Stacking Software

Legend

• Name: the software's name and link to official web site
• Free: a full-featured version is provided for no charge
• OSS: the software is provided under a free and open-source license
• Linux: the software runs natively (or using the specified transparent emulator) under [Linux
• MacOS: the software runs natively under Mac OS
• Win32: the software runs natively under Microsoft Windows NT based systems
• Align: the software can automatically align an image stack
• Avg.: the software can reduce noise by averaging multiple images in a stack
• HDR: the software can produce High Dynamic Range output files, either in a HDR specific format or by combining brightness levels in a standard 8bpp file
• Sres: the software can produce super-resolution output
• DOF: the software can perform focus stacking to increase the effective depth-of-field
• Moving: the software is aware of, and can remove or otherwise deal with, objects that move from frame to frame
• 3D: the software can produce a height-map or a 3D model of the subject using images with varying focus or angle
• Pano: the software can produce stitched panoramic output covering a wider angle than any single image in the stack
• Stars: the software can identify the presence and position of stars and use it for alignment and/or creating a stars mask
• Planets: the software has dedicated functionality and algorithms for planetary imaging
• Geo.ab.: the software can correct for geometrical aberrations from the lens
• Col.ab.: the software can correct for chromatic aberrations (such as color fringing) from the lens
• Dark: the software can make use of dark frames to correct sensor readouts
• Flat: the software can make use of flat field frames to correct sensor readouts and vignetting
• Bias: the software can make use of offset/bias frames to correct sensor readouts
• Video: the software can use a video clip as input
• RAW: the software can work with Canon raw files

Software

Name	Free	OSS	Linux	MacOS	Win32	Align	Avg.	HDR	Sres	DOF	Moving	3D	Pano	Stars	Planets	Geo.ab.	Col.ab.	Dark	Flat	Bias	Video	Raw
Anti-Lameness Engine	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes ?	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	?	Yes	?	Yes	Yes
AutoPano Pro	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	?	Yes	?	No ?	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	?	?	?	?	?	?	?
AutoStitch	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	?	?	?	No	?	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	?	?
CombineZP	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No ?	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	No	No ?	No ?	No	No	No	Yes	?
DeepSkyStacker	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	?	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	?	?	Yes	Yes	Yes	?	Yes
GIMP	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	1 2	?	?	?	?	?	?	1 2	?	?	1	?	?	?	?	?	1
Helicon Focus	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes
Hugin	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	?	Yes	?	No	?	No	Yes	No	No	Yes	?	No ?	No ?	No ?	?	?
ImageJ	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	1 2	Yes	No ?	No ?	1 2	No	1 2	1 2	No ?	No ?	No ?	No?	?	?	?	?	?
Iris	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	?	Yes	?	No	?	No	No	Yes	?	Yes	?	Yes	Yes	Yes	?	Yes
K3CCDTools	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	?	?	No	?	No	?	Yes	Yes	?	?	Yes	Yes	?	Yes	?
NetPBM (pnmstitch)	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	?	No	?	No	?	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	?	?
Panorama Factory	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No ?	?	?	No	?	No	Yes	No	No	Yes	No ?	No	No	No	?	?
PhotoAcute	No	No	WINE	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No ?	No ?	No ?	Yes	?
PhotoFit	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	?	?	?	No	?	No	Yes	No	No	Yes	?	?	?	?	?	No
Photoshop	No	No	WINE	Yes	Yes	Yes	?	Yes	?	?	?	No	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	?	?	No	Yes
Picolay	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	?	Yes	No	?	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	?	?	?	No	No
Qtpfsgui	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	1	Yes ?	Yes	?	No ?	?	No	No	No	No	?	?	?	?	?	?	Yes ?
RegiStax	Yes	No	WINE	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	?	?	No	?	No	?	Yes	Yes	?	?	?	?	?	Yes	?

Notes

Photomatix Pro 3