Spool next to other negative tools

Price, cost over two years, steps to a converted roll, editing, scanners, tethering, library and sync — in one table.

✓ yes◐ partly, or through the app it needs— no

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Feature	Spool	Negative Lab Pro	SilverFast Ai Studio 9	Capture One Pro	Negmaster	Grain2Pixel	FilmLab	VueScan	Epson Scan 2
Cost
Price	$59 once	$99 once	≈ $249 once, per scanner	$18 / month or $349 once	€79 once, per module	Free	Subscription	$49.95 Standard, $99.95 Professional, once	Free with an Epson scanner
Also required	Nothing	Lightroom Classic, $19.99 / month	Nothing	Nothing	Adobe Bridge (free) or Photoshop	Photoshop, $22.99 / month	Nothing	Nothing	An Epson scanner
Cost over 2 years	$59	≈ $579	≈ $249	≈ $349–432	≈ €79	≈ $552	Depends on plan	$50–100	$0
Free trial	36 frames, every feature	24 conversions	Demo, watermarked	30 days	Trial	Free	12 scans per device	Free, watermarked	—
Converting
Steps to a converted roll (typical)*	2	5–6	4 ×	4	3	3	3	3 ×	3 ×
Whole roll in one go	Yes	Yes	Partly, or through the app it needs	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Partly, or through the app it needs
Film base read from the rebate	Yes	Partly, or through the app it needs	Yes	Partly, or through the app it needs	Yes	No	Partly, or through the app it needs	Yes	No
Film stock profiles	Yes	Partly, or through the app it needs	Yes	No	Yes	No	Partly, or through the app it needs	Yes	No
Dust and scratch removal	Yes	Partly, or through the app it needs	Yes	Partly, or through the app it needs	No	No	Yes	Yes	Partly, or through the app it needs
Newton's rings removal	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
Editing
Full photo editing	Yes	Partly, or through the app it needs	Partly, or through the app it needs	Yes	Partly, or through the app it needs	Partly, or through the app it needs	Partly, or through the app it needs	Partly, or through the app it needs	Partly, or through the app it needs
Masks and local adjustments	Yes	Partly, or through the app it needs	No	Yes	No	Partly, or through the app it needs	No	No	No
Healing brush	Yes	Partly, or through the app it needs	No	Yes	No	Partly, or through the app it needs	No	No	No
Batch edits across a roll	Yes	Partly, or through the app it needs	No	Yes	Yes	No	Partly, or through the app it needs	No	No
Capture
Scanner control	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes
Camera tethering	Yes	Partly, or through the app it needs	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No
Library and the rest
Library by roll, film, camera, date	Yes	Partly, or through the app it needs	No	Partly, or through the app it needs	No	No	No	No	No
Sync between computers	Up to 4, local network or NAS	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
Print layouts	Yes	Partly, or through the app it needs	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
Zines	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
Posts for social media	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
Studio: rooms, lighting set-ups, sessions	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
Windows and macOS	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes

* Steps from imported scans to a converted roll in a typical workflow, counted by us. In SilverFast, VueScan and Epson Scan the conversion happens while scanning, frame by frame.

Cost over 2 years = the licence plus 24 months of any app it needs, in USD before tax. Prices checked on vendor and reseller pages on 2 November 2026; they vary by country.

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