Capture One is a desktop raw developer and photo organiser built by Capture One A/S. It suits photographers who want camera-specific colour processing and tethered shooting in a single app, and what decides whether it suits you is whether you prefer a subscription or a one-time license, since both are on offer.
What is Capture One?
Capture One is made by Capture One A/S, a Danish company. Capture One Pro is an installed Windows and Mac desktop application, with a companion Capture One Mobile app for iPad and iPhone; there is no Android or web version. Most of the software runs locally on your device, and only Capture One Live and Cloud File Transfer depend on cloud connectivity.
Developing and organising photos in Capture One
Capture One develops raw files with camera-specific colour profiles, and edits are stored as non-destructive Variants on top of the untouched original. Sessions and Catalogs organise your library, covering import, ratings, keywords and albums. Assisted masking automatically detects a subject or background, and Enhanced Denoise applies AI noise reduction for high-ISO images; both run locally, and Capture One says it does not use customer data to train its AI models.
Object and distraction removal use the manual Heal and Clone tools rather than an automatic remover, and Auto Dust Removal clears sensor dust and spots specifically. There is no AI upscaler; the only related export option prevents Capture One from upsampling a photo. Lens Correction applies predefined profiles for popular lenses, and tethering supports supported cameras, including wireless tethering for some Canon models. HDR Merge and panorama stitching are both available, and Process Recipes apply export settings across many photos at once. Styles are edit presets rather than ready-made design templates.
Working with other people
Capture One Live lets you share photos so others can view, rate or comment on them remotely, and Multi-User Sessions let collaborators work in the same session, both features that scale up on the higher plans. Cloud File Transfer syncs images and their adjustments between the desktop app and the iPad or iPhone companion app. Actions can connect to Photoroom, Pixelz and Gemini as third-party tools; Capture One does not publish a public API of its own.
Capture One pricing: what each plan gives
Pro is $28 a month billed monthly, or $18 a month billed annually. All in One is $38 a month billed monthly, or $24.67 a month billed annually, and adds features such as online collaboration tools and Cloud File Transfer. Studio is $63 a month billed monthly, or $48.50 a month billed annually, and adds Multi-User Sessions for teams. A Pro License costs $349 once, and you keep it; a subscriber can also switch to a perpetual license at any time. There is no free tier, and each plan comes with a 7-day free trial.
Privacy and support
Capture One does not use customer data to train its AI models and does not collect or mine content from the web to train them. Its privacy policy names GDPR explicitly, including legal bases for processing and rights such as erasure and portability. Support runs through a help center, email ticket submission, and community channels including a noticeboard and bug tracker.
Who Capture One suits
Capture One suits photographers who want camera-specific raw processing, tethered shooting and a Sessions-based workflow, and who want the choice between a subscription and a one-time purchase. It also suits anyone who wants their editing to run locally rather than depend on a browser or a vendor-hosted service.
It suits less well anyone who wants a free tier to start with, since none exists beyond the trial. It also suits less well anyone who wants an AI-driven object remover or upscaler, since object removal is manual and there is no upscaling model.
Screenshots
How Capture One compares
Capture One scores 6.2 out of 10 among the raw photo editors we rate. These three do the same job and are the closest to it, compared on what each vendor publishes.
Adobe Lightroom
Capture One's Pro plan is $18 a month billed yearly, or a one-time licence you can switch to whenever you want to stop subscribing. Lightroom sells subscriptions alone, at $11.99 a month billed yearly for Lightroom, with no way to buy a licence you keep. Capture One adds client review tools that let people comment on photos remotely, plus support for third-party plugins. Lightroom answers with cloud sync across devices and automatic object removal.
Pick Adobe Lightroom if you want cloud sync and automatic object removal.
Pick Capture One if you want a licence you can own outright.
DxO PhotoLab
DxO PhotoLab sells one-time licences alone, an Essential edition and a pricier Elite edition, with no subscription. Capture One asks $18 a month billed yearly, or a one-time licence for people who want to own it outright. Capture One syncs photos and edits across devices and lets clients comment on photos remotely. DxO PhotoLab answers with automatic removal of sensor dust and its own paid modules like FilmPack and ViewPoint, instead of third-party plugins.
Pick DxO PhotoLab if you want a one-time purchase with no subscription option.
Pick Capture One if you want cloud sync and client review tools.
ON1 Photo RAW
ON1 Photo RAW sells one-time purchases for both its standard edition and the pricier MAX edition, with no subscription required. Capture One charges $18 a month billed yearly, or a one-time licence for people who would rather own it. ON1's MAX edition adds 200 GB of cloud sync and a cloud-rendered Generative Erase and Crop tool. Capture One answers with client review tools that let people comment on photos remotely, plus support for third-party plugins.
Pick ON1 Photo RAW if you want a one-time purchase with generative erase.
Pick Capture One if you want a subscription with client review built in.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does Capture One cost?
Pro is $28 a month, or $18 a month billed annually. All in One and Studio cost more, and a one-time Pro License is $349.
Does Capture One open raw camera files?
Yes, Capture One develops raw files in place with camera-specific colour profiles rather than working from a converted copy.
Can I buy Capture One outright instead of subscribing?
Yes. A Pro License is a one-time purchase, and a subscriber can also switch to a perpetual license at any time.
Does Capture One train its AI on my photos?
No. Capture One does not use customer data to train its AI models, and its AI features run locally.
