Photography · head to head
Nik Collection vs Pic-Time
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
- -
Pic-Time
Photography
Client galleries with an automated print store and marketing campaigns built in
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Pic-Time has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: 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.; 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: Nik Collection covers Silver Efex Pro, Pic-Time covers Designed galleries.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Nik Collection and Pic-Time actually diverge.
| Attribute | Nik Collection | Pic-Time |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | On request | Free |
| Pricing model | One-time purchase | Per month by photo count |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS | Web, 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 Nik Collection
- Silver Efex Pro
- Color Efex Pro
- HDR Efex Pro
- Analog Efex Pro
- Viveza
- Host and standalone modes
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.
Nik Collection
- A Lightroom Classic user who wants Silver Efex specifically for black and white conversionnot Pic-Time
- A DxO PhotoLab user finishing landscape work with HDR Efex tone mappingnot Pic-Time
- A photographer building a vintage film look with Analog Efex on top of a standard RAW editnot Pic-Time
- Someone who wants a one-time purchase finishing toolkit rather than adding another subscription to an existing editing stacknot Pic-Time
Pic-Time
- A wedding photographer who wants print revenue from past clients without writing and sending the promotions personallynot Nik Collection
- Studios where the gallery itself is part of the perceived product and a plain grid of thumbnails undersells the worknot Nik Collection
- Album based workflows that need clients to comment on spreads rather than exchange PDFs by emailnot Nik Collection
- Photographers with clients in several countries who need orders fulfilled by a lab local to the clientnot Nik Collection
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
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.
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
Nik Collection
On request- Nik Collection$159/one-time
- Lifetime licence, no subscription
- Runs as a plugin or standalone application
- Upgrade pricing offered to existing owners for future versions
Pic-Time
Free- FreeFree
- Small photo allowance for evaluating the platform
- Store available with the commission that applies to this tier
- Paid tiers$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 Nik Collection if
- You need silver efex pro.
- You work on Windows, macOS.
- You also want color efex pro.
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.
Questions people ask
- Is Nik Collection or Pic-Time better?
- Neither clearly leads. Nik Collection 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, Nik Collection or Pic-Time?
- Pic-Time has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Nik Collection and Free for Pic-Time.
- Does Nik Collection or Pic-Time run on more platforms?
- Nik Collection runs on Windows, macOS. 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. Nik Collection starts at On request.
- What is Nik Collection best used for?
- Nik Collection is most often used for a lightroom classic user who wants silver efex specifically for black and white conversion, a dxo photolab user finishing landscape work with hdr efex tone mapping, a photographer building a vintage film look with analog efex on top of a standard raw edit, someone who wants a one-time purchase finishing toolkit rather than adding another subscription to an existing editing stack. Of those, a lightroom classic user who wants silver efex specifically for black and white conversion and a dxo photolab user finishing landscape work with hdr efex tone mapping are not what Pic-Time is typically brought in for.
- What can Nik Collection do that Pic-Time cannot?
- Nik Collection covers Silver Efex Pro, Color Efex Pro, HDR Efex Pro, Analog Efex Pro. Pic-Time covers Designed galleries, Automated store campaigns, Wall art visualiser, Album proofing.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Nik Collection: Is Nik Collection a subscription?
No, DxO sells it as a lifetime licence with optional paid upgrades for future versions.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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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