To talk about the alternatives we must first know what it is Adobe Lightroom. It is a program developed by Adobe Systems for Windows and Mac Os and mobile devices that can be considered a benchmark within the creative industry. This tool is designed to cover all the work that a photographer may need in the processing of digital images and post-production work, that is, from importing images from the camera to obtaining RAW development. Thanks to this software we can organize, edit and share our photos through a computer, smartphone or tablet.
This powerful tool focuses on offering users a structured workflow so that any user can efficiently retouch and enhance their photos. It has functions to create projections with our photos, to be able to print them and even to be able to upload them directly to the web. In this way it is possible to share them both privately and through social networks. It also has a wide variety of tools for retouching photos. Thus we can find from simple tools such as color and light adjustments, cutting tools and noise reduction, to more advanced ones such as changing the focus of a photo.
It is a program that has been with us for a good number of years and it is not in vain that it has gained its popularity and acceptance among users focused on photo editing. However, and despite being a development of a firm of the importance of Adobethere are other alternative solutions that may be of great interest to you, as we will see.
Best free alternatives to Adobe Lightroom
If we need a program with which to carry out digital photography work, there are different alternatives to Adobe Lightroom that we must take into account. Above all, because there are completely free options that should not be overlooked, since in many cases they can be very useful. This is precisely the case that we are going to focus on now in case you are looking for software solutions with these characteristics, but you do not want to spend a single euro. It is worth mentioning that later we will also see other payment alternatives.
Raw Therapee, program to process RAW images
Raw Therapee is an open source and cross-platform RAW image processing program. With this useful tool we will be able to reveal photographs in RAW format. In addition, it is compatible with a large number of classic formats such as JPG or TIFF or DSLR camera formats such as NEF, DNG, among others. Thanks to this program we will be able to adapt the processor to the brightness, contrast, color or sharpness of the photograph. We can also crop and change the size of the image, as well as eliminate noise and chromatic aberrations.
Raw Therapee is a completely free program that we can download directly from your . It is compatible with Windows, Linux and Mac OS operating systems.
Darktable, with compatibility with more than 4oo cameras
darktable It is an open source program that allows us to manage the entire photo capture process, from planning to developing in RAW format. It has compatibility with more than 400 cameras and has a large number of adjustment and export tools, making it possible to export images directly to web hosting such as Facebook or Flickr. With this application it is possible to manage digital negatives in a professional way to improve the tones and obtain a photograph with the right light.
Darktable is a free program that is compatible with both Mac OS, Linux, and Windows and that we can download from .
UFRaw, manipulate and edit RAW images
UFRaw is an open source application that will allow us to read, manipulate and edit RAW format images generated by high-end digital or mobile cameras. This program has a large number of settings such as crop and rotate, grayscale, noise reduction, white balance, temperature, color management, and lightness and saturation. It also allows you to export RAW files to JPG, TIFF or PNG formats.
UFRaw is compatible with Windows, Linux and Mac OS operating systems and we can download it for free from .
GIMP
If we talk about applications to edit photos that are also free, we cannot stop talking about GIMP. GIMP has become, on its own merits, the best photo editor on the market, a tool that, unlike other alternatives, is fully translated into Spanish. The number of options that we have on our devices to edit any photo is at the same level as Lightroom, although it includes many more options, making it one of the best options on the market that is practically at the same level as Adobe Photoshop.
With GIMP we can apply a large number of filters of all kinds, in addition to others available through third-party plugins. As a good photo editing tool, it also allows us to change the size of the photos, export them to other formats, reduce their size and, best of all, we can reverse any change since it works through layers, which allows us to modify images through overlays that we can remove quickly and easily. We can download this application directly from its website, which we can access by pressing .
DigiKam, powerful photography manager
DigiKam is a powerful open source photo manager designed to work with images like a pro. With this tool we will be able to organize our images, edit them, correct errors and light and color problems, and export them to galleries like Flickr or Picasa. We can also edit the spectrograms of our photos as well as add geolocation information manually. It is also compatible with some plugins to be able to modify other aspects of the photographs.
DigiKam is an application that is compatible with Windows, Mac OS and Linux, which we can download completely free of charge from its .
Alternatives to Adobe Lightroom with payment options
Beyond the completely free options that we can find as substitutes for Adobe Lightroom, we can also opt for other payment options that can also serve as alternatives. In addition, these options also usually have free or free trial versions to be able to check if it is worth it.
Polarr, professional photography tool
Polarr is a completely professional photo editing and retouching program, being possible to work with RAW or DNG formats. It has a large number and variety of tools with which to edit the color, temperature or detail of the images. It has a workspace that we can customize to our liking, with more than 50 predetermined filters to be able to make all kinds of quick edits. It also has watermarking tools, as well as mixing and matching filters with the ability to create completely custom filters.
Polarr is compatible with Windows and Mac OS, having a free version that we can download from . It also has payment methods by subscription from $3.99 per month.
LightZone, ideal for treating and editing RAW photos
LightZone is a program for the treatment and edition of photographs in RAW format, focused mainly on the control of the workflow, that is, from obtaining the image to its printing. With this tool we will be able to retouch and optimize our photos, without the need to have a great knowledge of the subject. It has support for working in RAW formats and recording directly in JPG, PNG and TIFF formats. It has a wide range of utilities to adjust the brightness, color and contrast, special effects of various kinds and a channel mixer.
LightZone is an application compatible with Windows, Mac OS and Linux and we can download a free trial version if we register on their website. We can buy your license for 112 euro.
Capture One, professional manager with functions similar to Lightroom
Capture One It is a professional editor and manager that is responsible for developing RAW files and works quite similarly to Lightroom. With this program we will be able to customize our entire workspace, having the possibility of moving tools to work in the most comfortable way with them. We will also be able to capture, organize, share, edit and print our photos with the highest possible quality. In addition, with this application we will work through albums, so that we will have everything correctly ordered.
We can download a 30-day trial version of Capture One from , being compatible with computers with Windows and Mac OS. It can be purchased from 220 euros and has various subscription packages.
Luminar, very popular photo editing software
luminar is a powerful photo editing software that has a powerful AI capable of adjusting and adapting any image just the way we want it. It has a complete and intuitive interface with quite simple handling. With this tool we can delete unwanted objects and people from our photos, as well as cut out any strange or excessive detail that we find in it. We can also fix skin imperfections and restore old photos quickly and very effectively. And if we like black and white photos, we can convert our images with a wide variety of filters and effects.
Luminar is compatible with both Windows and Mac OS computers and can be purchased from 89 euro. It is also possible to download a free trial version from .
What is the best alternative?
The truth is that, although Lightroom goes hand in hand with Photoshop, it is not, by far, the best program to process and enhance photos. Its interface is complicated, the program is poorly maintained, its batch processing functions do not work as they should… its weaknesses are many. Therefore, it is easy to find a replacement for it.
If we are lovers of free software, or simply do not want to spend money on a new license, darktable It’s one of our favorite options. This program is very similar to Lightroom in interface and features. It is true that it is somewhat limited compared to Adobe’s program, but it will easily cover the needs of any home or semi-professional user.
If we are looking for a commercial program, and we don’t mind paying, then we would bet on luminar. In addition to being similar to Lightroom, it improves its interface and adds the most useful functions and features for users. Starting, for example, with advanced Artificial Intelligence that helps us give our photos the best appearance without having to have image knowledge. In addition, its single payment method will help us save, since, once the license is paid (which has an acceptable price, although it is on the high side), it will be ours forever.
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