The latter is a simplified, web-based photo editing program. Both types of software come with your purchase of Lightroom. There’s a third option called Lightroom Mobile. The main difference is the interface and that your images are stored in the cloud. But Lightroom CC also works on your desktop. Lightroom Classic is often thought of as the desktop version.

Updates may apply features to one and not the other.Ĭonfusingly, when you launch Lightroom, this program is called “Adobe Photoshop Lightroom.” In this article, we compare the programs.Īdobe supports Lightroom and Lightroom Classic as parallel, but different programs. But there are differences in the interface and the tools available. It was referred to before as Lightroom CC for “Creative Cloud.” This program is like Lightroom Classic. Lightroom is Adobe’s cloud-based version of Lightroom. With the release of Lightroom CC in 2017, this version was re-branded as Lightroom Classic. This is a huge advantage to those who worry about editing over an original file, losing it forever.įor a detailed comparison of Lightroom and Photoshop, see our article “ Lightroom vs Photoshop: Which Is Better for You?” Non-destructive editing means you can always go back to the original image. Lightroom was also redesigned as a non-destructive editor. Lightroom acts as a library for all your images. One major addition to Adobe Lightroom was the cataloging options. Adobe also redesigned the user interface to make common photographic adjustments easier. It features the editing tools that photographers need. In many ways, it’s a simpler version of Photoshop. In 2007, Adobe released Lightroom with photographers in mind. There is a lot of pre-programmed functionality and guided edits included in Elements.įor more information, see our article comparing Photoshop and Photoshop Elements. Adobe markets this program to beginning photographers who are learning post-processing. Photoshop Elements 2022 is a basic version of Photoshop for desktop users. This app is included in all plans with Photoshop. In 2019, Adobe released a version of Photoshop for the iPad. Nowadays, you can find Photoshop on practically every platform.

Also, many of the tools aren’t useful for photography. Because the software wasn’t initially designed for photographers, it can be confusing. For over 15 years, this was Adobe’s main photo editing program. In 1990, Adobe released Photoshop as a graphics editor. Let’s start with untangling the various photo editing products from Adobe. Most are options in Adobe’s Creative Cloud. Buy Adobe Lightroom: What Photo Editing Software Belongs to Adobe Creative Suite?Īdobe markets many photo editing programs.

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