In modern portrait photography, the real magic often happens after you press the shutter. The camera captures expression, light, and mood, but it is your editing tools that refine skin tones, balance contrast, and subtly guide the viewer’s eye. This guide walks you through several leading photo retouching software options. You will see how they differ in features, pricing, and workflow, allowing you to choose the perfect fit.
1. Aperty
This dedicated portrait retouching software focuses on skin, face shape, makeup, and lighting adjustments, allowing you to spend less time on manual retouching and more time shooting. Aperty works as a standalone AI portrait photo editor on Windows and macOS, and also as a plugin for Photoshop or Lightroom. The annual subscription costs approximately $175, and the perpetual licence is available for approximately $265.
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Pros |
Cons |
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Face- and body-aware tools for skin, shape, and makeup in one place. |
The app is portrait-specific and does not work for other genres. |
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Natural-looking presets can be customized to your style. |
Desktop-only workflow; no native mobile app. |
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Strong batch retouching options. |
The interface can feel dense. |
2. Luminar Neo
Luminar Neo is the best portrait editing software for photographers who shoot portraits, as well as landscapes, lifestyle, or travel images. It runs on Windows and macOS, combining AI face tools with layering, masking, and RAW support for advanced enhancements across various styles and genres. On Skylum’s official pricing pages, perpetual licenses start at $119, but be prepared to pay more for the maximum license with additional features or a cross-device ecosystem for uninterrupted workflow.
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Pros |
Cons |
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Strong AI portrait retouching tools alongside full creative editing. |
The software may be too heavy and resource-consuming for older devices. |
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A versatile and flexible editor for different styles and genres. |
The interface is user-friendly, but requires time to adjust if you are switching from more traditional editors. |
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Layers and masks provide advanced control as your skills grow. |
Catalog and project management features are not as developed as in advanced editors like Lightroom. |
3. PortraitPro
If you are a casual or inexperienced photographer wondering how to choose photo editing software, consider PortraitPro. This editor is all about faces: the software automatically detects facial features, age, and gender, then lets you smooth skin, refine shape, and add digital makeup with simple sliders. It runs on Windows and macOS as a standalone app (with plugin options in higher editions). The standard edition currently costs $65.95; however, please note that regular and regional pricing may vary.
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Pros |
Cons |
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Strong, face-aware controls for skin, eyes, and facial structure. |
Pushing the sliders too far results in unnatural looks when you edit photos with AI. |
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Built-in digital makeup tools and lighting tweaks for creative looks. |
Multiple editions and upgrade options can feel confusing. |
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Presets speed up work on entire portrait sessions. |
The interface is not as intuitive as in many AI-based apps. |
4. ON1 Photo RAW
ON1 Photo RAW is a versatile photo retouching software that combines library management, raw development, layers, effects, and AI tools in a single app for Windows and macOS. It includes face-aware adjustments, skin retouching, and AI masking. The pricing options start around $100 for a basic license and $90 for a yearly subscription. Promo prices and bundles can lower these numbers, so it is worth checking the current offer on the software’s website.
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Pros |
Cons |
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Culling, organizing, and editing in one app. |
The interface and feature set can feel heavy if you are only learning how to edit portraits. |
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Built-in AI masking and portrait tools fit mixed workflows. |
The learning curve is steeper than in very focused, portrait-only tools. |
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Flexible licensing: one-time purchase or subscription, both on Windows and macOS. |
For optimal performance, a reasonably powerful computer is required. |
5. Lensa
This mobile editor for iOS and Android was designed for speed and simplicity on the go. The application focuses on face-aware tools: automatic skin retouching, eye enhancement, makeup-style filters, background blur, and its well-known Magic Avatars feature for AI-generated looks. Its prices range from $29.99 to $35.99/year, depending on your account, platform, region, and additional features.
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Pros |
Cons |
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Fast, phone-based retouching for selfies and casual portraits. |
The software lacks manual features and precise control. |
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Face-aware tools and filters are designed to be beginner-friendly and easy to use. |
Subscription and avatar packs can add up in cost. |
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The app is great for social media content creation and creative experiments. |
The toolkit is insufficient for large client sessions and advanced manual retouching in different subgenres. |
Conclusion
With today’s AI tools, you can smooth skin, refine features, and keep everything looking natural in a fraction of the time. Your goal is not to choose a “better” or “worse” tool, but to find a software that fits your post-processing reality: budget, device, clients, and how deeply you want to go with adjustments. Test two or three of these options on the same set of images, compare the results, and pay attention to how each one feels to use. If the results are consistent and flattering without compromising your creativity, then you have found your perfect editor.
