Lightroom alternatives: which is best?

ByRod Lawton
Lightroom alternatives

Lightroom is probably the automatic go-to program for enthusiasts and experts looking for an all-in-one photo organising and editing program, but it’s not necessarily the best and it’s not popular with everyone, so many will be looking for Lightroom alternatives.

One problem is Adobe’s subscription system for its software. The Adobe Photography Plan, which includes both Lightroom and Photoshop, is actually a very good deal, but some photographers are still dead against the whole idea of paying for a software subscription.

Another issue is Adobe’s decision to split Lightroom into two products. Lightroom CC is the new ‘web first’ version which uses Adobe’s own cloud servers to store your images, the other is the regular ‘desktop first’ Lightroom Classic. They are not the same, and choosing the one to use is not easy. Read Lightroom CC vs Lightroom Classic for more.

Lastly, while Lightroom is versatile and effective, its RAW processing is not the best and it still needs a regular photo-editor like Photoshop for many more advanced image effects and for creating multi-layer montages.

So here are four Lightroom alternatives you can get without a subscription and which tackle some or all of Lightroom’s other niggles. All four offer the key Lightroom selling points:

  • Fully integrated image cataloguing and editing
  • Seamless editing of RAW files alongside TIFFs and JPEGs
  • Fully non-destructive editing
  • In-built presets and effects

1. Capture One 20

Capture One Pro is the closest direct match for Lightroom’s features and its target audience. Like Lightroom, it offers catalog-based image organisation and seamless editing of RAW files, TIFFs and JPEG images side by side. It is more expensive than Lightroom, but it’s designed for a high-end professional audience, and also offers sophisticated tethering tools and ‘session’-based shooting for studio photographers. It’s the quality of the RAW processing that really stands out in comparison to Lightroom, and the power and flexibility of its layers-based adjustment tools.

2. ON1 Photo RAW 2020

ON1 Photo RAW 2019 feels like it has more of an amateur/enthusiast slant than Capture One Pro, but steady development has meant that it now feels like quite a mature, polished product – and for sheer scope and value for money it’s remarkable. It combines regular ‘live’ folder browsing with quite powerful keywording, albums and search options and, like Lightroom, can edit RAW files seamlessly alongside other types. It goes a lot further than Lightroom in other respects, though, with a large library of image effect presets offering film simulation, grain, borders, LUT support and masking, offering a wide range of effects that Lightroom can’t achieve without the help of plug-ins or external editors.

3. Exposure X5

Like ON1 Photo RAW, Exposure X5 is an all-in-one image organising, editing and effects tool, but while it covers much of the same territory, it’s quite different to use. Where ON1 Photo RAW packs an amazing array of tools into its interface, Exposure X5 is a little simpler and cleaner to use, and its preset effects are geared heavily towards photographers who want to recreate analog film effects, from the subtle and romantic to deep and dramatic. Exposure X5 isn’t cheap and it’s not the most powerful Lightroom alternative, but its elegant interface, calm approach and evocative presets are likely to strike a chord with analog photography fans and artists.

4. Skylum Luminar 4

Luminar is a relatively new program that’s come a long way in a short time. Luminar 3 took a bold step into Lightroom territory by adding in fast and effective image browsing and organising tools and a new non-destructive workflow to match the others in this list, so that all the changes you make to your images can be altered, reversed or removed at any time. Luminar 4 goes further, with bold new AI Sky Replacement, Augmented Skies and rather good AI portrait enhancement tools. Its organising tools aren’t a match for Lightroom’s, but its editing tools and layers capability go much further. Its augmented/alternate reality tools won’t appeal to everyone, but they are spectacularly effective.

Best Lightroom alternatives: the verdict

Lightroom is out on its own for its cloud-based web editing and mobile device support, and may still be the best option for photographers committed to the Adobe software ecosystem, but there are a whole series of Lightroom alternatives that beat it convincingly in a number of other respects. Capture One 20 is better for professionals for the quality of its results, its powerful editing tools and its tethered shooting support. ON1 Photo RAW 2020 and Exposure X5 are both brilliant and more affordable all-in-one programs that offer creative effects far beyond Lightroom’s scope – you should check the trial versions of both to see which you prefer. Finally, Luminar 4 might not yet be the ‘Lightroom beater’ that some have suggested, but it’s exciting, effective, powerful and exceptional value, and getting better with every update.

Read more: Best image cataloguing software

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17 Comments

  1. I was surprised that Affinity isn’t mentioned. I’ve been using it increasingly, lately. It can go places none of Adobe’s software will take you!
    Some aspects of it take a bit of getting used to. But wasn’t that always true with Adobe’s products? Actually it still is – it’s a nightmare at times, getting things to start.
    But there’s plenty of guidance around, and you can slip into it – ease into it – quite quickly.
    The more I used it, in face, the more I find I want to.
    Which is kind of interesting. Because a group of us has been trying out different post processing software programs for the past 12 months or more. This one has been a late addition to my selection. But already it is kicking some of the others out of contention.

    Reply

    1. I agree that Affinity Photo is a great program, but it’s not in the same category as Lightroom. Affinity Photo is a traditional image-editor in the same vein as Photoshop, not an all-in-one non-destructive cataloguing/editing tool. If I was looking at Photoshop alternatives I would certainly have included it.

      Reply

  2. Two other great pieces of software you can pick up without a subscription (and without a single purchase either, for that matter): darktable (https://www.darktable.org/) and RawTherapee (https://rawtherapee.com/). Like the options you’ve suggested, these programs have improved greatly over the past few years, and they’re worth a look if you haven’t tried them lately.

    Reply

  3. Rod,

    This is a very helpful update on where these programs stand. I’m currently using DxO Photolab as my main processing tool primarily for its raw development, noise reduction, and lens correction tools. I’m a pretty minimal post production person so it serves pretty well, but it’s not a great culling/organizational tool (an aspect of the late, great Apple Aperture which I really Liked) and that’s really what I need at this point. I’ve used Fast Raw Viewer for the last year or so as a culling tool, but find it a little clunky and it’s batch run program to export files to DxO is a little quirky and unreliable. Any suggestions for a culling tool or which of these programs (other than Capture One) do you think has the potential to reach DXO’s level for raw development, wise reduction and lens corrections?

    Reply

    1. I would give Photo Mechanic by Camera Bits a hard look. It’s a standard in the publishing world because it’s the fastest, most refined editor on the market.

      Reply

  4. Echoing what others have said, most of the issue is that there are at least a handful of programs that are ‘best’ at one aspect, but fall down in at least one other.

    I have bought DxO Photolab, ON1, Aurora, Affinity Photo, and AfterShot Pro 3, plus a few ‘one click’ programs like Photo Lemur. I have also looked at Luminar 3. With the possible exception of AfterShot Pro 3, each of them is better at the rest at something.

    So I find DxO Photolab is easily the best at lens correction and noise reduction, for example. But another program is better at quickly adjusting colours to what I like. Repeat for organisation, fine pixel editing, and much else.

    Annoyingly, although most of these are based on .NET, none of them run under WINE with Mono, so photo editing is literally the only reason why I still have an installation of Windows on any PC.

    Oh, and RawTherapee and darktable are best on price 🙂 although Affinity Photo wasn’t far behind.

    Reply

  5. Thanks!
    1. There’s also DxO Photolab (paid).
    2. Then there’s a free alternative called Lightzone which used to be paid software but is now maintained by enthusiasts. You need to register to be able to download. Has a unique zones system (Ansel Adams) to work with images.
    3. ACDSee Photo Studio (paid)
    4 PhotoScape X (free & paid)

    PhotoScape is great for super fast results like applying a film effect and a nice border etc.

    Reply

    1. Good point, Dennis, I need to add PhotoLab to the list. I remember Lightzone, but it’s a bit specialised. I don’t like ACDSee very much (sorry) and I have looked at PhotoScape but I don’t think it’s a strong contender. But thanks.

      Reply

  6. The thing that makes Luminar special is that you can use layers (!) and that it has an abundance of filters.
    You can also simply paint in the effect of the filter if you wish or remove it.
    It also has AI artificial intelligence controlled image improvement and AI sky enhancement.
    Generally you will get beautiful results much faster than with any other product.

    Reply

    1. I agree that Luminar is good but I can’t agree that you will get beautiful results much faster than with any other product. Personally, I find Luminar’s tools good but its preset effects often somewhat crude – you can do better by applying your own adjustments, though that does take time.

      Reply

  7. Rod,

    I’ve just started looking at Polarr (yes, that’s with two”r”s at the end PhotoEditor Pro. Any thoughts?

    Reply

    1. I’ve heard of it but I haven’t looked at it until just now, since you mentioned it, but unless I’m mistaken it’s a photo-editor rather than a Lightroom alternative. Just to be clear, my ‘Lightroom alternatives’ list is about programs which combine image browsing/cataloguing and non-destructive editing tools, not just photo editors. I will take a closer look, but I don’t think Polarr is that kind of program.

      Reply

  8. Capture one isn’t the most intuitive to use and it’s raw processing isn’t really better than exposure 4.5 / 5, yet it will cost you 3x as much as what you’re paying for these apps.

    Also, it depends on the camera you’re using where the Fuji X-Tx line of bodies will often get better results from other raw processing alternatives.

    Reply

    1. I’m afraid I can’t agree with your Capture One vs Exposure comments, but we all have different experiences with different RAW files, and probably different expectations about the output too.

      Reply

  9. For the last 7 years I’ve been using adobe lightroom. I was never happy when they switched over to the subscription platform still I persisted with it until recently when the financial pressures of the Covid-19 pandemic started to put the squeeze on all our finances. As a result I pulled the plug on it 20 days shy of the annual renewal. It is not a bad piece of software although I must admit over the years I found successive updates progressively slowing it down. I am now seriously looking at some of the alternatives suggested in this article. Thank you

    Reply

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