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Free alternatives to Adobe Lightroom

Top pick: darktable. Switching saves about $120 USD a year.

Adobe Lightroom, Lightroom plan with 1 TB, annual plan

$119.88 USDa year

$155.88 CAD

Every pick below has a free version.

Runs on
  • Windows
  • macOS
  • Web
  • iOS
  • Android
Key file formats
.dng.cr3.nef.arw

Filter alternatives

5 alternatives

Top pick

1 tool

The editor’s first choice for most people switching.

  1. Rank 1: darktable

    Best for open-source RAW editing and a photo library

    License: Open source
    • Windows
    • macOS
    • Linux
    Status: Unknown
    • DNG: opens only, full fidelity. Reads DNG files; the raw denoise tool can write a linear DNG
    • CR3: opens only, full fidelity. Newer camera models need a recent LibRaw
    • NEF: opens only, full fidelity
    • ARW: opens only, full fidelity
    • XMP: opens and saves, partial fidelity. Imports ratings, tags and about ten Lightroom adjustments from sidecars, and writes its own XMP

    Free on Windows, macOS and Linux with no account. Edits stay on your computer; the AI tools run locally and are off by default.

Strong

2 tools

Covers most of the same work, with trade-offs noted on each card.

  1. Rank 2: RawTherapee

    Best for fine control over RAW conversion

    License: Open source
    • Windows
    • macOS
    • Linux
    Status: Unknown
    • DNG: opens only, full fidelity
    • CR3: opens only, full fidelity
    • NEF: opens only, full fidelity
    • ARW: opens only, full fidelity

    Free on Windows, macOS and Linux with no account. It works folder by folder and has no catalog, so a large library needs another tool.

  2. Rank 3: ART

    Best for a simpler RawTherapee-based RAW editor

    License: Open source
    • Windows
    • macOS
    • Linux
    Status: Unknown
    • DNG: opens only, full fidelity
    • CR3: opens only, partial fidelity. Support depends on the LibRaw version in your build
    • NEF: opens only, full fidelity
    • ARW: opens only, full fidelity

    A fork of RawTherapee with a simpler interface, free on Windows, macOS and Linux. Builds for Windows and macOS are linked from its site rather than hosted on a store.

Situational

2 tools

Right for specific needs, or not yet mature enough to recommend widely.

  1. Rank 4: digiKam

    Best for managing a large photo library

    License: Open source
    • Windows
    • macOS
    • Linux
    Status: Verified
    • DNG: opens and saves, full fidelity. A converter tool can save DNG
    • CR3: opens only, full fidelity
    • NEF: opens only, full fidelity
    • ARW: opens only, full fidelity
    • XMP: opens and saves, partial fidelity. Reads and writes ratings, tags and labels; Lightroom develop settings are not applied

    Strongest as a library manager. Free on Windows, macOS and Linux, though RAW editing is lighter than in Lightroom.

  2. Rank 5: LightCraft

    Best for testing an open-source Lightroom clone

    License: Open source
    • Windows
    • macOS
    • Linux
    • Self-hosted
    Status: Unknown
    • DNG: opens and saves, full fidelity. DNG files use their own color matrices
    • CR3: opens only, partial fidelity. Opens as an embedded preview only; RAW decode is not done yet
    • NEF: opens only, partial fidelity. Develops with a neutral color matrix, so color looks muted
    • ARW: opens only, partial fidelity. Develops with a neutral color matrix, so color looks muted
    • XMP: opens and saves, partial fidelity. Reads and writes XMP sidecars and reads Lightroom develop settings

    Alpha (v0.2.1, October 2026). Its makers rate it 60 to 70% of a day-to-day Lightroom replacement and list camera color and CR3 support as top gaps.

Sponsor this page: $149 for 30 days. Sponsors appear above the ranking, labeled; the ranking itself is not for sale.

Feature parity

How each alternative covers what people use Adobe Lightroom for. Numbers link to editor notes.

Feature parity with Adobe Lightroom
FeaturedarktableRawTherapeeARTdigiKamLightCraft
Editing
RAW development and camera profilesYesNote 1YesNote 2YesNote 3PartialNote 4PartialNote 5
AI DenoisePartialNote 6PartialNote 7PartialNote 8PartialNote 9NoNote 10
Masking
AI masks: subject, sky and backgroundPartialNote 11PartialNote 12PartialNote 13NoPartialNote 14
Retouching
Spot healing and Generative RemovePartialNote 15PartialNote 16NoNote 17PartialNote 18PartialNote 19
Workflow
Presets and batch settings syncYesNote 20YesNote 21YesNote 22PartialNote 23YesNote 24
Organizing
Albums, ratings, keywords and smart searchPartialNote 25PartialNote 26PartialNote 27YesNote 28YesNote 29
Sync
Cloud sync across desktop, mobile and webNoNote 30NoNote 31NoNote 32NoNote 33NoNote 34
Output
Batch export and sharingYesYesNote 35YesNote 36YesNote 37YesNote 38
Parity score63%63%56%50%56%
  1. darktable, RAW development and camera profiles: Scene-referred pipeline, camera profiles and lens correction
  2. RawTherapee, RAW development and camera profiles: Several demosaic methods, camera profiles and lens correction
  3. ART, RAW development and camera profiles: Uses the RawTherapee engine with fewer controls
  4. digiKam, RAW development and camera profiles: Raw import with basic corrections; fewer editing tools than Lightroom
  5. LightCraft, RAW development and camera profiles: DNG, NEF and ARW develop; other raws use a neutral color matrix and CR3 opens as a preview
  6. darktable, AI Denoise: Neural restore for denoise and upscale arrived in 5.6, optional and off by default
  7. RawTherapee, AI Denoise: Manual noise reduction methods; no AI denoise
  8. ART, AI Denoise: AI denoise only through external tools
  9. digiKam, AI Denoise: Noise reduction in the image editor
  10. LightCraft, AI Denoise: AI Denoise is not started
  11. darktable, AI masks: subject, sky and background: Drawn and parametric masks; an optional AI object mask arrived in 5.6
  12. RawTherapee, AI masks: subject, sky and background: Selective Editing spots with parametric masks; no AI subject selection
  13. ART, AI masks: subject, sky and background: Drawn and parametric masks; AI masking only through external tools
  14. LightCraft, AI masks: subject, sky and background: Brush, linear, radial and range masks; subject and sky use classical heuristics
  15. darktable, Spot healing and Generative Remove: Retouch and spot removal modules; no generative remove
  16. RawTherapee, Spot healing and Generative Remove: Dust and spot removal through Selective Editing, less direct than a dedicated tool
  17. ART, Spot healing and Generative Remove: No spot healing tool is listed in its documentation
  18. digiKam, Spot healing and Generative Remove: Inpainting and a healing clone tool in the editor
  19. LightCraft, Spot healing and Generative Remove: Heal and clone spots; content-aware fill is in progress
  20. darktable, Presets and batch settings sync: Styles, presets and copy or paste of edit history
  21. RawTherapee, Presets and batch settings sync: Processing profiles you copy or apply in batch
  22. ART, Presets and batch settings sync: Presets and batch processing
  23. digiKam, Presets and batch settings sync: Batch Queue Manager runs tool chains; there are no develop presets
  24. LightCraft, Presets and batch settings sync: Presets, versions and copy or paste of settings
  25. darktable, Albums, ratings, keywords and smart search: Collections, tags, ratings and filters; no AI content search
  26. RawTherapee, Albums, ratings, keywords and smart search: File browser with ratings, labels and filters; no catalog or albums
  27. ART, Albums, ratings, keywords and smart search: File browser with ratings and labels; no catalog or albums
  28. digiKam, Albums, ratings, keywords and smart search: Albums, tags, ratings, face recognition and duplicate search
  29. LightCraft, Albums, ratings, keywords and smart search: Albums, smart albums, stacks, ratings and filters
  30. darktable, Cloud sync across desktop, mobile and web: No cloud sync or mobile apps
  31. RawTherapee, Cloud sync across desktop, mobile and web: No cloud sync or mobile apps
  32. ART, Cloud sync across desktop, mobile and web: No cloud sync or mobile apps
  33. digiKam, Cloud sync across desktop, mobile and web: Exports to web services, but no sync across devices
  34. LightCraft, Cloud sync across desktop, mobile and web: No cloud sync
  35. RawTherapee, Batch export and sharing: Queue-based batch export
  36. ART, Batch export and sharing: Queue-based batch export
  37. digiKam, Batch export and sharing: Batch export and export to web services
  38. LightCraft, Batch export and sharing: JPEG, PNG, TIFF, WebP, AVIF and DNG with batch export

Not covered by any free alternative yet: AI masks: subject, sky and background, AI Denoise, Spot healing and Generative Remove, Cloud sync across desktop, mobile and web. See all feature gaps

File formats

Can each alternative open and save Adobe Lightroom files?

Opening and saving Adobe Lightroom files
FormatdarktableRawTherapeeARTdigiKamLightCraft
.dngOpens onlyNote 1Full fidelityOpens onlyFull fidelityOpens onlyFull fidelityOpens and savesNote 2Full fidelityOpens and savesNote 3Full fidelity
.cr3Opens onlyNote 4Full fidelityOpens onlyFull fidelityOpens onlyNote 5Partial fidelityOpens onlyFull fidelityOpens onlyNote 6Partial fidelity
.nefOpens onlyFull fidelityOpens onlyFull fidelityOpens onlyFull fidelityOpens onlyFull fidelityOpens onlyNote 7Partial fidelity
.arwOpens onlyFull fidelityOpens onlyFull fidelityOpens onlyFull fidelityOpens onlyFull fidelityOpens onlyNote 8Partial fidelity
  1. darktable, .dng: Reads DNG files; the raw denoise tool can write a linear DNG
  2. digiKam, .dng: A converter tool can save DNG
  3. LightCraft, .dng: DNG files use their own color matrices
  4. darktable, .cr3: Newer camera models need a recent LibRaw
  5. ART, .cr3: Support depends on the LibRaw version in your build
  6. LightCraft, .cr3: Opens as an embedded preview only; RAW decode is not done yet
  7. LightCraft, .nef: Develops with a neutral color matrix, so color looks muted
  8. LightCraft, .arw: Develops with a neutral color matrix, so color looks muted

What switching saves

Switching saves about $120 USD / $156 CAD a year. Prices checked .

Based on Lightroom plan with 1 TB, annual plan. Price source.

About this page

Last verified . Ranking: tier first, then the published score.

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Related

Adobe Lightroom is a product of Adobe, named here for comparison only. Platforms listed for Adobe Lightroom: Windows, macOS, Web, iOS, Android.