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Lightroom Replacement Options and Opinions

With the latest changes to Lightroom by Adobe, many photographers seem to be looking for Lightroom Replacement Options and Opinions. I’ve had a love-hate relationship with Adobe ever since they went the way of the subscription model. I have been paying $10/month for the Adobe Lightroom/Photoshop subscription. With the latest announcement I tried Adobe Lightroom CC and did not like it at all. I had to cancel my plan since I changed to the 1TB cloud storage option (while it was on sale for $15/month for the first year) hoping that it would work the way I wanted it to work. Unfortunately it didn’t so I cancelled and had to go back to the original $10/month Lightroom/photoshop plan.

Now I am not necessarily against SAAS (Software as a Subscription) Models. I give Microsoft $10/month for Office 365 and never think twice about it. So why do I hate the Adobe model so much? Mostly due to the 2 computer limitation and how slow and bloated Lightroom has started to feel.

What I am looking for

There are a few requirements I am looking for in my Lightroom Replacement wish list

  • Compatible with both OSX and Windows – Mobile is a bonus
  • Storage options controlled by me. (where files are located, ability to access outside of software)
  • Image Management and editing (either directly or via a plugin)
  • Not a subscription
  • Not expensive

What are the alternatives?

There are a few Lightroom Replacement alternatives, but not all of them encompass both the DAM (Digital Asset Management) and Editing tools of Lightroom.

  • Luminar 2018 – $69
  • ACDsee Photo Editor 10 – $59.99 USD
  • On1 Raw 2018 – $119-149 USD
  • Corel AfterShot Pro – $59 USD
  • DxO Photo Lab – $129-199 USD
  • Affinity Photo – approx $54 USD
  • Phase One Capture One Pro – $299 USD
  • Apple Photos (Mac Only) – $Free (w/Mac computers)

I am currently checking out Luminar 2018. As far as a Photo Editing app goes it is excellent. They are working on a library system that they expect to release in 2018. I am also going to check out ACDsee for the file management option especially since according to them you can import your existing Lightroom Library. I purchased Corel AfterShot Pro several years ago, but have not really used it much.

Your Thoughts and Opinions

Are you thinking about leaving Lightroom? Have you tried any of the alternatives I mentioned above? Do you know about an alternative I haven’t mentioned? Leave a comment below and lets start a discussion. The more people that talk about it, the better information we will all have to benefit from.

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