Adobe Lightroom is undoubtedly the most popular photo editing software. Millions of creators and photographers rely on Adobe’s solution to create great photos with an array of editing tools at their fingertips. However, the software is not as intuitive and one-time purchase as it used to be. Adobe is wisely forcing users to upgrade to a $52.99 per month Creative Cloud subscription. If you’re looking for a Lightroom alternative for Mac, read on to find some of the best options.
Many companies focus on one-time payments and continue to support the software for years to come. If you’re in the same situation as other GT members and want to exit the Adobe ecosystem, explore the following Lightroom alternatives for Mac.
1. Pixelmator Pro
Pixelmator is one of the best photo editing software available for Mac. We love the entire Pixelmator interface. It is easy to understand and use, and unlike other apps, Pixelmator does not offer every possible option to the user.
The Pixelmator Pro editing engine is written from the ground up on Metal, Apple’s unique hardware accelerated graphics API. Designed to take full advantage of the latest Mac graphics technologies, Pixelmator Pro delivers maximum performance from any Mac.
Pixelmator Pro includes hundreds of major additions and smaller thoughtful improvements with every turn to image editing tools, interface and image editing engine.
With full support for RAW photos, a range of adjustment presets, and incredible retouching tools, it couldn’t be easier to make good-looking photos gorgeous.
Pixelmator is available on the Mac App Store as a one-time payment for $39.99.
2. Proximity Photo
Thanks to frequent sales and promotions, Affinity’s suite of apps is becoming popular with creatives. Affinity Photo is more of a replacement for Adobe Photoshop, but you can use it perfectly to replace your use of Lightroom.
Some of the notable features of Affinity Photo include 100MP image support, PSD and PSB file support, support for complex vector documents, studio presets for UI layout, and other time-saving tools. Of course, it also supports full RAW development.
The company recently added a road text feature that the GT team loved. You can explore a variety of typographic designs by adding text along a path. Create a path from any line, curve, or shape drawn with any line or shape tool.
Affinity is currently offering 50% off Affinity Photo, bringing the total cost to $25 from the original $50 price tag. Go ahead, give it a try and we’re sure you’ll be impressed.
3. Skylum Illuminator 4
At first glance, we were not fans of the Luminar product. But the company’s final Luminar 4.1 release in March 2021 takes the whole experience to the next level.
Our favorite feature from the bunch is the AI Structure tool. It’s similar to what Google is trying to achieve with the Google Photos app. The plugin helps to give your images an instant “pop” by enhancing your photo areas so that they look richer and leave everything else in its natural state.
Adobe Lightroom, by contrast, offers very little AI editing – any ‘pop’ you want to give to your photos, you have to do it manually.
Another big advantage of Luminar’s library feature is that it can mirror your hard drive. If you move or rename your images or folders outside of Luminar, it will adjust its catalog accordingly.
Other features include erase tool, portrait enhancer, adjustment amount slider, Lightroom/Photoshop support, and more.
Luminar offers a 30-day money-back guarantee. You can get the license for a seat for $69.99.
4. Raw Therapy
So far, we’ve only talked about paid Lightroom alternatives for Mac. Let’s talk about a capable open-source Lightroom competitor with proprietary RAW support.
At first glance, the default interface will remind you of the perfect mix between Photoshop and Lightroom. The app isn’t very feature-packed and is an ideal solution for beginners who want to quickly advance in the world of photography without costing hundreds of dollars.
As the name suggests, RawTherapee shines when working with files, keeping them as they always are. It also has many of the editing tools you’ll find in Lightroom, such as Exposure, sharpening and adjusting curves and color correction.
Here are a few things to keep in mind before making a decision about RawTherapee. There’s no way to edit photos like Lightroom, and you’ll have a hard time finding tutorials on the web as it isn’t as popular as Lightroom.
5. On1 Photo RAW
ON1 Photo RAW is another of our favorite alternatives and its 2021 release brings many new features.
Our biggest gripe with On1 Photo RAW is a cluttered user interface. It’s not as simple or fluid as Lightroom or Luminar. It has a high learning curve, and once you get past that, you’ll be amazed by the whole offer.
ON1 has all the photo tweaks you’d expect from a Lightroom replacement, including excellent AI auto options for tone. Other new features include SmugMug integration, better noise reduction, an excellent map view mode, new timeline albums, and a new focus mask layer so you can tell which photos are in focus.
When using Photo RAW, there is no need to import images as the program will automatically recognize the images on your computer’s hard drive.
ON1 Photo RAW has a one-time price of $149.99 and comes with a 30-day free trial and a 90-day money-back guarantee. You can choose a subscription for $10 per month. The monthly recurring cost is the main factor in moving away from Lightroom in the first place.
Trench Light Room
Adobe continues to dominate the design world with a plethora of apps and services. However, the company continued to increase the price of single-app subscriptions and Creative Cloud bundle. If you’re in the same boat as us, go ahead and try these Lightroom alternatives.
Let us know if you want us to consider alternatives for other Adobe apps.
Next: Want to optimize Mac performance? Read the post below to learn about the seven best macOS apps for optimizing Mac.
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