Photini

Photini is a free desktop app for editing photo metadata across Exif, IPTC and XMP. It suits photographers managing batches, locations and descriptive data on Linux, macOS or Windows. Its broad toolkit is appealing, but map services can incur charges and the developer warns that bugs may damage photos.

Overview

Photini brings metadata editing, location tagging and selected photo-service uploads into one graphical application. It can write data into image files or XMP sidecars, and supports RAW files. Writing Exif, IPTC and XMP together is useful when compatibility across different software matters. The trade-off is a workflow with both local-file risks and some online-service dependencies; keep backups before editing.

For more options, browse Photo Metadata Editors.

Key features

Batch editing and templates

Photini can apply metadata to multiple images and adjust their dates, times and time zones. That makes it a stronger fit for correcting or organizing a group of photos than for someone who only needs to edit an occasional single image. Metadata templates are also supported, though the available facts do not establish a particular template workflow.

Geotagging

Map tabs support Google, Azure and Mapbox/OpenStreetMap, with place search, satellite imagery and tools for setting photo locations. These capabilities can make location tagging part of the same desktop workflow, but they depend on commercial online services. Map access is free up to usage limits; address lookup has a small per-lookup charge, so frequent lookups may add cost.

Import, uploads and image regions

Photini can copy photos from a camera or computer directory. Direct camera import needs python-gphoto2, which is unavailable on Windows, so Windows users should expect to import through a directory instead. Uploads are supported for Flickr, Ipernity and Pixelfed. The Flickr uploader reuses descriptive metadata for titles, descriptions and tags, and can synchronize metadata with Flickr.

Users can mark and label regions within a photo. Region data is stored in XMP using IPTC, MWG and Microsoft Photo formats, which is useful when image-area annotations matter alongside ordinary photo metadata.

Privacy and support

Photini says it does not directly collect user information, but map and uploader services may collect information. Uploader OAuth tokens are stored locally using Python keyring. The developer offers email support, a Google Groups forum and GitHub issues for problems and bug reports.

Pricing

Free — free. Photini is free software under GPL-3.0-or-later, with no free trial needed. It is the straightforward choice for anyone who wants desktop metadata editing without a software purchase. There are no paid tiers or seat limits described; the cost caveat is that map access has usage limits and address lookup carries a small per-lookup charge.

Platforms

Photini is a desktop application for Linux, macOS and Windows. It supports RAW files and GPS metadata tools. Windows users lose direct camera import because python-gphoto2 is unavailable on that platform, though copying from a directory remains supported.

Who it's for

Photini is best for photographers who need batch metadata changes, date and time corrections, geotagging, region labels or selected service uploads in a free desktop tool. It is less suitable for anyone unwilling to back up originals before editing, or who needs direct camera import on Windows. Those relying heavily on address lookup should also account for its per-lookup charge.

Pros and cons

• Pros: Batch editing and date, time and time-zone adjustments help bring sets of images into order.
• Pros: Exif, IPTC and XMP support, sidecar writing and RAW support give it a wide metadata scope.
• Pros: Geotagging, region annotations and uploads to Flickr, Ipernity and Pixelfed extend it beyond basic metadata fields.
• Cons: The developer warns that bugs may damage photographs, making backups an important precaution.
• Cons: Map and address functions rely on commercial services; map usage is capped and address lookup has a per-use charge.
• Cons: Direct camera import is unavailable on Windows because its required python-gphoto2 dependency is not available there.

Alternatives

ExifTool is a free alternative for readers who prefer a tool available across Linux, macOS, Windows and self-hosted environments, including API use.

GeoSetter is another free option for Windows users; it has no usage restrictions, but is Windows-only and requires Internet Explorer 10 or later.

Exif Pilot is worth considering for Windows users looking for a freemium EXIF editor; its free Basic plan covers EXIF editing.

EXIF Studio suits readers seeking a paid macOS or Windows option with full feature access and premium live support; its Month by Month plan is $9.99 a month.

MetaImage is a paid macOS alternative for readers who want a Mac-specific option; it offers a free plan.

SetEXIFData may suit readers seeking a cross-platform paid option, with a one-time price of 12.94 EUR and an initial limit of up to three activations.

TagSmith is another freemium option for Windows users.

Verdict

Choose Photini if you want a free desktop application that combines batch metadata editing, geotagging, region labels and selected uploads across Linux, macOS and Windows. Its main advantage is the breadth of work it handles without a software fee; its main reasons to look elsewhere are the risk of file damage, online-service charges and Windows' lack of direct camera import.