Alternatives to Adobe Lightroom

darktable is an open-source RAW developer and photography workflow application made for photographers. Its official pages say it edits without modifying the original file, keeps images in a library database, is released under the GPL 3.0 and offers builds for Linux, Windows and macOS on Apple silicon. Version 5.6 added an AI object mask and a neural restore module that run on your own computer, and the official FAQ warns that the learning curve can be steep.

Shared requirement: RAW Photo Editing

Only the tasks below are shared; other capabilities do not follow from this match.

Tasks listed only for Adobe Lightroom: Object Removal from Photos

Same platform: Desktop → Desktop

Recorded facts for this choice

Confirmed on both sides with the same value: Batch processing.

Neither side has verified data for these fields, so equality cannot be inferred. Free output · No account needed · No watermark · Works offline.

Requires desktop installation. Available features may vary by device and access method.

LightCraft is a free, open-source photo library and non-destructive raw developer for macOS, Windows and Linux: it decodes raw files such as DNG, CR2, ARW, NEF and RAF itself, offers light, color and tone-curve controls with brush, gradient and sky or subject masks, and organizes photos in albums with ratings and flags. The official page says it needs no account and has no cloud, telemetry or subscription, and its GitHub README calls it alpha, states a dual MIT or Apache-2.0 license and names gaps such as missing measured camera color calibration for several raw formats. getartcraft.com lists LightCraft as “In development” (checked 13 October 2026).

Shared requirement: RAW Photo Editing

Only the tasks below are shared; other capabilities do not follow from this match.

Tasks listed only for Adobe Lightroom: Object Removal from Photos

Same platform: Desktop → Desktop

Recorded facts for this choice

Neither side has verified data for these fields, so equality cannot be inferred. No watermark · Works offline.

Requires desktop installation. Available features may vary by device and access method.

RawTherapee is a cross-platform raw photo processing program from the RawTherapee Team, released as free software under the GPLv3. Its official site describes a non-destructive 32-bit floating-point processing engine, pixel-shift compositing with automatic ghost masking, dark frame and flat field correction, and builds for Linux, Windows and 64-bit macOS. Version 5.13 was released on 26 July 2026, and the project README says it leaves asset management, printing and uploading to other software.

Shared requirement: RAW Photo Editing

Only the tasks below are shared; other capabilities do not follow from this match.

Tasks listed only for Adobe Lightroom: Object Removal from Photos

Same platform: Desktop → Desktop

Recorded facts for this choice

Neither side has verified data for these fields, so equality cannot be inferred. No account needed · No watermark · Works offline.

Requires desktop installation. Available features may vary by device and access method.

Affinity is Canva's design app for Windows and macOS that combines vector drawing, pixel and photo editing, and page layout in one app and one document. The official site says it is free for individuals, that you sign in with a free Canva account to download and activate it, and that only the AI tools need a Canva premium plan. The pages list the iPad version as coming soon.

Shared requirement: RAW Photo Editing

Only the tasks below are shared; other capabilities do not follow from this match.

Tasks listed only for Adobe Lightroom: Object Removal from Photos

Tasks listed only for Affinity: Vector Drawing · Page Layout & Publishing

Same platform: Desktop → Desktop

Recorded facts for this choice

Confirmed on both sides with the same value: Batch processing.

Neither side has verified data for these fields, so equality cannot be inferred. No watermark.

Requires desktop installation. Check each tool’s plan separately; one feature’s allowance does not cover another.

Evoto is a portrait-retouching photo editor that offers an AI object remover in the browser and background and object tools in its desktop app.

Shared requirement: Object Removal from Photos

Only the tasks below are shared; other capabilities do not follow from this match.

Tasks listed only for Adobe Lightroom: RAW Photo Editing

Tasks listed only for Evoto: Background Removal

Same platform: Desktop → Desktop

Recorded facts for this choice

Confirmed on both sides with the same value: Batch processing.

Neither side has verified data for these fields, so equality cannot be inferred. Free output · No account needed · No watermark · Works offline.

Requires desktop installation. Check each tool’s plan separately; one feature’s allowance does not cover another. Check the official page for current quotas and output conditions.