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Adobe Lightroom vs ON1 Photo RAW

Adobe Lightroom and ON1 Photo RAW both land on Depends.

ON1 Photo RAW

on1.com

Depends
Confidence: Medium

Buy it if you're a photographer who wants RAW editing, organizing, layers, and AI tools in one one-time-purchase app . especially at sale prices.

Read the full report

Adobe Lightroom versus ON1 Photo RAW
CompareAdobe LightroomON1 Photo RAW
VerdictDependsDepends
Best forWorking photographersPhotographers escaping Adobe subscriptions
Who it's not forCasual snappers editing a few photos a monthCasual phone-photo shooters . massively overkill
PrivacyActively patched, but four 2026 CVEs including RCE and auth bypass . keep the app updated.10No known public vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed.
Support qualityNo support evidence foundOnly one purchase-failure anecdote found
Public sentimentLong-time users value the editing depth but complain loudly about subscription pricing, hikes, and lock-in.¹Users praise the powerful editing tools, presets, and value, but some report purchase friction and the software has acknowledged rough edges.
Biggest gotchaCatalog lock-in: migrating libraries to Capture One or others is painfulPerpetual vs subscription pricing is confusing; sale prices swing wildly . reviewers say wait for ~50%-off promos.14

Pick Adobe Lightroom when

  • Working photographers
  • Large-catalog organization
  • Cross-device editing
  • Wedding/event batch editing

When Adobe Lightroom is not a fit

  • Casual snappers editing a few photos a month
  • Anyone wanting a one-time purchase
  • Privacy-sensitive users avoiding cloud sync
  • Budget buyers after the 2026 price hikes

Pick ON1 Photo RAW when

  • Photographers escaping Adobe subscriptions
  • Hobbyists wanting one all-in-one editor
  • Budget buyers who time sales
  • Pros needing layers and masking without Photoshop

When ON1 Photo RAW is not a fit

  • Casual phone-photo shooters . massively overkill
  • Anyone needing best-in-class results for every single task
  • Mobile/iPad-only shooters; this is Mac and PC software
  • Buyers wanting plug-and-play simplicity; expect quirks

Sources

  1. Adobe Lightroom Review: The Top Photo Workflowpcmag.com
    review
  2. Adobe Lightroom review (2025)lifeafterphotoshop.com
    review
  3. Lightroom Review - Not For Everyonesilentpeakphoto.com
    review
  4. We Don't Want This Subscription Based Service Adobereddit.com
    review
  5. Adobe pretty much just doubled the cost of my Lightroomreddit.com
    review
  6. The Real Reason Photographers Are Leaving Adobefstoppers.com
    news
  7. Lightroom pricing and membership plansadobe.com
    official
  8. Lightroom plan (1TB) pricing changehelpx.adobe.com
    official
  9. Adobe Security Bulletin APSB26-94helpx.adobe.com
    security
  10. CVE-2026-48408: Adobe Lightroom RCE Vulnerabilitysentinelone.com
    security
  11. The best open-source Lightroom alternativesdpreview.com
    review
  12. ON1 official siteon1.com
    official
  13. Best Adobe Alternatives Without a Subscription . ON1 blogon1.com
    official
  14. ON1 Photo RAW 2026 review . Digital Camera Worlddigitalcameraworld.com
    review
  15. ON1 Photo RAW 2026 Review . Photoworkoutphotoworkout.com
    review
  16. ON1 Photo RAW All-in-One Review . Nerdy Photographernerdyphotographer.com
    review