After taking a burst of photos, you may end up with dozens of nearly identical shots. Opening them one at a time makes it hard to remember which one had the sharpest focus or the expression you liked.
Best Shot Picker puts related photos into groups and lets you compare two at a time. You decide which images to keep, then save the original files in a ZIP without re-encoding them.
1. Add the photos you want to compare
Open Best Shot Picker and add the pictures you want to review. It accepts JPEG, PNG and still WebP files. On a computer you can drag files into the page, and supported browsers also allow folder selection.
You can add more pictures later without losing those already marked Keep.
HEIC and HEIF files, including those commonly taken on iPhones, cannot be imported directly. Convert them to JPEG or another supported format first. RAW, TIFF, AVIF, animated images and videos are also unsupported.
2. Review groups of similar photos
The app groups duplicates and visually similar photos for review. Start by checking whether each group contains shots from the same moment.
If photos have been grouped incorrectly, use Organize to split a group, move a photo or merge groups. You can undo grouping edits.
Automatic grouping is a starting point for review. Check the photos before relying on the group boundaries.
3. Compare focus and expressions side by side
Assign two candidates to A and B. For portraits, inspect focus around the eyes and compare expressions. For action shots, check the parts of the image where motion blur matters to you.
Use 100%, 200% or 400% zoom to inspect details. On supported devices, Find faces can zoom to a detected face position. It does not identify people, determine whether eyes are open or rate facial expressions.
Technical hints and optional similarity suggestions can help, but they may be wrong. The app leaves the final choice to you.
4. Mark the photos to keep
Mark any photo you want to keep. You can select zero, one or several pictures from the same group. You can remove a Keep mark, and Undo reverses the most recent change.
Next unreviewed group moves to another group without marking the current one complete. Mark reviewed and next also records that you have finished reviewing it. This helps you keep track of which groups still need attention.
On phones, use the Photo, Compare and Save tabs. The A/B comparison switches between the two chosen pictures.
5. Save the original photos in a ZIP
In Save, review the pictures marked Keep, check the count and enter a ZIP filename. This process does not remove any files from their original location.
The ZIP contains the original file bytes without image re-encoding. Your JPEG or PNG images are not recompressed into lower-quality versions.
If you have many files, choose Smaller ZIPs. Review the download plan and save each independent ZIP in turn. Check that each download completed before moving to the next one.
| Option | What it saves | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| One ZIP | All chosen originals in one archive | A large ZIP may exhaust browser memory |
| Smaller ZIPs | Chosen originals in separate archives | Download each one; splitting does not guarantee enough memory |
| JSON or CSV list | A list of selected filenames | Not the photos and not a session backup |
Check metadata and downloaded files before sharing
Because the exported files are unchanged, their EXIF and GPS location metadata remain in the ZIP. If location data should not be shared, inspect and remove it separately. Browser Kitty also has a Photo Privacy Inspector for checking photo metadata.
Open the ZIP after downloading it and check that the expected pictures are present. An exported JSON or CSV selection list is not a backup of the editing session.
Photos and Keep choices last only for the current page session. Reloading, closing the tab or starting over clears them. The app cannot restore the selections the next day.
Are your photos uploaded?
Photo loading, grouping, comparison, optional models and ZIP creation run in your browser. The photos are not sent to an analysis server. Opening the hosted tool still requires a request to load the HTML.
Chrome and Edge are the primary browser targets. ZIP saving from photos stored on the device has been checked on Android Chrome, but physical Windows and iPhone testing has not been completed. Large photos and archives may also run out of available memory.
Best Shot Picker
Compare similar or burst photos, choose which to keep, and export the untouched originals as ZIP files.
Tips and limitations
- Photos selected directly from cloud storage may become unreadable later. Save local copies and select them in a separate tab. Keep the original tab open so its current choices remain available.
- Face-position zoom and optional similarity search depend on browser features. You can still compare pictures manually in A/B mode if those aids are unavailable.
- ZIP64 and direct-to-disk streaming are unsupported. For very large sets, reduce the number of photos or try smaller ZIP batches.
Frequently asked questions
Does AI automatically choose the best photo?
No. Grouping and comparison hints may help, but you choose the photos to keep. You can keep none, one or several from each group.
Can I compare HEIC photos taken on an iPhone?
HEIC and HEIF are not supported. Convert them to JPEG, PNG or still WebP before importing.
Does ZIP export reduce picture quality?
No. The app stores the selected original file bytes without re-encoding them. Original EXIF and GPS metadata remain as well.
Can I resume my photo selections tomorrow?
No. Closing or reloading the page clears the selections. JSON and CSV lists cannot restore a session, so check your ZIP download before leaving.
Can I use photos selected directly from cloud storage?
Those files can become unreadable later. Save the originals to your device and select them from local storage in a separate tab.
References
- Best Shot Picker Official README (usage, formats and export notes)