2/
After Apple acquired Pixelmator and Photomator, updates quietly stalled. VSCO used to be great — now it feels more like a social platform cosplaying as an editor. You can't even export your edited work in full quality. What's the point?

3/
I'm not interested in Lightroom's forever subscription. CaptureOne is arguably the best tool out there, but it's priced for working professionals, not hobbyists.

4/
I've poked around Digikam - the interface is rough, and the workflow isn't smooth. Affinity Photo recently went free, which sounds generous until you realise it's probably just a warm-up for a future paid model.

5/
My wishlist isn't complicated. Native folder-based catalogue navigation. Clean, essential editing and masking tools without the bloat. Solid RAW processing. Film emulations that actually look good. And straightforward, high-quality export. That's it. Photomator gets some of it right.

6/
Capture One gets other parts right. Film emulations that actually look good — the kind VSCO and AgBr do well. Nobody's put it all together at a sane price.

7/
Every option comes with a catch. Too expensive. Too social. Too clunky. Too suspicious.
So I'm asking genuinely — what are you actually using? Any hidden gems that balance quality and price without making you feel like you're compromising one for the other? I'd love to know.