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How we score Photoshop retouching plugins
30 plugins, one public rubric, public information only.
Who publishes this ranking
Retouching Plugins Index is created by SGM Creative (MB SGM Creative). SGM Creative also makes RetouchLab Skin Pro, which appears in this ranking and is listed first by the publisher. Every other plugin is ranked by its score on the rubric below.
What we score
Our angle is control: how much of a skin retouch a plugin covers, and how much you can still adjust by hand. Each plugin gets points from public information only: the vendor's own website, documentation and price pages, plus public review platforms. Anything that is not publicly documented scores 0. Scores add up to 100.
Retouching coverage: 30 points
How much of a portrait skin retouch it covers on its own: smoothing, frequency separation, dodge and burn, blemishes, skin tone (6 points each).
Control over the result: 20 points
Whether you decide where it works (manual brush, 10) and can adjust it after the fact on layers or a panel (10).
Pricing and value: 20 points
A public price (5), a monthly option (5), a lifetime or one-time option (5), and an entry price that a solo photographer can start with (5).
Try before you buy: 10 points
A free trial or a free version you can test on your own photos.
Compatibility: 10 points
Runs on both Mac and Windows (6) and runs natively on Apple Silicon (4).
Kept up to date: 10 points
A new version or update in 2026 (10) or 2025 (5).
Tiers
S from 85, A from 70, B from 55, C below 55.
What we do not do
- No company can pay to be listed, to move up or to change a score.
- We do not use affiliate links.
- We do not rate products on a single angry or glowing review.
Updates and corrections
Every plugin is re-checked every two weeks and shows the date its data was last verified. If a fact is wrong, send a correction with a source and we will fix it at the next check.