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Photography · head to head

Facetune vs Nik Collection

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
Nik Collection logo

Nik Collection

Photography

Plugin suite of specialised editing tools, black and white, HDR, colour effects, sold as a one-time purchase by DxO

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.; Nik Collection it is a finishing plugin suite, not a RAW editor, so it needs Photoshop, Lightroom Classic or DxO PhotoLab installed to use its full feature set.
  • They diverge on capability: Facetune covers Skin and blemish retouching, Nik Collection covers Silver Efex Pro.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Facetune and Nik Collection actually diverge.

Attributes where Facetune and Nik Collection differ
AttributeFacetuneNik Collection
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelFree download with a short free trial, most tools require a Facetune Pro subscription that auto-renews annuallyOne-time purchase
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 Nik Collection

  • Silver Efex Pro
  • Color Efex Pro
  • HDR Efex Pro
  • Analog Efex Pro
  • Viveza
  • Host and standalone modes

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

Nik Collection

  • A Lightroom Classic user who wants Silver Efex specifically for black and white conversionnot Facetune
  • A DxO PhotoLab user finishing landscape work with HDR Efex tone mappingnot Facetune
  • A photographer building a vintage film look with Analog Efex on top of a standard RAW editnot Facetune
  • Someone who wants a one-time purchase finishing toolkit rather than adding another subscription to an existing editing stacknot 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.

Nik Collection

  • It is a finishing plugin suite, not a RAW editor, so it needs Photoshop, Lightroom Classic or DxO PhotoLab installed to use its full feature set.
  • Standalone mode has fewer capabilities than running it through a host application, which is not always obvious to a first-time buyer.
  • New major versions are paid upgrades, so the true multi-year cost is higher than the one-time headline price suggests for users who upgrade every release.
  • It does not integrate with Lightroom cloud-based (non-Classic) or with Capture One, narrowing which existing workflows can use it as a plugin.
  • Since DxO acquisition from Google, some of the individual Efex tools have seen slower feature development than dedicated competitors like Topaz for specific tasks such as noise reduction.

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

Nik Collection

On request
  • Nik Collection$159/one-time
    • Lifetime licence, no subscription
    • Runs as a plugin or standalone application
    • Upgrade pricing offered to existing owners for future versions

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 Nik Collection if

  • You need silver efex pro.
  • You work on Windows, macOS.
  • You also want color efex pro.
Nik Collection review

Questions people ask

Is Facetune or Nik Collection better?
Neither clearly leads. Facetune starts at Free and Nik Collection at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Facetune or Nik Collection?
Facetune has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Facetune and On request for Nik Collection.
Does Facetune or Nik Collection run on more platforms?
Facetune runs on iOS, Android. Nik Collection runs on Windows, macOS.
Can I use Facetune for free?
Yes. Facetune has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Nik Collection 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 Nik Collection is typically brought in for.
What can Facetune do that Nik Collection cannot?
Facetune covers Skin and blemish retouching, Facial reshaping, Body contouring, Teeth whitening and eye enhancement. Nik Collection covers Silver Efex Pro, Color Efex Pro, HDR Efex Pro, Analog Efex Pro.

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.

Nik Collection: Is Nik Collection a subscription?

No, DxO sells it as a lifetime licence with optional paid upgrades for future versions.

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.

Nik Collection: Do I need Photoshop or Lightroom to use it?

It works best as a plugin inside Photoshop, Lightroom Classic or DxO PhotoLab, but it also has a smaller-featured standalone mode.

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.

Nik Collection: What is Nik Collection best for specifically?

Black and white conversion through Silver Efex and HDR tone mapping through HDR Efex are its most distinctive tools.

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