Facet

Overview

Facet is a free, local photo-library manager for photographers who need to sift through large collections. Its standout strength is combining detailed scoring and culling with a searchable gallery, while keeping the library on the user's machine.

It is a strong fit for sorting and sharing selected images, but not a replacement for a photo editor or cloud backup service.

Key features

Scoring and culling

Facet scores photos across nine dimensions, including composition, face quality, sharpness, color, exposure, subject saliency, and dynamic range. That range helps photographers assess images from several angles rather than relying on a single quality score. It also detects bursts, similar images, blinks, and duplicates. Auto-culling includes a dry-run preview, so users can review proposed choices before applying them.

Facet supports RAW photos and offers blur detection, closed-eye detection, and subject detection. Those capabilities help with selection, but RAW support does not include editing or development; photographers who need adjustments will need a separate editor.

Gallery and people

The web gallery includes natural-language semantic search, filters, a timeline, a map, albums, and themed slideshows. Face grouping adds a useful people-based route through a library, with tools to search, rename, merge, and organize person clusters. Together, these features make Facet useful after the initial cull, not just for choosing keepers.

Metadata, uploads, and sharing

Facet documents XMP sidecar interoperability with Lightroom, Capture One, digiKam, and darktable, which helps it fit alongside those tools. Photos can be sent to its WebDAV inbox using PhotoSync or another WebDAV app. Album links let recipients view without logging in and can be revoked; client proofing supports hearts and comments, with an optional PIN. This is practical for review and handoff, but it does not amount to cloud backup.

Facet runs locally without cloud services, accounts, or API keys. Core scoring, face detection, culling, gallery browsing, search, albums, and metadata export work on a CPU. An NVIDIA GPU unlocks additional models and features, so GPU ownership is not a prerequisite for the core workflow.

Pricing

Facet costs nothing, with no subscription. The free plan is the product: it is local and has no cloud or account requirement. There is no free trial because there is no paid plan to trial. For photographers who want local scoring and library tools without recurring software costs, that is a clear advantage.

The trade-off is that free does not include RAW development or cloud backup, and Facet has no mobile app. Its MIT license also makes it an option for people who value software distributed under an open-source license.

Platforms

Facet is available for Linux, macOS, Windows, and self-hosted use, with a web gallery for browsing. Installation is supported through Docker or natively on Linux and macOS; setup requires Python. Its WebDAV inbox can receive phone uploads through PhotoSync or another WebDAV app, but Facet itself has no mobile app.

Who it's for

Facet is best for photographers with large local libraries who want to identify strong frames, reduce bursts and near-duplicates, and then browse or share the results. It also suits people who want face grouping and metadata exchange with established photo tools while keeping their images local. Look elsewhere if you need RAW editing, a dedicated mobile app, or cloud backup built into the same product.

Pros and cons

• Pros: Nine scoring dimensions and several culling checks help users make more informed selections from large collections.
• Pros: A dry-run preview makes automatic culling less risky, while gallery search, face groups, and albums support ongoing library organization.
• Pros: Local operation, CPU support for core features, and a free plan avoid cloud dependence, GPU requirements, and subscription costs.
• Pros: XMP interoperability, WebDAV uploads, and revocable proofing links extend the workflow beyond culling.
• Cons: Facet cannot develop or edit RAW files, so image adjustments require another application.
• Cons: No mobile app or cloud backup means users need other tools for mobile access and backup.
• Cons: Native installation is limited to Linux and macOS; Windows users have Docker or self-hosted options.

Alternatives

AI Photo Culling Software is the category directory for comparing culling tools.

Zno is worth considering for users who want a freemium service spanning Android, iOS, macOS, web, and Windows, with a free starting option and a free trial. Optyx offers a free monthly plan with previews, image rating, metadata, and Lightroom compatibility, making it a more focused option for those needs; its Pro plan is $6.99 a month billed annually. RawPicker is another freemium alternative, with Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, web, and Windows support.

Kepla has a free private preview and is macOS-only. Futura Photo offers unlimited analyses on its free Community plan, with up to 100 images per analysis and one concurrent installation; its Enthusiast plan is $29 a year. Selekt is a macOS and Windows option whose free plan includes unlimited imports, culling, and export, on-device focus, exposure, and blur scoring, plus cloud AI for 100 photos per month.

AccioPix Photo Culling is a free web tool with no sign-up and no photo limit beyond the user's computer capacity. OptiCull is a macOS freemium alternative with a free trial.

Verdict

Choose Facet if you want a free, local-first way to score and cull a large photo library, then search, organize, and share selected images. Its breadth and lack of subscription make it compelling for library management; choose another tool if RAW development, mobile access, or built-in cloud backup is essential.