Cull before Lightroom: why add another app?

If you already use Lightroom Classic, you can import everything and cull there. But import builds a catalog record for every photo, including the ones you will reject. Culling first in Flipic Lens lets you open the folder, rate and mark, then import only the keepers. Lightroom Classic also has Assisted Culling, which sorts photos by eye and subject sharpness, open eyes and exposure; it is a good option if you are happy to cull inside the catalog. Use Flipic Lens for the first pass when you would rather not catalog the rejects, and Lightroom Classic for editing and the catalog.

	Lightroom Classic	Flipic Lens
Price model	Subscription	Free; optional one-time Pro
Import or library	Requires import into a catalog	No import, no catalog; reads the folder
RAW	RAW processing through Camera Raw	Opens camera RAW; 0 zooms to 100% at the pointer
Star ratings	Catalog metadata, written to XMP or sidecars	1 to 5 stars as standard XMP; RAW uses a same-name .xmp sidecar
Side-by-side compare	Compare view for two; Survey view for more	C for two, Shift-C for four, zoom synced
Closed eyes / blur / bursts	Assisted Culling scores subject and eye sharpness, eyes open and exposure, in the Library module and the Import window (Adobe)	Yes: Cleanup Mode groups bursts, duplicates, closed eyes and blur on your Mac
Platform	macOS and Windows	macOS 13 or later
Open source	No	Yes, MIT

Where Lightroom Classic is stronger

• Editing and RAW processing. Develop controls, local adjustments, presets, masks and the rest of the Lightroom toolset.
• The catalog. Collections, keywords, smart collections, history and search across a long-term library.
• Output. Prints, books, slideshows, web galleries and export presets.

Compare and survey. Compare view for two photos and Survey view for a larger set.

Where Flipic Lens fits before Lightroom

• No import for the rejects. Open the folder and page with the arrow keys; there is no catalog entry to remove later.
• Focus and compare. 0 zooms to 100% at the pointer; C and Shift-C compare two or four frames with synced zoom and pan.
• Ratings that Lightroom can read. 1 to 5 stars are standard XMP, with a same-name .xmp sidecar for proprietary RAW. Lightroom Classic reads XMP metadata and sidecars.

Cleanup Mode. Free on-device grouping of bursts, duplicates, closed eyes and blur; nothing is deleted until you choose Move to Trash.
Pro if you need a project grid. The Workbench adds a grid per shoot and other pro tools, as a one-time purchase with a 7-day trial.

A simple cull-first flow

Copy the card to a folder. Open it in Flipic Lens, page through, check focus, rate and mark. Use Cleanup Mode for the obvious rejects if the shoot is large. Then import only the marked or rated photos into Lightroom Classic. The XMP ratings and sidecars travel with the files, so Lightroom sees the stars when it imports.

See the full comparison at Mac photo viewers and culling tools compared.