SuperPicky

Free plan APIMacWindows

What SuperPicky is

SuperPicky is a free, open-source tool for sorting bird photographs. It detects birds, rates images on a 0–3 star scale using sharpness and TOPIQ aesthetics scores, and organizes photos into subfolders. Its focus analysis reads RAW focus points and classifies them as critical, good, soft, or out of focus. Bird identification covers more than 11,000 species, with results writable to EXIF and IPTC metadata. It can detect birds in flight and bird eyes, group burst sequences, and assign a Global Rarity Index score from 0 to 100 using GBIF occurrence data. Location filtering can draw on an offline Avonet database or online eBird data to screen species using a photo’s GPS location. SuperPicky supports macOS on Apple Silicon and Intel, plus Windows CPU-only and NVIDIA CUDA builds. Command-line tools support batch culling and bird identification. Metadata can be read in Lightroom, Adobe Bridge, and Photoshop, while its plugin is for Lightroom Classic. Sidecar mode writes XMP files without changing originals.

Who it suits

It suits bird photographers who want to sort, identify, and rate images, including those working with RAW files. Windows users can choose a CPU build or, with an NVIDIA graphics card, a CUDA build.

What it does well

Free plan and open-source license.
Identifies more than 11,000 bird species.
Supports RAW focus analysis and bird detection.
Sidecar mode leaves original photo files unchanged.
Metadata works with Lightroom, Bridge, and Photoshop.

What to know first

Lightroom plugin is only for Lightroom Classic.
Lightroom may need to read file metadata to sync ratings and flags.
CUDA build is for NVIDIA graphics cards.

Getting started

Visit the SuperPicky website.
Choose the macOS build for Apple Silicon or Intel, or a Windows CPU or CUDA build.
Use the desktop app for photo culling and bird identification.
Use the command-line tools for batch culling or standalone identification.
Connect the Lightroom Classic plugin if that is part of your workflow.

Verdict

SuperPicky combines bird identification, image scoring, and photo organization in a free tool. Check its desktop support and Lightroom Classic plugin limitation against your workflow.

Questions

Is SuperPicky free?

Yes. It has a free plan.

Which platforms does it support?

It supports macOS on Apple Silicon and Intel, plus Windows CPU-only and CUDA GPU versions.

Is SuperPicky open source?

Yes. The project links to an AGPL-3.0 license.

Does it work with Adobe photo apps?

Its metadata can be read or searched in Lightroom, Adobe Bridge, and Photoshop. The plugin is for Lightroom Classic only.

Can it identify birds and save the results?

It identifies more than 11,000 species and can write results to EXIF and IPTC metadata.

Can it avoid changing original photos?

Yes. Sidecar metadata mode writes XMP files without modifying the original photo files.

Facts from SuperPicky's own pages

Adobe compatibility: The FAQ says ratings and metadata work with Lightroom, Bridge, and Photoshop; its plugin is for Lightroom Classic only. · superpicky.app, 7 Oct 2026
Bird detection: It includes bird-in-flight and bird-eye detection features. · superpicky.app, 7 Oct 2026
Bird identification: Its AI identifies more than 11,000 bird species and can write results to EXIF and IPTC metadata. · superpicky.app, 7 Oct 2026
Burst grouping: It detects burst sequences and organizes them into subdirectories. · superpicky.app, 7 Oct 2026
CLI: The project offers a command-line interface for core culling functions and bird identification. · superpicky.app, 7 Oct 2026
CLI and API: The product provides command-line tools for batch culling and standalone bird identification; its FAQ also documents a Bird ID API used by the Lightroom plugin. · superpicky.app, 7 Oct 2026
Focus detection: It analyzes RAW focus points to classify focus as critical, good, soft, or out of focus. · superpicky.app, 7 Oct 2026
Founded: 2024 · superpicky.app, 28 Sept 2026
Geographic filtering: Bird ID can use an offline Avonet database and online eBird data to filter species by photo GPS location. · superpicky.app, 7 Oct 2026
Integrations: It supports a Lightroom Classic plugin and uses eBird data to filter out species unlikely at a photo’s GPS location. · superpicky.app, 7 Oct 2026
License: The homepage links to an AGPL-3.0 license. · superpicky.app, 7 Oct 2026
Limits: The Lightroom plugin works with Lightroom Classic and is not available in Bridge or Photoshop. · superpicky.app, 7 Oct 2026
Local file handling: Users can choose a sidecar metadata mode that writes XMP files without modifying original photo files. · superpicky.app, 7 Oct 2026
Metadata compatibility: Its metadata can be read or searched in Lightroom, Adobe Bridge, and Photoshop; Lightroom may require reading metadata from files to sync ratings and flags. · superpicky.app, 7 Oct 2026
Platforms: The download archive lists macOS Apple Silicon, macOS Intel, and Windows CPU and CUDA builds. · superpicky.app, 7 Oct 2026
Purpose: SuperPicky is a free, open-source AI tool for culling bird photographs. · superpicky.app, 7 Oct 2026
Rarity index: The Global Rarity Index uses GBIF occurrence data and scores rarity from 0 to 100. · superpicky.app, 7 Oct 2026
Rarity scoring: Its Global Rarity Index uses GBIF occurrence data and scores rarity from 0 to 100. · superpicky.app, 7 Oct 2026
Security: The maker says the macOS app has passed Apple notarization. · superpicky.app, 7 Oct 2026
Smart rating: It combines sharpness and TOPIQ aesthetics scores to rate photos and mark picks. · superpicky.app, 7 Oct 2026
Support: The maker lists a contact email, [email protected], and links to a tutorial and FAQ. · superpicky.app, 7 Oct 2026
Supported desktop systems: The FAQ describes support for macOS on Apple Silicon and Intel, plus Windows CPU-only and CUDA GPU versions. · superpicky.app, 7 Oct 2026
Windows options: The Windows CPU build supports core culling logic without a dedicated GPU; the CUDA build is for NVIDIA graphics cards. · superpicky.app, 7 Oct 2026
Workflow: It detects birds, scores head sharpness and image aesthetics, assigns 0–3 stars, organizes photos into subfolders, and writes ratings and bird information to metadata. · superpicky.app, 7 Oct 2026

Where SuperPicky stands on Freedom251

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