Why is Lightroom better than every other photo editing app?

Despite its many competitors, Adobe Lightroom remains the best photo editing app. Yes, you have to pay to access it, but Lightroom’s feature set makes it worth it. Photo editing apps come and go, but Lightroom remains the industry standard for a reason.

Table of Contents

• 10. Lightroom has better options for creating and using presets
• 9. Seamless editing on mobile and desktop 
• 8. Color correction for each photo
• 7. Simple JPEG and RAW editing
• 6. Easier image classification
• 5. Histogram chart saves a lot of editing time
• 4. The perfect combination of advanced features and beginner-friendly
• 3. Lightroom's Auto-Enhance feature is more accurate
• 2. You can use the app offline
• 1. Lightroom lets you use lens profiles

10. Lightroom has better options for creating and using presets

Presets are one of the best ways to make editing more efficient, and you can create different presets for different photography styles. For example, you can shoot video and set the same preset for a more vintage look.

You can find presets in other editing tools, such as Canva . However, they are not as good as Lightroom. Furthermore, saving your own presets in Lightroom is easier than in other apps. Another advantage is that you can sell your Lightroom presets if you develop a unique style.

9. Seamless editing on mobile and desktop

Many photo editing apps work well on mobile or desktop. However, few offer a consistent user experience across both platforms. Lightroom offers a great user experience whether you’re using it on a computer, tablet, or smartphone, which sets it apart from its competitors.

You can choose between Lightroom Classic and CC on your computer. In some cases, you may even want to use both versions of Lightroom together.

Meanwhile, Lightroom CC is available on desktop and mobile. The app responds very well on both platforms, even when editing RAW files (which are more demanding than JPEGs ).

8. Color correction for each photo

Color correction is one of the best ways to make your photos pop. However, color correction can be a little off-putting in camera. This tool changes the hue and saturation of different elements, and you can also add a green or magenta tint.

You can also find this tool in Camera Raw, but Lightroom is more user-friendly. This feature is only available in Lightroom Classic; if you have Lightroom CC, switch to Lightroom CC now.

7. Simple JPEG and RAW editing

Many photo editors only let you edit JPEG and PNG files . While these are fine for the average amateur photographer, you don’t have as much freedom as you would with RAW files. However, Lightroom offers a consistent experience — no matter which format you prefer.

Editing JPEGs in Lightroom gives you less flexibility, but you can still create stunning images. You can do this with presets; however, you can also make your photos look better by color grading and applying other features. Plus, you have more control over editing saturation and luminance than you would with other apps.

6. Easier image classification

The more photo editing apps you use, the more overwhelmed you’ll become—unless you organize your photos effectively. Unfortunately, many tools aren’t great at this (especially if you’re on a free plan). Thankfully, Lightroom makes organizing and categorizing your photos a breeze.

Creating albums is one of the easiest ways to keep your photos together. Lightroom CC is ideal for this purpose; you can drag and drop your photos into a new album.

The star rating feature is also handy. You can rate photos from 1-5 stars, depending on how much you like them or where you want to use them. You can also mark images that need special attention.

5. Histogram chart saves a lot of editing time

Understanding and working with the Histogram in Adobe Lightroom is one of the easiest ways to get better brightness and contrast in your photos. However, these histograms are good for more than just checking levels. In Lightroom Classic, you can move different parts of the Histogram to change the look of your photo.

Moving the Histogram is especially useful if some parts of your photo are too overexposed or too dark. Unfortunately, you can't drag the Histogram in Lightroom CC, but you'll still find it useful to work with anyway.

4. The perfect combination of advanced features and beginner-friendly

When choosing a photo editing tool, it's important to choose something you can continue to use as your skills improve. Many popular editing apps are designed with beginners in mind, which is great when you're first starting out - but at some point, you may feel like the software is limiting you.

Lightroom strikes a great balance between beginner-friendly and advanced tools. While you have the usual sliders like exposure, contrast, and saturation, you also get more complex features like tone curves and masks. Many top professional photographers use Lightroom, which tells you what you need to know about its extensive capabilities.

3. Lightroom's Auto-Enhance feature is more accurate

While you shouldn’t rely on the Auto tool, it’s helpful to know that yours has an accurate feature. Lightroom’s automatic adjustments will make your images look more realistic than some other tools. This works with mobile and DSLR photos.

2. You can use the app offline

Online photo editors are great because you don’t need to download an app. In many cases, they’re free. However, you run into problems when your internet connection goes down. You also run into problems if you want to edit a photo but don’t have reliable Wi-Fi.

On the other hand, you can use Lightroom offline, so if you often get distracted while editing, you can always turn off your internet connection.

Note : While you can use Lightroom offline, you will sometimes need to use it online to ensure that issues don't occur with your subscription.

1. Lightroom lets you use lens profiles

Have you ever edited your photos in an editing app and wondered why they look distorted? It could be because your lens isn’t calibrated correctly in the editing tool. The good news is, Lightroom has lens profiles to help you fix this problem.

While you won't find every lens, you can at least browse to see if there's one that's similar to your smartphone or camera. You can also eliminate factors you can't control, like chromatic aberration.

Tip : In addition to lens profiles, you can use camera profiles for more precise editing.

Lightroom has a comprehensive feature set, and as your editing skills improve, you'll likely find yourself using it for a long time. The cost is pretty low considering the many benefits, and the app is great for editing with smartphones and DSLRs.