Photo Software Comparison

// for Daz3D post-work & general editing — updated as discussed

Full support

Partial / limited

Not supported / fails

Feature / Consideration	Photoshop~$22/mo subscription	Affinity Photo 2~$70 one-time NOW FREE	PaintShop Pro~$65–80 one-time	GIMP 2.xFree — legacy	GIMP 3.xFree — current
💰 Cost
Pricing model	Subscription	FreeNow free; was $70 one-time. Canva AI tools need Canva Pro (~$120/yr)	One-time+ optional sub tier for extras	Free pain included	Free pain updated
Long-term value	●~$264/yr ongoing	●Now free; Canva AI optional extra	●Similar value to old Affinity pricing	●Free but time is money	●Free but time is money
🖱️ Ease of Use
UI approachability	●Dense; familiar if you know it	●Clean, modern; PS users adapt quickly	●Most beginner-friendly; has "learning mode"	●Multi-window chaos; confusing tool logic	●Single window now, but still Goa'uld technology
PS tutorial transferability	●	●Near 1:1, minor mental translation needed	●Comparable concepts, different layout	●Alien workflow; GIMP-specific tutorials only	●Slightly better but still its own universe
Learning curve	●Moderate fresh; familiar if you know PS	●Gentle; logic is consistent	●Guided onboarding helps a lot	●Steep and hostile	●Steep but slightly less hostile
🖼️ General Editing
Layers & blend modes	●	●	●	●Capable once you find them	●Improved layer handling vs 2.x
Curves & levels	●	●	●	●Present but buried	●Marginally easier to access
RAW / HDR support	●	●	●Decent, not top-tier	●Via UFRAW plugin; clunky	●Improved via darktable integration
PSD compatibility	●	●Good, not perfect on complex files	●	●Basic; loses complex layer data	●Improved but still lossy on complex PSDs
Performance on large files	●	●Often faster than PS	●	●Sluggish on large renders	●Better than 2.x but not competitive
Platform	●Win + Mac	●Win + Mac + iPad	●Windows only	●Win + Mac + Linux	●Win + Mac + Linux
🤖 AI Tools — Full Breakdown
Generative Fill (text-to-fill)	●Firefly-powered; server-side via Adobe cloud	●Via Canva AI Studio — requires Canva Pro (~$120/yr)	●Vision FX plugin (paid add-on); local text-to-style generation	●	●
Generative Expand (canvas extend)	●Firefly; server-side	●Canva "Expand & Edit" — requires Canva Pro	●	●	●
AI Background Removal	●Via Remove Background tool; server-side	●Via Canva AI — requires Canva Pro	●AI Background Replacement — built-in, local	●	●Foreground selection tools; not AI-powered proper
AI Object Selection / Select Subject	●Select Subject; server-side	●ML Object Selection + Select Subject — local, no upload (v2.6+)	●AI-assisted selection present; less refined	●Scissors tool only	●Basic AI selection added in 3.x
AI Upscaling / Super Resolution	●Super Resolution in Camera Raw	●Not native; supports Topaz Photo AI as plugin	●AI Upsampling — built-in, local	●	●
AI Noise Reduction / Denoise	●Denoise AI in Camera Raw / Lightroom; excellent	●Not native; supports Topaz Photo AI as plugin	●AI Denoise + AI Artifact Removal — built-in, local	●	●
Neural Filters / AI Skin Smoothing	●Neural Filters incl. Skin Smoothing, Smart Portrait; server-side	●No native equivalent	●AI Skin Smoothing (Ultimate); local	●	●
AI Style Transfer	●Via Neural Filters (Style Transfer)	●Via Canva AI tools (Canva Pro required)	●AI Style Transfer — built-in, local	●	●
AI Portrait Mode / Depth-of-field	●Blur Gallery with AI subject detection	●Depth of field via ML selection; manual blur	●AI Portrait Mode — built-in, local	●	●
Content-Aware Fill / Smart inpainting	●Best in class; server-side	●Inpainting tool present; local; slightly behind PS	●Magic Fill / SmartClone — local; decent	●Heal/Clone only; no smart fill	●Improved healing in 3.x; still no generative fill
AI runs locally vs. server-side	●Most AI is server-side via Adobe cloud (requires internet)	●Native ML tools are fully local; Canva AI is server-side	●All AI is local — no cloud dependency	—	—
Your images used to train AI	●Adobe's policy has faced scrutiny; opt-out available	●Explicitly not used for training — local ML models	●Local processing; no upload	●No AI, no training concern	●No AI, no training concern
🔞 AI Tools — Nudity / Figure Render Compatibility
Generative Fill works with nudity	●Hard blocked. Triggers on skin-tone areas, swimwear, even clothed figures. Ongoing complaints from boudoir/fine-art photographers. No workaround.	●Canva AI (Canva Pro) inherits Canva content policy — likely blocked on nudity	●Vision FX plugin is style-transfer based, not inpainting — less likely to flag; no documented content policy	—	—
Generative Expand works with nudity	●Blocked if any nudity detected anywhere in image — even if the expanded area is just background	●Canva AI — likely same restriction	—	—	—
Background Removal works with nudity	●Blocked server-side if nudity detected	●Canva AI — likely blocked	●Local processing — no content restrictions	—	—
AI Object / Subject Selection works with nudity	●Server-side — blocked	●Fully local ML model — no content policy, no upload. Works on any image.	●Local — no content restrictions	—	●Local — no content restrictions
AI Upscaling works with nudity	●Camera Raw Super Resolution is local — may work; Firefly-based upscaling blocked	●Topaz Photo AI plugin — fully local, no restrictions	●AI Upsampling is local — no restrictions	—	—
AI Denoise works with nudity	●Camera Raw Denoise is local — generally works; cloud-based tools blocked	●Topaz Photo AI plugin — fully local, no restrictions	●AI Denoise is local — no restrictions	—	—
Neural Filters / Skin Smoothing with nudity	●Server-side — blocked on figure renders	—	●Local AI — no content restrictions	—	—
Overall AI usability for Daz/figure work	●The AI tools you pay a premium for are largely unusable on figure renders. Adobe's detection triggers even on swimwear, tank tops, and skin-heavy areas.	●Native ML tools (selection, inpainting) are fully local and unrestricted. Canva AI tools (generative fill etc) likely still restricted.	●All AI is local. No content policy. Most useful AI tools work without restriction.	●No AI tools to restrict — but also no AI tools to use	●No AI tools to restrict — but also no AI tools to use
🧍 Daz3D Post-Work
Skin/surface cleanup tools	●	●Freq. separation, dodge/burn all present	●	●Tools exist; workflow is painful	●Marginally smoother than 2.x
Background compositing	●	●	●	●Doable but tedious	●Improved; still not smooth
Liquify tool	●	●	●	●iWarp — functional but primitive	●Improved warp tools in 3.x
🎨 Tattoo Extraction → Daz3D LIE
Channel mixer for ink isolation	●	●	●	●Present; workflow unintuitive	●Slightly more accessible in 3.x
Blend If / Blend Ranges	●	●Functionally identical to PS Blend If	●Equivalent present	●No direct equivalent	●Layer blend range added in 3.x but basic
PNG with alpha export	●	●	●	●	●
Overall LIE workflow suitability	●	●At parity with PS for this task	●Capable; fewer tutorials available	●Possible but frustrating	●Better than 2.x; still not smooth
📚 Documentation & Community
General tutorial volume	●Vast — industry standard for decades	●Decent official docs, growing community	●Active community, mostly general editing	●Huge archive; mostly old but still valid	●Growing; 2.x tutorials mostly transfer
Daz3D pipeline tutorials	●Dominant on Renderosity, DeviantArt, YouTube	●Thin — PS translation required	●Very thin for Daz specifically	●Almost none	●Almost none
Blender pipeline tutorials	●Large volume on YouTube	●Growing; Blender community more mixed	●Very limited	●Some; GIMP+Blender has a niche following	●Slowly growing with 3.x launch
🔌 Ecosystem
Third-party plugin ecosystem	●Massive, industry standard	●Growing; supports .8bf PS-compatible plugins	●Supports PS-compatible plugins	●Script-fu plugins; decent variety	●New plugin API in 3.x; ecosystem rebuilding
Industry collaboration standard	●	●PSD compat good, not flawless	●Niche user base, less collaborative use	●	●

📎 Addendum — Tattoo Extraction Difficulty for Daz3D LIE How hard is it to extract a tattoo graphic and prepare it as a transparent PNG for the Layer Image Editor?

Step in Workflow	Photoshop	Affinity Photo 2	PaintShop Pro	GIMP 2.x	GIMP 3.x
Step 1 — Open texture map or render Best to work from raw texture map, not baked render (avoids SSS/lighting contamination)	●Trivial	●Trivial	●Trivial	●Trivial	●Trivial
Step 2 — Isolate ink using Channels / Channel Mixer Separate ink tones from skin tones using individual colour channels	●Channels panel is clear; well-documented tutorials	●Channels panel present; works identically to PS	●Channel mixer present; slightly less intuitive panel	●Channels exist but panel is buried and non-obvious	●Marginally easier to find in 3.x; still awkward
Step 3 — Curves / Levels to boost ink contrast Crush shadows and blow out skin tones to create clean separation	●Excellent curves; easy workflow	●At parity with PS; curves are clean	●Works well; slightly less precise feel	●Curves present but UI feels clunky	●Improved in 3.x; still more steps than PS/Affinity
Step 4 — Blend If / Blend Ranges to drop skin tone to transparency The key step — use luminosity range sliders to dissolve the background skin colour while keeping ink	●Blend If sliders on Layer Style; intuitive, well-tutorialled	●Blend Ranges — functionally identical; same workflow translates 1:1	●Equivalent blend range controls present; slightly different UI	●No direct equivalent — must use manual selection/mask workaround instead	●Basic layer blend range added in 3.x but lacks the feathering control of PS/Affinity
Step 5 — Masking / cleanup of residual skin tone Paint out remaining halos, noise, or skin bleed with a mask	●Layer mask workflow is fast and non-destructive	●Identical non-destructive mask workflow	●Mask tools present; slightly more steps	●Layer masks work but are less intuitive to apply	●Improved mask handling in 3.x
Step 6 — Colour correct / adjust ink hue & saturation Shift ink colour if needed for LIE emissive toning	●Hue/Saturation adjustment layer; simple	●Identical tool; works the same	●HSL tools present and capable	●Hue-Saturation tool is actually fine in GIMP	●Fine in 3.x too
Step 7 — Export as PNG with alpha channel (transparency) Final output format for importing into Daz LIE	●Save for Web or Export As PNG; straightforward	●Export persona; PNG with alpha is one-click	●Export as PNG with transparency; works fine	●Export as PNG — works but "Export As" dialog is a maze	●Improved export dialog in 3.x; still more steps than needed
Overall difficulty rating For someone with moderate photo editing experience	⬛⬜⬜⬜⬜ Easy. Massive tutorial library covers this exact workflow. Fastest path.	⬛⬜⬜⬜⬜ Easy. PS tutorials translate directly. Blend Ranges = Blend If. At parity.	⬛⬛⬜⬜⬜ Moderate. All tools are there but fewer tutorials specific to this workflow.	⬛⬛⬛⬛⬜ Hard. No Blend If equivalent forces manual workarounds. UI fights you at every step.	⬛⬛⬛⬜⬜ Difficult. Better than 2.x but Blend Ranges are still underpowered. Still GIMP.