Most photographers need one program that does two jobs: organises thousands of photos and develops RAW files. Pick that first; add a pixel editor such as Photoshop or Affinity only if you retouch, combine images or design. Prices checked 5 November 2026.
| Software | Best for | How you pay | Runs on |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adobe Lightroom / Lightroom Classic | The all-rounder: organising, RAW editing, AI masks and Denoise, sync to phone | Subscription: Lightroom plan £11.99/month; Photography plan with Photoshop £19.97/month (annual, billed monthly) | Windows, Mac, iPad, phone, web |
| Capture One | Colour control, tethered studio shooting, Fujifilm and Sony RAW files | Subscription or one-off licence; prices rose about 6% in mid-2026 | Windows, Mac, iPad |
| DxO PhotoLab | The cleanest high-ISO noise reduction and automatic lens corrections | One-off purchase, paid upgrades | Windows, Mac |
| Affinity (by Canva) | Free Photoshop-style editing: layers, retouching, compositing | Free with a Canva account; AI tools need Canva premium | Windows, Mac |
| Luminar Neo | Quick AI edits: skies, portraits, one-click looks | Subscription or one-off options | Windows, Mac |
| ON1 Photo RAW | A Lightroom-style organiser and editor with layers, without Adobe | Subscription or one-off licence | Windows, Mac |
| darktable | Powerful free RAW editing and cataloguing | Free, open source | Windows, Mac, Linux |
| RawTherapee | Free, detailed RAW processing (no catalogue) | Free, open source | Windows, Mac, Linux |
Free software from your camera's maker
Every maker offers a free RAW converter that reads its files perfectly and matches the camera's own colours: Canon Digital Photo Professional, Nikon NX Studio, Sony Imaging Edge Desktop, Fujifilm's X RAW Studio, OM Workspace and Panasonic's SILKYPIX. They're slower and less polished than paid editors but a good free start.
Which should you choose?
- Starting out: try your maker's free software or darktable, and Affinity for retouching.
- Most enthusiasts: Lightroom. Most tutorials assume it, and it syncs with your phone.
- You hate subscriptions: DxO PhotoLab or ON1 Photo RAW, bought once.
- Studio, product or colour-critical work: Capture One, especially with tethered shooting.
- High ISO sport, wildlife or events: DxO PhotoLab or Lightroom's Denoise for the cleanest files.
Try before you buy
Lightroom, Capture One, DxO PhotoLab, Luminar Neo and ON1 all offer free trials. Edit the same ten RAW files from your own camera in two of them and keep the one that feels quicker.
Sources: Adobe UK Lightroom plans; PetaPixel on Capture One's 2026 price rise; MacRumors on Affinity becoming free.