orrie smith wrote:
you basically need lightroom/photoshop cc for nik, it is a plug in, not a stand alone product. I use all of the programs you have inquired about and would not be without any, as they all do things a little differently. if I had to choose, lightroom is the most used, with photomatix being used for special effects. but if you get those two programs, nik is free, so it would be a no brainer.
Nik works with Paint shop pro as well.