The Worst Retouch4me Plugin: Don’t Waste Your Time or Money
If you’re considering Retouch4me’s new cloud-based retouching tool through ARAMS, let me save you the hassle, frustration, and financial hit by saying: don’t buy it. Having tested this so-called “innovative” solution, I can confidently say it is one of the most inefficient, poorly optimized tools I’ve ever encountered in my professional photography career.
Here’s a no-BS, straightforward review of why this plugin is an absolute disaster.
1. It’s Painfully Slow
Cloud-based tools are supposed to enhance productivity by taking the load off your local machine and processing tasks quickly in the cloud. Retouch4me’s ARAMS does the exact opposite. In my test:
- It took 21 minutes to process just two JPEG images. That’s right — 21 minutes for what should be a 2-3 minute task at most.
- When I uploaded a batch of 82 photos, none of them had been processed even after 30 minutes of waiting. Zero progress. Nada.
If you’re running a high-volume workflow, such as wedding photography or studio shoots, this tool will bring your operations to a grinding halt. You’ll spend more time staring at the “Exporting and Refining” bar than actually delivering work to your clients.

2. Credit System: Paying for Incompetence
Retouch4me’s cloud plugin uses a credit-based pricing system, where you pay for every photo processed. While that’s reasonable in theory, the sheer inefficiency of this tool makes it feel like you’re being ripped off.
Imagine this: you spend credits to upload photos, wait for hours, and end up with either partially completed tasks or no output at all. Even if the processing did complete eventually, the amount of time wasted renders the entire system counterproductive. Time is money, and this tool is a money pit.
3. Technical Issues and Poor Optimization
The ARAMS interface looks promising at first glance, with options to apply multiple plugins like Heal, Mattifier, Dodge Burn, and more. However, none of these features matter when the tool cannot even handle basic processing efficiently. Other issues include:
- Frequent Freezing: The tool often hangs or freezes, leaving you to restart the process or, worse, lose your queued tasks.
- Server Dependency: Since it’s a cloud-based system, you’re entirely dependent on their servers. If their infrastructure is overloaded or poorly maintained, you’re out of luck.
- No Progress Feedback: There is little to no transparency on what’s happening behind the scenes. You’re left staring at the “Processing” indicator, hoping something will eventually happen.
4. Misleading Tutorials and Inauthentic Content
Adding insult to injury, the tutorials for this tool appear to be generated by AI. The images used seem to be AI-generated, with a synthetic voiceover likely created using Eleven Labs. There is no human element, no real-world application, and no consideration of the actual struggles photographers face daily.
A real human with real experience would understand how critical it is to address these challenges properly. Instead, the tutorials feel like a marketing gimmick, disconnected from the realities of professional workflows.
5. Misleading Expectations
The marketing around this tool is borderline deceptive. Retouch4me promises seamless cloud-based editing that “saves time and delivers professional results.” In reality, it delivers frustration and wasted hours. For a company that’s known for developing plugins with decent local performance, this cloud iteration feels like a poorly executed cash grab.
6. Retouch4me Plugins Ranked
Here’s a detailed breakdown of Retouch4me’s plugins from the best to the worst, based on real-world usability, performance, and consistency:
Plugin | Performance | Best Use Case | Key Issues |
---|---|---|---|
Heal | Excellent | Quick blemish removal | None |
Dodge Burn | Great | Adding natural-looking highlights/shadows | Minor oversaturation issues in darker skin tones |
Mattifier | Good | Reducing shine on skin | Struggles with natural reflections on oily skin |
Eye Brilliance | Average | Eye enhancements | Slightly unrealistic sparkle effect |
White Teeth | Average | Whitening teeth | Inconsistent results on varying lighting conditions |
Clean Backdrop | Poor | Inconsistent results | Leaves artifacts and uneven textures |
Portrait Volumes | Poor | Overly exaggerated edits | Misinterprets human face contours; adds haze to eyes |
Cloud Processing | Horrible | Slow and unreliable | Practically unusable |
Spotlight on Portrait Volumes
This plugin is particularly frustrating. It completely fails to understand human face contours and only works well if the makeup artist has already contoured the face perfectly. Additionally, it often adds an unnatural haze over the eyes, ruining what should be a key focal point in portrait photography. These flaws make it nearly unusable in professional workflows.
7. No Room for Professional Workflows
Professional photographers need tools they can rely on. Whether it’s a tight deadline or a client with high expectations, you need your software to work efficiently and predictably. ARAMS is the polar opposite of reliable:
- If you’re a high-volume editor, this tool will kill your workflow.
- If you’re a solo entrepreneur, it will waste precious time you could use for marketing or networking.
- If you’re an amateur, it will drain your enthusiasm for photography.
8. Alternatives to Consider
Instead of wasting your time with Retouch4me’s cloud tool, consider these alternatives:
- Adobe Photoshop/Lightroom: Tried-and-tested industry standards with local and cloud processing options.
- Capture One: Excellent for tethered shooting and advanced retouching.
- Affinity Photo: A budget-friendly alternative that delivers high performance without the fluff.
These tools might require more manual effort, but they won’t leave you tearing your hair out while waiting for photos to process.
Final Verdict: Don’t Buy It
Retouch4me’s ARAMS cloud-based plugin is a colossal failure. It’s slow, unreliable, and overpriced for the non-existent performance it delivers. Whether you’re a professional or an enthusiast, there are far better tools out there to help you achieve stunning results without the headache.
Until Retouch4me fixes the glaring issues with this product, save your money and invest in tools that actually work. ARAMS is, quite frankly, the worst plugin I’ve tested in years.
Have you used this plugin? Share your experiences below — let’s see if anyone else has been as frustrated as I have. Stay tuned for updates on what (if anything) this tool produces after running overnight.