Good questions. Clear answers.

Selekt is a photo culling app for photographers on Mac and Windows. Import a shoot, organise and compare related frames, mark your picks, maybes, and rejects, then export selected files and metadata into the next stage of your workflow.

Yes. The free plan has no time limit and includes unlimited importing, manual culling, organising, and export. On-device quality scoring and related-frame grouping do not consume the cloud allowance. Signed-in free accounts also receive cloud AI for 100 photos each month, plus 1 GB of storage for sync and client proofing.

The desktop app runs on macOS, as a universal app for Apple silicon and Intel Macs, and on 64-bit Windows 10 and 11. A mobile companion for viewing synced shoots is in early development and is not publicly available yet.

Use the installer linked from selekt.photos/download. On macOS, open the disk image and drag Selekt into Applications; the Mac app is signed and notarized with Apple. On Windows, run the setup file. SmartScreen may warn that the publisher is unknown because the Windows installer is not code-signed yet; if you downloaded it from selekt.photos, choose More info, then Run anyway.

Core library review and export are local. Cloud analysis, account and subscription checks, sync, and proofing need a connection. On-device scoring and grouping run on your computer and do not spend cloud analyses, but current releases require you to be signed in to use those assisted-culling features. Duplicate detection does not require sign-in.

The current importer recognises ARW, CR2, CR3, DNG, NEF, ORF, PEF, RAF, RW2, and SRW RAW files. It also recognises JPEG, TIFF, PNG, HEIC, and HEIF. Camera-specific decoding can vary, so test files from your camera before relying on the workflow for a job.

Choose a card or source folder, review the scan, then choose a library destination and import options. Selekt copies the files into your library, can rename them and organise them by date, keeps RAW and JPEG versions together as one photo, and can make a second backup copy with an optional byte-for-byte check. Review the duplicate-handling and destination choices before starting an import.

Selekt is designed for large shoots and libraries, but practical capacity depends on the computer, source files, preview settings, and storage speed. Test a representative shoot on your own hardware rather than relying on a fixed image-count or frame-rate promise.

Yes. Select a mounted memory card or folder as the source, preview the files Selekt recognises, and import them to your chosen library destination. A second destination can be configured when you want another copy during ingest.

Scenes divide a shoot into useful sections such as ceremony, portraits, reception, or details. You can also review bursts and other related-frame groups inside that structure. The aim is to compare photographs in context; the time saved depends on the shoot and how you prefer to work.

The default culling shortcuts include arrow-key navigation and P for pick, M for maybe, X for reject, and U to clear the flag. Settings offers Lightroom-style and Photo Mechanic-style presets, and every shortcut can be remapped.

Yes. Selekt provides comparison and group-review views for inspecting related photographs, including synchronized detail inspection. Use the loupe or available processed RAW preview when you need to judge fine detail rather than relying only on a thumbnail.

Selekt provides assisted culling while leaving the pick or reject decision to you. On-device focus, blur, and exposure signals support review, the app groups bursts, similar frames, and duplicates, and it can shortlist a target count for you to confirm. Optional cloud analysis adds face detection for closed-eye flags, Close-ups, and People, plus searchable tags. Free signed-in accounts receive cloud AI for 100 photos each month; Pro makes it unlimited for everyday shooting.

Yes. Selekt writes Lightroom-compatible XMP sidecars: picks become 5 stars with a green label, maybes 3 stars with yellow, rejects 0 stars with red, and tags become keywords. It can also copy selected photographs to a folder. If a photo already has an XMP sidecar, Selekt leaves that file untouched instead of overwriting it. Check the export preview and Lightroom metadata-reading settings before deleting or moving any source files.

Folder export works with editors that can open the exported files. XMP interpretation differs between applications, so verify flags, ratings, labels, and RAW sidecar behaviour in your editor with a small test before using it on a full job.

Google Photos is shown as a future destination, but it is not selectable in the current desktop export flow. Today, use XMP or folder export and upload through a Google-supported workflow if you need Google Photos.

Culling states are stored in Selekt’s database. XMP export writes or updates sidecar files, folder export copies files, import copies files into the chosen destination, and explicit cleanup actions can move rejected files to the system trash. Review each import, export, and cleanup confirmation because those actions have different effects on disk.

The free plan has no time limit and includes unlimited imports, manual culling, scene organisation, comparison, flags, and export. On-device scoring and grouping do not consume the cloud allowance. Signed-in free accounts receive cloud AI for 100 photos each month and 1 GB of storage for sync and client proofing.

Pro costs A$16 a month and includes everything in Free. It makes cloud AI unlimited for everyday shooting, increases storage for sync and client proofing from 1 GB to 10 GB, and includes priority support. A high fair-use limit prevents runaway use; if you reach it, you can top up free in the app. You upgrade from Account in the desktop app.

The Free plan has no time limit and includes cloud AI for 100 photos a month, so you can try every AI feature before upgrading. Any trial or offer available to your account is shown at checkout.

You can manage the subscription from your account. When paid access ends, plan-gated cloud allowances and storage limits return to the Free level. Your local library remains on your computer; review cloud storage and proofing content before the paid period ends if it exceeds Free limits.

Selekt uses a Tauri desktop shell, a Rust processing service, generated previews, and a virtualised library interface. Those choices are intended to keep browsing responsive, but actual import and review performance depends on file type, preview state, storage, and hardware.

Imported photographs are copied to the library destination you choose. Selekt stores its database in the application data location and creates derivative previews for browsing. Cloud sync and proofing upload selected derivatives or files only when you use those features.

Disk use includes the installed app, the local database, imported photographs in the destination you choose, and generated thumbnails or previews. The total varies with file count, source format, and preview quality. Selekt’s cleanup tools can report regenerable preview files before you confirm removal.

Selekt is a universal app for Apple silicon and Intel Macs, and a 64-bit app for Windows 10 and 11. Large RAW shoots benefit from plenty of memory and fast local storage. Test the current build on your own Mac or PC, with your camera files and normal library location, before using it on deadline work.

Lightroom and Lightroom Classic combine selection with organization and RAW editing. Selekt focuses on the review stage, including scenes, related-frame groups, and quality signals, then hands files and metadata onward. Choose based on whether a separate first pass or one editor-centred workflow feels better on your own shoot.

Photo Mechanic combines culling with ingest, detailed IPTC/XMP metadata, renaming, and delivery tools. Selekt adds scenes, related-frame groups, and quality signals in a focused review workspace. Photo Mechanic Standard is sold by subscription or perpetual licence; Selekt has a permanent Free plan and optional paid plan.

Aftershoot offers automated and assisted AI selections, with editing and retouching available in additional plans. Selekt leaves final pick and reject decisions with the photographer while supplying groups and quality signals. Test both on a representative job and compare correction work, handoff, and the plan modules you would actually use.