Adobe Lightroom AlternativesOnly Free apps categorised as Image Editors

The best free Image Editor alternative to Adobe Lightroom is darktable, which is also Open Source. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 100 alternatives to Adobe Lightroom and many of them are free Image Editors so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting free Image Editor alternatives to Adobe Lightroom are RawTherapee, digiKam, RapidRAW and Sly.

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Adobe Lightroom alternatives are mainly Image Editors, but if you're looking for Photo Editors or Raw Photo Editorss you can filter on that. Other popular filters include Open Source, Mac, Linux, Android, Free, Photo Organization and Online. You can also filter by region, for example EU-based alternatives if you prefer software developed in the European Union. These are just examples - use the filter bar below to find more specific alternatives to Adobe Lightroom.
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Alternatives list

  1. darktable icon

    darktable

     336 likes
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    Open source non-destructive RAW editor and virtual darkroom with zoomable lighttable, database-driven organization, HDR and EXR support, floating-point workflow, batch exporting, and advanced editing for photography and scientific imaging across platforms.

    70 darktable alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    Darktable’s lighttable mode showing a collection
     
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    14
    255
    Comments about darktable as an Alternative to Adobe Lightroom
    Comment summary: Darktable is praised for being faster and potentially more powerful than Lightroom, offering similar features including improved denoise capabilities. However, some users note a significant drawback in its lack of robust photo organization functions, a key feature of Lightroom. Despite this, as a free open-source solution, darktable remains a strong contender as a Lightroom alternative, especially for those prioritizing cost and development features.
    Top Positive Comment
    Guest
    14

    Complete Raw processing suite. Best free open source solution

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Roman
    Positive
    0

    The general approach, workflow and selection of tools for RAW development is a close match to Lightroom, but it's free and works on Linux

    bolude
    Positive
    0

    FOSS and does everything Lightroom does

    Show more comments
    3 of 14 comments
    Adobe Lightroom Icon
    darktable icon

    • Almost everyone thinks darktable is a great Adobe Lightroom alternative.

    • darktable is the most popular Windows, Mac & Linux alternative to Adobe Lightroom.

    • darktable is the most popular Open Source & free alternative to Adobe Lightroom.

    • darktable is Free and Open SourceAdobe Lightroom is Paid and Proprietary
    • darktable is Privacy focusedAdobe Lightroom is not according to our users
  2. RawTherapee icon

    RawTherapee

     232 likes
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    Raw photo processing software with advanced control over demosaicing. Ideal for newcomers, semi-professionals, and professionals. Supports HDR DNGs, JPGs, and TIFFs, with in-house enhancements for some camera models. Open-source, lacks digital asset management.

    58 RawTherapee alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • Snapcraft
    • Flathub
    • PortableApps.com
    • Flatpak
    RawTherapee screenshot 1
     
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    111
    Comments about RawTherapee as an Alternative to Adobe Lightroom
    MercuryHero
    Positive
    3

    Fairly advanced control over RAW processing including demosaicing algorithm, gamma curves, etc. Supports its own profiles and presets.

    Adobe Lightroom Icon
    RawTherapee icon

    • Almost everyone thinks RawTherapee is a great Adobe Lightroom alternative.

    • RawTherapee is Free and Open SourceAdobe Lightroom is Paid and Proprietary
    • RawTherapee is Privacy focusedAdobe Lightroom is not according to our users
  4. digiKam icon

    digiKam

     350 likes
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    digiKam is an advanced digital photo management tool that simplifies importing and organizing photos into albums. It supports various formats including RAW, features tagging, metadata management, duplicate finder, photo editing, sharing, GPS data handling, and has cross-platform compatibility.

    104 digiKam alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • KDE Plasma
    • Flathub
    • Qt
    Image editor
     
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    3
    75
    Comments about digiKam as an Alternative to Adobe Lightroom
    Guest
    Positive
    6

    Database functionality - Lots of other pieces of software mentioned are good at RAW processing but few, if any, have a good, structured back-end to organise photos.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Guest
    Negative
    0

    digiKam is good at organizing photos but has nothing to edit or adjust photos and RAW files. It only covers half of the features of Lightroom

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Guest
    Negative
    -35

    digiKam is a photo management while lightroom is a raw photo editor, they have nothing in common

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Adobe Lightroom Icon
    digiKam icon

    • Most users think digiKam is a great Adobe Lightroom alternative.

    • digiKam is Free and Open SourceAdobe Lightroom is Paid and Proprietary
    • digiKam is Privacy focusedAdobe Lightroom is not according to our users
  5. Ad
    Screenshot
    Movavi Photo Editor icon
    Movavi Photo Editor

    Photo software tailored for all photographers, offering quick and effective tools for image editing. Features include intuitive interface, adjust tools for brightness, contrast, saturation, and exposure. Filters and cropping with...

    https://www.movavi.com
    Learn More
  7. Sly icon

    Sly

     50 likes
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    Sly is a user-friendly, offline image editor requiring no expertise; adjust brightness, contrast, apply effects, and export in JPEG or PNG formats with control over metadata.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Linux
    • Android
    • Flathub
    • Flatpak
    • Online
    Sly screenshot 1
     

    • Sly is the most popular Web-based & Android alternative to Adobe Lightroom.

    • Sly is Free and Open SourceAdobe Lightroom is Paid and Proprietary
    • Sly is Privacy focused and LightweightAdobe Lightroom is not according to our users
  8. QuickEdit icon

    QuickEdit

     21 likes
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    Lightweight photo editor where you can crop your images, paint over them, add text and even add exciting filters to make it stand out on social media. Save the edited images locally or share them directly to your friends through any other social media app.

    54 QuickEdit alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Android
    • Android Tablet
    • F-Droid
    QuickEdit screenshot 1
    QuickEdit screenshot 2
    QuickEdit screenshot 3
     

    • QuickEdit is the most popular Android Tablet alternative to Adobe Lightroom.

    • QuickEdit is Free and Open SourceAdobe Lightroom is Paid and Proprietary
    • QuickEdit is Lightweight and Privacy focusedAdobe Lightroom is not according to our users
  10. Snapseed icon

    Snapseed

     87 likes
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    Snapseed is a photo enhancement and sharing app with a powerful suite of imaging filters and tools for anyone, anywhere, to transform any image into an extraordinary photo.

    74 Snapseed alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    Snapseed screenshot 1
     
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    5
    26
    Comments about Snapseed as an Alternative to Adobe Lightroom
    Top Positive Comment
    Guest
    2

    Really good tool, but make sure you don't push the adjustments too far, or it'll ruin the photo.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Top Negative Comment
    Guest
    0

    Missing a lot of Lightroom's features, most notably, it's not a photo manager. It's nice for quick edits on the go, but it was bought by Google a while ago, so assume no privacy.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Guest
    Negative
    1

    Snapseed is an image editor, not organizer.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
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    3 of 5 comments
    Adobe Lightroom Icon
    Snapseed icon

    • Most users think Snapseed is a great Adobe Lightroom alternative.

    • Snapseed is Free and ProprietaryAdobe Lightroom is Paid and Proprietary
    • Snapseed is LightweightAdobe Lightroom is not according to our users
  12. Apple Photos icon

    Apple Photos

     57 likes
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    Photos is a digital photograph manipulation application developed by Apple, intended to be less complex than its predecessor iPhoto .

    119 Apple Photos alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Online
    • iPhone
    • iPad
    Apple Photos screenshot 1
     
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    5
    21
    Comments about Apple Photos as an Alternative to Adobe Lightroom
    Top Positive Comment
    jamiegray
    1

    Improved editing tools, thanks to the merging of Apple Aperture and Apple Photos. Nice to sync between all devices. Certainly not as robust as Lightroom, but very convenient.

    Top Negative Comment
    Guest
    0

    No adjustment brushes in Photo

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Guest
    Negative
    -3

    Insufficient editing toolset, clumsy facial recognition, requires iCloud subscription for some features.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
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    3 of 5 comments
    Adobe Lightroom Icon
    Apple Photos icon

    • Some users think Apple Photos is a great Adobe Lightroom alternative, some don't.

    • Apple Photos is Free and ProprietaryAdobe Lightroom is Paid and Proprietary
  13. Adobe Photoshop Express icon

    Adobe Photoshop Express

     117 likes
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    Adobe's mobile photo-editing app lets you edit, share, and upload photos across devices. With features like free 2 GB storage, original size backup, and extra tools for advanced editing, it enhances your images for social media without reducing file quality.

    166 Adobe Photoshop Express alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium (Pay once)
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • Windows Phone
    • iPad
    Adobe Photoshop Express screenshot 1
     
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    1
    9
    Comments about Adobe Photoshop Express as an Alternative to Adobe Lightroom
    Guest
    Positive
    0

    Amazing mobile app for edit pictures!

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Adobe Lightroom Icon
    Adobe Photoshop Express icon

    • Most users think Adobe Photoshop Express is a great Adobe Lightroom alternative.

    • Adobe Photoshop Express is Freemium and ProprietaryAdobe Lightroom is Paid and Proprietary
  14. Ansel icon

    Ansel

     4 likes
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    Ansel is an open-source photo-editing software for digital artists, designed to help you achieve your own interpretation of raw digital photographs.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Linux
    Lighttable
     
12 of 27 Adobe Lightroom alternatives