A Beloved Portrait Tool Is Saying Farewell

I’m sharing some news that might affect your editing toolkit. Skylum has announced that Aperty, their dedicated portrait editor, will be discontinued as of November 4th. If you’ve been using this software, now’s the time to plan your next steps.

What Made Aperty Special

When we first explored Aperty earlier this year, we found ourselves impressed by its thoughtful approach to portrait work. The software struck a nice balance between traditional editing controls—those familiar development sliders we all rely on—and modern AI-assisted features. What really resonated with us was how accessible it made professional-level retouching. Users consistently reported positive experiences, and we understood why. The tool felt designed specifically for people who wanted to enhance portraits without getting lost in overly complex software.

Understanding the Decision

While Skylum hasn’t detailed all the reasoning behind this discontinuation, we can reflect on what this means for the portrait retouching landscape. Software companies make these difficult decisions for various reasons—market positioning, resource allocation, or shifting product strategy. It’s a reminder that even well-designed tools can face uncertain futures in this fast-moving industry.

What You Should Do Now

If you’re currently using Aperty, I’d recommend taking action before the November deadline:

First, explore your export options. Make sure any projects you want to preserve are backed up properly.

Second, consider what features drew you to Aperty in the first place. Was it the AI skin smoothing? The intuitive slider layout? The workflow efficiency? Identifying what worked for you will help guide your next software choice.

Finally, start exploring alternatives that offer similar functionality. The portrait editing landscape is rich with options—from comprehensive software suites to specialized AI-powered retouching platforms.

Looking Forward

We know that saying goodbye to a tool you’ve relied on feels frustrating. But this moment also presents an opportunity. The beauty editing industry continues to evolve with increasingly powerful AI features and more intuitive interfaces. Your next platform might offer even more refined capabilities than what you were using before.

We’ll be diving deeper into portrait editing alternatives in upcoming posts. Until then, if you’re navigating this transition, remember that the fundamentals of great portrait retouching—understanding light, proportion, and subtle enhancement—remain constant regardless of which software you choose.

What tool are you considering next? We’d love to hear about your experience with portrait editing software.