The Best Free Adobe Lightroom AlternativesTop Photo Managers & Raw Photo 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 GIMP, RawTherapee, digiKam and RapidRAW.

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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, Mac, Linux, Free, Android, Online and Windows + Free. 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

     366 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.

    77 darktable alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    Darktable’s lighttable mode showing a collection
     
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    15
    darktable vs Adobe Lightroom Comments
    Top Positive Comment
    Guest
    14

    Complete Raw processing suite. Best free open source solution

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Top Negative Comment
    ccier7u87wl2pvvz7o
    0

    Doesn't support Apple ProRAW DNGs

    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

    3 of 15 comments
    • darktable is Free and Open SourceAdobe Lightroom is Paid and Proprietary
    • darktable is Privacy focusedAdobe Lightroom is not according to our users
  2. GIMP icon

    GIMP

     4801 likes

    Free open-source suite offering advanced photo retouching, image composition, original artwork creation, batch processing, plugin support, custom scripting, mass image format conversion, and integration with free publishing tools for comprehensive editing solutions.

    205 GIMP alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • Snapcraft
    • Flathub
    • PortableApps.com
    • Haiku
    • Flatpak
    • AmigaOS
    • AppImage
    GIMP screenshot 1
     
  4. RawTherapee icon

    RawTherapee

     242 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.

    65 RawTherapee alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • Snapcraft
    • Flathub
    • PortableApps.com
    • Flatpak
    RawTherapee screenshot 1
     
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    2
    RawTherapee vs Adobe Lightroom Comments
    MercuryHero
    Positive
    3

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

    fredly2
    Positive
    0

    I like Rawtherapee as an alternative to Lightroom because it gives me controll over DNG files for free on a Macbook.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    • RawTherapee is Free and Open SourceAdobe Lightroom is Paid and Proprietary
    • RawTherapee is Privacy focusedAdobe Lightroom is not according to our users
  5. Ad
    Screenshot
    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, ...

    https://www.ashampoo.com
    Learn More
  6. digiKam icon

    digiKam

     367 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.

    122 digiKam alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • KDE Plasma
    • Flathub
    • Qt
    Image editor
     
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    3
    digiKam vs Adobe Lightroom Comments
    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 is Free and Open SourceAdobe Lightroom is Paid and Proprietary
    • digiKam is Privacy focusedAdobe Lightroom is not according to our users
  8. RapidRAW icon

    RapidRAW

     69 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.

    58 RapidRAW alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Flathub
    • Flatpak
    RapidRAW screenshot 1
     
  9. Snapseed icon

    Snapseed

     93 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.

    76 Snapseed alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    Snapseed screenshot 1
     
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    5
    Snapseed vs Adobe Lightroom Comments
    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 is Free and ProprietaryAdobe Lightroom is Paid and Proprietary
    • Snapseed is LightweightAdobe Lightroom is not according to our users
  10. Apple Photos icon

    Apple Photos

     62 likes

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

    140 Apple Photos alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Online
    • iPhone
    • iPad
    Apple Photos screenshot 1
     
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    5
    Apple Photos vs Adobe Lightroom Comments
    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 is Free and ProprietaryAdobe Lightroom is Paid and Proprietary
  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.

    143 Polarr alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Chrome OS
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    Polarr screenshot 1
     
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    1
    Polarr vs Adobe Lightroom Comments
    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 is Freemium and ProprietaryAdobe Lightroom is Paid and Proprietary
  12. QuickEdit icon

    QuickEdit

     24 likes

    Lightweight tool offering cropping, drawing, text editing with formatting options, GPUImage filters, smooth Jetpack Compose-based animations, quick saving, and direct sharing to social media apps, designed for fast, simple photo enhancements on any device.

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Android
    • Android Tablet
    • F-Droid
    QuickEdit screenshot 1
     
  13. Right Gallery icon

    Right Gallery

     22 likes

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

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Android
    • Android Tablet
    Right Gallery screenshot 1
     
  14. Adobe Photoshop Express icon

    Adobe Photoshop Express

     120 likes

    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.

    174 Adobe Photoshop Express alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • Windows Phone
    • iPad
    Adobe Photoshop Express screenshot 1
     
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    1
    Adobe Photoshop Express vs Adobe Lightroom Comments
    Guest
    Positive
    0

    Amazing mobile app for edit pictures!

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    • Adobe Photoshop Express is Freemium and ProprietaryAdobe Lightroom is Paid and Proprietary
  15. 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 types

    Alerts

    • Discontinued

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    PhotoSort screenshot 1
     
12 of 84 Adobe Lightroom alternatives