6 Best AI Photo Editing Software for Photographers

Editing photos can be one of the most time-consuming and sometimes frustrating parts of a photographer’s workflow. Long hours spent retouching skin, adjusting lighting, or culling hundreds of images can quickly lead to burnout, especially during busy seasons.

That’s where AI photo editing comes in. AI editing tools are now capable of handling almost everything — background removal, batch retouching, culling,  and more with remarkable accuracy. These tools are helping photographers save time, improve consistency, and focus more on the creative side of their work.

But with so many AI photo editing tools on the market, how do you know which one is right for you? In this article, we’ll break down the best AI photo editing software available today, highlighting their features, who they’re best suited for, and how they can transform your workflow.

Why AI Photo Editing Matters?

Photo editing is a critical part of any photographer’s workflow, but it comes with its share of challenges. Whether you're shooting weddings, portraits, or commercial work, editing can quickly become a bottleneck. This is where AI-powered photo editing tools become handy. 

Here are some of the most common challenges photographers face and how AI tools help solve them:

1. Time-Intensive Workflows

Manually editing hundreds (or thousands) of images can eat up hours, sometimes days. AI editing software automates repetitive tasks like culling, editing, cropping, adjusting exposure, and applying filters, allowing photographers to speed up delivery without sacrificing quality.

2. Inconsistent Editing Styles

Achieving consistency across a full gallery can be tough, especially when working under tight deadlines. Tools like Aftershoot and Imagen learn your editing style over time and apply it uniformly across batches of photos, ensuring a consistent look and feel. We will dig deep into their individual uses later in the article.

3. Tedious Culling

Sorting through thousands of images to pick the best ones is often overwhelming. Some AI tools include smart culling features that automatically identify the sharpest, most expressive shots, saving you time from manual reviews.

4. Technical Corrections

Noise, blur, and poor lighting can ruin great shots. AI enhancement tools specialize in restoring image quality through sharpening, denoising, and upscaling, perfect for salvaging tricky shots.

5. Limited Editing Skills

Not every photographer is a post-production expert. Many AI tools come with pre-trained styles or presets designed by professional photographers, which is an excellent head start for beginners.

6 Best AI Editing Software for Photographers 

With AI photo editing tools becoming more advanced (and more accessible), photographers now have a wide range of options to choose from. But not every tool is built the same—some specialize in retouching, others in batch processing, and a few offer all-in-one solutions.

To help you make a decision, we’ve rounded up the 5 best AI editing software tools that photographers are using to save time, enhance quality, and streamline their editing workflow. Let's explore the best AI editors for photographers in the market:

1.  Aftershoot

Aftershoot is one of the highest-rated AI photo editing software for photographers. It is an AI editing, culling, and retouching software built specifically for photographers who want to streamline their post-production workflow. It stands out for its one flat fee and unlimited image processing model that makes it ideal for high-volume photographers.

Key Features:

• AI Profiles: Train your own editing profile using 2,500–5,000 edited images to replicate your unique style automatically.
• AI Styles: Choose from pre-built AI profiles created by renowned photographers and apply them to your work with a single click.
• Dynamic Adjustments: Edits are tailored to each image based on lighting, color, and composition.
• Batch Editing: Apply consistent edits across hundreds or thousands of images quickly.
• Additional AI Tools: Includes AI Crop, Straighten, and Auto-cropping for efficient image framing.
• One Click Cull and Edit: Allows photographers to cull and edit in a single click
• Offline Access: Works without an internet connection.
• Seamless Integrations: Compatible with Lightroom, Capture One, Photo Mechanic, and more.
• 24X7 Support: Offers round-the-clock support via call or chat

Pros:

• Significantly reduces editing time (great for high-volume photographers)
• Fully AI-driven batch editing with high consistency.
• No usage limits (unlimited culling and editing)
• One flat fee (no monthly subscription headaches).
• Simple, intuitive interface for all skill levels.
• Works offline for flexibility on the go.
• Non-destructive edits and selections keep original files safe.

Cons:

• Limited manual editing tools, as it’s primarily focused on automation and speed.
• Takes time to train your AI profile initially

Pricing:
Aftershoot offers a one-time flat fee starting at $20/month,  giving users unlimited access to culling, editing, and retouching tools

Trial Period: 30 Days

Best For:
Professional photographers, especially wedding, portrait, event, or family photographers, who deal with high volumes of images and want to save time while maintaining their unique style. It’s also beginner-friendly thanks to its intuitive setup and pre-built AI styles.

“Using Aftershoot over the past two years has significantly streamlined my workflow and boosted my editing speed. The customer support is excellent, and the value it offers far surpasses other AI culling and editing services I’ve tried. It’s been well worth the investment. I highly recommend it to all professional photographers,” says Lucy Wadell.

2. Narrative Edits

Narrative AI is a photo editing software built specifically to streamline the post-production process for photographers. With tools like Narrative Edit and Narrative Select, the platform offers AI-powered solutions for editing and image selection.

Key Features:

• Personal AI Presets: Learns from your past edits to build a custom AI profile that mimics your personal style.
• Artist AI Presets: Choose from pre-built profiles created by professional photographers.
• Time-Saving Automation: Ideal for high-volume photographers looking to edit efficiently and consistently.
• Works Offline: Narrative Edit functions without needing constant internet access.
  

Pros:

• Rapid editing workflow, ideal for reducing time spent on post-production.
• Seamless integration with Lightroom for smooth handoffs.
• Non-destructive edits and selections keep original files safe.
• Offline functionality supports flexible work environments.
• One flat fee (newly revised pricing)
  

Cons:

• Doesn’t offer AI masking, unlike other tools like Aftershoot or Imagen
• No AI automated selection to help you pick your best shots

Pricing:
Narrative Edits and Select previously had a pay-per-image pricing model, starting around $0.07 per image, depending on volume. However, it has switched to a subscription model starting at $20/month for both the culling and editing tools

Best For:
Professional and high-volume photographers looking to streamline their workflow

“Narrative makes everything seamless and efficient. It's a game changer for anyone looking to streamline their photo editing workflow,” says Ely Roberts

3. Imagen AI

Imagen AI is a powerful AI-driven photo editing software designed to accelerate post-production for photographers. It’s known for its personalized AI profile that mimics your unique style, enabling consistent, high-quality edits across thousands of images. 

Key Features:

• Personal AI Profiles: Learns from your past edits to build a custom profile tailored to your editing style.
• Batch Editing: Processes thousands of images quickly while maintaining visual consistency.
• Adaptive Adjustments: Automatically fine-tunes exposure, white balance, contrast, and more based on your preferences.
• Talent AI Profiles: Use editing styles from well-known photographers with pre-built AI profiles.
• Time-Saving Automation: Ideal for streamlining large editing workflows.
• Additional AI Tools: Includes AI Crop, AI Straighten, and AI Masking for more precision and efficiency.
  

Pros:

• Personalized AI editing based on your unique style.
• Significant time savings with fast, batch editing capabilities.
• Smooth integration with Adobe Lightroom for final tweaks.
  

Cons:

• Pay-per-image pricing can become costly for high-volume users.
• Requires an internet connection for AI processing.
• Limited manual editing tools since it's focused primarily on automated workflows.

Pricing:
Imagen operates on a pay-per-image model, starting at around $0.05 per photo, with custom pricing for higher volumes.

Trial Period: 1000 Free Credits

Best For:
Professional photographers who want a fully customized AI editing experience, particularly wedding, event, and portrait photographers. It may not prove to be ideal if you want to process a large batch of images due to its pay-per-image model

“This AI truly excels at color correction, color grading, exposure adjustments, and tone matching—all while aligning with my usual editing style. After running tens of thousands of images through it, I’ve found that about 80% require no further edits at all. Of the remaining 20%, most only need minimal tweaks like a slight crop or exposure adjustment. Only a rare few need more in-depth attention. I’m consistently amazed at how closely this AI matches the quality and consistency of my editing,” says Zach Nichols in his review of ImagenAI

4. Evoto

Evoto is an AI portrait editing software designed specifically for photographers who need to edit faces, skin, and overall lighting efficiently. It excels at beauty and portrait editing, offering precise control over facial features, skin tones, and lighting conditions with an intuitive interface. Unlike more general AI editors, Evoto focuses on high-end portrait retouching, making it a powerful tool for studio, fashion, and event photographers.

Key Features:

• AI Skin Retouching – Smooth skin, remove blemishes, and even out tone automatically.
• Facial Feature Editing – Adjust facial expressions, enhance eyes, reshape features with precision.
• Batch Retouching – Apply consistent edits across multiple portraits in one go.
• AI Relight Tool – Adjust lighting direction and intensity post-shoot for professional results.
• Makeup Controls – Add or enhance makeup using AI tools for eyes, lips, blush, etc.
• Background Editing – Easily change, blur, or adjust backgrounds for studio-like effects.
  

Pros:

• Advanced portrait retouching with professional-grade results
• Easy-to-use interface with real-time previews
• Batch editing support for fast workflow
• Precise control over facial and lighting adjustments
  

Cons:

• Not designed for general AI photo editing (e.g., culling, editing)
• Internet connection required for some features
• Pay-per-export credit system can be expensive for high-volume users

Pricing 

Evoto uses a pay-per-image model starting at around $0.14 per image

Best For: Professional portrait photographers, retouchers, wedding and studio photographers who need fast, high-quality facial editing and lighting adjustments.

To compare more portrait editors, read our guide on the 7 Best portrait editing software for photographers 

5. Topaz Labs

Topaz Labs offers a suite of AI-powered tools focused on image enhancement rather than full-scale AI photo editing. Its flagship product, Topaz Photo AI, combines denoising, sharpening, and upscaling to help photographers restore detail and clarity, especially in low-resolution images. Ideal for photographers who want to improve image quality post-capture.

Key Features:

• Topaz Photo AI: Combines sharpening, noise reduction, and upscaling into one smart, AI-driven workflow.
• AI Denoise: Removes digital noise while preserving texture (great for low-light or high-ISO shots)
• AI Sharpen: Fixes motion blur, focus issues, and general softness with intelligent sharpening.
• AI Upscaling: Boosts image resolution by up to 600% without significant quality loss.
• Face Recovery & Detail Enhancement: Enhances facial features and fine details in low-res or old images.
  

Pros:

• High-quality enhancement tools for fixing common image issues.
• Non-destructive editing to preserve original files.
• Works as a standalone app or integrates with Lightroom and Photoshop.
• One-time purchase
  

Cons:

• Not a complete editing suite (no color correction, culling, or batch editing).
  

Pricing:
Topaz Photo AI starts at a one-time payment of $199, with occasional discounts available.

Best For: Photographers and creatives looking to enhance detail and clarity, especially those working with low-quality, high-ISO, or older images. Great for professionals and enthusiasts alike.

“Topaz Photo AI significantly enhances the usability of images, whether they’re captured on lower-resolution sensors or heavily cropped from higher-resolution ones. That said, the default results can occasionally appear over-processed, so some manual refinement may still be necessary. It’s also worth noting that Topaz Photo AI comes with a steep price tag, especially since it doesn’t fully replace any software you probably already have in your workflow” says Darean Leal in his review of Topaz Labs

6. Adobe

Adobe Lightroom is one of the most widely used photo editing tools among professional photographers and hobbyists alike. With the integration of powerful AI features, Lightroom blends the precision of manual editing with the speed and intelligence of automation. Its latest AI-driven updates (2023) have made it even more efficient for high-quality, detail-oriented editing.

Key Features:

• AI Masking & Object Removal: Make local adjustments or remove unwanted objects with content-aware precision.

Credits: Adobe Lightroom

Denoise Tool: Automatically reduces image noise, especially useful for low-light or high-ISO photos.

Credits: Adobe Lightroom

• Generative Remove: Erase distractions like people or clutter from your images using AI.
• Adaptive Presets: Enhance specific areas of your photo based on content and context.
• Lens Blur: Adds depth and polish with smart AI-based blur effects.
• Cloud Sync & Organization: AI helps organize, search, and tag your photos across devices.

Pros:

• Industry-standard tool with professional-grade editing features.
• Seamless integration with Adobe Creative Cloud.
• Non-destructive editing protects original images.
• AI-powered tools enhance speed and accuracy.
• Excellent photo organization and cataloging capabilities.
  

Cons:

• Subscription-based pricing adds up over time.
• Works on Cloud storage only
• Steeper learning curve for beginners.
  

Pricing:
Available through Adobe Creative Cloud with plans starting at $9.99/month, which includes Lightroom and 1TB of cloud storage.

Trial Period: 7 Days

Best For:
Professional photographers, hobbyists, or anyone looking for a powerful combination of manual control and AI assistance in a robust, all-in-one editing platform.

Comparison between Aftershoot, Imagen AI, and Narrative Edits

Here's a comparison table of Aftershoot, Imagen AI, and Narrative AI:

Feature	Aftershoot	Imagen AI	Narrative AI
Batch Editing	✔ Yes	✔ Yes	✔ Yes
Style Learning / AI Training	✔ Custom AI profiles trained on your edits (2.5k–5k images)	✔ Personal AI profiles based on your editing history	✔ Personal AI Profiels available
Speed	⚡ Very fast, ideal for high-volume photographers who required unlimited image processing	⚡ Very fast, ideal for photographers with limited images to process	⚡ Fast, ideal for high volume photographers
Pricing Model	One flat fee, unlimited usage	Pay-per-image pricing	One Flat fee
Offline Availability	✔ Works offline	✘ Requires internet for processing	✔ Works offline
Ease of Use	Beginner-friendly, intuitive interface	Intuitive interface	Export to photo editing software of choice (Lr, LrC, Br, Capture One, Photoshop, etc)
Export and integration	Export to photo editing software of choice (Lr, LrC, Br, Capture One, Photoshop etc)	Export to LrC, Lightroom, Photoshop, and Bridge	Export to only LrC for Mac and Windows, and LrCC and Capture One for Mac
Format Support	RAW, JPG, and more	RAW and JPG	RAW and JPG

Choosing the Right AI Editing Software For You

Whether you're looking for full AI-powered editing or enhancement tools, the best AI editing software should match your workflow, improve efficiency, and maintain your artistic control. It's best to opt for All-in-one tools to minimize switching between apps. The more steps you add to your photography workflow, the longer it takes in post-processing.

If you are looking for a tool that speeds up your workflow and helps enhance your photos, try Aftershoot’s free 30-day trial!