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Home / Software & Apps / Photo Editing Software / Adobe Lightroom Classic
8.6 Tested Aug 26, 2026 by Team RankingRight

Adobe Lightroom Classic (Creative Cloud Photography plan) review 2026

The photographer's standard: the best catalogue, the widest camera and lens support, AI masking that works — and Photoshop in the same plan

PriceFrom $9.99 · checked Sep 11, 2026
3-year cost360 $
200 RAW export4.1 min

Is the Adobe Lightroom Classic Worth It?

Best photo editing software overall. Lightroom did every part of our test well and several parts best, and the plan hands you Photoshop too. The only argument against it is the subscription, which is why the one-time editors below exist.

Adobe Lightroom Classic Pros & Cons

Pros
  • Fastest cull of 200 images with best-quality previews and flags
  • AI Denoise and subject/sky/people masks were the most reliable of any editor
  • Every camera and lens we own is profiled
  • Photoshop included in the Photography plan
Cons
  • Subscription only — about $360 over three years
  • Catalogue can bloat and slow on large libraries
  • Cloud storage on the base plan is 20 GB

Adobe Lightroom Classic at a Glance

8.6 Editor Score
RAW processingDemosaicing quality, noise reduction, lens corrections and camera support on our three-brand test set.
23/25
Editing toolsMasking, layers, retouching, AI selections and generative tools, and how far a portrait and a landscape could be taken.
22/25
OrganisationCataloguing, culling speed, keywords, face and subject search, cloud sync.
15/15
Ease of useTime for a beginner to finish an edit; presets and guided tools.
13/15
ValuePrice over three years; one-time licence or subscription.
13/20
Reader ratingNo reader ratings yet — not part of the score
–
Own one? Rate it:

Rubric v1: RAW processing 25 · Editing tools 25 · Organisation 15 · Ease of use 15 · Value 20. Score = Σ ÷ 10, locked Sep 11, 2026. How we rank.

Where to buy — prices checked Sep 11, 2026

Adobe — $9.99

Best priceVisit Site

Adobe Lightroom Classic specifications

PricePhotography plan from $9.99/mo with Photoshop
PlatformsWindows, Mac (Lightroom also iOS, Android, web)
Free version7-day trial
One-time licenceNo
RAW supportWidest; updated monthly
LayersNo (Photoshop)
AI toolsDenoise, Select Subject/Sky/People, Generative Remove, Lens Blur
Catalogue / DAMYes, best-in-class

Why it scored 8.6

Lightroom did every part of our test well and several parts best, and the plan hands you Photoshop too. The only argument against it is the subscription, which is why the one-time editors below exist.

Where it loses

Value — subscription only.

Still the right pick for

Photographers who shoot regularly.

Adobe Lightroom Classic8.6 · $9.99
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