Adobe Lightroom vs Darkroom
Which is better in 2026? Five scores, side by side.
Adobe Lightroom is the better app overall, scoring 9.0 to 8.8. Adobe Lightroom wins on 4 of the 5 scores, Darkroom on 1.
Photographers who shoot RAW and edit across phone, tablet and computer
Apple users who want quick, high-quality edits straight from the Photos app
Score by score
The details
| Feature | Adobe Lightroom | Darkroom |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Photo & Video | Photo & Video |
| Category rank | #1 of 8 | #3 of 8 |
| Developer | Adobe | Bergen Co. |
| Pricing | Free + paid plans | Free + paid plans |
| Usable for free | Yes | Yes |
| iPhone & iPad | ✓ | ✓ |
| Android | ✓ | — |
| Mac | ✓ | ✓ |
| Windows | ✓ | — |
| Web | ✓ | — |
Strengths and weaknesses
Adobe Lightroom
- Masking tools are precise and fast to apply
- Same edits and presets on phone, tablet and desktop
- Free mobile version covers core adjustments
- Best AI tools and cloud storage require a paid plan
- Cloud-first library can feel heavy for quick edits
Lightroom is the most complete photo editor you can carry between phone, tablet and desktop. AI masks select skies, subjects and people in a tap, Generative Remove cleans up distractions, and your edits sync across devices through Adobe's cloud. The catch is the subscription: the best AI tools, cloud storage and the desktop app sit behind it. Get it if you shoot RAW or edit on several devices.
Full Adobe Lightroom review
Darkroom
- Clean interface that stays out of your way
- No import step thanks to Photos library integration
- Fast previews even with large RAW files
- Apple devices only
- Advanced tools need a Darkroom+ plan
Darkroom is the best-designed photo editor on Apple devices. It works straight from your Photos library, so there's no import step, and it handles RAW files, curves, color grading and batch edits quickly. Video editing uses the same tools. The free version covers the basics, while Darkroom+ unlocks the advanced tools. Get it if you live in Apple Photos and want speed without a cloud account.
Full Darkroom review
