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Photo Mechanic
Fast photo browser for ingesting, culling, rating, captioning and keywording large shoots before editing; the Plus edition adds a catalog database.
Visit siteRanking created by SGM Creative · How we rank
Photo Mechanic is ranked 6 of 9 culling and ai editing in 2026, with a score of 5.5/10 (tier Solid).
Score breakdown
| Skin retouching depth | 0/30 |
| Predictable cost | 25/25 |
| Fits a pro workflow | 5/20 |
| Try before you buy | 10/10 |
| Platforms | 10/10 |
| Kept up to date | 5/5 |
| Total | 5.5/10 |
Facts
- Vendor
- Camera Bits, Inc.
- Price model
- mixed
- Entry price
- USD 14.99/month or USD 149/year (Photo Mechanic)
- Free trial
- Yes
- Works in
- standalone
- Platforms
- mac, windows
- Apple Silicon native
- Yes
- Latest update
- Version 2026.6 Build 9175, announced 2026-06-18 (source: https://home.camerabits.com/photo-mechanic-update-with-new-custom-keyboard-shortcuts-avif-support-and-more/)
Prices
- Photo Mechanic: 14.99 USD / month
- Photo Mechanic: 149 USD / year
- Photo Mechanic (perpetual, 1 year of updates): 299 USD / one-time
- Photo Mechanic Plus: 24.99 USD / month
- Photo Mechanic Plus: 249 USD / year
- Photo Mechanic Plus (perpetual, 1 year of updates): 399 USD / one-time
Reviews
- G2: 4.8 from 29 reviews
- Trustpilot: 2.8 from 3 reviews
Strengths
- Current version runs natively on Apple silicon without Rosetta
- Sold as a subscription or as a perpetual licence
- Single-user licence covers up to 2 computers
Watch-outs
- Annual subscriptions start billing immediately with no trial period
- Perpetual licences include only 1 year of updates and support
- Older Photo Mechanic 6 is Intel-based and, per Camera Bits, will no longer run on Apple silicon Macs from macOS 28
See the best Photo Mechanic alternatives →
Data verified on 2026-10-30. Re-assessed every two weeks. No payment can change this score. Spotted a mistake? Send a correction.
Sources
- https://home.camerabits.com/
- https://home.camerabits.com/get-photomechanic/
- https://docs.camerabits.com/support/solutions/articles/48001252734-photo-mechanic-pricing-and-information
- https://home.camerabits.com/photo-mechanic-update-with-new-custom-keyboard-shortcuts-avif-support-and-more/
- https://home.camerabits.com/photo-mechanic-6-on-mac-its-time-to-plan-ahead/
- https://docs.camerabits.com/support/solutions/articles/48001080502-system-recommendations-compatibility
- https://www.g2.com/products/photo-mechanic/reviews
- https://www.trustpilot.com/review/camerabits.com
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