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Specs/pricing
$59/year ($5.99/month)
Requires Windows 10, 64bit processor, 4GB RAM, internet connection
As the size of memory cards, and the framerates of cameras, continues to increase, so too does the number of exposures we take. After all, we’re not wasting film, so why not take three, five, 10 shots where once one would have done? Spray and pray has long been a technique used by action photographers too, and once you get home and empty your cards into your PC you’ll need something to speed up the trawl through, looking for the good ones.
Zoner Photo Studio X is a Windows-only photo editing software that combines the functions of several different programs – specifically about half of the Adobe Creative Suite – into one that, while it has an annual subscription, comes in at less than Adobe’s Lightroom/Photoshop bundle. It doesn’t go all-in on AI, but does offer affordable and effective RAW processing.
Setup and getting started
Easy to install
Seven-day free trial
Zoner Photo Studio X is a simple enough thing to install. You point your browser to the website, create an account, download the seven-day free trial, and if you like it, you buy a one-year subscription, which also nets you some photo prints and cloud storage. Once you’ve got a licence, you can use the software on any number of computers, though there are separate licences for solo operators and families. There’s also a $29 ‘Complete Guide’ ebook available that will step you through editing in Zoner. If you don’t want to pay for the book, there is a whole section of the Zoner website dedicated to the app’s photo processing, with videos and written articles.
Features
Loads of options
Good organisation for large collections
Zoner has a great deal of image-editing functionality available. The app feels like more of a Lightroom replacement than a Photoshop alternative, though with cloning, liquefy, text placement and effects filters available alongside layers, masking and blending, there’s enough in the Editor module to accomplish most tasks. A bit like Photoshop Elements, in a way. The Editor module is also where you’ll find the AI background remover, which did a good job in our tests of keeping edges sharp, and was also surprisingly quick. You can create a layer mask directly from the tool’s results, which is a nice feature to see.
User experience
Non-destructive editing
Well-thought-out interface
Zoner offers a non-destructive editing process with effects and edits that must be approved before they are applied, and an export window that offers quick presets for JPEGs and PNGs as well as TIFFs and HEIF files. It keeps sidecar files alongside the original image files to store its data, rather than saving everything in a massive catalog file that can get corrupted.
Who’s it for?
Zoner Photo Studio X will suit beginners, students and hobbyists, as well as anyone wanting a full photography workflow who’s unwilling to subscribe to Creative Cloud. It’s bargain-priced for what you get, and hasn’t integrated generative AI (yet). While Lightroom and Photoshop may offer more control and more sophisticated tools, and Affinity a complete creative suite for a single price, Zoner’s low cost and broad approach will make it an attractive option.
Scorecard
Section Score
Getting started 5/5
Features 4/5
User experience 4/5
Buy it if…
You’re looking for a complete editing app
You’re on a budget
Adobe doesn’t appeal
Don’t buy it if…
You need Lightroom features
You want generative AI
