--- title: ACDSee Photo Studio Ultimate canonical: https://saasranked.com/software/acdsee-photo-studio/ category: Photo Editing Software points: 60 rank: 4 of 9 facts_checked: 2026-10-08 --- # ACDSee Photo Studio Ultimate Windows photo editor and library with raw development, layers, and AI selection, removal and denoise tools. 60 points out of 100. #4 of 9 photo editors. Vendor: ACD Systems. Website: https://www.acdsee.com/en/products/photo-studio-ultimate/ - Photo Studio Ultimate 2027 is listed at $179.99 in the vendor's store [3]. - A 15-day free trial of Photo Studio Ultimate 2027 is listed [4]. - Opens raw files from over 750 camera models inside the app [1]. - Layers with layer masks, plus AI tools for selecting subjects, sky and background [1][2]. - The Ultimate system requirements list Windows 10 and 11 only; the Mac version is a separate product [1][3]. Verdict: ACDSee Photo Studio Ultimate suits Windows users who want raw editing, layers, AI tools and a photo library in one program [1][2]. It lists HDR and panorama merging and batch tools too [2]. The catch: it runs on Windows only, the store states no licence term, and Generative AI tools use credit packs sold separately [1][3]. Best for: Windows users who want an editor and a photo library in one app. ## Points | Criterion | Line | Value | Points | Note | |---|---|---|---|---| | Systems | Systems | Windows | 2/12 | Ultimate 2027 requires Windows 10 or 11; Photo Studio for Mac is a separate product [1][3]. | | Editing tools | Camera raw editing | Yes | 10/10 | Page cites built-in support for over 750 raw camera models [1]. | | Editing tools | Layers and masks | Yes | 8/8 | Layered editing with layer masks and blend modes; comparison lists limitless layers and copy/paste layer masks [1][6]. | | Editing tools | Non-destructive editing | Yes | 6/6 | Raw editing is described as non-destructive and done without touching the original file [1]. | | Editing tools | Local adjustments | Yes | 5/5 | Brush adjustments to parts of an image, plus linear and radial gradients [2]. | | Editing tools | Opens and saves PSD | Not published | 0/3 | Format list shows PSD for read and write; whether layers are kept is not stated [5]. | | Editing tools | HDR and panorama merge | Yes | 2/2 | Photomerge tools include an HDR tool and panorama stitching [2]. | | AI tools | AI subject and sky selection | Yes | 5/5 | Masks subject, background or sky using AI Sky, AI Subject or AI Background [2]. | | AI tools | AI object removal | Yes | 5/5 | AI Remove erases unwanted objects; the comparison page lists it for Ultimate 2027 [1][6]. | | AI tools | AI noise reduction or upscaling | Yes | 3/3 | AI Denoise uses machine learning to find and reduce noise; batch AI Super-Resolution also listed [2]. | | Workflow | Built-in photo library | Yes | 5/5 | Database management and Manage mode catalog folders, with tags and AI similarity grouping [1][2]. | | Workflow | Batch editing and export | Yes | 4/4 | Batch renaming, resizing, cropping and watermarking, plus batch AI Denoise and Super-Resolution [2]. | | Workflow | Soft proofing | Not published | 0/2 | Not published on the vendor's features or comparison pages [2][6]. | | Price and licence | Open source | Not published | 0/3 | Not published on the vendor's product page [1]. | | Price and licence | Free trial | Yes | 2/2 | The trials page lists a 15-day free trial of Photo Studio Ultimate 2027 and calls it the full version [4]. | | Price and licence | Free version | No | 0/8 | ACDSee Free is a separate product that the vendor calls only a file browser; Ultimate is sold at $179.99 [3][7]. | | Price and licence | No subscription needed | Not published | 0/5 | Store lists one price and no licence term for Ultimate; a subscription plan is listed for another product [3]. | | Price and licence | Price per month | $15/mo | 3/12 | Ultimate 2027 at $179.99, divided by 12; the store states no billing term [3]. | ## Plans | Plan | Price | Per month (USD) | |---|---|---| | Photo Studio Ultimate 2027 | $179.99 [3] | - | | Photo Studio Professional 2027 | $119.99 [3] | - | | Photo Studio Home 2027 | $69.99 [3] | - | | Free trial | Free for 15 days [4] | $0 | The store lists a single price for each edition and no billing term. We divide the Ultimate price by 12 for the monthly figure; the result is the same for a one-time or a yearly price [3]. ## Strengths - Raw editing, layers with masks and non-destructive edits are in one app [1]. - Brush, linear and radial adjustments apply changes to parts of a photo [2]. - AI Sky, AI Subject and AI Background masking, AI Denoise and AI Remove are listed [1][2]. - A database-based library, HDR, panorama stitching and batch tools are included [2]. ## Limits - The Ultimate system requirements list Windows only; the Mac editor is sold separately [1][3]. - Generative AI tools need AI credit packs, from $18 for 20,000 credits, valid for 1 year [3]. - The store lists the price but does not state whether the licence is a one-time purchase or expires [3]. - Vendor pages do not list soft proofing for this edition [2][6]. ## Vendor claims (not scored) - ACDSee says Photo Studio Ultimate offers raw editing for over 750 camera models [1]. ## Sources 1. [ACDSee Photo Studio Ultimate](https://www.acdsee.com/en/products/photo-studio-ultimate/), ACDSee, accessed 2026-10-08 2. [Photo Studio Ultimate features](https://www.acdsee.com/en/products/photo-studio-ultimate/features/), ACDSee, accessed 2026-10-08 3. [ACDSee online store](https://www.acdsee.com/en/store/), ACDSee, accessed 2026-10-08 4. [ACDSee free trials](https://www.acdsee.com/en/free-trials/), ACDSee, accessed 2026-10-08 5. [Supported file formats](https://www.acdsee.com/en/support/file-formats/), ACDSee, accessed 2026-10-08 6. [Photo Studio Ultimate product comparison](https://www.acdsee.com/en/photo-studio-ultimate/product-comparison/), ACDSee, accessed 2026-10-08 7. [ACDSee Free](https://www.acdsee.com/en/products/acdsee-free/), ACDSee, accessed 2026-10-08