Desktop computers generally are more powerful but some laptops also make good portable photo editing devices. I would definitely add that all photo editing software programs are going to work best if you have a good computer with a fast SSD drive, powerful processor, lots of RAM, and ideally a fast graphics card. With this in mind, I have tried to pick applications that have similar functionality, i.e., they let you edit and organise your photos in one application. Adobe’s Photoshop Lightroom Classic CC product performs the dual functions of photo editing and photo management, meaning you can use it to edit your photos, as well as organise them.

The purpose of this guide is to try and share some of the best alternatives to Lightroom that you can buy today. Note, this list doesn’t include mobile apps, but you can see some recommendations for mobile apps in our guide to the best photo editing applications. I’ve included both paid and free products, as well as products that support both Mac and Windows computers.

With all this in mind, I wanted to share some of the best alternatives to Lightroom that are available on the market today. Lightroom also has a relatively steep learning curve, and whilst it can certainly do a lot, it is missing some important features like layer support. It also requires a powerful computer, and even then Lightroom performance can be a challenge. First is the fact you have to pay a monthly or annual subscription, which definitely puts some people off. Well, there are lots of reasons folks choose not to use Lightroom. So why am I writing a post on Lightroom Alternatives? We’re big fans of Adobe Lightroom for our photo editing and photo management tasks, and it’s definitely one of our favourite photo editing applications.

Free adobe light room