Adobe Lightroom has always been the most popular software used by professional photographers to edit and manage large catalogs of images.
It’s also enormously popular with amateur photographers, due to its powerful features and cross-device compatibility.
However, ever since Adobe switched to a subscription model in 2017, many Lightroom users have been looking for an alternative.
Whether you’re looking for a Lightroom replacement this year or not, the results of a recent survey conducted by Shotkit reveal some popular options:
What features do a viable Lightroom alternative need to provide photographers?
A Lightroom alternative should ideally provide photographers with a set of features that can enable them to effectively manage and edit their images.
Some of these features should include:
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Image Organization: provide an efficient way to organize and categorize images. This includes features such as easy-to-use folder management tools, customizable keyword tagging, and batch renaming.
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Image Editing: a range of tools and adjustments for editing images. This includes the ability to adjust exposure, contrast, saturation, and other essential image parameters. Additional features like spot removal, cloning, healing tools, and the ability to apply filters and presets.
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RAW Support: for processing RAW files and offer advanced options for adjusting color and tone.
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Workflow Efficiency: provide photographers with a streamlined workflow to save time and improve productivity. This includes features like the ability to apply adjustments to multiple images at once, automatic image backup, and easy integration with other software and services.
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Culling Assistance: provide features that can help photographers quickly and efficiently sift through large volumes of images to select the best ones. This could ideally include AI-powered culling tools, advanced search options, and intuitive image rating systems.
What are the most common alternatives to Lightroom?
According to the Shotkit survey, photographers use a variety of different software, including Luminar, Capture One and Topaz Labs to replace Lightroom.
Some of the responses included Photoshop and Adobe Camera RAW, but these are presumably used in conjunction with Lightroom as opposed to replacing it as alternative software.
When it comes to culling through thousands of photos, none of the popular software options currently provide an efficient method to do so in a way that a dedicated culling software like FilterPixel can.
While Lightroom offers an effective workflow for most photographers to edit image, it lacks an efficient way to select and reject large volumes of photos.
Thankfully, Lightroom (as well as many of the various Lightroom alternative software options) can be used in conjunction with FilterPixel to aid with the culling process.
FilterPixel offers a free 14-day trial that can help photographers get a good understanding of the software. You can try it out on our signup page.
