AlternativeTo LogoLoginSign up
AlternativeTo Logo

Adobe Lightroom Alternatives for Mac

There are many alternatives to Adobe Lightroom for Mac if you are looking for a replacement. The best Mac alternative is darktable, which is both free and Open Source. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 100 alternatives to Adobe Lightroom and loads of them are available for Mac so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting Mac alternatives to Adobe Lightroom are RawTherapee, digiKam, Affinity Photo and Capture One.

Adobe Lightroom alternatives are mainly Photo Managers but may also be Raw Photo Processors or Photo Editors. Filter by these if you want a narrower list of alternatives or looking for a specific functionality of Adobe Lightroom.
This page was last updated
Adobe Lightroom iconAdobe Lightroom
  410
  • Mac
  • Windows
  • Online
  • Android
  • iPhone
  • Windows S
  • Android Tablet
  • iPad

Create incredible photos anywhere with all-new Lightroom CC and 1 TB of cloud storage. Get powerful editing features on any...

Learn more about Adobe Lightroom

  1. darktable is a virtual lighttable and darkroom for photographers: it manages your digital negatives in a database and lets you view them through a zoomable lighttable. it also enables you to develop raw images and enhance them.

    Darktable’s lighttable mode showing a collection
    darktable vs Adobe Lightroom opinions
    Almost everyone thinks darktable is a great alternative to Adobe Lightroom.
     all • positive • negative      relevance • date

    Complete Raw processing suite. Best free open source solution

    Top positive comment   ago
    Copy a direct link to this comment to your clipboard   
    If this Comment contains spam or other abuse, notify admins about it.

    15

    Powerful RAW processor with options that not even Lightroom has.

    Top positive comment   ago
    Copy a direct link to this comment to your clipboard   
    If this Comment contains spam or other abuse, notify admins about it.

    13

    Far more powerful and with a bit of practice and reading, Lightroom would be a thing of the past. It is under active development. The unofficial facebook group can provide you with the best help and some very wonderful photo enthusiasts

    Positive comment • ago
    Copy a direct link to this comment to your clipboard   
    If this Comment contains spam or other abuse, notify admins about it.

    0

    Well thought RAW-Suite with every Feature Lightroom has.

    Positive comment • ago
    Copy a direct link to this comment to your clipboard   
    If this Comment contains spam or other abuse, notify admins about it.

    -2

    Lacking photo organisation abilities of Lightroom

    Negative comment • ago
    Copy a direct link to this comment to your clipboard   
    If this Comment contains spam or other abuse, notify admins about it.

    -5
    ehshi

    The best alternative for Lightroom as a professional photographer.

    Positive comment • ago
    Copy a direct link to this comment to your clipboard   
    If this Comment contains spam or other abuse, notify admins about it.

    6

    Darktable lacks any photo organization capabilities. They consider this a feature and state you should organize them on disk outside the app. This is a pretty dumb idea since inside the ap, you can't organize, and outside the app you can't see the changes. Any comparison to Lightroom in this case is silly. 1/2 the (organize & develop) capability is gone.

    Negative comment • ago
    Copy a direct link to this comment to your clipboard   
    If this Comment contains spam or other abuse, notify admins about it.

    -8
    Show more comments ▾
    7 of 9 comments

  2. RawTherapee is a free RAW converter and digital photo processing software. All changes can be applied and batch processed at a convenient time.

    Running on Windows 10 under GTK3
    RawTherapee vs Adobe Lightroom opinions
    Almost everyone thinks RawTherapee is a great alternative to Adobe Lightroom.
    MercuryHero

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

    Positive comment • ago
    Copy a direct link to this comment to your clipboard   
    If this Comment contains spam or other abuse, notify admins about it.

    3

  4. digiKam is an advanced digital photo management application which makes importing and organizing digital photos a "snap". The photos are organized in albums which can be sorted chronologically, by folder layout or by custom collections.

    Screenshot
    digiKam vs Adobe Lightroom opinions
    Almost everyone thinks digiKam is a great alternative to Adobe Lightroom.

    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.

    Positive comment • ago
    Copy a direct link to this comment to your clipboard   
    If this Comment contains spam or other abuse, notify admins about it.

    6

    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

    Negative comment • ago
    Copy a direct link to this comment to your clipboard   
    If this Comment contains spam or other abuse, notify admins about it.

    -1

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

    Negative comment • ago
    Copy a direct link to this comment to your clipboard   
    If this Comment contains spam or other abuse, notify admins about it.

    -36

  5. Affinity Photo is a professional, full-featured raster graphics editor. Working in Affinity Photo is always live and you can pan and zoom at 60fps, with live previews and non destructive application.

    Screenshot
    Affinity Photo vs Adobe Lightroom opinions
    This alternative is disputed. Affinity Photo is still a legitimate alternative to Adobe Lightroom, but it might have issues that some users think are important.
    User8391496

    graphics editor, no organization capabilities

    Negative comment • ago
    Copy a direct link to this comment to your clipboard   
    If this Comment contains spam or other abuse, notify admins about it.

    33

    Affinity Photo is an alternative to Photoshop, not Lightroom. Affinity Photo can't do batch editing of photos right now.

    Negative comment • ago
    Copy a direct link to this comment to your clipboard   
    If this Comment contains spam or other abuse, notify admins about it.

    24

  6. Capture One is a leading raw converter and workflow software which enables photographers to reduce the time and effort required to deliver astounding ready-to-use images with excellent color and detail.

    Screenshot
    Capture One vs Adobe Lightroom opinions
    Almost everyone thinks Capture One is a great alternative to Adobe Lightroom.

    Same professional RAW editing results. Perpetual license option.

    Positive comment • ago
    Copy a direct link to this comment to your clipboard   
    If this Comment contains spam or other abuse, notify admins about it.

    3

    If you ever used the Express version for Sony Alpha, Nikon or Fujifilm, there will be no difference with the UI. However, if you want to open RAW photos from other camera brands (such as Canon, Panasonic Lumix etc.), you must buy the Pro version, and thankfully there's a perpetual license option.

    Positive comment • ago
    Copy a direct link to this comment to your clipboard   
    If this Comment contains spam or other abuse, notify admins about it.

    0

    Limited (but still good) free edition for Sony and Fujifilm cameras.

    Positive comment • ago
    Copy a direct link to this comment to your clipboard   
    If this Comment contains spam or other abuse, notify admins about it.

    1
    scruffyburger

    Advanced RAW editing features. Layer support, Advanced color management. Fast processing. Perpetual licensing option. Catalog or session options for dealing with photos.

    Positive comment • ago
    Copy a direct link to this comment to your clipboard   
    If this Comment contains spam or other abuse, notify admins about it.

    2

  8. ACDSee is a complex, multi-purpose application that serves for viewing, organizing and editing digital photos. Furthermore, images can be shared on social websites or your own space on the developer’s website.

    Screenshot
    Most users think ACDSee Photo Studio is a great alternative to Adobe Lightroom.
  9. Polarr icon

    Polarr

    Copy a direct link to this comment to your clipboard
    • Freemium • Proprietary
    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Chrome OS
    • Windows S
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad

    From high-precision light and color tools, to advanced clarity and dehaze settings, to the ability to create and save your own filters. Polarr is the ideal photo editor for bloggers, students, and photo professionals alike.

    Screenshot
    Polarr vs Adobe Lightroom opinions
    Most users think Polarr is a great alternative to Adobe Lightroom.

    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.

    Positive comment • ago
    Copy a direct link to this comment to your clipboard   
    If this Comment contains spam or other abuse, notify admins about it.

    1

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

    Screenshot
    Apple Photos vs Adobe Lightroom opinions
    Almost everyone thinks Apple Photos is a great alternative to Adobe Lightroom.
    jamiegray

    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 positive comment   ago
    Copy a direct link to this comment to your clipboard   
    If this Comment contains spam or other abuse, notify admins about it.

    1

    Photos, is too simple, incomparable to the Adobe suite, it's barely a photo editor (A shame you even added it to this list)

    Top negative comment   ago
    Copy a direct link to this comment to your clipboard   
    If this Comment contains spam or other abuse, notify admins about it.

    0

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

    Negative comment • ago
    Copy a direct link to this comment to your clipboard   
    If this Comment contains spam or other abuse, notify admins about it.

    -4

    Is a ridiculous app. You can't filter between landscape and portrait! Unusable.

    Negative comment • ago
    Copy a direct link to this comment to your clipboard   
    If this Comment contains spam or other abuse, notify admins about it.

    -9

    No adjustment brushes in Photo

    Negative comment • ago
    Copy a direct link to this comment to your clipboard   
    If this Comment contains spam or other abuse, notify admins about it.

    0
  11. Luminar icon

    Luminar

    Copy a direct link to this comment to your clipboard
    • Freemium • Proprietary
    • Mac
    • Windows

    Meet the most innovative professional photo editor built by photographers for photographers. Luminar brings everything you need to make perfect photos in less time!

    Screenshot
    Luminar vs Adobe Lightroom opinions
    Almost everyone thinks Luminar is a great alternative to Adobe Lightroom.
    macuser707

    Skylum's business model is to overpromise and under-deliver. Learned that the hard way. Maybe they'll actually enable GPU processing before the next decade.

    Positive comment • ago
    Copy a direct link to this comment to your clipboard   
    If this Comment contains spam or other abuse, notify admins about it.

    0

    It's slow on my old Mac, but it's «easy to understand»!

    Positive comment • ago
    Copy a direct link to this comment to your clipboard   
    If this Comment contains spam or other abuse, notify admins about it.

    1

  12. Eagle helps you manage pictures, screenshots, user interfaces and designs that make your lightbulb shine. If you are a designer, you will definitely love this!.

    illustration
Showing 10 of 52 alternatives