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Photography · head to head

Facetune vs PhotoDirector

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
PhotoDirector logo

PhotoDirector

Photography

CyberLink RAW editor sold as either a perpetual lifetime licence or a PhotoDirector 365 subscription

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • 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.; PhotoDirector the lifetime licence is frozen at its purchase-time feature set, so newer AI tools such as improved generative fill arrive only in the 365 subscription, not as a free update.
  • They diverge on capability: Facetune covers Skin and blemish retouching, PhotoDirector covers AI object removal and sky replacement.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Facetune and PhotoDirector actually diverge.

Attributes where Facetune and PhotoDirector differ
AttributeFacetunePhotoDirector
Pricing modelFree download with a short free trial, most tools require a Facetune Pro subscription that auto-renews annuallyFree tier, one-time purchase or annual subscription
PlatformsiOS, AndroidWindows, macOS

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 PhotoDirector

  • AI object removal and sky replacement
  • Generative fill
  • Layer-based editing
  • RAW processing
  • Lifetime or subscription licensing
  • Free Essential tier

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

PhotoDirector

  • A hobbyist who wants free core editing tools with no time limit and no paymentnot Facetune
  • A photographer choosing between a one-time purchase and a subscription and wanting both genuinely on offernot Facetune
  • Someone who wants AI object removal and generative fill without paying Adobe Creative Cloud pricesnot Facetune
  • A PowerDirector video editing customer who wants a photo tool with a similar interface and shared cloud storagenot 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.

PhotoDirector

  • The lifetime licence is frozen at its purchase-time feature set, so newer AI tools such as improved generative fill arrive only in the 365 subscription, not as a free update.
  • The free Essential tier deliberately withholds AI features to push users toward a paid tier, so it is not a serious alternative to Lightroom Free or Photoshop Elements for most editing needs.
  • CyberLink AI tools generally trail Adobe and Skylum in third-party quality comparisons for object removal and sky replacement.
  • Running two licensing models in parallel makes the actual multi-year cost harder to compare against single-model competitors like Photoshop Elements or PaintShop Pro.
  • Cloud storage and content packs are exclusive to the 365 subscription, so lifetime buyers cannot access add-ons that later become part of the ecosystem.

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

PhotoDirector

Free
  • PhotoDirector EssentialFree
    • Core editing tools
    • Limited AI features
    • No time limit
  • PhotoDirector (lifetime)$99.99/one-time
    • One-time purchase
    • Full editing toolset at time of purchase
    • No further feature updates without buying a new version
  • PhotoDirector 365$39.99/year
    • Ongoing feature and AI tool updates
    • Cloud storage included
    • Access to content packs and plugins

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 PhotoDirector if

  • You need ai object removal and sky replacement.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, macOS.
  • You also want generative fill.
PhotoDirector review

Questions people ask

Is Facetune or PhotoDirector better?
Neither clearly leads. Facetune starts at Free and PhotoDirector at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Facetune or PhotoDirector?
Facetune starts at Free and PhotoDirector at Free.
Does Facetune or PhotoDirector run on more platforms?
Facetune runs on iOS, Android. PhotoDirector runs on Windows, macOS.
Can I use Facetune for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
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 PhotoDirector is typically brought in for.
What can Facetune do that PhotoDirector cannot?
Facetune covers Skin and blemish retouching, Facial reshaping, Body contouring, Teeth whitening and eye enhancement. PhotoDirector covers AI object removal and sky replacement, Generative fill, Layer-based editing, RAW processing.

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.

PhotoDirector: Is PhotoDirector Essential really free?

Yes, its core editing tools have no time limit and no payment, but AI features are reserved for the paid tiers.

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.

PhotoDirector: Should I buy the lifetime licence or the 365 subscription?

The lifetime purchase is cheaper if you do not need ongoing AI feature updates; 365 costs less upfront and keeps receiving new AI tools and cloud storage.

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.

PhotoDirector: Does PhotoDirector work with RAW files?

Yes, it imports and processes camera RAW formats alongside JPEG.

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