If we are a photography lover and want to get the best results from our shots, we will have to take our photos in RAW format, which is the format in charge of capturing all the image information. The problem with this format is that it is not usually compatible with the photo viewer on our computer, so we must resort to programs like Lightroom . But if you are looking for another one from the Adobe company to edit and retouch your photos, today we will tell you what are the best alternatives.
What is Adobe Lightroom
To talk about alternatives we must first know what Adobe Lightroom is . It is a program developed by Adobe Systems for Windows and Mac Os and mobile devices that can be considered as a benchmark within the creative industry. This tool is designed to cover all the work that a photographer may need in digital image processing and post-production work, that is, from importing images from the camera to obtaining development in RAW. Thanks to this software we can organize, edit and share our photos through a computer, smartphone or tablet. You may also download and use Lightroom for free following one of these legal and safe ways.
Top alternatives to Adobe Lightroom
Raw Therapee
Raw Therapee is a cross-platform, open source RAW image processing program. With this useful tool we will be able to reveal photographs in RAW format. In addition, it is compatible with a large number of classic formats such as JPG or TIFF or DSLR camera formats such as NEF, DNG, among others. Thanks to this program we can adapt the brightness, contrast, color or sharpness processor of the photograph. We can also crop and resize the image, as well as eliminate noise and chromatic aberrations.
Raw Therapee is a completely free program that we can download directly from its website . It is compatible with Windows, Linux and Mac OS operating systems.
Darktable
Darktable is an open source program that allows us to manage the entire photo capture process, from planning to development in RAW format. It has compatibility with more than 400 cameras and has a large number of adjustment and export tools, making it possible to export images directly to web hosting such as Facebook or Flickr. With this application it is possible to manage digital negatives in a professional way to improve the shades and obtain a photograph with the appropriate light.
Darktable is a free program compatible with both Mac OS, Linux and Windows and that we can download from this link .
Luminar
Luminar is a powerful photo retouching software that has a powerful AI capable of adjusting and adapting any image as we wish. It has a complete and intuitive interface with a fairly simple operation. With this tool we can erase unwanted objects and people from our photographs, as well as cut any strange or excessive details that we find in it. We can also fix skin blemishes and restore old photos quickly and very effectively. And if we like black and white photos, we can convert our images with a wide variety of filters and effects.
Luminar is compatible with Windows and Mac OS computers and can be purchased from 89 euros. It is also possible to download a free trial version from here .
DigiKam
DigiKam is a powerful open source photo manager designed to work with images like a pro. With this tool we can organize our images, edit them, correct errors and light and color problems and export them to galleries such as Flickr or Picasa. We can also edit the spectrograms of our photos as well as manually add geolocation information to them. It is also compatible with some plugins to be able to modify other aspects of the photographs.
DigiKam is an application compatible with Windows, Mac OS and Linux, which we can download completely free of charge from its website .
Polarr
Polarr is a completely professional photo editing and retouching program, being able to work with RAW or DNG formats. It has a large number and variety of tools with which to edit the color, temperature or detail of the images. It has a workspace that we can customize to our liking, with more than 50 predetermined filters to carry out all kinds of quick edits. It also has watermark tools, as well as mixing and joining filters with the possibility of creating completely customized filters.
Polarr is compatible with Windows and Mac OS, having a free version that we can download from this link . It also has subscription payment methods from $ 3.99 per month.
LightZone
LightZone is an open source program for the treatment and edition of photographs in RAW format, mainly focused on controlling the workflow, that is, from obtaining the image to printing it. With this tool we can retouch and optimize our photos, without having to have a great knowledge of the subject. It has support to work in RAW formats and record directly in JPG, PNG and TIFF formats. It has a wide range of utilities to adjust brightness, color and contrast, special effects of various types and channel mixer.
LightZone is an application compatible with Windows, Mac OS and Linux and we can download a free trial version if we register on its website . We can buy your license for 112 euros.
Capture One
Capture One is a professional editor and manager that is responsible for developing RAW files and works quite similarly to Lightroom. With this program we will be able to customize our entire workspace, having the possibility of moving tools to work in the most comfortable way with them. We can also capture, organize, share, edit and print our photos with the highest possible quality. In addition, with this application we will work through albums, so that we will have everything correctly ordered.
We can download a 30-day trial version of Capture One from this link , being compatible with Windows and Mac OS computers. It can be purchased from 220 euros and has several subscription packages.
UFRaw
UFRaw is an open source application that will allow us to read, manipulate and edit RAW images generated by high-end digital or mobile cameras. This program has a large number of settings such as crop and rotate, grayscale, noise reduction, white balance, temperature, color management, and lightness and saturation. It also allows exporting RAW files to JPG, TIFF or PNG formats.
UFRaw is compatible with Windows, Linux and Mac OS operating systems and we can download it for free from this link .
