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Photography · head to head

Facetune vs Narrative Select

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
Narrative Select logo

Narrative Select

Photography

AI photo culling with a low-cost entry tier, scaling to advanced editing and multi-user studio plans

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Facetune has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: 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.; Narrative Select the cheap 10 US dollar entry tier covers culling only, so most photographers who also want AI editing end up on the 20 to 40 US dollar tiers instead.
  • They diverge on capability: Facetune covers Skin and blemish retouching, Narrative Select covers Standalone AI culling.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Facetune and Narrative Select actually diverge.

Attributes where Facetune and Narrative Select differ
AttributeFacetuneNarrative Select
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelFree download with a short free trial, most tools require a Facetune Pro subscription that auto-renews annuallyPer user per month, tiered by editing depth
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsiOS, AndroidWindows, macOS

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 Facetune

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

Only in Narrative Select

  • Standalone AI culling
  • Focus and eyes-open detection
  • Burst and duplicate grouping
  • Tiered AI editing
  • Multi-user studio plans
  • Export to any editor

What people use each for

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

Facetune

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

Narrative Select

  • A photographer who wants to cull a shoot before deciding which RAW editor to send selects tonot Facetune
  • A studio wanting several people to share one subscription editing profiles on the Ultra plannot Facetune
  • Someone who wants culling only, at the lowest entry tier, without paying for AI editing they will not usenot Facetune
  • A Capture One user who wants AI culling without being locked into a Lightroom-only plugin ecosystemnot Facetune

Where each one falls short

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

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.

Narrative Select

  • The cheap 10 US dollar entry tier covers culling only, so most photographers who also want AI editing end up on the 20 to 40 US dollar tiers instead.
  • There is no perpetual licence option; the subscription must stay active to keep using current AI models.
  • It is a separate standalone catalogue rather than a Lightroom plugin, which adds an extra application and import step to an existing workflow rather than embedding into one.
  • Multi-user studio pricing is only available on the most expensive Ultra tier, so smaller studios cannot get shared seats at a lower cost.
  • As with any AI culling tool, judgement calls on close eyes, expression and framing still need a manual review pass, so it reduces rather than removes culling time.

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Narrative Select

On request
  • Lite$10/month
    • Basic AI culling only
    • No AI editing included
  • Standard$20/month
    • Advanced culling
    • Basic AI editing
  • Premium$40/month
    • Advanced culling
    • Advanced AI editing
  • Ultra$60/month
    • More AI editing profiles
    • Unlimited advanced culling and editing for up to four users

Which should you pick?

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

Choose Narrative Select if

  • You need standalone ai culling.
  • You work on Windows, macOS.
  • You also want focus and eyes-open detection.
Narrative Select review

Questions people ask

Is Facetune or Narrative Select better?
Neither clearly leads. Facetune starts at Free and Narrative Select at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Facetune or Narrative Select?
Facetune has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Facetune and On request for Narrative Select.
Does Facetune or Narrative Select run on more platforms?
Facetune runs on iOS, Android. Narrative Select runs on Windows, macOS.
Can I use Facetune for free?
Yes. Facetune has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Narrative Select starts at On request.
What is Facetune best used for?
Facetune is most often used for someone wanting quick, targeted retouching of a single selfie or portrait before posting to social media, a user comfortable cancelling a free trial through their phone app store settings before it converts to a paid annual charge, someone who has decided to pay for the annual subscription and wants a broad set of face and body retouching tools in one app, a user who has used photoleap or videoleap from the same publisher and wants a consistent editing tool style. Of those, someone wanting quick, targeted retouching of a single selfie or portrait before posting to social media and a user comfortable cancelling a free trial through their phone app store settings before it converts to a paid annual charge are not what Narrative Select is typically brought in for.
What can Facetune do that Narrative Select cannot?
Facetune covers Skin and blemish retouching, Facial reshaping, Body contouring, Teeth whitening and eye enhancement. Narrative Select covers Standalone AI culling, Focus and eyes-open detection, Burst and duplicate grouping, Tiered AI editing.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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.

Narrative Select: Is Narrative Select a Lightroom plugin?

No, it is a standalone application that culls a shoot independently and then exports selects to whichever editor you use.

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.

Narrative Select: What is the cheapest way to use it?

The Lite tier at around 10 USD a month covers basic culling only, with no AI editing.

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.

Narrative Select: Can multiple people share one subscription?

Only on the Ultra tier, which supports up to four users on a studio plan.

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