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 Value

The 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.

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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.

Meanwhile, ACDSee Photo Studio Professional lists at $99.99 for a lifetime license. The more pro-photographer-targeted DxO PhotoLab and Capture One Pro cost $239.99 and $329, respectively. Most of the higher-end photo software follows Adobe's lead in trying to get customers to sign up for a subscription, though DxO and Skylum Luminar ($119) are exceptions.

A separate mobile version of PhotoDirector for Android and iOS offers powerful editing tools and fun effects for on-the-go photo editing. The app is ad-supported. You can pay $6.99 per month to remove ads and unlock higher-resolution output and more AI tools.

What’s New in PhotoDirector?

CyberLink continually updates PhotoDirector, and subscribers receive new editing tools, effects, fonts, and templates as they're available. You can see every one of them on the company's handy What's New in PhotoDirector page. (I wish Adobe and other developers offered this convenience.) Below are some highlights of what's new since my last review (in order of importance). Of course, the app offers dozens of other new capabilities for more specific things, such as jawline retouching, and upgrades to existing (mostly AI-powered) features.

• Edit by Chat. This lets you interact with the application in a conversational way. You can tell it what you want it to do with an image and add any follow-up requests as you go. The software also suggests edits that it determines make sense for your photo.
• AI Model Lab. Here, you can try out different third-party AI imaging models, such as Nano Banana, GPT Image, FLUX, and more.
• Reference Image Support for Text to Image. Upload an image to reproduce its layout in generated images—note that not all AI models support this new feature.
• New Integrated AI Models. These include Flux.2 Pro, GPT-1.5, Kling O1, and Z-Image.
• AI Try On. With this tool, you can dress people in your photos in clothing you have a picture of or describe.
• AI Image to Video. Turn images into videos using templates or text prompts with optional sound effects.
• AI Multi Face Swap. Use this feature to swap up to four faces in your photo from any other photo.
• Wire Detection & Removal. I first saw this feature in Skylum Luminar. It automatically detects and removes wires from an image, which can improve a lot of shots more than you might realize.

Important updates to prior versions include:

• AI Background for People and Objects. You can move the subject around in the new background, and the updated algorithm can handle complex subjects, such as those with unruly hair.
• AI Face Swap and AI Outfit. You can now swap faces with “friends, family, celebrities, [and] even famous artwork.” The second tool lets you turn up the volume on your fashion by generating new wardrobes.
• AI Headshot. A wizard takes you through the process of creating images appropriate for business or social network profile pictures.
• Image to Prompt. This does the reverse of most generative AI image tools. You start with the image, and the program generates a prompt describing it.
• One-Click Face Retouch. This feature aims to save photo editors from the multi-step drudgery of editing faces.

System Requirements: Full Support for macOS and Windows

PhotoDirector runs on macOS (10.14 and later) and Windows 10 and 11. Both versions require a 64-bit processor and at least 4GB of RAM. It natively supports Arm-based CPUs with either OS, running on Copilot+ PCs and silicon Macs. You must install the CyberLink Download Manager if you choose the trial or single-payment version, or the CyberLink Application Manager if you choose the subscription version. As with Adobe's Creative Cloud helper apps, the Application Manager makes updates easier to apply.

Interface and Ease of Use: Choose Your Mode and Level of Control

PhotoDirector's interface won’t trip up anyone who’s familiar with other photo software. The Launcher, the first thing you see when you start the program, highlights new tools with sample images. At the top of this window are buttons for the tools and modes you’re most likely to want: Quick Actions, Guided & GenAI, Organize & Adjust, Design, and the new Edit by Chat. The My Creations button takes you to previously generated AI images, but I’d prefer to see a few thumbnails of all recent images (regardless of whether I used AI tools on them). The Launcher appears by default on both initial startup and after you close the program, but you can turn off the latter behavior.

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The program starts quickly, and most editing operations (aside from AI-intensive ones) are snappy, but loading images sometimes takes longer than in other apps, including Lightroom. On the first run, you see a helpful Quick Start tutorial window that introduces the program's features and provides links to online tutorials.

Editing Modes

As is common among pro- and near-pro-level photo workflow apps, PhotoDirector uses modes. That means you see global tabs or buttons that switch the interface among different functions, usually organizing, editing, and sharing. PhotoDirector has five modes: Library, Adjust, Guided/GenAI, Design, and Batch Editor. I appreciate that the program now handily keeps all the mode buttons permanently along the top. The Export function gets a dedicated, always-present orange button at the top.

Within each of PhotoDirector's modes, a left-side panel has relevant options. In the Library and Adjust modes, the panel breaks down further into two tabs: Project and Metadata for the first, and Manual and Presets for the second.

The main viewing area is flexible. In Library mode, a large view of the photo sits above an optional filmstrip of other pictures in the folder. Alternatively, buttons at the top let you see just the photo, a gallery browser of thumbnails or filenames, or a full-screen view of the current photo. In addition to viewing a single large image, you can compare two or more by selecting multiple—helpful for culling.

You can filter the Grid view by photos you've color-labeled or flagged, as well as those you've edited. I appreciate that you can also filter by camera model and lens as you can in Lightroom. You can search only based on filename and keywords—I prefer Lightroom’s semantic search capability, which lets you find all photos of, for example, flowers. Hover the mouse over a thumbnail in Gallery view, and you see star rating and pick/reject flags for easy organization. When you're viewing a single large image, those choices appear in the bottom panel, along with color labeling, face tagging, rotation, and mirroring options.

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In Adjust mode, you can pull up a before-and-after split view. Holding the Ctrl key down while spinning the mouse wheel zooms between preset sizes (25%, 33%, 50%, and so on), which you can also choose from a drop-down menu. Thankfully, as in ACDSee Pro, the program also lets you zoom to a custom size. A single click or tap of the space bar switches between zoomed and unzoomed views, which is convenient, as is the ability to use the right mouse button to zoom out when the zoom mode is active.

The app helpfully groups adjustments into Regional and Global groups, with tabs for Manual and Presets. I appreciate that (like in Lightroom) arrows let you collapse the side panels. The program’s Undo function helpfully shows not only all previous tweaks but also a thumbnail at the top with a mini view of those tweaks' effects. Clicking any history entry restores those settings to the full-image view. Keyboard shortcuts work well and are customizable, but I miss a couple that I use in Lightroom: Crop (C) and Save with Previous (Ctrl-S). Exporting is a simple (Ctrl-E), compared with Photoshop's convoluted Shift-Ctrl-Alt-W. You can't detach the program's panels to float anywhere on the screen, as you can in ACDSee Pro, but I suspect that's not something most photo editors need. PhotoDirector earns high marks for its overall interface, though Adobe's apps still have a slicker, more polished feel.

Help Resources

PhotoDirector includes a comprehensive, organized, and searchable help system and video tutorials, both of which are accessible from clear buttons in the interface. The help is now on the web rather than local, however. You can download the User Guide in case you're editing on the road with no connectivity.

Importing Images: You Can Work With Images Straight From Your Camera

Import choices include From Camera (which automatically finds your removable photo card), From Cloud, Folder, Photos, Stock Photos, and Video to Photo. The Import dialog groups images on the card by date, with zoomable thumbnails. As with Lightroom, you select photos for import from these thumbnails. In the Import dialog’s Advanced tab, you can choose to apply Auto-Denoise and Auto-tone or effect presets, such as B&W Cool, Faux HDR, or Fantasy Pink. Keyword tags and a copyright notice (in metadata, not as a watermark) are yet more import options. Another type of importing, tethered shooting, is also available. This feature now works with many models from Canon, Fujifilm, Nikon, and more. You get a shutter button on-screen, along with the ability to change shooting settings like f-stop, ISO, and shutter speed.

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The program can import raw camera files in formats such as Canon's CR3 and Nikon's NEF. PhotoDirector lets you import, organize, edit, and export photos directly in the main interface, which is simpler than how Photoshop Elements handles it with multiple windows. But, as with Lightroom, you can’t simply browse photo storage cards; you must import files before you can do anything. DxO PhotoLab and Skylum Luminar dispense with this step and let you simply start working from the folder where your images live. It’s important to note that sometimes I had to wait a long time for a loading message to clear upon a photo import. In some cases, I even had to restart the program since the message wouldn’t go away.

Raw conversion detail and color are good, though Capture One and Lightroom brought out more detail and truer colors in the initial raw imports of my test images. PhotoDirector lags behind Lightroom in official support for new camera bodies, but it did let me work with raw images from a Canon R6 iii and a Sigma BF. The software doesn't support some less common file types, such as AVIF, JXL, and WebP.

Below is a raw conversion comparison between PhotoDirector (left) and Lightroom (right). The Lightroom version shows more detail in the Baltimore Oriole’s feathers, but PhotoDirector does a good job with the colors.

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Photo Organization: Face Tagging Works Well, But Geotagging Is Still Absent

The program includes all the expected organizational tools with easily accessible color coding, flagging, and ratings tools in Library mode. And, as I describe below, it even has face tagging, a powerful organization tool that's been available in Photoshop Elements for several years. Geotagging features, however, are still absent, though a small map icon at least opens Google Maps for photos with location data.

Face Tagging

To get started with face tagging, select some photos in Library mode and choose Tag Faces from the right-click menu. An Analyzing dialog appears, which goes through each photo one at a time. Processing 129 photos took just under three minutes. The interface for assigning names to faces is clear and simple. Once you assign a name, it becomes a one-click button to assign to other photos with faces. After that, click Faces in the Library's left panel Project tab, then select a name to display only photos of that individual. In my testing, it created separate entries for the same person, but you can easily merge them.

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Stock Photos

If you don’t have a suitable photo, a PhotoDirector subscription lets you use stock photography from one of the biggest names in the game: Getty Images and Getty’s free iStock subsidiary. The Stock Photos button next to the Import button opens a window full of evocative photos. You can search for topics, select multiple thumbnails, and then hit Import. The test sample was 16 megapixels and was simply in my Library to edit and export at will. You don't get the full catalogs, but you can likely find something suitable among the four million or so options.

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Basic Photo Adjustments: Everything You Expect and More

PhotoDirector includes all the basic adjustment tools that photographers need, including those for color, detail, and tone (exposure, contrast, and more). Healing tools like blemish and red eye removers are part of the local adjustment brushes. Cropping and rotating follow the excellent approach of Lightroom and Photoshop, showing you the end result rather than an outline of your intended crop.

The app also has pro-level options, including Curves and Levels. The latter lets you manipulate highs, lows, and midtones with controls on a three-color histogram, with optional quarter-tone controls. The tone curves tool provides just three control points when the Tonal region box is checked, but you can add many more if you uncheck it. Alternatively, you can adjust the tone by dragging on the place in your image you want to change.

When it comes to pumping up or cutting down on overly dark or bright areas, PhotoDirector adds a couple of levels in between the standard brights, midtones, and darks. You get five sliders—Brightest, Bright, Midtone, Dark, and Darkest. (I’m not sure why the program uses these terms instead of the more common highlights and shadows.) The histogram's Show Over/Underexposed Areas tool lets you correct those areas with the appropriate slider. PhotoDirector's Auto-tone magic wand button, like similar tools in every photo app, worked beautifully for some photos but not so well for others.

Geometry Corrections

The program's geometry adjustment tools let you fix the barrel and pincushion distortion of telephoto and wide lenses. The Keystone correction tool's vertical and horizontal controls let me straighten distorted lines along the sides of building photos. The Auto Keystone option does a good job of straightening buildings and cropping the unusable sides of the photo. This tool is easier to use than DxO ViewPoint, which focuses solely on photo geometry corrections, but it doesn’t offer as many options.

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The app also includes lens-profile-based corrections, but it doesn’t support as many lenses as DxO PhotoLab or Lightroom. It works fine as far as it goes, removing some edge stretching and vignetting, but in my tests, it’s still not effective at removing chromatic aberration.

Color Editing

CyberLink has nifty color adjustment tools, such as the AI-powered Auto Color Enhancement option and Three-Way Split Toning. The former opens a dialog box with a slider for the correction strength, and then applies it when you close the dialog. For ultimate color control, three-way split-tone adjustment lets you adjust hue, lightness, midtones, saturation, and shadows. You move the cross cursor around the color wheel to adjust the three tone levels independently. It's very similar to Lightroom’s Color Grading panel. Use these tools sparingly unless you're going for a heavily tinted effect.

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Denoising

PhotoDirector's Denoise tool uses AI machine learning. It's separate from the Noise Reduction tool in the Adjustment menu and appears in the Guided/GenAI mode. It takes longer to work its magic than the standard tool—20 seconds for a 24-megapixel shot. The result was overly smoothed for my taste, but a slider lets you adjust its strength.

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AI Tools: A Next-Level Collection of Smart Image Editing Features

You access PhotoDirector’s generative AI tools in the Guided/GenAI mode. Here, you'll find suitable tools for business tasks (such as generating headshots and product backgrounds), creating imagery from text prompts, swapping faces in portraits, and transforming photos by replacing or extending areas. These features are ideal for non-creative types who want to let their imaginations run wild. All GenAI tools require a subscription to PhotoDirector and cost credits. Subscribers get 100 credits per month, and a typical generation requires three credits. The following capabilities are the most notable I tried:

Edit by Chat

This is the latest significant new AI feature in PhotoDirector. Just keep in mind that it's called an AI Agent in the interface itself. Click the tool, and it shows suggestions like Background Blur, Balance Light, Enhance Landscape, and Face Retouch. Disappointingly, the feature didn’t let me upload a reference image for it to use to match the style or background of an image (you can do this elsewhere in the program), but it does take orders like “beige background” effectively. Each chat entry costs two AI credits. In testing with a portrait shot, I was able to switch the background, fix a misshapen pair of glasses caused by upscaling the low-res original, and make the subject smile a bit more—all using the chat interface.

Text to Image Generation

AI image generation in PhotoDirector is much better than it was when I last tested it. Now, when I ask for Santa Claus driving a dogsled in the Caribbean with hawks hovering around, everything is there, without odd distortions like upside-down birds or backward hounds.

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You can access multiple generations and ask to regenerate more options, even without changing the prompt.

GenAI Replace

If there’s something in your photo that you think would look better as something else, turn to the Replace function. It’s in the Transform group. Simply brush over the object you want to replace, type a description of what you want to replace it with, and voilà, you’ve got a rocket ship in Rockefeller Center!

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People Beautifier

PhotoDirector’s People Beautifier includes Body Shaper, Face Deblur, Face Tools, and Skin Smoother options. Face Tools offers controls such as blemish removal, eye brightening, teeth whitening, and wrinkle reduction, while the One Click Face Retouch feature is faster. Because the app works on a copy of your photo, you can undo any changes. In my testing, Face Shaper even let me slim jowls.

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Body Shaper also uses AI to detect body areas for you to reshape—something not available in Photoshop. If you need these tools, PhotoDirector is the app for you. It lets you adjust arm thickness, breast size, body width, hip width, leg length, leg width, shoulder width, and waist thickness. If none of these hit the area you need to change, you can turn to the Distortion tools, which work like Photoshop's Liquefy tool.

Image to Video

You can choose among 126 motion templates to turn your still image into a five-second video or simply describe the action you want in a text prompt. Here’s a look at the templates:

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Instead of using one of these, I asked the program to make the subject shown in the bottom panel above dance flamenco. The result was as convincing as I’ve come to expect from AI video generation:

Layer Editing: Near-Photoshop Level Control

Showing its ambitions to be more than just a photo workflow application that competes with Lightroom, PhotoDirector’s Design mode offers layer editing—Photoshop's forte. When you enter the mode, a Photoshop-like interface appears with tools on the left (blur, drawing brushes, fill, gradient, shape, and text) and layer thumbnails on the right. The text controls are granular. They let you adjust not just the font and size but also border effects, kerning, and shadow. Bevel and emboss options bring the program that much closer to Photoshop's capabilities. The app saves your projects with layers in the PhotoDirector Layer File format (.PHI), but not in the more standard PSD format.

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You can add adjustment layers, apply prefab project layers, create clipping masks and empty layers, edit with layer masks, and group layers. These techniques should be familiar to Photoshop users. But PhotoDirector also offers Express Templates that add clever layer effects in one step. PhotoDirector has 27 blending modes, the same number as Photoshop, which gives you a lot of creative options. I like how you can solo and edit a layer by double-clicking its thumbnail. Still, Photoshop's right-click options are a bit more helpful.

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As in Photoshop, PhotoDirector lets you select and mask parts of an image. Auto Object Selection is an option under the Select Area tool. It can automatically identify people and animals in a picture, similar to Adobe's Subject Select tool. For well-set-off subjects, it did an excellent job identifying subjects, and you can adjust the size and feather for the tool. The Smart Brush selection tool is also excellent. It auto-selects objects as you brush on the screen. Once you have your selection, you can draw on top of your images, superimpose text, and add fills, gradients, and shapes.

Exporting: Par for the Course

PhotoDirector can no longer export directly to social photo sites, but it does let you share to CyberLink's cloud galleries. You can generate slideshows for instant viewing, too, a process that creates an MPEG-4 video file. Lightroom goes beyond these options, though, with some actual video editing capabilities.

Printing: Lots of Options, But No Presets

The app's dedicated Print mode supports custom grid settings, every imaginable paper size, and watermarking, but it has no presets for standard sizes. The soft proofing feature should please pros who print their pictures.