A workflow comparison · Updated
Selekt vs ON1 Photo RAW
ON1 Photo RAW is an all-in-one manager and RAW editor. Selekt is a dedicated culling workspace. ON1 has announced a Culling Assistant for the MAX edition of Photo RAW 2027, which its site still describes as coming this fall.
Try Selekt on your next shootPublished by Selekt. This is a review of documented features, not a hands-on speed or accuracy benchmark. Vendor sources are listed below.
When Selekt fits
A free place to make your selects.
Choose Selekt if you want free, unlimited culling on Mac or Windows with on-device focus, exposure, and blur scoring, optional cloud face checks, and every final pick left to you.
When ON1 Photo RAW fits
Choose around your workflow.
Consider ON1 if you want browsing, RAW processing, layers, masking, effects, and export in one application. If AI culling is decisive, confirm that Photo RAW 2027 MAX has shipped and that your licence includes it.
The differences that affect a shoot.
| What matters | Selekt | ON1 Photo RAW |
|---|---|---|
| Desktop platforms | macOS and Windows. | macOS and Windows. |
| Current workflow | Dedicated review with grouping and quality signals. | File browsing, tagging, stacking, comparison, management, and editing. |
| AI culling | Local quality scoring supports your choices. | Culling Assistant is announced for Photo RAW 2027 MAX, not the base edition. |
| Editing | Continue in another RAW editor. | RAW processing, layers, masks, presets, denoise, resize, and generative tools. |
| Cloud | Cloud analysis and sync are optional. | Core workflow can be local; some generative and Restore AI functions use cloud processing. |
| Licence model | Free plan or Pro subscription. | Perpetual base or MAX licences and subscription options. |
Compare the plan you would actually use.
Selekt’s free plan includes unlimited culling and export, on-device quality scoring, and cloud AI for 100 photos a month. Pro costs A$16 a month (about US$11) and makes cloud AI unlimited for everyday shooting, with 10 GB of storage. See Selekt’s current plans →
ON1 offered perpetual and subscription choices during this check, but its page did not expose stable public amounts in the fetched content. Promotional, upgrade, base, MAX, and subscription prices differ; verify the live cart and whether the 2027 features are available rather than only promised.
Try this before choosing
Use the same shoot in both apps.
- Choose a representative folder. Include your usual RAW files, a burst, a difficult lighting situation, and photographs you already know you would keep. Use a backed-up copy.
- Finish a real selection. Will ON1 replace your editor as well as your culler, and is the feature you need included in the edition you are actually buying today?
- Complete the handoff. Open the exported selects in your editor. Check ratings, sidecars, RAW/JPEG pairing, and the amount of manual cleanup. Judge the whole workflow, not just the initial import.
A repeatable test on your own files is more useful than an unsupported claim that one app is universally faster.
Download Selekt for Mac or WindowsSources and review scope
Checked on . Features and offers can change. Selekt descriptions were checked against the desktop implementation and current plan information. No speed, accuracy, or time-saving results were measured for this comparison.