Adobe Lightroom is a must have batch photo editor for novice and professional photographers alike. It features powerful photo editing tools encompassing basic touch ups like cropping, more complex tweaks like gradient filters and even AI-assisted tools like generative remove to get rid of unwanted elements. That said, Adobe Lightroom isn’t cheap. And now that Adobe has moved squarely into the subscription market, justifying another monthly expense can be a stretch. Fortunately, there are alternatives to Adobe Lightroom that deliver just as much functionality for any budding or expert photographer.
Content
- 1. Skylum Luminar
- 2. Capture One Pro
- 3. DxO PhotoLab
- 4. ON1 Photo RAW
- 5. Darktable
- 6. DigiKam
- Wrapping Up
1. Skylum Luminar
Platforms: Windows, Mac
Price: $14.95 per month, $99 annually, $249 lifetime
Skylum Luminar boasts similar features to Adobe Lightroom, including robust digital asset management (DAM) options to organize photos. As far as editing is concerned, Skylum Luminar has both traditional and AI-powered editing tools. In addition, it supports batch processing to apply edits to multiple images at once, as well as non-destructive editing so you can apply edits without changing the original image.
Skylum Luminar has a more beginner friendly user interface compared to Lightroom and offers a lifetime license, making it cheaper than Lightroom in the long run. That said, Adobe Lightroom performs better, especially when working with large photo libraries. Lightroom also features better tagging and metadata management.
2. Capture One Pro
Platforms: Windows, Mac
Price: $24 per month, $179 per year, $299 lifetime
If color grading is your number one priority, Capture One Pro should be on your radar. While Adobe Lightroom includes color grading tools, Capture One Pro’s more advanced tools offer more precise adjustments and better color accuracy. In addition, Color Pro One is often praised by professional photographers for its exceptional RAW image processing abilities. This results in even more vibrant and detailed results.
That said, Capture One Pro is a complex program to navigate and requires time to get your head wrapped around its many intricacies. Furthermore, Capture One Pro does not feature nearly as many presets as Adobe Lightroom, meaning that the bulk of the work is labor intensive. However, Capture One Pro is available as a one-time purchase, if the idea of a subscription is a dealbreaker.
3. DxO PhotoLab
Platforms: Windows, Mac
Price: $229 lifetime
DxO PhotoLab is an incredibly powerful application that can elevate photographs to a professional level. It achieves this by employing RAW processing algorithms designed to reduce image noise and automatic lens correction. Noise in an image refers to the random variations in color or brightness, which appear as graininess. This is most common in low-light photography. DxO PhotoLab uses its proprietary DeepPRIME tool to reduce noise while preserving details. Furthermore, the lens correction features automatically eliminates distortions, improving overall image quality.
While DxOPhotoLab is impressive, it features a fairly steep learning curve. Furthermore, it does not place much emphasis on photo management, paling in comparison to the level of organization afforded by Adobe Lightroom. That being said, DxO PhotoLab eschews the subscription model for a one-time fee.
4. ON1 Photo RAW
Platforms: Windows, Mac, iOS, Android
Price: $99.99 lifetime
ON1 Photo RAW offers both comprehensive editing tools and a photo management system. It also includes various AI-powered tools including Super Select AI, which allows users to quickly select and edit specific elements of an image. For example, it can identify and make adjustments to things like clothing, hair and skin. On1 Photo RAW also supports non-destructive editing, meaning you can experiment to your heart’s content without fear of altering the original image. Furthermore, ON1 Photo RAW supports adjustment layers similar to Photoshop, for greater control over edits.
While ON1 Photo RAW’s photo management system features things like metadata editing and keywording, it is generally not seen as robust as Adobe Lightroom. Furthermore, ON1 Photo RAW has fewer preset options compared to Lightroom. That said, like DxO PhotoLab, ON1 Photo RAW can be had for a very affordable one-time license fee.
5. Darktable
Platforms: Windows, Mac, Linux
Price: Free
If you are looking for a powerful photo editor on a shoestring budget, Darktable is worth a look. Being an open-source software, Darktable is completely free to use. That said, the user interface is less refined than most commercial software, so be prepared to put in a bit of time to get your head wrapped around it. If you do, you’ll find an application boasting an extensive number of editing tools that support RAW image files from over 400 cameras.
In regard to organization, Darktable features a number of basic management tools. Users can create collections and sort photos using tags and metadata. It is not as comprehensive as Adobe Lightroom, but it covers the basics well. That said, Darktable doesn’t support nearly as many third-party plugins as Lightroom. Furthermore, you shouldn’t expect the same level of customer support with Darktable, due to its open-source nature, you’ll be relying on other users for troubleshooting.
6. DigiKam
Platforms: Windows, Mac, Linux
Price: Free
Another open-source option, DigiKam offers both extensive photo organization capabilities as well as image editing tools, all for the low, low price of free. DigiKam’s big claim to fame at this stage is its organizational options. Users can do basic things like create custom albums and collections; however they also utilize DigiKam’s face recognition feature as well as geotagging. These tools make it much easier for photographers to find specific image sets amongst their work. DigiKam even has a similarity finder, which automatically collates all of the images that DigiKam deems to be similar. Again, these tools make managing large photo collections much easier.
DigiKam also boasts editing tools. There are your basic, run-of-the-mill editing tools as well as more powerful features such as panorama stitching and noise reduction. In addition, DigiKam supports all major RAW file formats. That said, DigiKam is open source, meaning you’ll run into the same drawbacks found while using Darktable.
Wrapping Up
Adobe Lightroom is a great option for photographers who want an application that can edit and organize photos all under one roof. However, opting for Lightroom means buying into Adobe’s Creative Cloud subscription. Fortunately, there are other options to consider. That said, they all have their pros and cons. If none of the applications listed above tick all your boxes, you might want to consider pairing it with one of the best Adobe Photoshop alternatives on the market today. That said, if you decide to opt for the Adobe ecosystem, be sure to learn which Lightroom presets will help you edit your photos faster. Finally, if the applications listed above all seem too complicated or too expensive, consider trying out some of the best online photo editors you can use right in your browser.
Image credit: Mylene Tremoyet via Unsplash
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Ryan Lynch –
Staff Writer
Ryan is an English & Film Studies teacher. He splits his time between Australia and the United States. He passes the time on long haul flights by playing retro video games from his youth.
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