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Best Photography Software in 2026

  1. 1

    Lychee

    Free plan Open source AndroidAPIiPhone+3

    Lychee offers self-hosted photo organization and sharing with a free edition and a paid Supporter Edition.

    8.9 Free plan Visit site
  2. 2

    Adobe Lightroom

    by Adobe Lightroom
    Free plan AndroidiPhoneMac+2

    Choose Lightroom if you need photo editing and organizing across desktop, web, and mobile, with RAW support, batch editing, masking, AI retouching, and cloud sync.

    7.7 Free plan · 7-day trial Visit site
  3. 3

    darktable

    Free plan LinuxMacWindows

    darktable provides a broad raw-image workflow, with database organization, non-destructive editing, and several export paths at no cost.

    7.4 Free plan Visit site
  4. 4

    iCloud Backup

    Free plan AndroidAPIExtension+4

    Choose iCloud Backup if you use iOS and want mobile file backup, photo features and file restoration, with a free 5 GB tier and paid storage options.

    7.4 Free plan · paid from $0.99/mo Visit site
  5. 5

    LibrePhotos

    Free plan AndroidAPIiPhone+4

    LibrePhotos brings searchable organization, sharing and mobile backup to a self-hosted library. Check its Windows and CPU-only deployment limits against how you plan to run it.

    7.3 Free plan Visit site
  6. 6

    FUJIFILM X RAW STUDIO

    by FUJIFILM X RAW STUDIO
    Free plan MacWindows

    FUJIFILM X RAW STUDIO’s central requirement is a USB-connected camera of the same model that captured the RAW file.

    7.2 Free plan Visit site
  7. 7

    Nikon NX Studio

    Free plan MacWindows

    Pick Nikon NX Studio if you use a Nikon digital camera and want a free desktop suite spanning still image and video workflows.

    6.9 Free plan Visit site
  8. 8

    PhotoDirector

    by PhotoDirector
    Free plan MacWindows

    Choose PhotoDirector if you want generative editing features together with controls for RAW, layers, masks, and compositing.

    6.9 Free plan · paid from $79.99/yr Visit site
  9. 9

    RawTherapee

    by RawTherapee
    Free plan LinuxMacWindows

    RawTherapee focuses on image development, with raw support, batch processing and editor integration at no cost.

    6.9 Free plan Visit site
  10. 10

    Photomator

    Free plan iPhoneMac

    Photomator combines RAW support, nondestructive adjustments, AI selections, and repair tools for Apple platforms.

    6.8 Visit site
  11. 11

    Showfoto

    Free plan LinuxMacWindows

    Showfoto offers a broad set of editing tools and local-file workflows at no cost. Its database limitation is important for anyone who needs image versioning.

    6.8 Free plan Visit site
  12. 12

    Alcedo Studio

    Free plan MacWindows
    6.3 Free plan Visit site
  13. 13

    Canon Digital Photo Professional

    Free plan MacWindows
    6.2 Free plan Visit site
  14. 14

    Excire Foto

    Free trial MacWindows

    Excire Foto 2027 provides broad local search and organization tools across Windows and macOS. Its one-time purchase model, trial, and missing cloud sync are key considerations before choosing it.

    6.2 From $249 · 14-day trial Visit site
  15. 15

    Mylio Photos

    Free trial AndroidiPhoneMac+1

    Mylio Photos focuses on organizing, searching, syncing, and backing up mixed media across devices.

    6.2 From $15/user/mo (annual) · 7-day trial Visit site
  16. 16

    Exposure

    by Exposure
    Free trial MacWindows

    Exposure X7 combines RAW editing and photo organization in a desktop application with standalone and plug-in modes.

    6.1 30-day trial Visit site
  17. 17

    FastRawViewer

    Free trial MacWindows

    FastRawViewer focuses on fast RAW assessment and file handling rather than broad editing.

    6.1 30-day trial Visit site
  18. 18

    ON1 Photo RAW

    by ON1 Photo RAW
    Free trial AndroidExtensioniPhone+2

    ON1 Photo RAW covers editing, organization, and export, with AI tools and cloud sync options. The trial lasts 30 days; note the plan-dependent computer limits and that Restore AI is reserved for MAX.

    6.1 30-day trial Visit site
  19. 19

    IMatch

    Free trial Windows

    IMatch brings broad cataloging, search, and metadata capabilities to Windows collections, with a 30-day trial to evaluate it.

    5.9 From $145 · 30-day trial Visit site
  20. 20

    Rollfilm

    Free plan LinuxMacWindows
    5.8 Free plan Visit site
  21. 21

    Luminar Neo

    by Luminar Neo
    Paid AndroidAPIExtension+5

    Luminar Neo offers a broad set of editing tools across desktop and mobile platforms, including RAW support and AI retouching.

    5.7 From $129 · 7-day trial Visit site
  22. 22

    Photo Mechanic

    Free trial MacWindows

    Choose Photo Mechanic if you need fast photo review, ingest, metadata handling, and batch editing on macOS or Windows.

    5.7 From $14.99/mo · 30-day trial Visit site
  23. 23

    XnView MP

    Free plan LinuxMacWindows
    5.7 Free plan · paid from €29 Visit site
  24. 24

    Capture One

    by Capture One
    Paid iPhone

    Choose Capture One for advanced photo editing, RAW conversion, and tethering across desktop and mobile plans.

    5.6 7-day trial Visit site
  25. 25

    SILKYPIX Developer Studio Pro12

    by SILKYPIX Developer Studio Pro12
    Free trial Windows

    SILKYPIX Developer Studio Pro12 focuses on RAW development with targeted corrections, presets, and selected-format support.

    5.4 From 25,300 JPY · 30-day trial Visit site

#1Places #1, #2, #3, #4, #5 on this list can be bought by the makers of the software on it. See the price

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