Adobe Lightroom review: our take
Lightroom is the photographer's tool for getting through a whole shoot. Assisted Culling scores every frame for sharpness, focus and open eyes, Generative Remove cleans up distractions, and edits sync between the desktop, web and mobile apps. The mobile app is free on iOS and Android.
The Lightroom plan costs US$11.99 a month on an annual plan billed monthly, with 1TB of storage and 250 generative credits. For eight dollars more, the Photography plan adds Photoshop and raises the credits to 1,000, which is the better buy if you also retouch or composite. For one-time purchase software see Luminar Neo; for noise and upscaling alone, Topaz Photo.
By the Prompt Hackers team · facts checked 4 Oct 2026
What Adobe Lightroom does
Lightroom organizes and edits photos across desktop, web and mobile, with a free mobile app for iOS and Android. Its AI tools include Generative Remove, powered by Adobe Firefly, Assisted Culling that scores photos for sharpness, focus and open eyes, Lens Blur, Dust Removal and Generative Upscale with Topaz Gigapixel. Paid plans include cloud storage and monthly generative credits.
Who Adobe Lightroom is for
Best for
- photographers who edit and sort large shoots
- people who want the same edits on phone, web and desktop
Not for
- heavy generative edits on the Lightroom plan: it includes 250 credits a month, against 1,000 on Photography
- people who want to buy once: Adobe sells Lightroom by subscription
Adobe Lightroom features
- F1Generative Remove
- F2Assisted Culling
- F3Generative Upscale with Topaz Gigapixel
- F4Lens Blur
- F5Dust Removal
- F6Quick Actions for portraits
- F7Adaptive Presets
- F81TB cloud storage
Adobe Lightroom pricing and plans
| Plan | Monthly | Billed yearly, per month | What it includes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lightroom mobile | $0 | — | free app for iOS and Android; premium features need a subscription |
| Lightroom (1TB) | $11.99 | — | annual plan billed monthly, 1TB storage, 250 generative credits a month |
| Photography (1TB) | $19.99 | — | annual plan billed monthly, Lightroom and Photoshop, 1TB storage, 1,000 generative credits a month |
| Creative Cloud Pro | $69.99 | — | annual plan billed monthly, all Creative Cloud apps, 100GB storage, 4,000 generative credits; US$34.99 offer for new subscribers |
| Lightroom for teams | $37.99 | — | per license, 1TB storage, 250 generative credits a month |
Free plan: yes. Free trial: 7 days. Prices as listed by the vendor in USD, before tax; they change, so check the pricing page before you buy.
Adobe Lightroom FAQ
- How much does Adobe Lightroom cost?
- Paid plans start at $11.99/mo. Prices checked on 4 Oct 2026.
- Does Adobe Lightroom have a free plan?
- Yes, Adobe Lightroom has a free plan.
- What are the alternatives to Adobe Lightroom?
- Tools that cover the same jobs include Adobe Photoshop, Luminar Neo, Topaz Photo, Google Photos.