Adobe Lightroom Alternatives for Mac

There are many alternatives to Adobe Lightroom for Mac if you are looking for a replacement. The best Mac alternative is darktable, which is both free and Open Source. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 100 alternatives to Adobe Lightroom and loads of them are available for Mac so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting Mac alternatives to Adobe Lightroom are RawTherapee, digiKam, RapidRAW and Sly.

filter to find the best alternatives

Adobe Lightroom alternatives are mainly Photo Editors, but if you're looking for Photo Managers or Raw Photo Editorss you can filter on that. Other popular filters include Open Source, Linux, Mac, Android, Free, iPad and Photo Organization. You can also filter by region, for example EU-based alternatives if you prefer software developed in the European Union. These are just examples - use the filter bar below to find more specific alternatives to Adobe Lightroom.
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Alternatives list

  1. darktable icon

    darktable

     340 likes

    Open source non-destructive RAW editor and virtual darkroom with zoomable lighttable, database-driven organization, HDR and EXR support, floating-point workflow, batch exporting, and advanced editing for photography and scientific imaging across platforms.

    70 darktable alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    Darktable’s lighttable mode showing a collection
     
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    14
    256
    Comments about darktable as an Alternative to Adobe Lightroom
    Top Positive Comment
    Guest
    14

    Complete Raw processing suite. Best free open source solution

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Roman
    Positive
    0

    The general approach, workflow and selection of tools for RAW development is a close match to Lightroom, but it's free and works on Linux

    bolude
    Positive
    0

    FOSS and does everything Lightroom does

    3 of 14 comments
    darktable icon
    darktable icon

    • Almost everyone thinks darktable is a great Adobe Lightroom alternative.

    • darktable is Free and Open SourceAdobe Lightroom is Paid and Proprietary
    • darktable is Privacy focusedAdobe Lightroom is not according to our users
  2. RawTherapee icon

    RawTherapee

     233 likes

    Raw photo processing software with advanced control over demosaicing. Ideal for newcomers, semi-professionals, and professionals. Supports HDR DNGs, JPGs, and TIFFs, with in-house enhancements for some camera models. Open-source, lacks digital asset management.

    58 RawTherapee alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • Snapcraft
    • Flathub
    • PortableApps.com
    • Flatpak
    RawTherapee screenshot 1
     
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    1
    112
    Comments about RawTherapee as an Alternative to Adobe Lightroom
    MercuryHero
    Positive
    3

    Fairly advanced control over RAW processing including demosaicing algorithm, gamma curves, etc. Supports its own profiles and presets.

    RawTherapee icon
    RawTherapee icon

    • Almost everyone thinks RawTherapee is a great Adobe Lightroom alternative.

    • RawTherapee is Free and Open SourceAdobe Lightroom is Paid and Proprietary
    • RawTherapee is Privacy focusedAdobe Lightroom is not according to our users
  4. digiKam icon

    digiKam

     356 likes

    digiKam is an advanced digital photo management tool that simplifies importing and organizing photos into albums. It supports various formats including RAW, features tagging, metadata management, duplicate finder, photo editing, sharing, GPS data handling, and has cross-platform compatibility.

    105 digiKam alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • KDE Plasma
    • Flathub
    • Qt
    Image editor
     
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    3
    76
    Comments about digiKam as an Alternative to Adobe Lightroom
    Guest
    Positive
    6

    Database functionality - Lots of other pieces of software mentioned are good at RAW processing but few, if any, have a good, structured back-end to organise photos.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Guest
    Negative
    -1

    digiKam is good at organizing photos but has nothing to edit or adjust photos and RAW files. It only covers half of the features of Lightroom

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Guest
    Negative
    -35

    digiKam is a photo management while lightroom is a raw photo editor, they have nothing in common

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    digiKam icon
    digiKam icon

    • Most users think digiKam is a great Adobe Lightroom alternative.

    • digiKam is Free and Open SourceAdobe Lightroom is Paid and Proprietary
    • digiKam is Privacy focusedAdobe Lightroom is not according to our users
  5. Ad
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    ACDSee Photo Studio icon
    ACDSee Photo Studio

    Offers organization, viewing, and editing tools for digital images, supports over 700 RAW formats, enables metadata embedding and syncing, dynamic category and keyword filters, workflow optimizations, non-destructive edits, detai...

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  6. RapidRAW icon

    RapidRAW

     53 likes

    GPU-accelerated RAW photo editor for Windows, macOS, and Linux featuring non-destructive workflow, AI-driven masking tools, 32-bit precision, advanced color grading, tonal controls, batch operations, preset system, customizable interface, and comprehensive export options.

    54 RapidRAW alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Flathub
    • Flatpak
    RapidRAW screenshot 1
     
  7. Sly icon

    Sly

     51 likes

    Sly is a user-friendly, offline image editor requiring no expertise; adjust brightness, contrast, apply effects, and export in JPEG or PNG formats with control over metadata.

    36 Sly alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Linux
    • Android
    • Flathub
    • Flatpak
    • Online
    Sly screenshot 1
     
  8. Capture One icon

    Capture One

     35 likes

    Capture One is a leading raw converter and workflow software which enables photographers to reduce the time and effort required to deliver astounding ready-to-use images with excellent color and detail.

    54 Capture One alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Paid
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • iPhone
    • iPad
    Capture One screenshot 1
     
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    6
    41
    Comments about Capture One as an Alternative to Adobe Lightroom
    Top Positive Comment
    Guest
    3

    Same professional RAW editing results. Perpetual license option.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    DalsPhotography
    Positive
    0

    Quite pricey, but very capable. Excellent for tethering in studio photography. Heavy on mac older machines, and builds catalogs as LR does which overtime can become a huge file catalog. NOT an easy importing option. To my personal opinion that is what really bothers most compared to other available programs. It's easy to work with but different in many aspects to LR. Many tutorials online and a good post sale service, much better than Adobe's in general.

    Gev X
    Positive
    0

    Speed edit feature

    Uncrop ability (some wide-angle lens has hidden crop)

    Overexposing areas (e.g. bright color LED-lights) looks nicer in C1

    More customizable interface

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    3 of 6 comments
    Capture One icon
    Capture One icon

    • Almost everyone thinks Capture One is a great Adobe Lightroom alternative.

    • Capture One is Paid and ProprietaryAdobe Lightroom is also Paid and Proprietary
  10. Luminar Neo icon

    Luminar Neo

     82 likes

    Advanced RAW photo editing software equipped with AI-driven features like GenErase, GenExpand, and GenSwap. Enhances portraits and landscapes using Sky AI and Atmosphere AI. Compatible with Adobe and Apple products, supports multiple formats, and offers panorama stitching, noise reduction, and more.

    86 Luminar Neo alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Paid
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Chrome OS
    • iPad
    • Apple Photos
    • Adobe Photoshop
    • visionOS
    • Adobe Lightroom
    Luminar Neo screenshot 1
     
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    2
    23
    Comments about Luminar Neo as an Alternative to Adobe Lightroom
    BJ
    Positive
    0

    Skylum's business model is to overpromise and under-deliver. Learned that the hard way. Maybe they'll actually enable GPU processing before the next decade.

    Guest
    Positive
    1

    It's slow on my old Mac, but it's «easy to understand»!

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Luminar Neo icon
    Luminar Neo icon

    • Almost everyone thinks Luminar Neo is a great Adobe Lightroom alternative.

    • Luminar Neo is Paid and ProprietaryAdobe Lightroom is also Paid and Proprietary
  11. Polarr icon

    Polarr

     119 likes

    Offers advanced filters, high-precision color and light tools, clarity, dehaze, batch export, watermarking, custom filter creation, touch and mouse access, infinite undo, HSL/RGB curves, blending, and workspace customization for versatile editing needs.

    140 Polarr alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Chrome OS
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    Polarr screenshot 1
     
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    1
    23
    Comments about Polarr as an Alternative to Adobe Lightroom
    Guest
    Positive
    1

    Very flexible and can handle bulk applications of filters, fixes and adjustments. Cross-platform, even on the web when you can't install it on a local machine.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Polarr icon
    Polarr icon

    • Almost everyone thinks Polarr is a great Adobe Lightroom alternative.

    • Polarr is Freemium and ProprietaryAdobe Lightroom is Paid and Proprietary
  12. ACDSee Photo Studio icon

    ACDSee Photo Studio

     148 likes

    Offers organization, viewing, and editing tools for digital images, supports over 700 RAW formats, enables metadata embedding and syncing, dynamic category and keyword filters, workflow optimizations, non-destructive edits, detailed image preview, and sharing options.

    170 ACDSee Photo Studio alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Paid
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • iPhone
    • iPad
    ACDSee Photo Studio screenshot 1
     
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    1
    24
    Comments about ACDSee Photo Studio as an Alternative to Adobe Lightroom
    maurosoft391
    Negative
    1

    it's not free. you have to pay to get it

    ACDSee Photo Studio icon
    ACDSee Photo Studio icon

    • Most users think ACDSee Photo Studio is a great Adobe Lightroom alternative.

    • ACDSee Photo Studio is Paid and ProprietaryAdobe Lightroom is also Paid and Proprietary
  13. Apple Photos icon

    Apple Photos

     57 likes

    Photos is a digital photograph manipulation application developed by Apple, intended to be less complex than its predecessor iPhoto .

    120 Apple Photos alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Online
    • iPhone
    • iPad
    Apple Photos screenshot 1
     
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    5
    21
    Comments about Apple Photos as an Alternative to Adobe Lightroom
    Top Positive Comment
    jamiegray
    1

    Improved editing tools, thanks to the merging of Apple Aperture and Apple Photos. Nice to sync between all devices. Certainly not as robust as Lightroom, but very convenient.

    Top Negative Comment
    Guest
    0

    No adjustment brushes in Photo

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Guest
    Negative
    -3

    Insufficient editing toolset, clumsy facial recognition, requires iCloud subscription for some features.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    3 of 5 comments
    Apple Photos icon
    Apple Photos icon

    • Some users think Apple Photos is a great Adobe Lightroom alternative, some don't.

    • Apple Photos is Free and ProprietaryAdobe Lightroom is Paid and Proprietary
  14. Corel AfterShot Pro icon

    Corel AfterShot Pro

     30 likes

    Digital photography software with ultra-fast RAW processing, non-destructive editing, seamless Photoshop workflow, batch processing, HDR features, and customizable workspaces for creative efficiency.

    Cost / License

    • Paid
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    Corel AfterShot Pro screenshot 1
     
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    4
    19
    Comments about Corel AfterShot Pro as an Alternative to Adobe Lightroom
    Guest
    Positive
    4

    love it ,easy to understand on the first glance.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    DalsPhotography
    Negative
    0

    I had to send my mac to service (Imac) and used this on an older Imac I own. The camera database is quite outdated. It couldn't recognize my xt4 which is not new by any means.

    Guest
    Positive
    1

    Lightweight, powerful alternative to Lightroom without the price tag

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    3 of 4 comments
    Corel AfterShot Pro icon
    Corel AfterShot Pro icon

    • Most users think Corel AfterShot Pro is a great Adobe Lightroom alternative.

    • Corel AfterShot Pro is Paid and ProprietaryAdobe Lightroom is also Paid and Proprietary
  15. PhotoSort icon

    PhotoSort

     10 likes

    Desktop app for photo sorting on Windows & Mac, managing JPG+RAW files. Sort photos into folders using keys, providing easy navigation and clean interface without deletion, ensuring a focused experience with flexible viewing, safe storage, and no fluff.

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Alerts

    • Discontinued

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    PhotoSort screenshot 1
     
12 of 57 Adobe Lightroom alternatives