As photographers, we all want to speed up post-production without losing the essence of our work. AI-powered tools are a game-changer, helping us cull and edit thousands of images in minutes instead of hours. Two of the biggest names in AI photo editing right now? Imagen AI and FilterPixel.
This in-depth comparison breaks down key features, pricing models, editing quality, culling accuracy, and overall efficiency to help you decide.
Who Understands Your Style Better?
When it comes to AI editing, personalization is everything. No one wants a tool that slaps a generic preset onto every photo. The question is—how well do these tools adapt to your unique style? Both tools offer AI-powered editing, but the depth of personalization varies.
Imagen AI works by mimicking your Lightroom edits. You upload at least 3,000 edited images, and it learns from them. Once trained, it applies similar edits to new photos. Unlike what some assume, Imagen AI allows full customization of profiles with preview options, so you can adjust your editing preferences as needed. However, its primary focus is on color corrections rather than full creative control.
FilterPixel takes things a step further. It also learns from 3,000 Lightroom images, but instead of just applying static edits, it continuously improves based on your feedback. Plus, it offers free built-in expert editing profiles that are fully customizable. You can tweak the settings and save them as your own, meaning you don’t have to start from scratch. Unlike Imagen AI, which mainly adjusts color, FilterPixel refines multiple aspects—exposure, contrast, white balance, and even tone curves—to truly match your style.
Who Saves You More Time?
Both Imagen AI and FilterPixel offer AI culling, but their approaches are different.
Imagen AI recently introduced culling, but it mainly selects sharp images based on focus and facial expressions. They have good selection but don't have good review modes and that’s quite upsetting, as it lacks control for the photographer.
Inspect Mode in Filterpixel to rewrite AI Selections
FilterPixel, on the other hand, is built for speed and accuracy. It doesn’t just look at sharpness—it also detects duplicate shots, blinks, distractions, and even emotional expressions. Features like Survey Mode (to compare duplicate images in a grid view ), Inspect (zoom into duplicate sets at once), and Comparison Mode (side-by-side shot evaluation) help you select the best shots effortlessly. With 95% accuracy, you’ll rarely need to override its choices.
Which AI Tool Works Faster?
Time is money, especially for wedding and event photographers handling thousands of images per shoot. A photographer spends somewhere around 20-200 hours per 1000 pictures.
Here’s a look at how these tools compare in terms of speed:
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Over a 14-day trial, a photographer handling 4 projects with 2,000 images each using FilterPixel will save extra 88 mins that’s an extra one and half hours of of work saved—time you could be spending shooting more clients or simply enjoying life.
Compatibility & Export Options
Both tools support RAW and JPEG formats, but workflow flexibility is where FilterPixel takes the lead.
Imagen AI is heavily tied to Lightroom. If you want to make final tweaks, you’ll have to use Adobe software.Imagen AI offers multiple export options:
- Exporting Edited Photos:
- Directly to Lightroom: You can export AI-edited photos directly to your Lightroom catalog, making it easy to tweak the AI edits further.
- To a Folder: You can export the edited photos to a folder on your computer.
- To a Pic-Time Gallery: Imagen AI offers seamless integration with Pic-Time, allowing you to deliver polished photos directly to a gallery.
- JPEG Export: You can export edited photos as JPEGs with a single click.
- Exporting Culling Results:
- XMP Format: If you need to review culling results in Adobe editing software, you can export them in XMP format to the same folder where you uploaded the photos.
- Automatic Detection: When you return to your project in Imagen, it automatically detects changes in the culling results and prompts you to import them before continuing editing.
FilterPixel works as a standalone desktop app, it has two separate apps for culling and editing (at this moment). FilterPixel offers extensive export options as well:
- Exporting Culling Results:
- To Lightroom, Lightroom Classic, Capture One, Photoshop, Photo Mechanic, or store them locally.
- Exporting Edited Photos:
- To Lightroom: Edited photos must be exported to Lightroom for preview before making final adjustments.
Also FilterPixel has a Lightroom plugin. More importantly, for photographers who don’t want to be locked into one ecosystem, this is a big plus. This flexibility is crucial for photographers who prefer non-Lightroom workflows or switch between different editing software.
Flat Rate vs. Per-Image Costs
Let’s talk pricing—because no photographer wants an editing tool that costs more than their camera gear.
Imagen AI operates on a pay-as-you-go and annual model. It charges $0.05 per photo, with a minimum monthly spend of $7. Additional AI features cost $0.01 per use, and users get 100GB of free cloud storage for three months. If you go for an annual plan, prices start at $240/month for 72K images/year.
FilterPixel keeps things simple with a flat rate. You get unlimited culling and editing for $29/month (billed annually). If you’re working with large batches of images every month, this gives you more predictable costs.
Final Verdict
Both Imagen AI and FilterPixel offer AI-powered editing and culling, but the real question is—what matters most to you? Speed? Personalization? Cost?
Before you decide, ask yourself: Do you want an AI that strictly follows past edits, or one that continuously adapts? Do you prefer per-image pricing, or a predictable flat rate? Do you want to be tied to Lightroom, or do you value flexibility?
At the end of the day, the best tool is the one that fits your workflow.
