# Adobe Lightroom Reviews 2026. Verified Reviews, Pros & Cons | Capterra > Is Adobe Lightroom the right Photo Editing solution for you? Explore 327 verified user reviews from people in industries like yours to make a confident choice. Source: https://www.capterra.com/p/233631/Adobe-Photoshop-Lightroom/reviews --- Adobe Lightroom 4.8 (327) [View alternatives](https://www.capterra.com/p/233631/Adobe-Photoshop-Lightroom/alternatives/) Provider data verified by our Software Research team, and reviews moderated by our Reviews Verification team. [Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/our-story/) * * * Last updated March 13th, 2026 # Reviews of Adobe Lightroom Ease of use 4.4 Customer Service 4.1 ## Pros and Cons in Reviews RV Renato V socioComputer Software, 2 - 10 employeesUsed the software for: 1-2 years. “I consider it to be a complete image editing app due to its wide variety of tools in the field of color, lighting, cropping and more.“ February 4, 2025 HA Hakob A Solutions EngineerElectrical/Electronic Manufacturing, 5,001 - 10,000 employeesUsed the software for: 6-12 months. “Unfortunately, the Adobe pricing was a bit high for me, and I couldn't afford a two licenses for Photoshop and Lightroom, so I replaced my Lightroom with Camera Raw application from Adobe, which has the necessary functionality and is free with Photoshop license.“ February 2, 2025 Farnaz K ML EngineerComputer Software, 51 - 200 employeesUsed the software for: 1-2 years. “I like that Lightroom lets me save my presets so I can use them again later.“ December 10, 2025 MB Meherunnesha B Content creatorEducation Management, Self-employedUsed the software for: Less than 6 months. “On budget friendly phones, lightroom became laggy and slow and their cloud storage are limited.“ July 17, 2025 Farnaz K ML EngineerComputer Software, 51 - 200 employeesUsed the software for: 1-2 years. “I love working with Lightroom, especially because I can use it on my phone and everything syncs so easily.“ December 10, 2025 TA Tabarak A Graphic DesignerDesign, Self-employedUsed the software for: 6-12 months. “The face‑recognition tool is not always accurate; it often marks my cat as a person.“ May 6, 2025 JG Joe G CEOPhotography, 2 - 10 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “It gives you the ability to edit a photo a little more effortlessly while keeping the quality and maintaining low grain visibility.“ February 1, 2025 VM Victor M EDITOR PROFISSIONAL DE IMAGENSMarketing and Advertising, 2 - 10 employeesUsed the software for: 6-12 months. “Limited editing compared to Photoshop, as it does not allow for layers or deeper manipulations.“ April 2, 2025 ## Showing most helpful reviews Showing 1-25 of 327 Reviews Sort by: Most Helpful Rating Company Size Reviewer's Role Length of Use Frequency of Use Crystal C. Owner Health, Wellness and Fitness Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Great for photographers" May 29, 2025 4.0 Overall, I'm a huge fan of the software and would recommend it for any photographer, but the costs and the learning curve can take some persuasion to want to jump in Pros It is a very in depth software for editing photos. It can make adjustments from the most miniscule changes to the most extreme and everything in between. If you can learn the software, it will be a gamechanger for your photography Cons It has a semi-steep learning curve, the subscription costs can be hard to justify for those just starting out, and my least favorite thing, is the black lettering on a dark gray background for 99% of the menu options making it extremely difficult at times to pick out what you are looking for Alternatives considered [GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program)](https://www.capterra.com/p/168960/GIMP/) Reason for choosing Adobe Lightroom More training available for the software. It's also more intuitive Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Managing Partner Photography Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Best software for photographers" January 27, 2025 5.0 I am using lightroom for almost 15 years now and still stick to it. There is no other software that is capable of Lightrooms cataloging features combined with development tools. Unfortunately, it sometimes is painfully slow and unresponsive and Adobe does not really seem to do anything about it nor implement feedback - even if there are thousands of votes for it. Pros \- Best cataloging software on the market - Easy to use - Many options for development and editing Cons \- Sometimes painfully slow, especially with large catalogues - Only subscription model available, if newest version is needed Alternatives considered [Affinity Photo](https://www.capterra.com/p/228748/Affinity-Photo/) Reason for choosing Adobe Lightroom There is no better software that combines both cataloging and developing images. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Photographer Photography Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Lightroom Classic user for years" March 14, 2026 5.0 It works and works well. Delivers what it promises and what I need to get photos culled, edited, and exported to spec. Pros Simple yet powerful, intuitive interface. Handles photo library well. Excellent and powerful suite of tools. Cons There is not a great deal to complain about for me and my photography workflow as it pertains to using Lightroom Classic. I will say that some of the tools that are available in both Photoshop and Lightroom are vastly superior in Photoshop. Review Source LL Léandre L. Photographer Photography Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Great software, horrible business plan" February 12, 2025 3.0 Everything is great, but the subscription model is abhorrent. The minute I find something similar without a subscription, I'll switch Pros Access between tablet, pc and cellphone. Cons The subscription model is horrible. I would love to buy once and would put 5 stars if that was the case Review Source DR Devan R. Sales and Marketing Representative Automotive Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Lightroom is a must" April 8, 2026 5.0 Overall I have had a very positive experience with adobe Lightroom. It takes my photography to the next level. Pros The ability to transform photos with light and colour settings. Ease of use across mobile devices and web browsers. Cons Sometimes I find that in Apple photos, the edits performed make the image look better than Lightroom. Review Source LB Leighann B. Director Education Management Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Simple and a HUGE time saver" May 2, 2025 5.0 Very satisfied. I am able to edit my photos quickly and easily to make them more presentable on social media. Pros Preset filters are the best! I don't have a lot of time for photo editing. It's something I've had to learn to do in order to maintain a decent social media presence for my school, but I'm not great at it. Preset filters in Lightroom make all my photos look better. Cons I just wish I knew how to better use all the features! I know I'm not using it to its fullest potential, but it works for my purposes. Alternatives considered [Adobe Photoshop](https://www.capterra.com/p/229092/Adobe-Photoshop/) Reason for choosing Adobe Lightroom Adobe Lightroom was much simpler and easier to learn that Photoshop Review Source RA Rachel A. Director Education Management Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Photo Editing made easy" December 10, 2024 4.0 Overall, I enjoy using Lightroom. Outside of managing my preschool, I handle all social media and Lightroom is great for editing the photos I take of activities within our program. Pros I like how many features users can explore while working in Lightroom. I also like that users can connect to the community and use filters created by others. Cons I find that this program can be easily "overloaded" and will crash- especially if the device you are using it on is not completely up to date. If you are ensuring that your device and Lightroom are both running on the latest software, it works fine 99% of the time. Switched from [Adobe Photoshop](https://www.capterra.com/p/229092/Adobe-Photoshop/) I like the features and functions of Lightroom better than Photoshop. This platform feels a little easier to use as well for strictly image editing. Review Source ML Melissa L. Founder and Creater Arts and Crafts Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Great image editing app!" October 1, 2025 4.0 I live using the app, it’s very convenient. The simple tools needed to quickly edit images are all there. Pros I really love the convenience of this app. The features it offers make good value for your money. Image editing tools have helped elevate my content a lot. Cons Most of the advanced tools require a specific monthly subscription in order to be unlocked. In order to get into presets, there are a series of steps to click into before getting to it. It would be much better if it were a few clicks less for more convenience. Switched from [Image Tools](https://www.capterra.com/p/10015191/Quicktools/) It was too expensive and only offered the most basic tools Review Source JS Jason S. Photography assistant Apparel & Fashion Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Best overall photo editing software " April 7, 2025 5.0 I love Lightroom, and use it as my main editing software. Pros Best platform to not just edit your images, but also organize and categorize your work. New features are constantly being added to further the experience. Cons Work requiring more detailed editing work or layers will have to be used along side of Photoshop. Switched from [Adobe Photoshop](https://www.capterra.com/p/229092/Adobe-Photoshop/) I started using Photoshop, but switched to Lightroom as my main editor for its file organization, and ease of use. Review Source PE Pete E. Head of IT Services Education Management Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Vvery powerful image catalogue and editing tool" March 26, 2025 5.0 Lightroom has been effective in improving my photography workflow. I like how it has evolved into the product it now is, and has many features to help transform dull images into vivid snapshots. Pros It is an incredibly powerful tool for managing and edit photos. Cons It could be more efficient with PC CPU and RAM. Sometimes it can be slow to work with. It is also quite pricey with a subscription model. Switched from [Capture One](https://www.capterra.com/p/200094/Capture-One-Enterprise/) Lightroom has better features and is easier to use with the sliders etc. Review Source mL mickael L. PHOTOGRAPHER Photography Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "A must have for all photographers" June 18, 2024 5.0 I use LR daily for my photographer activity and i couldn't do it with an other software. It's a must have. Pros LR allows you to edit your pictures as you want it to. It gives you really fast render. The AI tools are insanely good. The sorting tools allows you to handle your picture sorting as you want to directly in the application. Cons A bit complicated to understand all export options, but once you get use to it and make your templates properly it's a one click export. Alternatives considered [GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program)](https://www.capterra.com/p/168960/GIMP/) Reason for choosing Adobe Lightroom I choose LR because it was the software with witch i was the most comfortable working with. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Lead Hospital & Health Care Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Starting out as a Photographer" April 9, 2025 4.0 I enjoy it a lot but it is not easily accessible for someone starting out. Pros It is simple and easy, with easy tutorials and user-generated content to teach everything. Cons It is expensive monthly for a small business. Review Source HA Hakob A. Solutions Engineer Electrical/Electronic Manufacturing Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Every photographer's best tool" February 2, 2025 5.0 I was using Adobe Lightroom several years ago when I was learning professional photography as a new hobby, and needed a professional tool for color correction and editing of my photos. The software does its job flawlessly, without any issues. Pros It's a professional tool both for experienced photo editors and newbies, so I absolutely loved it. The interface is user-friendly, and even new users can pretty much apply their creative ideas for their photos. Cons Unfortunately, the Adobe pricing was a bit high for me, and I couldn't afford a two licenses for Photoshop and Lightroom, so I replaced my Lightroom with Camera Raw application from Adobe, which has the necessary functionality and is free with Photoshop license. Review Source NO Nick O. Photographer Photography Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Great for a beginner" February 21, 2025 5.0 I've used it on and off in the past (the mobile version is fantastic). I might look at using Photoshop or something a little more technical at some point in the future, but for now, I really enjoy it. Pros Lightroom has been an easy start into editing photos for my new photography business. Cons It's quite intense on my hardware and slows everything down while using it. Review Source CP Craig P. Photographer Photography Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Adobe Lightroom Rocks" August 15, 2024 5.0 I absolutely enjoy using Lightroom with a majority of my images being edited with this software. Pros I use Lightroom and Lightroom classic on a daily basis as a professional photographer. There is a small learning curve to Lightroom but once you get the hang of it, you won’t want to use anything else. I love their software. Cons I can honestly say the only thing I don’t like about Lightroom is the learning curve. Review Source JR Joel R. Photographer Photography Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Excellent photo editing platform " July 4, 2024 5.0 I've been using this program for almost a decade and I enjoy it for how quick and easy it is to use. Pros Ease of use and valuable updates. It's an industry standard that makes editing and organizing images simple and seamless and consistent. Cons Some of the tools aren't as intuitive as I'd hope. There are some that could be updated or improved. Review Source Adham H. Senior Social Media Specialist, Senior Graphic Designer Broadcast Media Used the software for: 2+ years ### "The fully fledged photo editing software for every photographer outhere" January 2, 2024 5.0 i've been using lightroom for almost 7 years now, and never ever has it failed me, they update it on regular basis, it's always easy to handle, it gives me the freedom to edit every single aspect of my photos, i always recommend it for every photographer out there. Pros You can control every single aspect of colors on your photos, create presets or even import ready made ones, you can adjust every single light and shadow on your photos as well as the color wheel of the shadows & highlights, you can also batch import and edit, create your own settings and save them to a catalog, edit on the go from your mobile, it's always synced and backed up to the cloud, so you can access your photos anywhere and anytime. Cons Nothing to dislike except the prices, it's a bit expensive when it comes to single software use if you're only using lightroom, however you can get an offer bundle if you get it with photoshop, or with photoshop and illustrator Review Source Larry R. Content Developer Photography Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Adobe Lightroom - The Field Photographer's Must-have Software" February 15, 2022 5.0 Without Adobe Lightroom, my business would experience longer delivery times to publish content. Lightroom enables extremely fast import of new image files and export of finished art. Lightroom enables lightning-fast search and retrieval of images I need to review and select for published content. And lastly, Lightroom handles all aspects of image file management - of over 140,000 images located on multiple hard drives. Lightroom is a competitive advantage in my business. Pros I have been a Lightroom user since the beginning of Lightroom, and it has become a critical part of my business processes. I really value Adobe's technical support and frequent updates to the product as new cameras and new capabilities are introduced to the market. One feature of Lightroom that literally saves me hours every day is the keyword tagging and search feature. As a writer and book publisher, it is critically important to me that I be able to find specific photos in my archive of over 140,000 images. Using Lightroom, I can enter a few keywords and Lightroom finds images tagged with those values within seconds. This capability alone is the difference between published a finished book layout in time, or missing a deadline. Cons There is not much that I don't like about Lightroom, but I must admit that there is one aspect of the product design that sometimes confuses novice users. That aspect is the data architecture it assigns when importing images, which assures that the original photo file is untouched. Essentially, Lightroom never changes an original image because it records the "path" to the location where each image existed at the time of import. Then, as edits are made to an image, a text file is created to record edits made, such as "increase contrast by +2" or "adjust horizon by -21 degrees." The most common complaint I hear from novice users is "my image disappeared from Lightroom." Invariably, when I help these individuals I learn that the user had changed the folder name, or the location of the file on the computer, which changes the "path" Lightroom uses to find the underlying image - remember, Lightroom does to protect the original file from accidental changes. Review Source NM Nathália M. travel consultant Leisure, Travel & Tourism Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "the best image editor" August 1, 2022 5.0 It is a complex application, mainly due to its many functions, which also makes it a very complete application for editing. In addition to exporting everything with great quality. I highly recommend it, if you have difficulties at first, persist until you understand each feature, it's worth it Pros I wouldn't say that the application is easy to use, especially for those who are not familiar with image editing, myself, when I installed it, two years ago, I found it quite difficult and I looked for many videos on youtube that could help me. But once you get the hang of it, get more familiar with the tools, you won't want to edit anywhere else. I find the application very complete, with several functions, with the option of filters saved by the user, which make it very easy as well. One thing that might seem small, but I really like it and haven't seen it in similar apps, is the option to "zero" the edit I was doing quite easily. Cons it's been a while since, in the "mask" option you could select only the sky, or a "subject". I only managed to do this once! Every other time the app restarts and I lose everything I've edited. So, this function, which is not that new, doesn't work on my device, nor on my husband's device. Review Source Ankur B. Photographer Media Production Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Holy Grail of Photoediting" January 27, 2023 5.0 Adobe Lightroom has been my first priority software since day 1. Hands down one of the best software. Pros If you're a content creator from a beginner level to having your own Media Agency, Adobe Lightroom is hands down one of the most perfect and most powerful tools. Especially with the integration of AI for masking, and other basic changes, it has been even more fun, quick, and easy to edit. Especially if you're someone who makes while traveling, and most of the time you're editing, you're in an Airplane, or car, or something where Laptop won't be feasible, you can edit directly on your iPad and then see them on your mobile for easy export & upload, on your Laptop for further work or with your team in some other country via cloud-based service. Cons The subscription model even thou affordable, isn't for everyone. They should allow free runs on Mobile for RAW editing while keeping the subscription model for iPad & Desktop versions. The lack of Fujifilm Film Simulation is a big red flag for Fujifilm users while their tether when compared to Capture One is quickly outdated. Review Source Lori R. Founder Photography Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Favorite Photo Editing Tool" August 14, 2023 5.0 The features in Lightroom have grown so much over the past few years. The whole workflow and editing of photos is quick and easy. There are many creative options now as well as tools for touch-ups. I also really enjoy the monthly membership model (paid yearly) which allows me to always be using updated software. Pros I've used Lightroom for the past 10+ years and the available features for photo improvements just keep getting better. Cons I wish there was the ability to export photos in CMYK. Review Source MN Michael N. Photographer Photography Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Adobe lightroom is an amazing product" January 19, 2024 5.0 Still tried and true program to edit raw files, love using it. Pros Fairly easy to use once you get the hang of it. So many useful features, and I can see why it is the standard in the photography field. The cloud based syatem makes it so easy to upload and share across many devices, and not having it trapped in my hime pc or have to carry my laptop. Tutorials are super helpful. The filter options are great, and lots of useful editing tools. Cons Can be very intimidating at first, when using the mobile version, the program tends to crash unexpectedly at times, especially when i got a new phone. And mostly a problem on the mobile version, i wish PNG was an export option. Very easy to fill up the storage. Review Source MA Mohammad A. Director cinematographer photographer Entertainment Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Adobe Lightroom review " March 15, 2023 5.0 I love everything Adobe. What's more, Lightroom is only one of those bits of programming projects that is an unquestionable requirement for any individual who is truly into computerized photography. I'm by and by bought into the Adobe Inventive Cloud membership where I get Lightroom and any remaining Adobe applications in a perfect, reasonable month to month bundle. Pros Classifying and document the board are awesome, which is at the center of keeping your photographs straight!Non-horrendous altering of photographs, we've all heard it and yes it's perfect for effortless adjustments to your picturesAdjusting photographs on the cloud works according to plan, including your cell phone obviouslyFurthermore, synchronized altering is a gift, exceptionally simple to utilizeI need to say that the Versatile Application for iOS and Android for Lightroom is astounding, you can see they've truly put into cell phone useThe inquiry devices are strong, making it more straightforward than any time in recent memory to find your photographsEndlessly heaps of presets and unending modules you can have so there's limitless space for extension and new revelationsCamera backing ought to be fantastic also so even new camera discharges are very much upheldFrom your photographs make books, slideshows, exhibitions, and so on. Cons As frequently is with Adobe items it utilizes a decent measure of assets, particularly the non-disastrous component requires a ton of circle spaceInstallment is membership based which not every person loves clearlyTransferring existing libraries to the framework is tedious Review Source Babu S. Quality Manger Information Technology and Services Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Adobe Lightroom review by a Self taught photographer" June 18, 2022 5.0 My overall experience with Lightroom has been really good and I am already prescribing it among my friends and collegues. Pros Adobe Lightroom has an user friendly interface and it allows any beginner to use the software without any prior knowledge or specific training. Importing a file is easier, sharing the file is even more easy. we can also use another person's design from the cloud without having to pay for it Cons Unable to load images with huge size. Version control can be a little messy Can't edit layer by layer like how we do it in Photoshop Review Source SS Szabolcs S. Software developer Computer Software Used the software for: 2+ years ### "It's a must" July 31, 2022 5.0 I can successfully organize my pictures, i can retouch and perfect them with ease, I can go from desktop to mobile and pick up the work and continue - I like this the most. Pros If you are a photographer, be that on a professional basis or a hobbyist, you can't expect to create awesome shots with the camera only. A good post-processing software is needed. Lightroom is the "industry standard", every other editor is compared against it, in the features, in organizing tools, sharing features, with Adobe family software integrations Cons It's a little annoying, that it needs a little too much resources, cpu and ram. I had to switch hardware because of this. The 20gb cloud space offered in the basic subscription is too little. 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