DxO PhotoLab 9 Is ‘Biggest Upgrade’ to the RAW Photo Editor in 20 Years

Sep 02, 2025

Jeremy Gray

A woman in a hat sits in a sunlit field of tall grass, eyes closed and smiling. Editing tool interface windows for color, curves, and settings overlay the image, indicating photo editing in progress.

DxO announced PhotoLab 9, ushering in what DxO describes as a new era of photo editing. The RAW photo editing software features new AI masking, improved local adjustments, DeepPRIME denoising and sharpening, and much more.

Paris-based DxO says PhotoLab 9 is “the world’s most advanced end-to-end RAW photo editing software.” Thanks to new improvements in Version 9, the all-in-one RAW editor promises photographers more control, better editing tools, and a faster, smoother workflow.

A promotional graphic for DxO PhotoLab 9 lists features: noise reduction, lens softness compensation, AI local adjustments, advanced color science, laboratory-grade corrections, and robust file management.

“Version 9 is a major step forward in RAW photo editing,” says Jean-Marc Alexia, VP of Product Strategy at DxO. “The AI-powered masking offers unmatched accuracy, and when you combine this with all of the other features in PhotoLab 9, it’s probably our biggest upgrade to our flagship editing software of the last 20 years.”

A big reason why DxO believes so strongly in PhotoLab 9 is the software’s new AI Masks. These utilize artificial intelligence to create accurate, pixel-precise selections quickly and efficiently.

A hand holds nuts, with a bright red bird perched on it. Editing software interface elements, including exposure sliders and adjustment panels, are overlaid on the image, and a cursor points to the bird.

A laptop screen displays a photo editing software with a split view; the left side shows a lower quality image of a man gesturing, while the right side appears sharper. An editing menu for denoising options is visible.

Two children with curly hair laugh joyfully as one climbs onto the other's back. Photo editing software is open, showing exposure adjustment and highlighted areas on their faces.

A photo editing software interface shows two images of a child in a blue sweater, yellow beanie, and scarf. Editing options appear in a dropdown. An inset at top left shows the child in a red beanie. © Andrejj Lisakov.

Users can create AI Masks in one of three ways. They can hover and click on different parts of the photo, draw a box around the area of the image with the object they want to select, or select from various Subject Types, including predefined objects, sky, people, faces, and hair.

These selections can be copied to other photos or even saved as a preset. For example, if a photographer wants to edit the hair across a series of portraits, they can do so by starting from a single photo and then syncing the selection and edits across a larger batch.

“Complex retouching becomes faster, smarter, and effortlessly consistent,” DxO promises.

The new DxO AI Masks work seamlessly alongside DxO’s U Point Technology, which serves as the backbone for local editing across DxO’s photo editing software suite. Not only can photographers continue to use U Point for precise, pixel-sensitive local adjustments, but they can also utilize U Point to augment AI Masks and vice versa. DxO promises that by combining AI Masks, Control Points, Control Lines, Graduated Filters, and the classic Brush Tool, photographers can make selections that were previously impossible, even for the most sophisticated AI technology.

A large pelican with an orange beak floats on calm water, creating a clear reflection. The image is split down the middle, contrasting two different color effects. An inset shows a magnified, red-tinted version of the bird.

A singer with long curly hair performs energetically on stage, bathed in dramatic red lighting, holding a microphone and gesturing with her free hand.

PhotoLab 9 leverages DxO’s DeepPRIME noise reduction and RAW demosaicing technology alongside the company’s industry-leading optical corrections to deliver what DxO claims are the best results in the industry. DeepPRIME XD, which is now on version 3 thanks to DxO PureRAW 5 released earlier this year, promises industry-leading RAW image quality and now works with RAW files from all X-Trans sensors. X-Trans support was previously in beta, but with the launch of PhotoLab 9, it is ready for showtime.

A ballet dancer leaps in front of vertical black and white stripes. An inset shows a zoomed-in comparison of the dancer’s face and arm, labeled “before” and “after,” highlighting improved image clarity.

“The image quality is unprecedented, able to recover noise and retrieve details from images captured in very low light like never before,” claims DxO.

PhotoLab 9 now includes batch renaming, new preset saving options, and HEIC/HEIF and ProRAW image editing support, making it easier for photographers to edit images they capture on Apple iPhone.

A laptop shows photo editing software with an image of a woman in sunglasses and a red shirt, while the same photo is displayed on a connected smartphone beside it.

Pricing and Availability

DxO PhotoLab 9 is available now directly from DxO for macOS and Windows. A new lifetime license is available for $239.99, while DxO PhotoLab 7 or 8 users can upgrade for $119.99. A 30-day free trial is also available from DxO.

 Image credits: DxO