CyberLink PhotoDirector Review: An Affordable, AI-Packed Replacement for Lightroom and Photoshop

CyberLink PhotoDirector Review: An Affordable, AI-Packed Replacement for Lightroom and Photoshop | PCMag

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4.0 Excellent this.$refs.template.innerHTML, onCreate: (instance) => this.tippyInstance = instance, onShow: (instance) => { this.escapeHandler = (e) => { if (e.key === 'Escape') instance.hide(); }; window.addEventListener('keydown', this.escapeHandler); }, onHide: (instance) => { if (this.escapeHandler) { window.removeEventListener('keydown', this.escapeHandler); this.escapeHandler = null; } }, onMount: (instance) => { const closeBtn = instance.popper.querySelector('[data-tooltip-close]'); if (closeBtn) closeBtn.addEventListener('click', () => instance.hide()); }, }; }, }">   What Our Ratings Mean 5.0 - Exemplary: Near perfection, ground-breaking 4.5 - Outstanding: Best in class, acts as a benchmark for measuring competitors 4.0 - Excellent: A performance, feature, or value leader in its class, with few shortfalls 3.5 - Good: Does what the product should do, and does so better than many competitors 3.0 - Average: Does what the product should do, and sits in the middle of the pack 2.5 - Fair: We have some reservations, buy with caution 2.0 - Subpar: We do not recommend, buy with extreme caution 1.5 - Poor: Do not buy this product 1.0 - Dismal: Don't even think about buying this product Read Our Editorial Mission Statement and Testing Methodologies. The Bottom Line CyberLink’s PhotoDirector is a capable all-in-one photo editing and manipulation suite that stands out for its AI wizardry, low price, and support for layers. MSRP $99.99 $39.99 Per Year See It PCMag editors select and review products independently. If you buy through affiliate links, we may earn commissions, which help support our testing.

Pros & Cons Includes all the core photo editing tools photographers need Large, impressive set of AI features with multiple model choices Full support for layer-based editing Seamless face tagging Both the perpetual-license and subscription versions are affordable Interface isn't as slick as that of Adobe’s apps Raw conversion and noise reduction tools lag behind top alternatives Not as fast as some competitors CyberLink PhotoDirector Specs Name Value tr:nth-of-type(n+6)]:hidden" :class="{ '[&>tr:nth-of-type(n+6)]:!table-row': open }"> Keyword Tagging Face Recognition Layer Editing Lens Profile Corrections Content-Aware Edits

CyberLink’s PhotoDirector competently covers all the basics of photo editing with its color adjustment, cropping, and lighting tools, but the main reason to get it is its constantly growing stable of innovative, class-leading AI features. The all-in-one photo editing application also offers the workflow features of Adobe Lightroom, along with the image editing features of Photoshop (think adjustment layers, guided edits, masks, and text kerning), at a lower cost. That said, PhotoDirector's interface could use more polish, and its performance is slow at times, especially when working with large files. Adobe Lightroom Classic and Photoshop remain our Editors' Choice winners, respectively, for photo workflow and manipulation, thanks to their best-in-class tools, slicker interfaces, and smoother performance.Pricing: Both the Standalone and Subscription Versions Are an Excellent ValueThe non-subscription version of CyberLink PhotoDirector (called PhotoDirector 2026 Ultra) lists for $99.99. Just be aware that this version doesn't give you access to most of the generative AI tools and stock media I discuss below. You can bundle the perpetual licenses for PhotoDirector and PowerDirector, our Editors' Choice winner for video editing, for $169.99. Main interface (Credit: CyberLink/PCMag) Subscription options include all the AI tools and stock content. The $64.99-per-year PhotoDirector 365 tier gets you the photo app, 50GB of online storage, content packs, and frequent updates. The full Director Suite 365 subscription costs $134.99 per year and includes all of CyberLink's media software (AudioDirector, ColorDirector, and PowerDirector), 100GB of cloud storage, extra content packs, and plug-ins.For comparison, a three-year license for Photoshop Elements costs $99.99. For Lightroom, you pay $11.99 per month with an annual commitment. The Lightroom and Photoshop bundle costs $22.99 per month with an annual commitment. Similar Products

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