Lightroom has long been the most popular photo editing software for photographers. It offers both powerful editing capabilities and a streamlined digital asset management system.
However, Adobe Lightroom is now only available on a recurring subscription, making it a less affordable choice for many people. Amateurs and beginners in particular have been looking for replacements for Lightroom, leading to a boom in alternative editing programs.
There are a lot of editing programs on the market right now, both free and paid versions. It can be hard to know which is the best alternative program to Lightroom to suit your needs. We made it easy for you by putting together a guide to the top Lightroom alternatives around right now!
What Exactly Is Lightroom?
Adobe Lightroom has long been the industry standard when it comes to photo management programs for photographers, often combined with Adobe Photoshop. It used to be that you could buy each version outright, but sadly no longer.
If you’re not currently a Lightroom user, you may be wondering exactly what this app does. It combines both photo editing and photo management within one software, allowing you to organise your shots and also make non-destructive local edits to your images.
This handy combination, as well as the intuitive interface and range of powerful features, have ensured that Lightroom has been the most popular program for photographers for many years. But there are some excellent alternatives out there too now. If you’re not a fan of the subscription model, read on to discover the best programs that Lightroom users should consider switching to.
What to Consider When Choosing a Lightroom Alternative
Here’s what you need to think about before buying a Lightroom alternative:
Cost
There are both budget, premium and free lightroom alternative programs you can use. What you go for will be down to your budget, balanced with your need for advanced tools found only in premium software.
RAW Processing Capability
Not all programs can import and process RAW files. If this is important to you, make sure you check the RAW processing capability before you buy.
If you’ve ever taken a JPEG by mistake and wanted to convert it to a RAW then Topaz have a great piece of software where you can edit JPEGS as if they are raw images. Check out the How to Convert RAW to JPEG with Topaz Raw to JPEG AI.
Digital Asset Management
Do you want an app that can sort, catalogue, and add tags and keywords to your images? Then look for a program that has full digital asset management features.
The best programs can automatically sort your images when you upload them to your computer and give you superior controls so you can keep track of where everything is. When you have hundreds or thousands of photos on your computer, you know how critical this feature is!
Editing Functions
Some apps specialise in cataloguing your images, but fall down on the actual features. You’ll need to decide whether you want an app that offers full capabilities, from being able to make minor adjustments right up to in-depth editing in layers.
Take a careful look at the range of features included. Does it include deghost? It’s always best to try out a software through a free trial first, so you can see whether the workflow, tools, and layout work for you. If you’re interested in creating your own Instagram Filters for Lightroom free then check out this post.
If you’re looking to sharpen up an out of focus image then we recommend you pick up Topaz Sharpen AI (See our review here). It can restore detail to those shots where you just missed focus.
Customer Support
Not all programs will offer quick, responsive customer support. For the free software, you might not have access to any support at all, which can be frustrating if something goes wrong. Check out online reviews and see if other users are satisfied with the service before you buy (or download a free version).
Regular Updates
Premium Lightroom alternatives like Topaz studio 2 offer regular updates to their software, fixing bugs and making improvements along the way. But this might not be true for cheap or free versions, meaning that the program may become slow or buggy over time.
You need to weigh up how important it is for you to have access to excellent customer support and regular updates, and compare this with your budget to see what is the best option for you!
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Best Lightroom Alternative: Our Reviews!
It can be overwhelming to search through di