Originally posted by Pelto I'm also thinking of dropping LR and PS for something else, as i think the monthly fee is to high for me, considering how much I use it.
So I just found this artikel, maybe you already saw it but here it is :
Best Lightroom Alternatives | UPDATED: Jan 2020
I will also follow this thread and see what it brings.
LOL... I have all of those except the free Darktable.
I've been looking for awhile and still not found anything as a total replacement for LR. I'm not a heavy shooter, but not just occasional either, processing maybe 300-600 shots a month on average tho lately triple that. On 1 is too often too slow yet it's the only package I've come across that might potentially replace both Lightroom and Photoshop. For whatever reason each year the promised performance just never quite gets there even if the new features seem worthwhile. Still too slow for me but I wish them all the luck in figuring out how to speed things up. I'd love to be able to rely on it for the majority of my PP needs and ditch all the Adobe stuff. One can hope, right? IMHO they should use one update cycle just for addressing the efficiency of their package and making better use of available computer resources. Forget new features, just give me more speed and they'll have a winner IMO.
DxO lacks necessary features and is less adaptable. I really like their lens corrections and basic RAW processing is pretty darn good but it's not going to be an end-to-end workflow package for demanding photographers.
Capture One seems to like Sony and Canon owners and tailors the interface accordingly. They are certainly not Pentax fans. IMO the software is difficult to learn, and if not using daily probably impossible to master. It is NOT casual shooter friendly. Heck even some of my sony A7x friends who got the Sony-specific version tell me they use it for common tasks and adjustments but otherwise they don't truly understand the most efficient workflow or what some of the options and settings mean and how they operate. If you're not a pro or prosumer it's a spendy package that has little benefit over less expensive software.
I think I used both Darktable and RAWTherapee a few years back but obviously wasn't impressed enough to pursue them and have zero comment otherwise.
Luminar 4 is probably the most impressive of the lot considering bang-for-buck, but if you're trying to finish up a couple hundred images in an evening it probably ain't happening.... It can be dog-slow at times too if you use their AI features which is really it's calling card and makes them stand out from other relatively inexpensive software. For those needing a software package a few times a month I'd say it might be the best choice right now and deserves consideration. It's good for those who lack any real photo processing software and not sure how to start along with those who already have something but want to make things easier for certain tasks. For the minimal effort required on your part you can get some impressive results, and I have friends who absolutely love it. As with any PP software just resist the urge to overdo it. Some photos are just great as they came out of your camera and post-processing can ruin them.