Adobe Lightroom background blur-sm
Adobe Lightroom Photo Editing Software logo
Adobe Lightroom
4.5
Why Findstack is free?
Findstack is free for users because vendors pay us when they receive web traffic and sales opportunities. Findstack directories list all vendors — not just those that pay us so that you can make the best-informed purchase decision possible.
Advertising disclosure: Findstack offers objective, editorially independent comparisons to help you find the best software. Some links on this page are affiliate links — we may earn a commission when you visit a vendor through our links, at no additional cost to you. Affiliate relationships never influence our ratings, rankings, or reviews. Disclosure policy | Methodology

Adobe Lightroom Reviews: 4.5/5 — Highly Rated

Adobe Lightroom Overview
What is Adobe Lightroom?

Designed specifically for photo editing, Adobe Lighting is one of the most popular tools in the market used by professional photographers. Similar to photoshop, it’s considered a gold standard in editing, with a host of pre-sets available to help transform images in minutes. The platform is straightforward, and easy to use and makes it very easy to edit images using sliders, gradient, and brush adjustment tools. The platform is customizable and comes with numerous intelligence features such as facial detection that helps organize images easily.

Company Adobe
Year founded 1982
Company size 10,001+ employees
Headquarters San Jose, CA
Social Media
Adobe Lightroom Categories on Findstack
Crevio E-Commerce Platforms logo
Crevio
Sponsored
5.0
(1)
Free plan available
Crevio is an AI-powered platform that runs your business while you sleep. Describe what you want to se... Learn more about Crevio
Ask Questions about Adobe Lightroom
What Adobe Lightroom is best for?
How does Adobe Lightroom compare to Adobe Photoshop?
What are the pros and cons of Adobe Lightroom?
Adobe Lightroom Product Details
Capabilities
AI
API
Segment
Small Business
Mid Market
Enterprise
Deployment Cloud / SaaS / Web-Based, Desktop Mac, Desktop Windows, Mobile Android, Mobile iPad, Mobile iPhone
Support 24/7 (Live rep), Chat, Email/Help Desk, FAQs/Forum, Knowledge Base, Phone Support
Training Documentation
Languages English
Adobe Lightroom Pros and Cons
Pros
  • Convenient, customizable, and easy to use environment
  • Blurring and fixing tools
  • Pre-sets and filters available
  • Camera and lens-based corrections
  • Brush and gradient adjustments
Cons
  • Fewer options than Photoshop
  • No layers and blending modes
Adobe Lightroom Features
3D Editing
Automatic Adjustments
Background Removal
Batch Processing
Brush Tools
Clone Stamp
Color Correction
Cropping
Custom Brushes
Face Recognition
Filters and Effects
Gradient Editor
Adobe Lightroom Media
Adobe Lightroom video thumbnail
Adobe Lightroom 0
Adobe Lightroom 1
Adobe Lightroom 2
Adobe Lightroom 3
Adobe Lightroom 4
Adobe Lightroom Screenshots
Adobe Lightroom screenshot 1
Adobe Lightroom screenshot 2
Adobe Lightroom screenshot 3
Adobe Lightroom screenshot 4
Adobe Lightroom screenshot 5
Adobe Lightroom Expert Review

Adobe Lightroom remains the standard for photo editing and cataloguing, and Adobe just raised the monthly Photography Plan from $9.99 to $14.99 — a 50% increase. The annual prepaid option at $119.88 was not raised, which means the same plan now costs either $9.99 or $14.99 a month depending purely on how you choose to pay. That single detail is worth more to most readers than any feature comparison.

  • What it is: Professional photo editing and cataloguing software built around non-destructive edits, presets, and library management.
  • Best for: Photographers processing volume, where cataloguing and batch editing matter as much as the edits themselves.
  • Pricing: Photography 20GB reported at $14.99/mo monthly or $119.88/year prepaid. Lightroom-only 1TB $11.99/mo. Photography 1TB $19.99/mo. Verified via third parties in July 2026.
  • The honest catch: The cheap 20GB plan is being phased out for new subscribers, making the $19.99 1TB plan the effective entry point going forward.

What Is Adobe Lightroom?

Lightroom is two products sharing a name, and the distinction matters when you buy. Lightroom Classic is the desktop-first application built around a local catalogue, and it remains what most working photographers use. Lightroom (sometimes called Lightroom CC) is the cloud-native version that syncs across desktop, mobile, and web. Recent plan changes have blurred this: the Lightroom-only subscription now includes Lightroom Classic, which it previously did not.

The core proposition has not changed in years, because it does not need to. Lightroom handles non-destructive raw processing, meaning your original files are never altered and every adjustment is revocable indefinitely. Around that sits the catalogue — keywording, ratings, collections, and search across a library of hundreds of thousands of images — which is the part photographers find hardest to leave.

Its enduring advantage is batch work. Editing one photograph well is something many applications do. Applying a consistent treatment across four hundred photographs from a wedding, then finding a specific frame two years later, is where Lightroom’s design pays off and where the cheaper alternatives are still meaningfully behind.

How Lightroom Works

  • Non-destructive editing. Adjustments are stored as instructions, leaving the original raw file untouched.
  • Catalogue and keywording. The organizational layer, and the main reason long-term users stay.
  • Presets and batch processing. Apply a look across hundreds of images, then refine individually.
  • Masking and AI selection. Subject, sky, and object selection have improved substantially in recent releases.
  • Cloud sync. Available on the cloud-native version, with storage as the metered dimension.
  • Photoshop pairing. The Photography Plan bundles both, and round-tripping between them is seamless.

Adobe Lightroom Pricing

Adobe blocks automated access from our infrastructure, so figures are third-party reported for July 2026.

Bar chart of Adobe photo plan pricing: Photography 20GB annual prepaid at an effective $9.99 per month, Lightroom-only 1TB at $11.99, Photography 20GB monthly at $14.99, and Photography 1TB at $19.99.

Plan Reported price Storage Includes
Photography (annual prepaid) $119.88/year (~$9.99/mo) 20 GB Lightroom, Lightroom Classic, Photoshop
Lightroom single app $11.99/mo (was $9.99) 1 TB Lightroom and Lightroom Classic
Photography (monthly) $14.99/mo (was $9.99) 20 GB Lightroom, Lightroom Classic, Photoshop
Photography 1TB $19.99/mo ($239.88/year) 1 TB Lightroom, Lightroom Classic, Photoshop

What actually decides your cost:

  • The billing term now matters more than the plan. The monthly Photography Plan rose 50% to $14.99 while the annual prepaid stayed at $119.88. Paying up front is roughly $60 a year cheaper for identical software. If you are going to use Lightroom for a year, prepaying is close to a free $60.
  • The 20GB plan is being retired for new subscribers. The 1TB Photography Plan at $19.99 is becoming the minimum available. Existing subscribers on 20GB should think carefully before cancelling, because coming back may cost double.
  • The Lightroom-only plan got better and more expensive. Up to $11.99 from $9.99, but it now includes Lightroom Classic and 1TB of storage. For a photographer who genuinely does not use Photoshop, this is a reasonable deal.
  • Storage is the real upgrade trigger. 20GB is very little for raw files. Anyone shooting regularly and syncing to the cloud will exhaust it, which is precisely why the 1TB tiers exist.
  • There is no perpetual licence. Stop paying and you lose editing access, though your original files and exported images remain yours. This remains the most-cited objection to the whole model.

Who Should Use Lightroom

  • Photographers processing volume. The clearest case. Batch editing and cataloguing across thousands of images is what this software is uniquely good at.
  • Anyone shooting raw. Raw processing quality and the non-destructive workflow are genuinely excellent.
  • Photographers who also need Photoshop. The Photography Plan bundles both, which is far cheaper than the single-app Photoshop subscription alone.
  • People with large existing catalogues. The switching cost is real, and the catalogue is usually why staying is the rational choice.

It fits poorly for casual photo editing, where free tools and phone applications are entirely sufficient; for anyone who objects to subscriptions on principle, since no perpetual licence exists; and for photographers wanting to own their software outright, where Skylum Luminar Neo and Corel PaintShop Pro offer one-off purchases.

Honest Pros and Cons

Strengths

  • Best-in-class cataloguing. Nothing else manages a large photo library as well, and this is the real moat.
  • Excellent raw processing. Consistently strong across camera systems.
  • Genuinely powerful batch editing. Where the time savings actually come from.
  • Photoshop included on the Photography Plan. Very good value if you need both.
  • Strong AI masking. Subject and sky selection have improved markedly.
  • Industry standard. Presets, tutorials, and workflows are built around it, which lowers the cost of learning.

Limitations

  • A 50% increase on the monthly plan. From $9.99 to $14.99, which is a substantial rise for existing users caught on monthly billing.
  • The cheap 20GB plan is being phased out. Pushing new subscribers toward $19.99.
  • No perpetual licence. Access ends when payment does.
  • 20GB is impractical for raw workflows. The entry storage tier is small enough to feel like a funnel.
  • The Lightroom versus Lightroom Classic split confuses buyers. Two products, one name, different workflows.
  • Lightroom Classic is resource-hungry. Large catalogues demand real hardware.

Adobe Lightroom Alternatives and How It Compares

  • Skylum Luminar Neo is the leading subscription-free alternative, with strong AI editing and a one-off purchase option, though its cataloguing is weaker.
  • Adobe Photoshop is the companion rather than the competitor — pixel-level work against Lightroom’s catalogue and raw processing.
  • Adobe Photoshop Elements is Adobe’s buy-once option, though since the 2025 version it is a three-year term licence rather than a perpetual one.
  • Corel PaintShop Pro and CorelDRAW Graphics Suite offer perpetual licences for editing and design respectively.
  • Canva covers quick social and marketing edits, and is not a raw workflow tool at all.
  • Capture One is the serious professional alternative, particularly favoured for tethered studio work and colour handling.

For a broader survey, browse our photo editing directory.

The Verdict

Lightroom is still the right answer for most photographers, and the reason is the catalogue rather than the editing. Plenty of applications process a raw file beautifully. Very few let you apply a consistent look to four hundred images, then locate one specific frame from three years ago by keyword in seconds. That capability compounds with library size, which is exactly why photographers who have used it for years rarely leave.

The pricing deserves clear-eyed attention this year. A 50% rise on the monthly Photography Plan, from $9.99 to $14.99, is a significant increase for a mature product. But the annual prepaid option held at $119.88, so the practical advice is simple and worth acting on: if you intend to use Lightroom for a year, prepay and save roughly $60 for identical software. Paying monthly is now the expensive choice for no benefit other than flexibility.

The strategic change is the retirement of the 20GB plan for new subscribers, which makes $19.99 the effective entry price going forward. If you are currently on a 20GB plan, that is a reason to keep it rather than cancel and return later. And if the subscription model itself is the objection, this is a good moment to look seriously at Luminar Neo — the gap in editing quality has narrowed considerably, even if the gap in cataloguing has not. Note that Adobe’s own Photoshop Elements is no longer a true escape from time-limited licensing: since the 2025 version it expires three years after activation.

FAQ

How much does Adobe Lightroom cost in 2026?

Reported figures put the Photography Plan with 20GB at $14.99 per month billed monthly, or $119.88 per year prepaid — an effective $9.99 a month. The Lightroom-only plan with 1TB is $11.99 monthly, and the Photography Plan with 1TB is $19.99 monthly or $239.88 annually. Adobe blocks automated access from our infrastructure, so confirm current pricing at checkout.

Did Adobe raise Lightroom’s price?

Yes. The monthly Photography Plan rose from $9.99 to $14.99, a 50% increase, and the Lightroom single-app plan rose from $9.99 to $11.99 while gaining Lightroom Classic and 1TB of storage. Notably, the annual prepaid Photography Plan stayed at $119.88, so prepaying for the year avoids the increase entirely and saves roughly $60 against monthly billing.

What is the difference between Lightroom and Lightroom Classic?

Lightroom Classic is the desktop-first application built around a local catalogue, and it is what most professional photographers use. Lightroom is the cloud-native version that syncs across desktop, mobile, and web. They share editing capabilities but differ substantially in workflow and file management. Recent plan changes mean the Lightroom-only subscription now includes Classic as well, which removes what used to be a common purchasing mistake.

Can I buy Lightroom outright instead of subscribing?

No. Adobe sells Lightroom only by subscription, and editing access ends when payment stops, although your original files and any exported images remain yours. If a perpetual licence matters, Skylum Luminar Neo and Corel PaintShop Pro are the leading alternatives. Adobe Photoshop Elements is a one-off purchase but no longer perpetual — since the 2025 version its licence expires three years after activation.

What is Lightroom best for?

Photographers working at volume who need cataloguing and batch editing as much as image adjustment — weddings, events, commercial shoots, and any workflow involving hundreds of raw files at a time. It is more than most casual users need, and its subscription-only model makes it a poor fit for anyone who edits occasionally or wants to own their software.


Disclosure: Adobe is a paid Findstack partner. Adobe blocks automated access from our infrastructure, so this review draws on independent third-party reporting rather than vendor materials or hands-on Findstack use, and there is no vendor screenshot. All pricing figures are labelled as third-party estimates and should be confirmed at checkout.

Last reviewed: · Our methodology
Founder & Software Review Editor
Axel Grubba is the founder of Findstack, a B2B software comparison platform, with his background spanning management consulting and venture capital where he invested in software. Recently, Axel has developed a passion for coding and enjoys traveling when he is not building and improving Findstack.
Business Software Reviews SaaS Product Evaluation CRM Software
Disclaimer
Our research is curated from diverse authoritative sources and meant to offer general advice. We don’t guarantee that our suggestions will work best for each use-case, so consider your unique needs when choosing products and services. Feel free to share your feedback.
Last updated: August 04, 2026
Adobe Lightroom Photo Editing Software logo
1,798 Adobe Lightroom Reviews
4.5 out of 5
Small Business (50 or fewer emp.)
Aug 08, 2023
 Source
Overall Rating:
5.0
AG
Verified Reviewer
Founder
Share
"Pretty Good, Pretty Good"
What do you like best about Adobe Lightroom?

It works well and all that kinda stuff,, i like how easy it is to use,, user friendly programs are less and less abundant. the photos i can create here turn out magnificantly.

What do you dislike about Adobe Lightroom?

theres not really anything i dont like about the application other than the random crashes at 2 and 10 oclock pm everydy but im sure this is patchable and im glad.

What problems is Adobe Lightroom solving and how is that benefiting you?

i used to have unedited picures before now,, but thanks to adobe photoshop lightroom,, my pictures are more edited than ever before!! i am so thrilled with the amazing app.

Mid Market (51-1000 emp.)
Jul 17, 2023
 Source
Overall Rating:
5.0
HH
Hadi H.
Founder
Share
"A Flexible Answer for Consistent Photograph Altering and The board: Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Survey"
What do you like best about Adobe Lightroom?

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom is an extraordinary programming that offers photographic artists a far reaching set of instruments for altering, coordinating, and improving their pictures. As an enthusiastic client, I find a few parts of Lightroom dazzling and significant. Strong Altering Capacities: One of the champion highlights of Adobe Photoshop Lightroom is its strong altering abilities. The product gives a great many devices and changes that empower clients to upgrade their photographs with accuracy and creativity.The best thing I like about Adobe Photoshop Lightroom is the capacity to alter pictures the manner in which I need including openness changes, variety remedy, tone planning, honing and sound decrease.

What do you dislike about Adobe Lightroom?

While Adobe Photoshop Lightroom is a powerful and profoundly proficient programming, there are a couple of perspectives that a few clients might see as less good. The following are a couple of likely downsides: 1. Steep Expectation to learn and adapt: Adobe Photoshop Lightroom has a critical expectation to absorb information, particularly for fledglings or clients who are new to photograph altering programming. 2.Performance and Speed Issues: Lightroom's exhibition can be a worry, particularly while working with huge inventories or high-goal pictures. As the library develops, the product might encounter lulls and slack, influencing the general client experience.The just aversion about utilizing Adobe Photoshop Lightroom is the expense they have set for their top notch highlights; they ought to chip away at diminishing the cost with the goal that anybody can utilize it.

What problems is Adobe Lightroom solving and how is that benefiting you?

While Adobe Photoshop Lightroom is a powerful and profoundly proficient programming, there are a couple of perspectives that a few clients might see as less good. The following are a couple of likely downsides: 1. Steep Expectation to learn and adapt: Adobe Photoshop Lightroom has a critical expectation to absorb information, particularly for fledglings or clients who are new to photograph altering programming. 2.Performance and Speed Issues: Lightroom's exhibition can be a worry, particularly while working with huge inventories or high-goal pictures. As the library develops, the product might encounter lulls and slack, influencing the general client experience.The just aversion about utilizing Adobe Photoshop Lightroom is the expense they have set for their top notch highlights; they ought to chip away at diminishing the cost with the goal that anybody can utilize it.

Small Business (50 or fewer emp.)
Jun 27, 2023
 Source
Overall Rating:
5.0
Prayag B. avatar
Prayag B.
Founder
Share
"Review about Adobe Photoshop Lightroom"
What do you like best about Adobe Lightroom?

The Adobe set-up of instruments is obviously the basic help for any correspondence professionist. The Imaginative Cloud permits you to have the entire bundle at cutthroat month to month costs and to have the option to all the more likely deal with movements of every sort on various gadgets, including cell phones, exploiting expert capabilities.

What do you dislike about Adobe Lightroom?

The libraries can get extremely huge and, over the long haul, could begin to dial back your machine. Indeed, there are workarounds for this, yet I generally battle with it. I like to keep every one of my pictures in a single library, so it's not difficult to track down significantly more seasoned photographs.

What problems is Adobe Lightroom solving and how is that benefiting you?

I shoot a high volume of secondary school sports photographs in a wide range of lighting circumstances. A significant number of those circumstances are a long way from ideal, even with the present incredible camera gear. Lightroom Exemplary permits me to tidy up and deal with those photographs rapidly and successfully.

Small Business (50 or fewer emp.)
Jun 21, 2023
 Source
Overall Rating:
5.0
JL
Jordan L.
Founder
Share
"Lightroom is a Lifesaver!"
What do you like best about Adobe Lightroom?

I love that Lightroom is a more simple version of Photoshop. Photoshop is tricky to edit photos in, and Lightroom makes this process easy as it has one function; to edit photos.

What do you dislike about Adobe Lightroom?

Sometimes the upload process takes ages, or I cannot get my photos to upload. It is kind of buggy in that aspect, but otherwise, it works great, and I do not have any problems with it!

What problems is Adobe Lightroom solving and how is that benefiting you?

It is solving the problem or tirelessly editing photos in Photoshop. With Lightroom, the presets save hours, along with simple, straightforward photo editing tools.

Small Business (50 or fewer emp.)
Jun 15, 2023
 Source
Overall Rating:
5.0
Srishti V. avatar
Srishti V.
Team Lead
Share
"Amazing Editing Tool"
What do you like best about Adobe Lightroom?

Adobe Lightroom has a lot of tools for editing and even a beginner can use it. Auto correction, Light fixing, colour correction everything can be done with single tool.

What do you dislike about Adobe Lightroom?

Adobe photoshop is a great tool and everything but it takes a lot of space on the device. The product can be a little lighter in size and take less space so that the everything can be done efficiently.

What problems is Adobe Lightroom solving and how is that benefiting you?

Number 1 benefit is that even in the free version you get acess to a lot of professional tools for which the other softwares charge a hefty amount. It has helped my pictures look crisp and professional.

Small Business (50 or fewer emp.)
May 31, 2023
 Source
Overall Rating:
5.0
GB
Grady B.
Cio
Share
"Lightroom"
What do you like best about Adobe Lightroom?

Flexible RAW file development. The ability to copy and paste manipulations to a series of like photos

What do you dislike about Adobe Lightroom?

Should be easier to keep up with catalogs

What problems is Adobe Lightroom solving and how is that benefiting you?

Catalogue search for thousands of photos.

Mid Market (51-1000 emp.)
May 23, 2023
 Source
Overall Rating:
5.0
SHUBHAM V. avatar
Shubham V.
Apm, Quality Engineering
Share
"Complete package with state of the art tools"
What do you like best about Adobe Lightroom?

-Face recognition, keywords and geo tagging supported. -App contains a learn panel which has tutorials for all range of users, from beginners to advanced. -Share for review feature is supported. -Comprehensive plugin support. -Content Aware Editing is provided.

What do you dislike about Adobe Lightroom?

-No option to edit the layers. -Subscription cost is high. -Entire work needs to be uploaded to creative cloud storage. -Sluggish performance on lower RAM devices.

What problems is Adobe Lightroom solving and how is that benefiting you?

I needed an application for RAW image editing and processing large sized PSDs. Lightroom is the perfect solution with an added bouquet of creative tools suited for amateur photographers.

Small Business (50 or fewer emp.)
May 18, 2023
 Source
Overall Rating:
5.0
WK
Wade K.
Founder
Share
"Love Adobe"
What do you like best about Adobe Lightroom?

I love the ease of use of the software. They have been updating the product with new and very useful tools.

What do you dislike about Adobe Lightroom?

I wish it was faster. I feel like it glitches a lot.

What problems is Adobe Lightroom solving and how is that benefiting you?

It helps me create eye-catching marketing materials.

Mid Market (51-1000 emp.)
Apr 20, 2023
 Source
Overall Rating:
5.0
KF
Kevin F.
Founder
Share
"Simple, Intutive Editing Software"
What do you like best about Adobe Lightroom?

Simple, intuitve interface. Ease of use for beginners with functions to support higher level editing.

What do you dislike about Adobe Lightroom?

Some functions are not clearly identified or explained in terms of result on final product. Requires some familiarity with photo editing concepts

What problems is Adobe Lightroom solving and how is that benefiting you?

Quick, simple photo edits no longer require designer's time. Content specialists can make quick edits, crops and cuts.

Small Business (50 or fewer emp.)
Apr 19, 2023
 Source
Overall Rating:
5.0
Sumit R. avatar
Sumit R.
Information Technology And Services
Share
"It's wonderfull"
What do you like best about Adobe Lightroom?

Adobe is such an amazing editing software, it helps me in all of my work . my work is incomplete without this software. Thanks to Adobe team for this product.

What do you dislike about Adobe Lightroom?

There is nothing about disliking this software.

What problems is Adobe Lightroom solving and how is that benefiting you?

It was helping me if i want to change my background.