Google is done updating its Nik desktop photo-editing tools
The software isn't going away, but Google has effectively killed it off.
Bad news if you're a fan of the Nik Collection of free photo-editing apps: Google has announced it will stop supporting the software suite effective immediately. "We have no plans to update the Collection or add new features over time," a banner atop the Nik Collection website and help center reads. Want in? Then download it now and start importing your photos to see what the fuss is all about.
Last March, the folks in Mountain View slashed what it was asking for the Collection from $150 to the low, low price of free ninety-nine. Like PetaPixel notes, Google bought Nik back in 2012 and has put a lot of emphasis on the company's mobile image-editing app Snapseed since. The Snapseed mobile app, of course, has been free for awhile now.
If you're looking for other low-cost, desktop image-editing options because Nik doesn't quite do it for you, there's Affinity Photo ($50) or, you could always consider Adobe CC's photography package (Photoshop and Lightroom) for $10 a month. Grabbing a copy of Lightroom 6 will set you back around $140 and will be cheaper in the long run, but, you'll be running software from 2015.
