Lightroom alternative for both Windows and Mac?

wyx087

wyx087

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Is there a Lightroom alternative, preferably free or pay-once, that works on both Windows and Mac?

I'm fed up with paying ££ for Lightroom sub, I'm not professional and don't really use it enough these days to warrant the price. But I'd like to keep my workflow.

My workflow as follow:
1. shoot photos (holiday, day out, etc)
2. import into "on-location" catalogue on Macbook Air from hotel/sofa, pick best of best and do light edits for quick sharing

3. import "on-location" catalogue into main catalogue on desktop computer.
4. generate smart-preview and sync catalogue + smart preview back to the laptop.
5. edit whole catalogue on any computer over a few days whenever I'm free (so not chained to desktop)
6. final export on desktop computer

For privacy reason, I use my own NAS's Synology Drive to do the catalogue + smart preview syncing rather than Adobe cloud.

So any software should be able to easily replace Lightroom as long as they can do catalogue import and can generate something similar to smart preview on import.

Also Geotag, I manually geotag my photos using LR's map module.

Files are Fujifilm Raw, would be great to be able to choose Fujifilm camera's colour profiles in the editing software. (eg. provia, velvia, astia)

Is there such software?
 
That does sound like a very Lightroom specific workflow...
 
I suppose smart preview and importing catalogue are too advanced for free tools.

May be I can change step 3 by export as DNG to import into main catalogue.
Is there any LR alternative that generates something akin to LR's smart preview?

Main requirement is able to pick up where I left off on Win desktop or Mac laptop. The catalogue and compressed preview can be sync'd across by underlying file system.
 
I have no experience with any of these. I have a friend that uses and likes https://www.acdsee.com/en/index/ and it's a one time license purchase. I've also heard good things about Skylum and Onone RAW. I had Onone RAW when it first came out but never used it. I'm a LR convert since V2. And when they came out with the subscription and included PS I was sold, But I love Onone's plugins. Skylum is Luminar and it's supposed to be a great alternative. But I've only heard of people using it on podcasts that I listen to. Good luck and I'm curious as to where you end up
 
Thank you very much, 3 very promising tools.

ACDSee looks promising. Can't find import its own catalogue into main catalogue as a feature. I also can't see any "smart preview"-like feature.

Skylum Luminar looks more like AI powered photo editor (like photoshop) than full catalogue management. I may be wrong, but its blurb is very AI focused, can't find anything on photo management.

One1 RAW does have similar cloud feature to Adobe, so it may generate something similar to smart preview and allow me to sync through my own NAS if I buy outright.

It'll be ADSee or One1 for me, ADSee offers free trial and is cheaper, so I shall give it a try first sometime next few days.
 
On1 did a package that included cloud storage and IIRC allowed editing across multiple computers. Their current model also allows installation on more than one machine. One off fee for software, but cloud is (obviously) subscription.
 
Just a word on On1 Photo Raw, you need a very good computer to run it, I used there software for many years even before it was renamed On1 and after the 2023 release I got fed up with the lag when trying to do more than one adjustment at a time with layers and other work, I would say TRY before you buy On1. There is also the cost to upgrade your computer to run On1.
No you have or are giving up Lightroom but buying it when on offer it is not that much more than buying every On1 yearly release and IMO L/R is much faster.
Affinity Photo worth looking at but no DAM but you can find a free one to work with Affinity.
Russ.
 
DAM?

No problem for my desktop computer, it's fast enough for anything. But the Macbook air is 10 years old now and already struggle with LR. Hopefully M1/M2 MBA are no problem with On1, getting one is already on the cards.

Lightroom is now subscription only isn't it? There's no way to buy once and use it until end of time is there? I've done a quick search and cannot find Lightroom 6 on sale at any reputable retailer.

My problem is I feel I don't use enough to warrant a subscription. I want to keep photo editing cataloguing capability, but don't want to pay subscription fee.
 
wyx087 said:
Lightroom is now subscription only isn't it? There's no way to buy once and use it until end of time is there? I've done a quick search and cannot find Lightroom 6 on sale at any reputable retailer.
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It will HAVE to be private. I've a spare copy of LR5 but it's only a single user.
 
Oh wow, I didn't realise I can still import, manage catalogue and apply saved develop presets. It can still function as RAW cataloguing and viewing tool. Hopefully smart preview still works.
I can learn to use free photo editor like GIMP should I want to make more detailed edits.

You've saved me ££, thank you so much!

Search is over, Lightroom alternative is Lightroom classic in with sub lapsed + open source photo editing software.
 
We have a thread on converting colour negative files to positivs on the Film & Coventional forum, which I mention only because one guy was using darktable with very good results. It's open source and free, I believe.

ISTR Raw Therapee was supposed to be good for Fuji files, and free.

I use Capture One Pro which can be had on subscription or (still) a one-off payment. Also supposed to be very good for Fuji files, though I haven't really tested it out. Nearly as good as the late lamented Aperture, but definitely not free!
 
Nice!
Darktable and RawTherapee are both completely free and cross platform. I'm installing them now :D

There's absolutely nothing to loose from trying them out.


(though I note RawTherapee last release was Nov 2022, hopefully hasn't been abandoned)
(Darktable is open source and has a github page, last release Dec 2023 and last commit 5hr ago, this is reassuring)
 
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Faldrax said:
You may want to look at the rules on what Lightroom does when you end your subscription - it may surprise you, and simplify your search for a replacement.
Assuming you use LR classic, the Import and Catalogue functions STILL WORK.
So all you need to find is a new editor - the rest stays the same.
https://www.lightroomqueen.com/cancel-cc-subscription-photos/
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That's interesting, trouble is I use the LR Develop module almost all the time, only occasionally turning to PS, losing it for the times I need (including the ability to reverse PDF back into docs - subscribers may not even realise you have that capability) is a wrench, possibly too far. A great shame, I have no problem paying for software but a sub - which translates into a full license cost every 3 (?) years is painful. I've still got and use my Acrobat Pro 9 from 2008 which does great service on the occasions I need it (except it no longer prints pdf ;) )
 
Ham said:
That's interesting, trouble is I use the LR Develop module almost all the time, only occasionally turning to PS, losing it for the times I need (including the ability to reverse PDF back into docs - subscribers may not even realise you have that capability) is a wrench, possibly too far. A great shame, I have no problem paying for software but a sub - which translates into a full license cost every 3 (?) years is painful. I've still got and use my Acrobat Pro 9 from 2008 which does great service on the occasions I need it (except it no longer prints pdf ;) )
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If you use PS as well as LR the cost balance changes dramatically in favour of the subscription bundle.

LR used to be ~£140 full, £100 upgrade, PS was more like £400 new (not sure, I could never justify the cost).

The Sub, when bought via Amazon discount, is ~£80/year - but is always fully upgraded, and includes PS

So that's over 6 years of subs before the Sub is more expensive than the initial outlay of LR + PS.
But in that 6 years you would have 3 or 4 LR upgrades, so factor in the cost of that and you cover another 5 years of subs, which would require another 2 upgrades, so you end up with the sub only being more costly overall after about 14 years or so - and that's assuming you never upgrade the PS.

The sub model isn't perfect, but they've kept the price at a reasonable level (assuming you buy discounted).
 
Photoworks is great for RAWs and they also have a Mac version, so maybe try that. It's not a subscription-based program, too, so that's definitely an advantage.
 
Faldrax said:
If you use PS as well as LR the cost balance changes dramatically in favour of the subscription bundle.

LR used to be ~£140 full, £100 upgrade, PS was more like £400 new (not sure, I could never justify the cost).

The Sub, when bought via Amazon discount, is ~£80/year - but is always fully upgraded, and includes PS

So that's over 6 years of subs before the Sub is more expensive than the initial outlay of LR + PS.
But in that 6 years you would have 3 or 4 LR upgrades, so factor in the cost of that and you cover another 5 years of subs, which would require another 2 upgrades, so you end up with the sub only being more costly overall after about 14 years or so - and that's assuming you never upgrade the PS.

The sub model isn't perfect, but they've kept the price at a reasonable level (assuming you buy discounted).
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That was exactly my thinking. I had Lightroom since version two and always upgraded. The subscription gave me both for the price of the upgrade. I joined and never looked back
 
PhotoVanGogh said:
That was exactly my thinking. I had Lightroom since version two and always upgraded. The subscription gave me both for the price of the upgrade. I joined and never looked back
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I’ve had LR since I got a “free” copy for being a Rawshooter Pro user. Since then I’ve never gone monthly, just kept on the annual plan but never paid full price. Took advantage of things like Amazon Black Friday deals, perks from using certain services such as Flickr, even extra months once for threatening to cancel my subscription. Like all software, it has its issues and drawbacks from time to time, but overall it’s an excellent program worth the money. Even though I seldom use PS.
 
I hear good things about Capture One Pro, which is particularly good for Fuji RAW files and you can get a perpetual license for a one off payment of £299.00.
 
Santafe2000 said:
I hear good things about Capture One Pro, which is particularly good for Fuji RAW files and you can get a perpetual license for a one off payment of £299.00.
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Remember that a 'perpetual' licence will typically only include minor updates to that version - and when a 'new' version is released (perhaps every 18-24 months) you will need to pay to upgrade to that version in order to continue to get those updates.
 
Faldrax said:
Remember that a 'perpetual' licence will typically only include minor updates to that version - and when a 'new' version is released (perhaps every 18-24 months) you will need to pay to upgrade to that version in order to continue to get those updates.
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Yes, that's a good point. I have just reviewed their T&C's and if lets you use your perpetual license for 2 years or more and want to upgrade to the latest version, they only offer a 20% discount on a new perpetual license. That being said, I think a large number of users would be happy using what they have for quite a few years.
 
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Santafe2000 said:
Yes, that's a good point. I have just reviewed their T&C's and if lets you use your perpetual license for 2 years or more and want to upgrade to the latest version, they only offer a 20% discount on a new perpetual license. That being said, I think a large number of users would be happy using what they have for quite a few years.
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Only if they expect to use the same camera for quite a few years, as most raw processing software updates regularly to accommodate new cameras.
 
Heard good things about Capture One Pro. Tempted to try it out as I've been using Lightroom for quite a while now. Having just got a X100F, apparently Fuji files don't play well with LR?
 
Pneumatic said:
Heard good things about Capture One Pro. Tempted to try it out as I've been using Lightroom for quite a while now. Having just got a X100F, apparently Fuji files don't play well with LR?
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That's history. They didn't used to, but LR has evolved. Personally I never had problems in the first place, and I was using Fuji in 2014. It was only under certain extreme conditions that some people saw worm-like artefacts in grass. Capture One is very good but I could never figure out the interface.
 
Stephen L said:
That's history. They didn't used to, but LR has evolved. Personally I never had problems in the first place, and I was using Fuji in 2014. It was only under certain extreme conditions that some people saw worm-like artefacts in grass. Capture One is very good but I could never figure out the interface.
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That's great to hear that LR has fixed the issues. Will try out Capture One anyway as I'd like to explore it a bit more!
 
Stephen L said:
Only if they expect to use the same camera for quite a few years, as most raw processing software updates regularly to accommodate new cameras.
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Good point!
Fuji X-E2 and x100 classic here. Been considering an overhaul. May be worth pay for one after camera upgrades.


Problem is I just don't do much photography these days. Best camera is the one with me, which is the iPhone and the JPG is good enough out of those. So it's difficult to justify an ongoing cost for photo editing software. Thus I just want a similar software that just works the same many years down the line as long as my camera doesn't change.

I've cancelled my Adobe subscription a few weeks ago. Can still open LrC and browse catalogue. Since then, I've not done any photo with my cameras so not had a chance to test other software.
 
wyx087 said:
Good point!
Fuji X-E2 and x100 classic here. Been considering an overhaul. May be worth pay for one after camera upgrades.


Problem is I just don't do much photography these days. Best camera is the one with me, which is the iPhone and the JPG is good enough out of those. So it's difficult to justify an ongoing cost for photo editing software. Thus I just want a similar software that just works the same many years down the line as long as my camera doesn't change.

I've cancelled my Adobe subscription a few weeks ago. Can still open LrC and browse catalogue. Since then, I've not done any photo with my cameras so not had a chance to test other software.
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Then it all depends on how much or how deep your editing is needed. Have you looked at Adobe Elements? Often overlooked, but surprisingly good.
 
More looking for whole flow catalogue software than photo editing......... Unless it's not Photoshop Elements you are referring?
 
wyx087 said:
More looking for whole flow catalogue software than photo editing......... Unless it's not Photoshop Elements you are referring?
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The scenario I envisaged is using your existing install of LR for its import, catalogue, etc functions and Elements as an editor.as and when required.
 
Ah okay. That makes sense. Worth considering, thanks.

Preferably a direct LrC replacement. I need to try one of those free ones first.
 
Stephen L said:
The scenario I envisaged is using your existing install of LR for its import, catalogue, etc functions and Elements as an editor.as and when required.
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I use C1Pro for import, catalogue etc AND for post-processing. It's pretty powerful, and the only time I need to use Affinity Photo is for merges. That said, I only do basic edits, never been tempted by a sky replacement! I do keep my version for a few years, but the last time I bought a digicam was 2012, and it doesn't matter which film cameras I buy! BTW C1Pro handled Vuescan RAW files very nicely, I was impressed by the results...
 
@wxy087 if you're only using your cell phone just go with something like snapseed. You can't beat it and it's free
 
Thanks. Smart phone photo are already sorted. Edit via built-in editor and management by favourite, I then upload into Synology photos to share with family.

It's the Fujifilm camera photos I rely on LR and want to find a new workflow. A lightroom classic alternative.
 
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