Selekt vs Imagen AI
Imagen AI is primarily a photo editing tool that also offers culling. Selekt is a dedicated culling app built from the ground up for one job: getting from thousands of photos to your selects as fast as possible. If culling is your bottleneck, the tool that focuses entirely on it might be the better choice.
Dedicated culler vs editing suite
Selekt: culling is the whole product
Selekt does one thing well: photo culling. Scene-based organisation, side-by-side comparison, keyboard-driven workflow, instant RAW previews. No editing, no presets, no AI decision-making. You cull, you export to your editor of choice.
- Purpose-built for culling speed
- Works with any editor (Lightroom, Capture One, Photoshop)
- Flat $8/mo, no per-photo fees
Imagen AI: editing first, culling second
Imagen AI's core product is AI photo editing that learns your style and applies consistent edits in 0.5 seconds per photo. Culling was added later as part of a broader post-production workflow. It's tightly integrated with Lightroom.
- AI editing + culling in one tool
- Personal AI profiles learn your editing style
- Celebrity photographer presets available
What matters for culling
Flat pricing vs per-photo
Selekt is $8/month regardless of how many photos you cull. Imagen AI charges per photo with a monthly minimum. For high-volume shooters, per-photo pricing adds up quickly and unpredictably.
Any editor vs Lightroom only
Selekt exports XMP files that work with Lightroom, Capture One, or any editor that reads standard metadata. Imagen AI is tightly coupled to Lightroom. If you switch editors or use Capture One, Imagen doesn't follow.
Desktop now, mobile soon
Selekt runs on macOS and Windows today, with iOS and Android apps coming soon. Imagen AI is a Lightroom plugin that runs on whatever Lightroom runs on. No mobile culling on its roadmap.
Do you need AI editing bundled with culling?
The all-in-one appeal
Imagen AI's pitch is compelling: cull and edit in one workflow. The AI learns your editing style and applies consistent adjustments across your entire gallery. For photographers who want to automate as much post-production as possible, this is genuinely useful.
The focus tradeoff
When culling is a feature inside an editing tool, it rarely gets the same attention as when it's the entire product. Selekt's scene-based grouping, side-by-side comparison, and keyboard-driven workflow exist because culling is all Selekt does. Imagen AI's culling is functional but secondary to its editing capabilities.
You can use both
Selekt and Imagen AI aren't mutually exclusive. Cull in Selekt (fast, scene-based, keyboard-driven), then hand your selects to Imagen AI or any other editor for the editing phase. Specialised tools for specialised tasks often beats one tool trying to do everything.
Feature comparison
| Feature | Selekt | Imagen AI |
|---|---|---|
| Photo culling workflow | ||
| Keyboard-driven culling (P/M/X/U) | ||
| Auto-advance on rate | ||
| Scene-based grouping | ||
| Side-by-side comparison | ||
| RAW file support (400+ cameras) | ||
| AI auto-culling (hands-off) | ||
| AI photo editing | ||
| Personal AI editing profiles | ||
| Talent AI profiles (celebrity presets) | ||
| AI auto-tagging | ||
| AI face detection | ||
| Works fully offline | ||
| Standalone app (no Lightroom required) | ||
| Lightweight desktop app (Tauri/Rust) | ||
| iOS and Android apps | ||
| Free tier available | ||
| Flat annual pricing (no per-photo fees) | ||
| AI smart crop for social | ||
| Social export presets (IG, TikTok) | ||
| Lightroom XMP export | ||
| Cloud backup |
= Partial or limited
Pricing
Selekt
Free / $8/mo for Pro
Unlimited culling on the free plan with no project or photo limits. Pro ($8/mo, $12 AUD) adds AI tagging, smart crop, and social export presets. Flat monthly price.
Imagen AI
Per photo + monthly minimum
Pay-as-you-go per photo with a minimum monthly charge, or annual plans starting around $30/month. 1,000 free edits to start. Additional AI tools (crop, straighten, skin smoothing) cost extra per photo. Costs scale with volume.
Cost predictability
With Selekt, you know the cost upfront: $8/month, unlimited photos. With Imagen AI, your bill depends on how many photos you process each month. A busy wedding season with 50,000+ images can push costs well above Selekt's flat rate. Per-photo pricing rewards low volume and penalises growth.
Which one is right for you
Choose Selekt if you:
- Want a dedicated culling tool, not an editing suite
- Prefer flat pricing over per-photo costs
- Use Capture One or other editors beyond Lightroom
- Want mobile culling on iPad or phone (coming soon)
- Need offline culling without cloud dependency
Choose Imagen AI if you:
- Want AI editing and culling in one workflow
- Use Lightroom exclusively and want deep integration
- Want AI to learn and replicate your editing style
- Value celebrity photographer presets for consistency
Try Selekt free
No credit card, no per-photo fees, no Lightroom required. Import a shoot and see how scene-based culling feels. If it clicks, Pro is $8/month.
Download Selekt