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On the face of it, getting hold of the best video editing software is no easy task. There are loads of options out there, all boasting brilliant features and innovative add-ons. But the option that will suit a professional video editor won't necessarily be the best for the enthusiastic amateur. And what about free video editing software?
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That's where this TechRadar guide to choosing the best video editing software comes in. We've used all the best (and worst) editors around and distilled them down to an easy-to-digest list of our favorites.
Below you'll see lists of both premium and free video editing software. So if you're ready for something advanced, opting for a paid product will get you high-end extras like 360-degree video support, motion tracking and multi-cam editing, but that's just the start.
The most impressive programs make your everyday tasks like cutting, trimming, combining and applying filters to clips as simple as possible - that's true regardless of whether you demand the absolute best video editor out there, or if you were hoping for free video editing software instead. Downloading an inferior option will lead only to frustration and a less polished finished product. The tools we've picked out for you in this guide are the very best in their class.
Keep reading to get the best of both worlds, with Adobe Premiere Pro leading the way as our #1 favorite. And further down the page we have an FAQ to answer all your burning questions about video editing software.
- Need the hardware, too? Discover the best laptops for video editing
The overall best video editing software
These premium video editors can't be matched - not even by the very greatest free options. The extra resources available to commercial projects help to refine the entire package, often bringing more accurate and configurable effects, an enhanced interface and a faster rendering engine. If it's the very best video editing software that you're after, then look no further than this quintet:
1. Adobe Premiere Pro CC
Dedicate the time to mastering Premiere Pro and reap the rewards
Platform: Windows/Mac | Free trial: 7 days | Upload straight to YouTube: Yes | 8K support: Yes | 360 support: Yes | Purchase type: Subscription
Premiere Pro CC Single AppAdobe Premiere Pro is an industry-standard video editor and getting the most from it will require an investment of time as well as cash, but if you’re serious about video then it’s well worth the effort.
There's a vast assortment of stackable audio and video filters, support for 360-degree and VR video, native support for a huge number of raw file formats, and the ability to work collaboratively with others. You can even start editing your videos before they've finished importing.
This kind of power doesn't come cheap and the monthly or annual subscription fee adds up, but the lack of a large initial outlay makes Premiere Pro surprisingly accessible. It's worth downloading a trial of the other video editors here before making a decision, but Premiere Pro is extremely versatile and the cloud-based model means you won't have to pay for upgrades as they're released.
Read our full review: Adobe Premiere Pro CC
Adobe Premiere Pro |From $20.99 (£19.97) per month
Like all of Adobe's single app plans, Premier Pro costs around $20/£20 per month when you sign up for a year. That's excellent value for such an impressive piece of software.
2. Apple Final Cut Pro X
A premium editor for Mac owners, with a unique interface
Platform: Mac | Free trial: 30 days | Upload straight to YouTube: Yes | 8K support: Yes | 360 support: Yes | Purchase type: Retail
This is a video editor aimed squarely at the professional end of the market, but Apple Final Cut Pro X is not needlessly complicated. Its interface is a little different to most, and is built around a 'trackless' timeline that encourages you to organize elements into specific 'roles', such as voiceover, music and titles.
If you're looking for a video editor to pair with your drone, Final Cut Pro is an excellent choice. It supports raw video from all the major makes and models, and is regularly updated with additional profiles. It also supports 360-degree video editing (fast becoming mandatory for premium video editing software) and HDR, with advanced color grading.
Rather than adopt a subscription model like Adobe, Apple has chosen to make Final Cut Pro available for a one-off flat fee. It's relatively expensive, but includes all major updates and will work out cheaper than Premiere Pro if you keep using it over a couple of years. If you own a Mac and are torn between Apple and Adobe, we recommend taking the free trials of both for a spin before making up your mind.
3. CyberLink PowerDirector
A video editor that puts premium tools within reach of newcomers
Platform: Windows | Free trial: 30 days | Upload straight to YouTube: Yes | 8K support: Yes | 360 support: Yes | Purchase type: Retail
If Adobe Premiere Elements and Apple Final Cut Pro X are overkill for your video editing projects, take a look at CyberLink PowerDirector.
Although PowerDirector is a premium, feature-packed video editor, it's also very forgiving, and offers a gentle introduction to post production that won't faze complete beginners. The Magic Movie Wizard is the ultimate example, paring the task of combining and optimizing videos down to a few clicks. You'll achieve better results by spending a while in the timeline editor, but for anyone who just wants to quickly piece something together to publish on Facebook, it's ideal.
That's not to say that CyberLink PowerDirector is dumbed down, though; far from it. The software also offers a standard post production interface based around control panels and a timeline. It sometimes takes a little while to drill down to the finer controls, but every filter and option is extremely flexible once you start exploring. Perhaps most impressive of all, CyberLink PowerDirector makes video editing fun.
4. HitFilm Pro
If you're interested in special effects, HitFilm is the editor for you
Platform: Windows | Free trial: No time limit, but can’t export | Upload straight to YouTube: Yes | 8K support: Yes | 360 support: Yes | Purchase type: Retail
HitFilm Pro is a premium video editor that's a firm favourite with fanfilm makers - and with good reason. It's packed with tools for creating stunning special effects, but is accessible enough for home users.
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One of HitFilm Pro's biggest selling points is the ability to tackle pretty much every aspect of video post-production within the editor. Animations, titles, audio editing and color grading are all accessible with a couple of clicks, but the interface is intuitively designed and never feels cluttered.
Unlike the other video editors in this roundup, HitFilm Pro supports importing and animating of custom 3D models, complete with simulated 3D cameras, custom shadows and dynamic lighting. There are also impressive particle effects, and superb chroma-keying to minimize annoying spill.
5. Adobe Premiere Elements
A friendly introduction to video editing for complete beginners
Platform: Windows/Mac | Free trial: 30 days | Upload straight to YouTube: Yes | 8K support: No | 360 support: No | Purchase type: Retail
Of all the premium video editors in this roundup, Adobe Premiere Elements is the most beginner-oriented. It's designed to make video editing as easy as possible, and even its Expert interface is extremely straightforward.
Unlike Adobe's premium software (like Premiere Pro), Premiere Elements is only available as a one-off purchase, so you aren't committed to paying a monthly fee to keep using it. It's also one of the most affordable video editors around, which is impressive for a huge name like Adobe.
Some video editors assume a certain degree of familiarity before you begin, but Premiere Elements is ideal even for total beginners. Its interface features large buttons, clearly labelled. There are also some excellent tutorials included to help bridge the gap between creating a video using wizards and using the more traditional multi-track timeline.
The best free video editing software
If you're a beginner, there are free video editors that will make the whole process as easy as can be and don't cost a penny. These user-friendly editors offer a gentle introduction to editing, so you'll learn the basics and be able to make the step up to a more advanced premium program when you're ready. We've picked our the five best video editing software choices below.
1. Lightworks
The best free video editing software available, for any level of expertise
Platform: Windows/Mac/Linux | Upload straight to YouTube: Yes | 8K support: No | 360 support: No
Lightworks is an incredible tool that's published free with the noble aim of making professional quality video editing software available to everyone. As you would expect for such a powerful video editor, you won't be able to master it overnight, but that's certainly not something you could hold against it and hasn't stopped us naming it as our number one best video editing software on the web.
If you've tried other free editors you'll probably find that the interface is a little different to anything you're used to, but you can arrange the various controls and windows to create something that suits your way of working.
There's a paid version, Lightworks Pro, which adds the ability to export in formats other than MPEG, publish 4K video directly to YouTube, and export 3D videos, but the free video editing software includes everything else you need to make impressive videos.
2. Hitfilm Express
A powerful free video editor that's expandable if you outgrow it
Platform: Windows/Mac | Upload straight to YouTube: Yes | 8K support: No | 360 support: Requires add-on
Hitfilm Express is another video editor that promises pro-level features for free – and it delivers. The basic editor is very impressive, with advanced cutting tools, a great set of audio and video filters, layers and masking, compositing options, and chroma keying for creating green screen effects.
Additional tools are available for a fee, starting at £8.85 (about US$10, AU$15) for a pack featuring color-correction, exposure adjustment, split screen masking, and various creative filters. But the free video editor is well worth a look, too.
The downside of all this power is that Hitfilm Express is much more demanding than either Lightworks or Shotcut, which is the main reason it's dropped to third place. Make sure you check the technical requirements before downloading it to avoid disappointment.
3. Shotcut
It might look unusual, but master it and you'll reap the benefits
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Platform: Windows/Mac/Linux | Upload straight to YouTube: No | 8K support: No | 360 support: No
Shotcut is another professional-feeling free video editor that requires a little patience if you are achieve the results it is so capable of delivering. The slightly unusual interface can be put down to the fact that this started life as a Linux application, and little has changed in its conversion to Windows.
To start with, the interface may seem a little stark. You will need to not only load a video, but also choose which editing mode you would like to work in and which tools you'd like to use.
There's no getting away from the fact that Shotcut has a steep learning curve. It's possible to achieve some impressive results by simply applying one of its many filters to your video, but the real rewards will only be reaped by those willing to invest the time and energy in fully getting to grips with what's on offer.
4. DaVinci Resolve
Premium quality software for advanced video and audio editing
Platform: Windows/Mac/Linux | Upload straight to YouTube: No | 8K support: Yes | 360 support: Requires add-on
DaVinci Resolve is a free version of a premium video editing suite, but as with Lightworks, it's so feature-packed you probably won't miss the few tools it lacks.
DaVinci Resolve is a professional-grade free video editing software, with intuitive interfaces for editing, color correction, audio mastering and exporting. Color correction is one of DaVinci Resolve's standout features, whether you want to adjust a whole video or just a selected part. There's HDR support, and you can work on raw files directly from your camera.
A few of the filters are exclusive to the premium DaVinci Resolve Studio, and there's a maximum export resolution of 3,840 x 2,160, but those are the only limitations. It's overkill if you just want to trim a video and upload it to YouTube, but for bigger projects DaVinci Resolve is hard to beat.
5. VSDC Free Video Editor
A non-linear editor stacked with tools, with more added all the time
Platform: Windows | Upload straight to YouTube: Yes | 8K support: No | 360 support: Yes
VSDC Free Video Editor is highly capable, and can yield superb results. As a non-linear editor, it works in rather a different way to many other similar tools, letting you position clips and other elements on the timeline wherever you like and edit them there.
With the ability to not only work with multiple scenes and transitions, but also to add sprites and text to videos, you can create a professional-quality movie if you're willing to stick with VSDC's slightly unusual workflow – though its interface has recently had a total overhaul, making it look much more slick and modern. You can now detach the timeline too, which gives you lots of extra flexibility – particularly when working on multiple monitors.
VSDC's free video editing software lets you add extra artistic effects, including smoke. There's also a dedicated Instagram export profile and automatic image stabilization. You also get look-up tables (LUTs) for professional color grading, the ability to export footage at 120fps, and automatic alignment when dragging objects. An excellent choice for creative video projects.
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Video editing software FAQ
How do I choose video editing software?
There are several key factors, and price isn’t necessarily the most important: if it were, every Hollywood movie would be made in Apple’s free iMovie!
Let’s start at the end. What kind of video do you intend to make, and where is it for? There’s a world of difference between quick editing of home videos you’ll watch on TV and editing something for Netflix or cinema distribution.
You’ll need to consider what formats the software needs to export in, what level of quality it needs to output (HD? 4K? 8K?) and whether it can deliver the kind of visual effects you want to use. If you’ll be collaborating, your app will need to be compatible with the other people’s apps too.
There’s also you to consider. Are you experienced, or would a simpler app that takes you step by step through the whole process be more helpful? Do you want to have complete control over every pixel, or would you rather let the computer do most of the work? How future-proof do you need your app to be?
And then there’s price. Most but not all cheap or free apps are very limited; most but not all high-end editors are frighteningly expensive. It’s possible to pay too much and end up with an app that’s overkill, or to pay too little and end up inventing new and colourful swears when the app refuses to do what you need it to do.
Remember too that the more you can do, the more you’ll want it to do. Can your chosen app grow with your imagination?
Why should I care about video editing software?
Video is the new rock’n’roll: where children used to dream of being rock stars, now they dream of being YouTube vloggers. Meanwhile video has become the lingua franca of the internet, from viral clips and video responses to indie films and glossy corporate presentations.
The one thing they almost all have in common is editing. That could be simple trimming to cut a clip at the appropriate place, or it could involve mixing multiple clips together, changing the soundtrack and adding a whole bunch of special effects. To do these things you’ll need a video editing app.
Free video editing software vs premium video editors
To state the blindingly obvious, premium video editors tend to have advantages that free ones don’t. Those advantages tend to come in the form of resources: resources to develop apps that squeeze the most performance out of high-end hardware, resources to develop better effects, resources to fix show-stopping bugs, resources to make sure the app works on the latest hardware, resources to polish the interface and create help files and how-tos and all the other things you’d expect from professional software. But of course, that comes at a price – $300ish for Final Cut Pro X, for example.
If you’re a pro, time is money so you spend money to save time, whether that’s the time it takes to render your footage or the time you can’t afford to spend shouting 'WHY GOD, WHY?' when the app doesn’t do exactly what you want or crashes mid-edit.
Free apps are aimed at a more forgiving and less demanding kind of user. That’s not to say they can’t do great things. They can. But they often take a hand-holding approach that focuses on the basics and doesn’t give you access to the fine detail. They might take a good-enough approach to performance rather than a “Steven Spielberg needs this NOW!” no-compromise approach, and their effects may be simpler than the pro ones.
So is free video editing software worth getting?
It can be. Movies made in Apple’s iMovie have wowed crowds at film festivals over the years, and some people have made perfectly good movies using just it and an iPhone.
There are many decent free video apps out there, but there are a few things to consider. Performance, especially encoding and exporting, isn’t always up there with the big hitters, and you’ll often find that features are only available if you buy in-app purchases or just aren’t there at all. Some stick an enormous watermark over everything you output; few offer any kind of technical support. Pro-level features are rarely offered because these apps aren’t designed for video pros.
It’s worth being a bit pedantic here and differentiating between free commercial software and free open source software. The former is often a cut-down version of a full product offered for free in the hope you’ll buy its big brother. The latter is usually a full product made available by individuals or teams of volunteers with no expectation of any financial reward. While open source acts can sometimes lack the polish and/or user-friendliness of commercial software they may well deliver all the features you need without requiring you to spend any money.
What video editing software features should I look out for?
That depends on the kind of editing you’d like to do. For example, you might not need much in the way of visual effects if you’re just splicing together clips from Uncle George’s 90th birthday party. But there are some key things to consider.
First up, what formats and resolutions does the app support? Can it use the footage from your camera without converting? Can it export to the places you want to share your finished footage?
Do you need features such as green screen or picture in picture (if you’re a YouTuber, the answers to those to are probably yes)? Can you share directly with social media, if that’s your thing?
How many tracks can you use? Can you pull in footage and audio from multiple files, swapping between them as needed, or will you need to do some pre-production first because the app can only handle a couple of tracks at once?
Does the app have any smart features to make everyday editing easier, such as smart trimming of clips or simple editing modes? Is it easy to add titles, transitions between scenes or to adjust the colours?
If it’s a mobile app, can you transfer your project to continue editing in a desktop equivalent of the app?
What does 8K support mean for video editing?
8K is a screen resolution: that is, it tells you how many pixels (dots) make up the picture.
Here’s a list of the resolutions for TV and movies formats in recent years.
VHS 335 x 480
DVD 720 x 480
HD 1,280 x 720
Full HD 1,920 x 1,080
Then there was 4K. 4K can mean a few different things, but the version you’ll get on a 4K TV is called 4K Ultra HD and delivers 3,840 x 2,160 pixels. Take those numbers, double them and boom! 8K!
Do you need it? Almost certainly not. Chances are you don’t know a soul with an 8K TV or monitor, and that you don’t have and can’t afford a camera capable of recording in that quality.
What is 360 support for video editing?
Traditional cameras can only point in one direction, but 360 video uses clever cameras and/or clever processing combining the input from multiple lenses to get a full 360-degree video recording. You’ve probably seen it on Facebook or in a VR app: if you move up or down or left or right the video moves accordingly just as it would if you were actually there.
In fact, editing 360 video isn’t significantly more difficult than editing 2D video, but exporting is more complicated and many apps just can’t cope with 360-degree video in the first place. The video sharing site Vimeo strongly recommends using Adobe’s Premiere Pro CC (yep, our number one recommended video editing software) our if you’re serious about 360-degree video editing.
What video editing software do most YouTubers use?
iMovie remains massively popular among YouTubers because it’s really easy and it comes free on their MacBooks, iPhones or iPads. For straightforward face-to-camera videos you don’t really need anything more complicated: iMovie has all the cutting, titling and transition effects you’re likely to need, and it supports green/blue screens for when you want to put yourself over something such as footage of gameplay. On PC, Microsoft Photos is an underrated gem. Adobe Premiere Pro CC, the entry-level version of Premiere Pro, is very popular too.
Generally speaking YouTubers tend to go for simple, effective and affordable apps. One of the best free apps is Lightworks, which you can get for Windows, Mac and Linux devices. It has integrated YouTube exporting and a bunch of really impressive real-time effects. It looks absolutely terrifying compared to something like Microsoft Photos but it doesn’t take long to learn and it’s a really good editing app.
There are lots of other good options too. HitFilm Pro has a free version but also offers a powerful professional version. The free app DaVinci Resolve is very good, especially on colour correction, and while the VSDC Free Video Editor lacks the hardware acceleration of paid-for editing apps that’s not really an issue if you’re not in a busy working environment.
What video editing software do professionals use?
That depends on your definition of professionals and the industry or sector you’re thinking of. Go to Hollywood or a major TV studio and the editing’s almost certainly being done in Avid Media Composer Ultimate. In ad agencies, indie film studios and businesses making YouTube films you’re more likely to see Adobe Premiere Pro CC or Apple Final Cut Pro X and associated apps such as Adobe’s After Effects, a motion graphics and visual effects app - see above for how well we rate those. These are very, very good tools designed to run on very, very good computers.
Adobe Lightroom – the most trusted Photoshop software that addresses all the editing and retouches needs of digital photographers and lets them focus on the raw images and editing works immediately. First version Adobe Lightroom 1.0 was released on 19th Feb 2007. Entering into the eleventh year Lightroom created a revolution among the photo editors in both the tools and interface perspective.
But there are other Lightroom alternatives to look out for if you feel Lightroom is too complicated for you or if it’s out of the budget.
What Can You Do With Lightroom As A Photographer?
- Manage all the photographs.
- Effortlessly display them in print, and dynamic slideshows and interactive Web galleries.
- The cross platform solution offered by Lightroom supports you to finish the projects without much effort.
- You can use Lightroom on both Windows and Mac.
- Use in office, home or at any location with the cross sync feature.
- Spend minimum time on the system to spend more time behind the lens.
If you feel Lightroom dominates the market in the last one decade, then find the ten best Lightroom alternatives along with their features.
Take a look at the Five Interesting features of Lightroom, before diving into the alternative options.
Five Dominating Lightroom Attributes
- Lightroom allows Editing and does not demand to create layers, and it is non-destructive.
- No need to swap between different applications for editing. All under one Library makes life easy to navigate between images.
- Get back life to the images that have a dark background or an over exposed brightness using the Lightroom’s Graduated Filter Tool.
- The cropping option available with Crop Overlay tool highlights Lightroom in its unique way letting you crop the image you want the image to look like.
- Web export feature in Lightroom offers 30 templates to present your images elegantly.
Downsides of Lightroom
Adobe Lightroom has some downsides too.
- For those who do not want to pay monthly charges look for alternatives.
- Even though there are many RAW formats, Lightroom supports a few image file types only.
- GPU support added to Lightroom 6.0 needs further improvement.
- Lightroom supports only single-user image measurements and has not scaled to a multi-user settings
Let Us Look At The Ten Best Alternatives Of Lightroom To Break The Monopoly.
List of Top Ten Lightroom Alternatives
Exposure X2 – Alien Skin
Exposure X2 can offer that change you look for from Lightroom. Yes, the initial migrating trouble might happen to you from the familiar Lightroom perspective. But worth a try. Exposure X2 offers catalog-free design. Alien Skin describes that the software it has employed makes use of the “the identical familiar folder structure” like your Windows or Mac. This results in an efficient and spontaneous storage system. This feature makes managing Exposure X2 quickly and easily when compared to Lightroom.
Exposure X2 provides the users with a list of photo filters that help the user to get the desired Polaroid look on the digital photos with just one click. These filters get connected by manual photo adjustment controls. This allows all the changes in the image including color, clarity, exposure, grain, and much more. Lens distortion gets adjusted for different camera lenses under Exposure X2 editor.
ACDSee lets the user carry out the primary elements of their photography workflow without much effort and time. Apart from allowing the users create, view, edit and share the photos, it also arranges your pictures, shows them in a sequential context. The edit accuracy is retained with the faithful color matching and pressure sensitivity brush tool. Extremely high DPI support makes it possible to view on 4K monitors.
It becomes straightforward to move your Lightroom collections to ACDSee without destructing the copy. Grouping photos using ACDSee makes life very easy even for a sophisticated search.
Any other alternative cannot surpass the image management feature of ACDSee.
Though some unused features are bloating in the upcoming releases, still it makes sense using ACDSee as an alternative to Lightroom.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDZCkAsqL-c&feature=youtu.beCapture One Pro software has started gaining popularity, and it has many features that deserve acknowledgment. Phase one has taken conscious efforts with Capture One Pro software. This software does not work only for the casual photographers who share images on Instagram. Capture One Pro has more to do with its technologically advanced features bundled into one application. Yes, Capture One Pro allows adjustments to a selected few elements within a photo. Numerous lens correction tools made Capture One Pro a real pro amidst the professional photographer community.
Capture One Pro claims with pride about its high-performance engine, and hence it can take care of fast browsing. Zooming happens within no time. Toggling and Panning unsurpassed all other alternatives. The three-step sharpening process highlights the software features.
It makes life easy by merging folders into catalogs depending on the orientation. The focus of the camera tethered to the PC for professional computer-adjusted photographs.
Tethering process of Capture One Pro, without any doubt, warrants the shift from Lightroom.
Yes, Corel is no more as familiar as it was in the past. But for the offers made by the company on all the image editing features one can make it an alternative to Lightroom.
AfterShot Pro 3, the best Corel’s alternative for Lightroom. With the features most pronounced including the non-destructive photo editing and the multi-version editing. There are a vast collection of fine-tuning tools like color adjustment, temperature modification, and much more. Add on features such as HDR, local contrast, noise correction, and lens adjustment. The present tools and water marking tools all make AfterShot a better alternative for Lightroom.
Professionals used to shoot in RAW mode can make use of Corel regular update on RAW camera profiles.
The plus side of Corel’s AfterShot Pro is regarding the software installation. Use one license and install software in a maximum of 3 PC.
AfterShot Pro license price slashed down from $79.99 USD to $54.99 USD for the benefit of the buyers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EH9YlTsVLx0&feature=youtu.beDarktable, an open source tool supported by Mac and Linux. However, Windows does not support Darktable. This virtual lighttable and darkroom software makes a good alternative for Lightroom to all photographers.
All your photo negatives get stored in its database and can be viewed using zoomable lightable.
Darktable works hard to bridge the gap flanked by all the other free raw converters. Nondestructive editing option offered by darktable ought to have a big applaud.
Check the darktable website to know all their features in detail and download your copy for free.
https://vimeo.com/194672406A new entrant in the market is coming up with efficient features. Supported only Mac when it began the journey and now supporting Windows OS as well. Offers a slick package but provides useful workflow and editing tools.RAW and regular processing options combined under a single app make Affinity Photo a seamless app.Worth the price, a viable option to replace Lightroom. Apple awarded the best Mac app for uninterrupted services to Affinity photo.Camera bits launched Photo Mechanic, a third party app used by professional photographers looking for importing, tagging, and rating photos quickly.
Photo Mechanic cannot do the editing job. Although it cannot be a complete alternative to Lightroom, just combine both to improve the speed. The rate at which Photo Mechanic works directly makes Lightroom more efficient.
Photo Mechanic does not much alter the workflow of Lightroom so you can get going. But for the cost $150 USD, Photo Mechanic integrated with Lightroom proves to be a best-partnered app.
Use Photo Mechanic to import photos to your PC. Then Lightroom will do its editing job.
If speed is your requirement, then link Photo Mechanic with Lightroom.
Get inspired by watching this
that demonstrates the Photo Mechanic and Lightroom performance together.Picktorial overtakes Lightroom by its unprecedented performance and speed. While some features match with Lightroom, Picktorial does not have modules like that of Lightroom.Picktorial got the third place as it works as an amazingly attractive alternative to Lightroom and Capture One. Like Affinity Photo always fall behind Photoshop, Picktorial comes next to Lightroom.Picktorial hails from raw photo editing platform, and this provides all the features demanded by professional photographers for the Mac OS.Without any plugin installed, you can look at the list of photos in the libraries and get going with promising editing.Luminosity and color mask options present in Picktorial helps to create a very sophisticated selection.Last but not the least the RawTherapee software. Think of an alternative for Adobe Lightroom you will land up only at the Lightning-fast photo processing software RawTherapee. Intellectual workflow optimization software offers a free stand at the top of all software in alternating Adobe Lightroom.
RawTherapee, a sophisticated open source substitute for Adobe Lightroom. It can process raw files and image files including TIFF or JPEG. The processed images are sent to the GIMP.
RawTherapee employs non-destructive editing allowing you to revert to the actual file at any time. The photo processing feature is very advanced and supports adjustment of color, sharpness, noise, and much more.
The de-mosaicking algorithm used in RawTherapee decreases the art work in the converted images. The multi-core support enables RawTherapee to use the entire hardware.
Once you have completed all your editing work, you can save the settings. Yes, you can use this setting for all your future photographs.
RawTherapee allows you to handle images in groups. You can also edit multiple files at one go by making use of the tabbed interface option.
On the flip side, RawTherapee software cannot selectively edit the image regions.
Look at the table given for your perusal to know the license cost of all the ten Lightroom alternatives discussed.
| Lightroom Alternative | Supporting OS | RAW Support | Price |
| Exposure X2 - Alien Skin | Apple Mac: OS X Yosemite (10.10), Windows 7 64-bit and above | Yes | $149 USD |
| ACD See Pro 10 | Windows 7 and above versions | Yes | $119 USD |
| Capture One Pro | Windows OSX | Yes | $299 USD |
| Coral AfterShot Pro | Windows OSX | Yes | $79.99 USD (Current Offer $54.99 USD) |
| Darktable | Linux, Mac | Yes | Free |
| Affinity Photo | Mac, Windows, iPad | Yes | INR 4000 |
| LightZone | Mac, Windows, Linux | Yes | Free |
| Photo Mechanic | Mac OS X 10.6.8 — 10.12.X, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8 or Windows 10.DOWNLOAD | Yes | $150 USD |
| Picktorial | Mac | Yes | Introductory Price: $39.99 USD against $ (69.99) USD |
| RawTherapee | Linux, FreeBSD, Windows | Yes | Free |
While it is good to check and compare the cost, platform compatible with, keeping an eye on the following list also would help to make a better decision.
- Blending Modes
- Customer Reviews
- DCP Profile Support
- Lens Correction
- Nondestructive Local Adjustments
- Tethered capture
Final thoughts
Yes, once you decide to go for a licensed alternative to Adobe Lightroom just make an analysis to understand the market before you shell out your money. Most of the software has a trial period, make the best use of the trial version before you jump to conclusion. Also, know your strengths and your requirement to take the right decision.
Finally, decide on your budget before you aim to fly high. Just start with cheaper software yet not compromising on the features, make sure that your budget can handle those high-end alternatives like Capture One Pro or the Alien Skin Exposure X2 before you make a solid decision.