Free alternatives to Adobe Lightroom
5 free programs that can replace Adobe Lightroom, each pairing checked by Radar's AI reviewer or by Radar.
Adobe Lightroom is a photo organiser and editor, sold by subscription. Photographers, from hobbyists to professionals, use it to sort large libraries, develop RAW files, apply one adjustment to many photos and export finished images. A cloud version syncs the library between computer, phone and tablet.
Before switching, check these points:
- Whether the new program reads the RAW files from your camera, and how its colours look next to what you are used to.
- Your catalogue. Ratings, keywords and flags can sometimes travel in sidecar files, but edits made in Lightroom usually do not transfer, so export finished versions of your best photos first.
- Presets and profiles you bought or made, which often have to be recreated.
- Mobile editing, cloud backup and sharing with clients, if you rely on them.
- Always keep the original files untouched and backed up during the move.
For RAW development, darktable and RawTherapee are two names to look at in the list below.
| Program | Ease | You need | Risk signals | Stars | Downloads this week |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CompositorA free Mac image editor with layers, masks, selections and filters, built to work like Photoshop. | Ease Adownload and open · macOS | Nothing extra | Attention · 2 | 18,280+330 in 5 days | 6,662 |
| LightCraftOrganize your photo library and edit photos, including camera RAW files, without ever changing the original files. | Ease Adownload and open · Windows | Nothing extra | Attention · 1 | 15,188+430 in 5 days | 280,690 |
| darktableOrganize your photos and edit camera RAW files without changing the originals. | Ease Adownload and open · Windows | Nothing extra | Few signals | 13,368+40 in 6 days | 35,324 |
darktable: The project itself says it is not a replacement for Adobe Lightroom. | |||||
| RapidRAWEdit RAW photos from your camera: adjust light and color, use masks, remove spots and export, without changing the originals. | Ease Adownload and open · Windows | Nothing extra | Few signals | 10,874+180 in 6 days | 21,081 |
| RawTherapeeTurn RAW photos from your digital camera into finished pictures, with fine control over color, light and detail. | Ease Adownload and open · Windows | Nothing extra | Few signals | 4,260+9 in 6 days | 11,257 |
Frequently asked questions
Which free alternative to Adobe Lightroom is the easiest to install?
Compositor has the highest ease rating among the 5 options: A (download and open · macOS).
Is there a free alternative to Adobe Lightroom for Windows, Mac and Linux?
Windows: LightCraft, darktable, RapidRAW, RawTherapee. macOS: Compositor, LightCraft, darktable, RapidRAW, RawTherapee. Linux: LightCraft, darktable, RapidRAW, RawTherapee.
Are the alternatives to Adobe Lightroom really free?
4 of the 5 are completely free; 1 depends on a paid service or key for some features.
How can I tell whether an alternative is trustworthy?
Each card shows the risk signals found, with the evidence. 3 of the 5 have no signal rated attention or high. See also the guide How to find a GitHub project's official repository and avoid fake copies.