CloudFace AI vs Narrative Select
Two AI tools for photographers — but for very different jobs. Here's where each one wins.
What CloudFace AI does that Narrative Select doesn't
Guest delivery, not culling
CloudFace AI is built for the moment after editing — every guest gets a private gallery and finds their own photos. Narrative Select stops at "here's your shortlist".
Face search at the gallery level
Guests upload one selfie and instantly see only the photos they appear in. No swiping through 4,000 group shots.
QR-code event galleries
Print a QR card for the event. Guests scan, find themselves, download. Narrative Select has no delivery layer.
Works directly with Google Drive
Point CloudFace AI at the Drive folder of finals. No download or re-upload step.
Video face search
Search inside long event videos and extract per-person clips. Narrative Select is photo-only.
What Narrative Select does that CloudFace AI doesn't
AI culling of RAW files
Narrative reads RAW files, rates them on sharpness and eyes-open, and groups visually similar shots so you cull a 4,000-image wedding to 800 keepers faster.
Lightroom & Capture One integration
Round-trips your picks back into your editor's selection. CloudFace AI doesn't touch your editing workflow.
Offline / local-first culling
Narrative runs on your Mac/PC with no upload required. CloudFace AI is a cloud service.
Side-by-side comparison views
Narrative's editor is purpose-built for "pick the best of these five near-duplicates". CloudFace AI doesn't try to replace that.
Feature comparison
| Capability | CloudFace AI | Narrative Select |
|---|---|---|
| Primary job | Deliver finals to guests | Cull RAW files before edit |
| AI sharpness / eyes-open ranking | No | Yes |
| Group by face for culling | No | Yes |
| Reads RAW (.CR3, .NEF, .ARW, etc.) | JPEG / preview only | Yes |
| Lightroom / Capture One integration | No | Yes |
| Guest-facing face-search gallery | Yes | No |
| QR-code event delivery | Yes | No |
| Custom watermark / branded delivery | Yes | No |
| Video face search | Yes (improving) | No |
| Search inside Google Drive folders | Yes | No |
| Runs locally / offline | No (encrypted cloud) | Yes (desktop app) |
| Free tier | 1,000 photos / 7 days | Limited trial |
Prices and product behaviour change. Last reviewed May 2026. Always check both vendor sites for current numbers.
The honest workflow for pro photographers
If you shoot weddings or large events, the workflow that actually wins is:
- Narrative Select — cull 4,000 RAWs to 800 keepers in an evening.
- Lightroom / Capture One — edit and export the final JPEGs.
- CloudFace AI — drop the finals into an event gallery, share a QR code, let every guest find their own photos in seconds.
CloudFace AI is not a Narrative replacement. It's the next step after Narrative — the one most studios still do manually with WeTransfer links and "scroll through 800 photos to find yourself".
Who should choose CloudFace AI
- Wedding and event photographers tired of clients asking "where are my photos?".
- Studios that already cull in Narrative or Lightroom and just need a slick delivery layer.
- Photographers handing off galleries to guests on every device, not just iPhone or Apple Photos.
Who should choose Narrative Select
- High-volume photographers spending hours culling RAW files.
- Anyone working entirely in Lightroom or Capture One who never delivers a guest-facing gallery.
- Photographers who refuse to put RAWs in the cloud and need a local-first tool.
FAQ
Is CloudFace AI a Narrative Select replacement?
No — they solve different problems. Narrative Select speeds up culling; CloudFace AI speeds up guest delivery. Most pro studios end up using both in the same workflow.
Can CloudFace AI work on my Narrative-Selected output?
Yes. Once you've culled and edited, drop the final JPEGs into a CloudFace AI event (local upload or Google Drive). Guests then face-search the same set.
Does CloudFace AI read RAW files?
Not natively. CloudFace AI works on JPEG and standard image formats — the kind you deliver to clients. If you need RAW culling intelligence, Narrative Select or similar is the right tool.
What's the pricing difference?
Narrative Select is a desktop tool (subscription, billed by the photographer). CloudFace AI is event-volume based, starting at ₹5,099/year. See /pricing for current plans.
Try CloudFace AI free
1,000 photos for 7 days. No credit card. Built for the moment after culling.
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