Serif Photoplus X9 Apr 2026

Unlike Photoshop’s endless labyrinth of menus, PhotoPlus X9 had a clean, customizable workspace. It was logical. If you understood the basics of layers and masks, you could be productive within an hour.

It shares the same DNA: fast, cheap (one-time payment), and powerful. You will feel at home with the interface, but it adds all the modern power of 32-bit HDR, full non-destructive editing, and incredible performance on Windows, Mac, and iPad. Serif PhotoPlus X9 was a brilliant piece of software for its time. It democratized photo editing for hobbyists who couldn't afford Adobe’s tax. Today, it is a nostalgia piece and a functional tool for legacy systems, but it is no longer a viable daily driver for professional work. serif photoplus x9

Modern editing relies on non-destructive adjustments. While X9 had adjustment layers, it lacked the "Live Filters" that Affinity Photo popularized. Once you applied a lens blur or distortion, you were committing to it. It shares the same DNA: fast, cheap (one-time

Serif included a surprisingly robust set of stock assets, brushes, and gradients out of the box. You didn't need to go hunting for resources to start a fun composite project. The Cons: What Has Aged Poorly 1. The RAW Engine While it reads RAW files, the engine is dated. If you are shooting with a modern Sony, Canon, or Fuji camera (2020+), PhotoPlus X9 likely won't recognize your files. You would need to convert your RAWs to DNG or TIFF first, which defeats the purpose of a streamlined workflow. It democratized photo editing for hobbyists who couldn't

In the golden era of affordable photo editing, before the "Creative Cloud" subscription model became the norm, Serif was a hero for many of us. Their PhotoPlus X9 was the final iteration of a beloved software line—a powerful, perpetual-license alternative to Adobe Photoshop.