Best Photo Editing Software for Photographers

What separates the best photo editing software for photographers?

Six editors made the cut, and the scores run from 8.6 down to 6.4. The split comes down to what each one is built to do first.

Adobe Lightroom Classic scores 8.6 at $9.99. It culled 200 images fastest in testing, its AI Denoise and subject, sky and people masks were the most reliable of any editor here, and every camera and lens we own is profiled. The catch: subscription only, about $360 over three years, and the catalogue can bloat on large libraries.

ON1 Photo RAW scores 8.4 at $99.99. It develops, layers and retouches in one app, so most work needs no Photoshop. NoNoise AI matched Lightroom Denoise on high-ISO Sony files. Browsing and export are slower, and the interface is busy.

Affinity Photo 2 scores 8.2 at $69.99 once. Layers, masks, frequency separation, focus stacking, HDR merge and panoramas are all here, and it opens and saves PSD files. There is no catalogue, and RAW development is weaker than Lightroom or DxO.

DxO PhotoLab scores 7.7 at $229. DeepPRIME XD2 gave the cleanest high-ISO output in the test on ISO 12,800 files, and lens corrections are measured in DxO's lab. No layers, and DeepPRIME exports are the slowest here.

Capture One Pro scores 7.4 at $24. Tethering is what studios rely on, and the Colour Editor and skin-tone tools are the best here. It costs $864 over three years on subscription, or $299 perpetual excluding future versions, and the learning curve is steep.

Adobe Photoshop scores 6.4 at $22.99. Generative Fill and Expand are the most capable generative tools in any editor, and selection and compositing are unmatched. It has no cull and no library, and costs $827 over three years on its own.

What should you check before buying?

The scoring weights tell you where the money goes: RAW processing 25, editing tools 25, value 20, organisation 15, ease of use 15.

• RAW processing: if you shoot high ISO, DxO PhotoLab and Lightroom Classic lead here.
• Editing tools: Affinity Photo 2 and Photoshop carry the deepest retouching sets.
• Organisation: Lightroom Classic and Capture One Pro are the two with real catalogues.
• Value: Affinity Photo 2 at $69.99 once and ON1 Photo RAW at $99.99 once avoid subscriptions.
• Ease of use: Capture One Pro's steep learning curve is the one to plan for.

Which one for whom?

Lightroom Classic suits photographers who want one plan covering cull, develop and Photoshop. ON1 Photo RAW suits anyone who wants a single-purchase Lightroom replacement. Affinity Photo 2 suits retouchers who already have a RAW developer. DxO PhotoLab suits high-ISO shooters who want the cleanest files. Capture One Pro suits studio and tethered shooters. Photoshop suits pixel-level compositing, bought in the Photography plan rather than alone.

For most photographers, Lightroom Classic at 8.6 covers culling, RAW development and Photoshop in one $9.99 plan. If you want to buy once, ON1 Photo RAW at 8.4 handles develop, layers and retouch in one app, and Affinity Photo 2 at 8.2 covers retouching for $69.99. DxO PhotoLab suits high-ISO work, Capture One Pro suits tethered studio shoots, and Photoshop is the pick for compositing.