Lightroom Classic stores all information related to image edits, as well as previews of images that are used in the editing process, in a single file called a Catalog. Note that neither program stores individual image edits in sidecar files that can be copied or sent to another photographer, at least not by default. The Catalog also stores Smart Previews and other information, and if you have a large photo library, the Catalog can balloon to several dozen gigabytes or more.ĪCDSee Photo Studio uses a similar method: it stores edits in what it simply calls a Database. Lightroom Classic uses its own proprietary database called a Catalog to keep track of all the edits you make to any given image. Workflowīoth programs are broadly similar on a fundamental level, but the way each program goes about managing your images and keeping track of your edits is quite different. While Lightroom Classic has useful tools that many photographers rely on, ACDSee Photo Studio is no slouch and could very easily replace Lightroom Classic – depending on your needs, that is. Both programs are highly capable, but there are some similarities and differences that are important to understand. In order to evaluate which program is right for you, it helps to compare specific features. Is it at least worth considering? Most definitely.ĪCDSee has similar digital asset management tools and a slew of editing options. Is it good enough to replace Lightroom Classic? Perhaps. That alone makes it worth serious consideration for people who don’t want to be tied down by a recurring fee, especially casual photographers who might not need all the bells and whistles that Lightroom Classic and its accompanying Creative Cloud subscription have to offer.Īnd while ACDSee Photo Studio doesn’t have feature-for-feature parity with Lightroom Classic, it has some tricks up its sleeve that Adobe’s solution can’t match. However, recent years have brought a slew of features and tweaks designed with hobbyists in mind, and the program has become a great choice for people who want a solid addition to their workflow without spending significant money.Ĭontrary to Adobe’s subscription-only pricing model, ACDSee Photo Studio is available as a one-time purchase.
First released in 1994, ACDSee has since seen a series of steady improvements that cater largely to professional photographers.
Though it might not share the same level of worldwide recognition as Lightroom, ACDSee Photo Studio is actually far older. Lightroom Classic combines digital asset management with in-depth image editing. It remains the most popular program of its kind and is a great choice for anyone looking for an all-in-one solution for managing and editing images, though its subscription-only payment model has caused industry-wide frustration. Many professional and amateur photographers who manage huge image libraries on big screens tethered to desktop computers prefer the interface, tools, and overall aesthetic of Lightroom Classic. While Adobe has continued to improve both Lightroom and Lightroom Classic, Lightroom still does not offer the same breadth and depth of tools as its desktop counterpart. The former is designed for photographers who want a more mobile-centric workflow, while the latter retains the more powerful desktop-focused set of features. In 2017, Adobe divided the program into two distinct versions: Lightroom and Lightroom Classic. First released in 2006, this program allows users to manage hundreds of thousands of images while also performing a host of useful editing functions. Most photographers are familiar with the name Lightroom, but recent years have brought some interesting complexities to what used to be a fairly straightforward piece of software. In this article, I unpack the key benefits and drawbacks of these two programs – and by the time you’re finished reading, you should know which program is best for you.
The two programs are similar in some important aspects but quite different in others, and ACDSee Photo Studio has some important features that go beyond what Lightroom Classic can offer.
Photographers looking for a software program that can perform double-duty as a digital asset manager and an image editor have a handful of options from which to choose, and while ACDSee Photo Studio doesn’t have the same level of popularity or name recognition as its Adobe-developed counterpart, it is certainly worth a look. Lightroom Classic vs ACDSee Photo Studio might not seem like a fair comparison, but there’s a lot more to the discussion than you might realize.