PlaneFuse

Overview

PlaneFuse is a focus-stacking app for photographers combining frames shot at different focus distances, particularly in macro, product, and landscape work. Its range of blending, alignment, and retouching tools makes it a strong fit for a computer-based workflow; the initial setup and strict RAW-stack requirements are real considerations.

Processing stays on the user's computer: PlaneFuse binds to 127.0.0.1 and does not upload photos. That suits photographers who want local processing, though local-only operation also means there is no authentication. The browser workspace offers deep zoom, source-to-result comparisons, a live histogram, and a reorderable job queue. Searchable in-app help covers shooting technique, settings, and troubleshooting, but first setup requires Node.js and uv.

Key features

Stacking and frame control

Four methods — PMax, DMap, weighted average, and Slab — give photographers options for combining a focus bracket. Translation, similarity, and perspective alignment help account for frame shifts, while rejection of poorly aligned frames and thinning of redundant brackets can reduce problems before a stack is made. This is a useful level of control for deliberate bracket workflows, rather than a substitute for capture tools: PlaneFuse does not control or tether a camera.

RAW workflow and retouching

PlaneFuse fuses same-camera RAW frames in scene-linear RGB and can export a re-editable Linear DNG. The constraint is consequential: every frame in a RAW stack must use the same camera and sensor mode, and the required demosaicing is irreversible. Linear DNGs can be opened in Capture One or another RAW developer, but photographers who need mixed-camera or mixed-mode RAW stacks should look elsewhere.

Non-destructive retouching can use either source frames or the result, and exports include TIFF, PNG, JPEG, and Linear DNG for RAW stacks; the supported output formats also include depth maps. NVIDIA CUDA and Apple MPS acceleration are supported, with CPU fallback and tiled processing if GPU memory runs out. Command-line, local HTTP, and WebSocket interfaces support scripting and batch stacking, making the app more suitable for repeatable local jobs than a purely manual workflow.

Scope and platforms

PlaneFuse is listed for API, Linux, macOS, self-hosted, web, and Windows use. Despite that breadth, it has no mobile app or cloud processing. It also does not provide panorama stitching or accounts, so it is focused on stacking rather than a broader photo-management or capture suite.

Pricing

PlaneFuse's Free plan costs nothing and is free for personal and commercial use, with no tiers, under the MIT license. There is no free trial because the plan is free. It is a straightforward fit for an individual or commercial photographer who wants the complete stated workflow without a paid tier; the tradeoff is that it remains a locally set-up tool, rather than a cloud service or camera-control package.

Who it's for

PlaneFuse is best suited to photographers who already make focus brackets and want options for alignment, stack method, retouching, and batch automation on their own computer. Macro, product, and landscape photographers who work with compatible same-camera RAW sequences stand to get the most from its Linear DNG path. It is a poorer fit for anyone seeking tethered capture, cloud-based collaboration, panorama stitching, mobile editing, or flexibility across cameras and sensor modes in one RAW stack.

Pros and cons

• Pros: Four stacking methods and three alignment modes let photographers choose how to combine and register a bracket.
• Pros: Non-destructive retouching, multiple image exports, and Linear DNG output cover both correction and further RAW development.
• Pros: Local processing, GPU acceleration with CPU fallback, and scripting interfaces support private and repeatable batch workflows.
• Cons: RAW stacks require one camera and sensor mode, and demosaicing cannot be reversed.
• Cons: First setup requires Node.js and uv, adding preparation before image work can begin.
• Cons: No tethering, capture control, panorama stitching, cloud processing, accounts, or mobile app limits its role to local focus stacking.

Alternatives

Focus Stacking Software is the broader category to explore when comparing stacking tools. For another free MIT-licensed option, ForgePix is available for Linux, macOS, and Windows; choose it if those platforms and its stated free-software license are the relevant criteria. Shine Stacker is another free option, described by its maker as open source under LGPL-3.0 and available for API, Linux, macOS, and Windows.

Aduku Stacker is a free macOS and Windows alternative; its publisher is identified as Suriyanarayanan R Srinivasan of Aduku Labs, and the site says it is made in India. ChimpStackr, Enfuse, and OpenFocus are also free options for Windows, macOS, and Linux. ImageFocus Alpha adds iOS and Android to those desktop platforms. focus-stack is another free option for Windows, macOS, and Linux.

Verdict

Choose PlaneFuse if you want a free, locally processed focus-stacking workflow with several blending methods, retouching, batch automation, and a Linear DNG route for compatible RAW brackets. Its most important limitation is the same-camera, same-sensor-mode RAW rule, compounded by irreversible demosaicing. Photographers who need broader capture, cloud, or mobile capabilities — or more flexible RAW inputs — should look elsewhere.