Free Lightroom Alternatives

Top 21 Best Free Lightroom Alternatives

But what if I told you about the following 21 FREE Lightroom alternatives that offer practically the same functions?

TOP 3 LR Alternatives:

• Free Forever: RawTherapee
• For beginners: Darktable
• Fast batch edit: Picktorial

Undoubtedly, Adobe Lightroom is the best photo editing software for professional photographers, who need to edit RAW files and for beginning shooters who need fast photo editing with Lightroom presets.

Also Reviewed:

• Easy editing with filters: Skylum Luminar
• Simple interface: Digikam
• Free color correction: Lightzone
• Fast image enhancement: Polarr
• For basic color correction: Photoscape
• Supports Lr plugins: Paint Net
• For editing graphics: Inkscape
• For photo management: IrfanView
• Photoshop CS2 copy: Chasys Draw IES
• Professional software: Capture One Pro
• For color grading: Affinity Photo
• Lightroom features: AlienSkin Exposure
• Cheap alternative: DxO PhotoLab
• For beginners: ON1 Photo RAW
• For amateurs: ACDSee
• Lightroom in your smartphone: Pixlr
• Simple interface: Ribbet
• User-friendly alternative: PicMonkey

1. RawTherapee

RawTherapee is one of the best Lightroom alternatives that has similar functions and features. But it is an open source photo editor, which makes it absolutely free for Windows and MacOS users.

Main RawTherapee Features:

• Open-source, cross-platform
• It is possible to manage colors using a special LittleCMS system
• Supports film negatives and monochrome cameras
• Ability to rate pictures from 0 to 5 stars
• Lossless picture editing - all the changes are located in PP3 sidecar files

An interesting peculiarity of this program is that RawTherapee uses non-destructive picture editing, so you can return to the source file any time you wish. As well as in Lightroom, you can use ready-made presets, or create your own, expanding the library.

The photo editor has a wide range of tools for color correction, noise reduction, rotation, exposure control, shadows and light regulating, tone settings, vignetting and much more. However, this photo editor has poorly developed tools for working with masks and layers (the working process is simply very inconvenient).

2. Darktable

It's also a free, open source software that combines many tools for image editing, convenient cataloging and RAW file processing. The photo editor has a simple and quite pleasant user interface with convenient controls.

Main Darktable Features:

• Non-destructive picture editing during the entire workflow.
• GPU accelerated picture post-production
• Possibility to import various basic, RAW and HDR picture formats.
• Zero-latency, zoomable UI
• Supports instrumentation of the user’s camera with live view for certain camera brands.

I can’t help but mention that Darkrable is also available for the Linux platform, and if you have this OS, this is the best free Lightroom alternative for you. As for shortcomings, I will note that Darktable Lightroom equivalent is not suitable for professional picture editing and some tools require improvement.

3. Picktorial

Picktorial is a non-destructive RAW photo editor that makes it easy to organize and enhance your photos.

Main Picktorial Features:

• Billing & Invoicing
• Ability to tweak colors
• Elimination of objects
• Panorama montage
• High-resolution picture output

This Lightroom alternative is designed exclusively for Mac OS and is seen as a replacement for Apple's photo editors. It includes all the basic settings and tools that you expect: from adjusting tones, colors, white balance, clarity, curves and saturation.

You can adjust tones, remove stains or dust, smooth skin, remove noise or add blur using the “Defocus” tool. Unfortunately, Picktorial does not offer layers editing, each photo editing tool can have several editing points that have their own settings.

4. Skylum Luminar

The latest version of Skylum Luminar has an integrated image control library. There are versions for Mac and Windows and also a free trial version.

Main Skylum Luminar Features:

• UI can be adapted to fit into the user’s workflow.
• One-click presets for quick picture edits
• Robust object elimination, clone & stamp tools.
• Ability to crop and transform pictures
• It is possible to reduce noise

A simple and intuitive interface includes tools similar to those in Lightroom, a customizable workspace and a powerful RAW converter. In addition, Luminar boasts built-in layers and the ability to perform masking for accurate color correction. Luminar supports all currently existing RAW formats. This is why many professionals believe that Luminar is a combination of these two Adobe programs.

As for the drawbacks, I should mention that the photo editor processes several pictures rather slowly. Perhaps, it will be improved in the future because this function is comparatively new.

5. Digikam

DigiKam is a powerful photo manager, organizer and image editor created for Linux, but also available for Windows and Mac.

Main Digikam Features:

• Possibility to set up collections
• Imports pictures, raw files and videos
• Users may organize their collections
• Browse, compare and view items in collections
• Picture sharing capabilities

You can import images in various ways, organize them into albums, view and search in your collection by location, time, tags and people. Though Digikam is mainly designed to manage your pictures rather than to edit them, in some cases, it has more useful functions than specialized programs.

6. Lightzone

If you are looking for a free Lightroom alternative that is an excellent RAW converter, LightZone can be a great choice for you. The photo editor has a large collection of tools for RAW image processing.

Main Lightzone Features:

• The Relight tool
• Support for RAW files
• Unlimited layers

Using LightZone Lightroom replacement, you can easily enhance photos, eliminate defects, perform basic color correction, adjust white balance, blur certain areas, increase sharpness, remove traces of dust on the lens and reduce the noise that often appears when shooting with high ISO. This program is not suitable for professional color correction, as many tools are poorly developed.

7. Polarr

Polarr is free photo editing software has a fairly simple interface and tools that do not require many hours of training.

Main Polarr Features:

• Support for layers
• Incredible masking tools
• Ability to retouch skin like a pro
• Text toolset
• Remarkable brushes

The tools are mainly aimed at color correction: exposure, shadows, curves, brushes, masks, layers, work with light, details, presets, etc.

In addition, the Polarr offers a separate tab for drawing, creating logos and banners. This Lightroom free alternative supports GIF files. As for the minuses, I would like to point out that it does not support RAW files. Therefore, it is not suitable for professional photographers.

8. PhotoScape

This free alternative to Lightroom performs professional photo editing, creates design projects, logos, banners, etc.

Main PhotoScape Features:

• Printing capabilities
• Impressive specialized filters
• Advanced toolset

One of the main advantages of PhotoScape is that it has several separate services for photo editing, image management, GIF and video processing, RAW file conversion and many others. Each tab offers relatively powerful tools and a simple interface that is understandable for a beginner.

It should be mentioned that it is suitable not only for Windows and Mac OS platforms but also for Linux. Unfortunately, some functions are limited in the free version.

9. Paint Net

PaintNet is a free Lightroom alternative for beginners who are not interested in software stuffed with lots of functions.

Main Paint Net Features:

• Straightforward UI
• Ability to import and edited a number of pictures
• Unlimited history
• Performance is adapted for modern hardware
• Support for numerous languages

The program has a simple interface and useful tools. The pleasant feature is that it does not require a powerful PC configuration.

Speaking about drawbacks, I should point out that PaintNet is only Windows-compatible. Moreover, the interface is a little old-fashioned and does not fully correspond to modern standards.

10. Inkscape

Inkscape is a free Lightroom alternative suitable for creating artistic and technical images. Inkscape is used primarily for basic photo post processing, designing logos and banners and to cope with any task related to vector images.

Main Inkscape Features:

• Command-line interface, format conversion options and fully-functional GUI scripting
• 60+ UI languages
• Ability to expand to new file formats, effects and other options
• Support for scripting is in the experimental phase

Inkscape supports the Scalable Vector Graphics standard and the full kit of tools for conversion, complex tasks and rendering with high resolution. An obvious drawback is a small number of tools for image editing and color correction.

11. IrfanView

IrfanView is a powerful image editor and organizer with excellent support for RAW and compressed file formats. This free alternative to Lightroom has a rather outdated graphical interface, but it still remains intuitive.

Main IrfanView Features:

• Compatible with plenty of file formats
• Unicode support
• Lossless JPG rotation, crop and EXIF date change
• Support for Adobe Photoshop Filters
• Batch conversion (with comprehensive picture post-production of all files)

The biggest advantages of IrfanView are convenient batch image editing, so you can process several hundred photos within an hour, and one of the best tools for image cataloging. The photo editor gives you absolute control over your photos – you can edit metadata, rename files in batches and add tags.

If you choose this free alternative to Adobe Lightroom, you get a lot of tools for color correction and basic picture editing – shadow adjustment, balancing tones, curves, elimination of small defects with the help of brushes and other useful features.

IrfanView is suitable for both beginners and professional photographers. The most noticeable shortcoming is that some tools have a slow response time and have to be improved.

12. Chasys Draw IES

Draw IES is a complete package for image editing, designed for professional use. In addition to basic photo editing functions, you can also use it to capture still images or video from your desktop.

Main Chasys Draw IES Features:

• Borderless fullscreen with fade out in Viewer
• Object animation is rendered smoothly
• Sprite-sheet manipulation options
• Rotates EXIF in Viewer automatically
• Loads and manages fonts without delays

You can adjust red, blue and green curves, as well as adjust white balance, sharpness, contrast, create icons and cursors, make time-lapse animation, convert images in a batch mode and design your own illustrations from scratch. Chasys Draw IES supports unprocessed files from all popular camera manufacturers.

Chasys Draw IES Lightroom equivalent has only one disadvantage – a trivial outdated interface, which has not been redesigned for a long time. But you will be focused on image editing, not viewing its design.

13. Capture One Pro

If you are a Lightroom and Photoshop lover, Capture One Pro combines all strong points of these two image editing applications.

Main Capture One Pro Features:

• Layers opacity
• Styles and presets for layers
• Grayscale mask preview
• Export with assets
• LAB readouts

Capture One Pro is powerful among alternatives to Lightroom in that it allows for professional image editing and deep color correction, for example, working with layers and masks, brushes and more. Likewise, it should be mentioned that it is integrated into Phase ONE cameras, and if you are a lucky owner of such a device, you may use it completely free of charge.

As for the drawbacks, this photo editing application requires many resources and a good PC configuration. Capture One Pro has an interface that is rather complex for beginners, but it is fully customizable.

14. Affinity Photo

It may be a handy alternative to Lightroom offering really useful functions. The image editor has a lot of options for color correction and image editing.

Main Affinity Photo Features:

• Tools to adjust, correct and retouch pictures
• Macros and Saveable undo history and Brush
• Designated RAW workplace
• Cross-platform and mobile
• PSD import/export and shared resources

Apart from a number of image editing modules, you may use Affinity Photo as a drawing tool. Furthermore, it features a real-time display function that allows for previewing the results before the tool is applied. The editor offers a lot of advanced brushes that may be modified. The only thing that this software is missing is an image organizer.

15. AlienSkin Exposure

AlienSkin Exposure has integrated image control functions as well as photo enhancing ones, though its control system is a hybrid of a browser and a catalog.

Main AlienSkin Exposure Features:

• 3D color masking
• Nondestructive layers
• Picture post-production toolset
• 500+ presets

AlienSkin Exposure interface and working process are common for Lightroom users. On the one hand, this Lightroom equivalent does not use the catalog approach, so it is quick and simple. But on the other hand, it lacks complex organization control provided by a catalog.

The AlienSkin team has been working on effects and plug-ins for quite a while. Today, they introduced Exposure X3, along with an extensive collection of presets and film emulations as a result of their work. Finally, you should know that work with RAW files is limited by the rather slow import of such files.

16. DxO PhotoLab

Main DxO PhotoLab Features:

• Capable of producing truly sharp pictures
• Decent automatic lens correction
• Helpful and remarkable Denoise feature
• Incredible toolset for local adjustments

In case you are looking for a worthy alternative to Lightroom offering analogous tools, DxO OpticsPro is a good option. It has a range of functions, also similar to Capture One, and provides considerable support for quick settings. The photo editor has a simple customizable interface. Tools are similar to Lightroom and focused primarily on color correction: shadows, exposure, layer masks, brushes, various presets, effects and filters.

Due to its control simplicity, it is suitable both for professionals and enthusiasts. As for its drawbacks, it should be mentioned that OpticsPro has a weakly-developed catalog system and brushes don’t offer much customization.

17. ON1 Photo RAW

ON1 Photo RAW is the best software for image editing that combines Lightroom simplicity and Capture One PRO tools.

Main ON1 Photo RAW Features:

• Non-destructive picture editing
• Compare mode
• AI-based toolset
• The most sought-after presets
• Integration with SmugMug

ON1 Photo RAW features relatively powerful tools that allow for correcting image defects, performing color editing and photo retouching. The interface seems to be rather complicated but it is really simple and clear, even for beginners since it offers a smart support system. Like all Lightroom alternatives presented here, ON1 Photo RAW has some disadvantages. Unfortunately, the photo preview and export in background mode are not very fast.

18. ACDSee Photo Studio Professional

ACDSee Photo Studio is positioned as a semi-professional application for image preview, picture editing and publication of digital pictures.

Main ACDSee Photo Studio Professional Features:

• Facial recognition & face detection
• Keyword management
• Ability to find duplicates
• Numerous picture baskets
• Access to the cloud

ACDSee is a good Lightroom equivalent for basic picture editing developed by ACD Systems. It is targeted at displaying and controlling big image collections. Moreover, this application offers direct access to files and folders with an option to update content in real-time mode. The biggest drawback is the price. Despite the number of functions and tools for image editing, the cost puts a lot of users off.

19. Pixlr

If your computer or laptop has a weak configuration and you need a powerful graphics editor comparable to Adobe Lightroom, the Pixlr app will be an excellent alternative for you.

Main Pixlr Features:

• Ability to replace colors
• Picture retouching
• Transforms objects
• Picture collage capabilities
• Digital painting

Upload your photos, and you will get access to the interface, that slightly resembles Photoshop: masks and layers, clone stamps, brushes, text editing, photo defect removal, filters, effects and many others.

Besides, Pixlr supports the RAW file format. However, you must remember that if the file size is more than 20 MB, the image editor can work with some delays. Unfortunately, the Pixlr Mac photo editor does not support batch image processing.

20. Ribbet

Ribbet is an online Lightroom alternative with a fairly simple graphic interface and powerful tools. You can use this program for both basic image editing and color correction.

Main Ribbet Features:

• Presence of professional picture effects and filters
• Ability to enhance skin, hair, eyes and body in one click
• Overlay textures
• Can apply watermarks and custom overlays

This is one of the best online Lightroom alternatives that allows you to fix minor flaws, work with text, brushes, curves, masks and layers. In addition, Ribbet has a fairly powerful function for organizing and managing libraries and files. Despite its strong points, you may be disappointed as it doesn’t support RAW files and many tools are limited in the free version.

21. PicMonkey

PicMonkey is one of the best online photo editors that can be used as an alternative to Canva or Lightroom. The photo editor has all necessary functions for work with photos: photo editing, storage, organization of files in the repository, the design of various projects, banners and logos.

Main PicMonkey Features:

• Picture retouching toolset
• Design templates
• Presence of effects and filters
• Works with layers
• Collaboration capabilities

I really like the integration of the HUB tab, which includes Cloud storage and a convenient catalog. You can’t perform professional color correction using this free Lightroom alternative, but its functionality and capabilities are quite enough for the basic tasks: exposure, shadows, brushes, masks and layers, curves, color balance and much more. But PicMonkey also has several minuses. This program does not support RAW files, and many tools are limited in free access.

Ann Young

Hi there, I'm Ann Young - a professional blogger, read more