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Photography · head to head

Google Photos vs Nik Collection

Google Photos logo

Google Photos

Photography

Google's photo backup and organisation app, now billed against shared Google account storage

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 Google Photos has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Google Photos unlimited free storage ended in June 2021, so an active phone photographer will hit the 15GB shared cap and be pushed into a paid Google One subscription within a year or two.; 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: Google Photos covers Automatic backup, 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 Google Photos and Nik Collection actually diverge.

Attributes where Google Photos and Nik Collection differ
AttributeGoogle PhotosNik Collection
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelFree tier plus paid storage add-onOne-time purchase
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsiOS, Android, WebWindows, 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 Google Photos

  • Automatic backup
  • Face grouping
  • Search
  • Shared albums
  • Magic Eraser and editing
  • Storage saver conversion

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.

Google Photos

  • A household wanting automatic phone photo backup without plugging into a computernot Nik Collection
  • Someone who wants to search old photos by what is in them rather than by filename or foldernot Nik Collection
  • A family sharing a running album of a child or event across several phonesnot Nik Collection
  • A person switching phones who wants photo history to follow them regardless of device brandnot Nik Collection

Nik Collection

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

Where each one falls short

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

Google Photos

  • Unlimited free storage ended in June 2021, so an active phone photographer will hit the 15GB shared cap and be pushed into a paid Google One subscription within a year or two.
  • The 15GB quota is shared with Gmail and Drive, so a full inbox can push someone into a storage warning that looks like a photos problem but is not.
  • Face grouping and search rely on Google scanning image content, which is a real privacy consideration for people uneasy with a US company indexing personal photos.
  • Pixel phones get extra editing features such as Magic Eraser variants that other Android and iOS users do not, so the experience is not equal across devices.
  • Downgrading storage or cancelling Google One after exceeding 15GB puts the account into a grace period and eventually restricts new uploads and can affect other Google services sharing the quota.

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

Google Photos

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 15GB shared across Gmail, Drive and Photos
    • Original quality uploads always counted
    • No storage cap on device, only on the account
  • Google One 100GB$1.99/month
    • 100GB shared storage
    • Extended by-family sharing with up to 5 others
  • Google One 2TB$9.99/month
    • 2TB shared storage
    • Additional Google One perks such as VPN in some regions

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 Google Photos if

  • You need automatic backup.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS, Android, Web.
  • You also want face grouping.
Google Photos 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 Google Photos or Nik Collection better?
Neither clearly leads. Google Photos 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, Google Photos or Nik Collection?
Google Photos has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Google Photos and On request for Nik Collection.
Does Google Photos or Nik Collection run on more platforms?
Google Photos runs on iOS, Android, Web. Nik Collection runs on Windows, macOS.
Can I use Google Photos for free?
Yes. Google Photos has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Nik Collection starts at On request.
What is Google Photos best used for?
Google Photos is most often used for a household wanting automatic phone photo backup without plugging into a computer, someone who wants to search old photos by what is in them rather than by filename or folder, a family sharing a running album of a child or event across several phones, a person switching phones who wants photo history to follow them regardless of device brand. Of those, a household wanting automatic phone photo backup without plugging into a computer and someone who wants to search old photos by what is in them rather than by filename or folder are not what Nik Collection is typically brought in for.
What can Google Photos do that Nik Collection cannot?
Google Photos covers Automatic backup, Face grouping, Search, Shared albums. Nik Collection covers Silver Efex Pro, Color Efex Pro, HDR Efex Pro, Analog Efex Pro.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Google Photos: Is Google Photos still free?

The app is free to use but storage is not unlimited. All uploads count against the 15GB shared with Gmail and Drive, and more storage requires a paid Google One plan.

Nik Collection: Is Nik Collection a subscription?

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

Google Photos: What happened to the old unlimited backup?

Google ended unlimited free storage for photos on 1 June 2021. Photos uploaded before that date in compressed quality are not retroactively counted.

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.

Google Photos: Can I avoid Google One by using another cloud service instead?

Yes. Apple Photos with iCloud, Amazon Photos or a self-hosted option can substitute, though switching means re-uploading or exporting your existing library.

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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