HDR Software Alternative

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Today’s Question: I’ve been using HDR Efex Pro from the Nik Collection for some time, and am very happy with it. However, I’ve seen some indications that there may be issues with the older version of the Nik Collection, and I don’t plan to buy the new version from DxO Software. Is there another HDR software application you can recommend as an alternative to HDR Efex Pro?

Tim’s Quick Answer: Aurora HDR from Skylum software has become my preferred tool for creating HDR images, and I recently had the chance to test the new Aurora HDR 2019 version of this software. This update will be available starting on October 4th, but you can pre-order the software here: https://timgrey.me/aurora2019

More Detail: I had long been a fan of HDR Efex Pro, which is part of the Nik Collection. As many readers know, the software was acquired by Google, and ultimately provided as a free download. Since then, the software has been acquired by DxO Software.

The first release of the Nik Collection from DxO Software doesn’t offer any new features, but instead simply provides an update that will ensure more users are able to continue using the software tools included in this collection even with newer software and operating system updates.

It is important to note, however, that if you install the free trial of the Nik Collection from DxO Software, any existing installation of an earlier version of the software will no longer work after the trial period ends. In other words, the previous version of the Nik Collection from Google won’t work anymore, and you would need to purchase a new license from DxO Software to continue using the software.

In part due to these issues, and in part because of the great strides made by Skylum Software, I’ve started using Aurora HDR instead of HDR Efex Pro, and am very happy with the results. The next updated version is Aurura HDR 2019, which will be available on October 4th. You can pre-order this new update directly from Skylum Software by following this link:

https://timgrey.me/aurora2019