The Best Free Adobe Lightroom AlternativesTop Photo Managers & Image Editors like Adobe Lightroom

The best free 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 loads of them is free so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting free alternatives to Adobe Lightroom are RawTherapee, digiKam, RapidRAW and Sly.

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Adobe Lightroom alternatives are mainly Photo Editors, but if you're looking for Image Editors or Photo Managers you can filter on that. Other popular filters include Open Source, Linux, Mac, Android, Free, iPad and Photo Organization. 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

     340 likes

    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

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    Darktable’s lighttable mode showing a collection
     
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    14
    256
    Comments about darktable as an Alternative to Adobe Lightroom
    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

    3 of 14 comments
    darktable icon
    darktable icon

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

    • 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

     233 likes

    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

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • Snapcraft
    • Flathub
    • PortableApps.com
    • Flatpak
    RawTherapee screenshot 1
     
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    1
    112
    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.

    RawTherapee 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

     356 likes

    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.

    105 digiKam alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • KDE Plasma
    • Flathub
    • Qt
    Image editor
     
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    3
    76
    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
    -1

    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.
    digiKam 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
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    Ashampoo Photo Commander icon
    Ashampoo Photo Commander

    Ashampoo Photo Commander provides robust photo management, editing, and sharing, along with audio and video features. It includes automatic image optimization, batch processing, and tools for red-eye correction, noise reduction, ...

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  6. RapidRAW icon

    RapidRAW

     53 likes

    GPU-accelerated RAW photo editor for Windows, macOS, and Linux featuring non-destructive workflow, AI-driven masking tools, 32-bit precision, advanced color grading, tonal controls, batch operations, preset system, customizable interface, and comprehensive export options.

    54 RapidRAW alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Flathub
    • Flatpak
    RapidRAW screenshot 1
     
  7. Sly icon

    Sly

     51 likes

    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.

    36 Sly alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Linux
    • Android
    • Flathub
    • Flatpak
    • Online
    Sly screenshot 1
     
  8. QuickEdit icon

    QuickEdit

     21 likes

    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.

    55 QuickEdit alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Android
    • Android Tablet
    • F-Droid
    QuickEdit screenshot 1
     
  10. Snapseed icon

    Snapseed

     87 likes

    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.

    75 Snapseed alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    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
    1

    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.
    3 of 5 comments
    Snapseed 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
  11. Polarr icon

    Polarr

     119 likes

    Offers advanced filters, high-precision color and light tools, clarity, dehaze, batch export, watermarking, custom filter creation, touch and mouse access, infinite undo, HSL/RGB curves, blending, and workspace customization for versatile editing needs.

    140 Polarr alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Chrome OS
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    Polarr screenshot 1
     
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    1
    23
    Comments about Polarr as an Alternative to Adobe Lightroom
    Guest
    Positive
    1

    Very flexible and can handle bulk applications of filters, fixes and adjustments. Cross-platform, even on the web when you can't install it on a local machine.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Polarr icon
    Polarr icon

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

    • Polarr is Freemium and ProprietaryAdobe Lightroom is Paid and Proprietary
  12. Right Gallery icon

    Right Gallery

     18 likes

    Your private moments are protected. Discover Right Gallery, where your privacy is our priority.

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Android
    • Android Tablet
    Right Gallery screenshot 1
     
  13. Apple Photos icon

    Apple Photos

     57 likes

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

    120 Apple Photos alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Online
    • iPhone
    • iPad
    Apple Photos screenshot 1
     
    |
    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.
    3 of 5 comments
    Apple Photos 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
  14. PhotoSort icon

    PhotoSort

     10 likes

    Desktop app for photo sorting on Windows & Mac, managing JPG+RAW files. Sort photos into folders using keys, providing easy navigation and clean interface without deletion, ensuring a focused experience with flexible viewing, safe storage, and no fluff.

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Alerts

    • Discontinued

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    PhotoSort screenshot 1
     
  15. Photon Studio icon

    Photon Studio

     9 likes

    Photon Studio grabs the latest photo taken with Photon Camera on your iPhone, and allows you to easily display it on your iPad, Apple Silicon Mac, or another iPhone connected to an external monitor.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • iPhone
    • iPad
    • Mac
    Photon Studio screenshot 1
     
12 of 74 Adobe Lightroom alternatives