping, Body contouring, Teeth whitening and eye enhancement.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

ACDSee: Do I still get new camera support if I buy the perpetual licence?

Only for about a year after purchase; after that, new RAW formats and AI features require buying the next version or moving to ACDSee 365.

Facetune: Does Facetune have a free trial?

Yes, typically around 3 days, after which it automatically converts to a paid annual subscription unless cancelled beforehand.

ACDSee: Is ACDSee available on Mac?

No, Photo Studio is Windows-only.

Facetune: How do I cancel a Facetune subscription?

Cancellation is done through the Apple App Store or Google Play subscription settings on your phone, not through a button inside the Facetune app itself.

ACDSee: Is ACDSee 365 the same software as the perpetual version?

It runs the same core application but stays on the current release and adds AI credits and cloud storage that the perpetual licence does not include.

Facetune: Can I use Facetune without paying?

The free download offers very limited functionality; nearly all retouching tools require the paid Facetune Pro subscription after the trial ends.

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