Facet

Overview

Facet is a local-first photo-library manager that combines scoring and culling with face organization and a web gallery. It suits photographers with large collections who want to find keepers and sort near-duplicates without moving their library to a cloud service. Its breadth is compelling for a free tool, but it is not an editor, RAW developer, or cloud backup.

Key features

Scoring and culling

Facet evaluates images across nine dimensions, including composition, face quality, sharpness, color, exposure, and dynamic range. That range gives photographers several angles for reviewing a library, rather than making culling depend on a single quality score. It detects bursts, similar images, blinks, and duplicates, and automatic culling includes a dry-run preview—a sensible check before committing to automated selections.

RAW photos are supported for this workflow, alongside blur detection, closed-eye detection, and subject detection. Support does not mean development: Facet cannot replace an application for adjusting RAW files.

Gallery and people

The web gallery combines natural-language search with filters, a timeline, a map, albums, and themed slideshows. Face detection groups people into clusters that users can search, rename, merge, and organize. This makes Facet useful beyond a one-time cull, particularly for revisiting and arranging a large archive.

Metadata, uploads, and sharing

Facet documents XMP sidecar interoperability with Lightroom, Capture One, digiKam, and darktable, which can help fit it alongside those cataloging tools. Photos can be sent to its WebDAV inbox using PhotoSync or another WebDAV app. Album links work without a recipient login and can be revoked; client proofing adds hearts and comments, with an optional PIN. That is practical for review and delivery, though it is not a cloud-hosted backup or a mobile app.

Hardware and setup

Core scoring, face detection, culling, gallery, search, albums, and metadata export work on CPU, so an NVIDIA GPU is not a prerequisite for the central workflow. An NVIDIA GPU unlocks additional models and features. Installation is available through Docker or natively on Linux and macOS, and Facet requires Python; prospective users should be comfortable setting up self-hosted software.

Pricing

Facet: free. The free plan is local, with no cloud, accounts, or subscriptions. There is no free trial because the product is already free. Facet is distributed under the MIT license.

There is no paid tier or subscription renewal to weigh against the free plan. The trade-off is that users manage the local setup and cannot rely on Facet for cloud backup, RAW development, or a mobile app.

Platforms

Facet supports Linux, macOS, Windows, web, and self-hosted use. Its README describes Docker or native installation on Linux and macOS; the gallery is web-based. Core features work on CPU, while an NVIDIA GPU enables additional models and features.

Who it's for

Facet is a strong fit for photographers with large local libraries who need to identify top shots, clear bursts and near-duplicates, and organize people or albums. It is also relevant to users who want shareable proofing links and metadata interoperability with established photo applications.

Look elsewhere if your priority is RAW editing, automatic cloud backup, or a dedicated mobile app. Facet's local approach favors control over a hosted, ready-to-use service, and setup requires more technical involvement than a typical consumer photo app.

Pros and cons

Pros

• Broad local workflow at no subscription cost: scoring, culling, face organization, search, albums, and sharing are combined in one free tool.
• Multiple ways to assess images: nine scoring dimensions plus blur, blink, duplicate, and burst detection support more deliberate culling.
• Safer automation: a dry-run preview lets users inspect auto-culling choices before applying them.
• Useful archive and client tools: XMP interoperability, WebDAV uploads, revocable album links, and proofing comments extend its use beyond selection.

Cons

• No editing or RAW development: users still need a separate editor to process images.
• No mobile app or cloud backup: it cannot serve as a mobile-first or off-site storage solution.
• Setup is self-hosted in practice: Docker or native installation and a Python requirement may deter users seeking a turnkey application.
• Some capabilities need an NVIDIA GPU: CPU covers the core workflow, but additional models and features are gated behind NVIDIA hardware.

Alternatives

AI Photo Culling Software is a useful starting point for comparing tools in the category. Choose Zno if you want a freemium option spanning Android, iOS, macOS, web, and Windows, with a free start and gallery packages. Choose Optyx for macOS or Windows previews and Lightroom-oriented rating and metadata features; its free plan is monthly, with a Pro option at $6.99 a month billed annually. AccioPix Photo Culling is a web-based free alternative with no sign-up and no photo limit beyond the computer's capacity.

Futura Photo offers a Windows Community plan with unlimited analyses, up to 100 images per analysis, and one concurrent installation. Kepla is a macOS alternative available free through its private preview. OptiCull is another freemium option with a free trial. PhotoCull AI is web-based and free for local-only use, with an 80MB file-size limit and JPEG EXIF only; it does not support RAW files. Selekt is a macOS and Windows option whose free plan includes unlimited imports, culling, and export, on-device focus, exposure, and blur scoring, plus limited cloud AI and sync.

Verdict

Choose Facet if you want a free, local tool that can score and cull a large library, organize faces, and share albums without cloud accounts. Its strongest reason to choose it is the breadth of that workflow without a subscription; its clearest reason to look elsewhere is that it stops short of editing, RAW development, mobile use, and cloud backup.