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Photography · head to head

ACDSee vs Pic-Time

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
Pic-Time logo

Pic-Time

Photography

Client galleries with an automated print store and marketing campaigns built in

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Pic-Time 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.; Pic-Time the commission on store sales means the true cost rises with your success, so a photographer with strong print revenue may pay far more than the subscription implies and should price the top tier against the percentage before choosing.
  • They diverge on capability: ACDSee covers Digital asset management, Pic-Time covers Designed galleries.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which ACDSee and Pic-Time actually diverge.

Attributes where ACDSee and Pic-Time differ
AttributeACDSeePic-Time
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelOne-time purchase or per-user subscriptionPer month by photo count
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWindowsWeb, iOS, 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 Pic-Time

  • Designed galleries
  • Automated store campaigns
  • Wall art visualiser
  • Album proofing
  • Regional lab fulfilment
  • Digital delivery

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 Pic-Time
  • A hobbyist with a large existing photo library who wants cataloguing and basic RAW editing without Lightroom cloud storagenot Pic-Time
  • Someone leaving Adobe Lightroom specifically to avoid a subscription, willing to accept a smaller editing toolsetnot Pic-Time
  • A photographer who wants AI masking and noise reduction without committing to Skylum or Topaz subscriptionsnot Pic-Time

Pic-Time

  • A wedding photographer who wants print revenue from past clients without writing and sending the promotions personallynot ACDSee
  • Studios where the gallery itself is part of the perceived product and a plain grid of thumbnails undersells the worknot ACDSee
  • Album based workflows that need clients to comment on spreads rather than exchange PDFs by emailnot ACDSee
  • Photographers with clients in several countries who need orders fulfilled by a lab local to the clientnot 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.

Pic-Time

  • The commission on store sales means the true cost rises with your success, so a photographer with strong print revenue may pay far more than the subscription implies and should price the top tier against the percentage before choosing.
  • Storage is counted by photo, so high volume delivery pushes you up the tiers even when the files themselves are small.
  • There is no contracts, invoicing, booking or CRM module, so a working studio still pays for a separate management tool and reconciles two systems.
  • Lab coverage is uneven by country and some regions have a single partner, which removes any ability to shop for print quality or price.
  • The automated campaigns go out under your studio name on Pic-Time schedules, and photographers with a small or recently marketed client list can look pushy unless every sequence is edited by hand.

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

Pic-Time

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Small photo allowance for evaluating the platform
    • Store available with the commission that applies to this tier
  • Paid tiers$undefined/month
    • Priced by the number of photos stored
    • The sales commission differs by tier and falls on the higher plans
    • Automated marketing campaigns included from the paid tiers upward

Which should you pick?

Choose ACDSee if

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

Choose Pic-Time if

  • You need designed galleries.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want automated store campaigns.
Pic-Time review

Questions people ask

Is ACDSee or Pic-Time better?
Neither clearly leads. ACDSee starts at On request and Pic-Time at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ACDSee or Pic-Time?
Pic-Time has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for ACDSee and Free for Pic-Time.
Does ACDSee or Pic-Time run on more platforms?
ACDSee runs on Windows. Pic-Time runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use Pic-Time for free?
Yes. Pic-Time 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 Pic-Time is typically brought in for.
What can ACDSee do that Pic-Time cannot?
ACDSee covers Digital asset management, RAW processing, AI editing tools, Perpetual or subscription licensing. Pic-Time covers Designed galleries, Automated store campaigns, Wall art visualiser, Album proofing.

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.

Pic-Time: Does Pic-Time take a percentage of print sales?

Yes, and the rate depends on the plan you are on, with the higher tiers reducing it. Check the current rate for your tier, because it usually outweighs the monthly price difference.

ACDSee: Is ACDSee available on Mac?

No, Photo Studio is Windows-only.

Pic-Time: Can it replace my studio management software?

No. There is no contract signing, invoicing or booking. Pic-Time covers delivery and sales only.

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.

Pic-Time: Do clients need an account to view a gallery?

No. Galleries open from a link with an optional password, and an email is only requested when a client downloads or orders.

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