Today, feature-rich platforms are at the core of the image editing ecosystem, and are seen as an example that other companies need to follow if they want to succeed in the industry. Despite that, over 300,000 users rely on simple editing utilities developed by SoftOrbits, a company founded in 2006 by Eugene Ustinenkov.
The company also boasts over a million yearly downloads, and the recent introduction of AI-automated functionalities enabled the team to gain even more traction in the industry. Here’s how SoftOrbits manages to achieve these results by offering something completely different from its competitors.
Complex solutions vs. small-scale utilities
As Eugene Ustinenkov explains, SoftOrbits was initially created with the goal of delivering easy-to-use tools for users, prioritizing simplicity and usability over unnecessary complexity.
“Simple tools often solve problems faster, cost less, and deliver better user experiences than bloated software. There is no reason for a user to overcome a steep learning curve if they need something that can be achieved through simple automation — think of background removal or color adjustments. We want to make editing more accessible and convenient, and our users appreciate it,” says Eugene Ustinenkov, CEO of SoftOrbits and AlarmFront.
As Ustinenkov adds, many editing suites overwhelm users with menus and settings they never touch. Professionals may tolerate this level of complexity, but casual users or small businesses need quick results and prefer intuitive solutions to flexible but difficult-to-approach software.
Photographers get to use batch editing to fix photos in minutes instead of hours, small businesses can quickly apply watermarks to protect images without training staff, and hobbyists can rely on automated features to edit photos faster while retaining professional-level quality.
It is also worth noting that complex workflows take longer to learn, implement, and maintain, which may be okay for larger-scale businesses, but most companies find it overwhelming and unnecessary. Finally, advanced platforms often come with expensive subscriptions and hidden fees.
“Think of it this way: a photographer who would like to use batch watermarking doesn’t need enterprise-level tools — they need a small, focused utility that will make this task easier. Why learn how to drive a vehicle when all you need is to bike to the nearest shop?” says Eugene Ustinenkov, CEO of SoftOrbits, Candidate of Technical Sciences.
SoftOrbits offers several key advantages that its users find irreplaceable, including unparalleled speed and efficiency due to lightweight software, high accessibility, affordability, and reliability.
When simple wins
As Eugene Ustinenkov adds, modern users are suffering from decision fatigue, and complex solutions aren’t helping with that.
“A few focused options lead to faster choices and less stress. We offer a confidence boost and consistency that most comprehensive tools cannot provide. Pair it with consistency and trust factor, and you will see why our niche is so popular: we simply offer tools that just work right off the bat, often automatically, and that is invaluable to most users,” says Eugene Ustinenkov, CEO of SoftOrbits with over 10 years of software development experience.