In terms of interface and toolset, it’s something of a hybrid alternative to Lightroom and Photoshop, though it doesn’t have the same level of image management and organization capabilities of either.

It’s powerful and accessible enough to attract both beginners and professionals. It's an open-source RAW image-processing app, so you’re able to use it across Windows, macOS, and Linux. RawTherapee (opens in new tab) is one of the best free Lightroom alternatives you can find - so long as you're mostly focused on RAW image editing. You can also get licenses that support just one brand of camera - Sony, Fujifilm, or Nikon - for a reduced fee. Subscribers get free updates, and outright purchasers can get updates at special prices. You can either pay for a subscription or purchase the software outright. The platform used to be quite expensive because of that focus, but the price has come down to be similar to that of Lightroom. If you’re always expanding your image library and don’t want to lose track, organizing images can be grouped by sessions, not just catalogs, and you can even add annotations directly onto photos.īecause Phase One’s history has been with high-end cameras, the software has benefitted from having a similar emphasis on high-end rendering quality. With that comes a range of advanced tools.Ĭapture One Pro is a good alternative to Lightroom in its feature set, while including some of the functionality found in Photoshop, like being able to use layers. It also comes with a 14-day free trial and a 90-day money-back guarantee.Ĭapture One Pro (opens in new tab) is a photo organizing and editing program designed for professional and studio photographers. ON1 Photo RAW has a decent one-time cost, fully licensed and ideal for the subscription-wary (though one is available). Where it falls short is its catalog backup, which lacks Lightroom’s easy touch. When using the tool, there’s no need to import images, as the program will automatically recognize images on your computer’s hard drive. That gives it a strong edge over some of the other best Lightroom alternatives. The RAW photo editor and organizer originally started out developing image-editing plugins, many of which are now integrated with Photo RAW. It also features layers and focus stacking, so it’s easy to get to grips with if you’re familiar with Adobe products. ON1 boasts many of Lightroom’s digital asset management features to keep media libraries in order, plus the sometimes essential image-editing capabilities of Photoshop. If you’re already familiar with using Adobe tools to manage and edit your photos, ON1 Photo RAW (opens in new tab) is a breeze.Īs an alternative to Lightroom and Photoshop, it’s a powerful combination of both apps.

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