Best Adobe Lightroom alternatives

Adobe Lightroom is best for consistent colour presets for an Instagram feed. If that is not you — or price, features or availability in your country do not fit — these 40 alternatives are worth a look.

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SoftwareBest forFree planOrigin
remove.bg logoremove.bgInstant background removal for product and profile photosYesATVisit
Photoroom logoPhotoroomE-commerce sellers creating product photos on a phoneYesFRVisit
Picsart logoPicsartCreators editing photos and social graphics on mobileYesUSVisit
Pixelcut logoPixelcutSmall sellers making product photos quicklyYesUSVisit
Clipdrop logoClipdropQuick cleanup, relighting and upscalingVerifyUSVisit
Fotor logoFotorBeginners editing photos and designs onlineYesCNVisit
Topaz Photo AI logoTopaz Photo AIPhotographers sharpening and upscaling imagesNo (trial may exist)USVisit
Adobe Photoshop logoAdobe PhotoshopProfessional photo editing and compositingNo (trial may exist)USVisit
Photopea logoPhotopeaEditing PSD files in the browser for freeYesCZVisit
Pixlr logoPixlrQuick browser photo editsYesSGVisit
Snapseed logoSnapseedFree pro-level photo edits on a phoneYesUSVisit
Upscayl logoUpscaylFree AI image upscaling on your computerYesINVisit
Canva logoCanvaSmall businesses creating social posts, flyers and presentationsYesAUVisit
Buffer logoBufferSmall businesses scheduling posts on a few channelsYesUSVisit
Later logoLaterInstagram and visual-first brandsVerifyCAVisit
Meta Business Suite logoMeta Business SuiteManaging Facebook and Instagram for freeYesUSVisit
Metricool logoMetricoolFreelancers and agencies wanting analytics plus schedulingYesESVisit
OpusClip logoOpusClipTurning long videos into viral shorts and reelsYesUSVisit
VEED logoVEEDBrowser-based editing with subtitlesYesGBVisit
Kapwing logoKapwingTeams editing social videos together onlineYesUSVisit
Captions logoCaptionsTalking-head creators who need fast captions and editsVerifyUSVisit
ManyChat logoManyChatCreators and brands automating Instagram DMsYesUSVisit
Predis.ai logoPredis.aiGenerating social posts and ads from a promptYesINVisit
Adobe Express logoAdobe ExpressQuick social graphics with Adobe fonts and stockYesUSVisit
CapCut logoCapCutShort-form video editing with trendy templates (outside India)YesSGVisit
InShot logoInShotQuick reel edits on a phoneYesHKVisit
VN Video Editor logoVN Video EditorFree mobile and desktop editing without watermarkYesCNVisit
KineMaster logoKineMasterLayered video editing on Android and iOSYesKRVisit
Edits (by Instagram) logoEdits (by Instagram)Instagram creators editing reels on the phoneYesUSVisit
Linktree logoLinktreeOne link-in-bio page for all your linksYesAUVisit
Beacons logoBeaconsCreators selling products and media kits from their bio linkYesUSVisit
Planoly logoPlanolyVisually planning an Instagram gridVerifyUSVisit
Tailwind logoTailwindPinterest and Instagram marketing for small brandsYesUSVisit
Flick logoFlickFinding Instagram hashtags and planning contentNo (trial may exist)GBVisit
VSCO logoVSCOFilm-style filters for photosYesUSVisit
Stan logoStanCreators selling courses and coaching from InstagramNo (trial may exist)USVisit
Instagram Professional Dashboard logoInstagram Professional DashboardUnderstanding which posts and reels perform bestYesUSVisit
OBS Studio logoOBS StudioStreaming and recording gameplay for freeYesUSVisit
Discord logoDiscordBuilding a gaming community or squad chatYesUSVisit
Kajabi logoKajabiCoaches running courses, email and payments in one placeNo (trial may exist)USVisit
#1

Best for: Instant background removal for product and profile photos

✓ Very fast and accurate
✓ API for bulk work

Free plan
Visit remove.bg ↗
#2

Best for: E-commerce sellers creating product photos on a phone

✓ Great for marketplace listings
✓ Batch editing

Free plan
Visit Photoroom ↗
#3

Best for: Creators editing photos and social graphics on mobile

✓ All-in-one mobile editor
✓ Lots of templates

Free plan
Visit Picsart ↗
#6

Best for: Beginners editing photos and designs online

✓ Beginner friendly
✓ Templates

Free plan
Visit Fotor ↗
#12

Best for: Free AI image upscaling on your computer

✓ Completely free
✓ Works offline

Free plan
Visit Upscayl ↗
#13

Best for: Small businesses creating social posts, flyers and presentations

✓ Huge template library
✓ Free plan

Free plan
Visit Canva ↗
#14

Best for: Small businesses scheduling posts on a few channels

✓ Very easy
✓ Free plan

Free plan
Visit Buffer ↗
#15

Best for: Instagram and visual-first brands

✓ Visual planner
✓ Good for Instagram

Visit Later ↗
#18

Best for: Turning long videos into viral shorts and reels

✓ Saves hours on repurposing
✓ Auto captions and reframing

Free plan
Visit OpusClip ↗
#19

Best for: Browser-based editing with subtitles

✓ Works in the browser
✓ Great subtitles

Free plan
Visit VEED ↗
#20

Best for: Teams editing social videos together online

✓ Collaboration
✓ Templates and AI tools

Free plan
Visit Kapwing ↗
#21

Best for: Talking-head creators who need fast captions and edits

✓ Excellent auto captions
✓ Mobile-first

Visit Captions ↗
#22

Best for: Creators and brands automating Instagram DMs

✓ Instagram comment-to-DM automations
✓ Free plan

Free plan
Visit ManyChat ↗
#25

Best for: Short-form video editing with trendy templates (outside India)

✓ Free and powerful
✓ Trending templates

Free plan
Visit CapCut ↗
#26

Best for: Quick reel edits on a phone

✓ Simple mobile editing
✓ Music and text

Free plan
Visit InShot ↗
#31

Best for: Creators selling products and media kits from their bio link

✓ Store and media kit
✓ Free plan

Free plan
Visit Beacons ↗
#33

Best for: Pinterest and Instagram marketing for small brands

✓ Strong for Pinterest
✓ Free plan

Free plan
Visit Tailwind ↗
#34

Best for: Finding Instagram hashtags and planning content

✓ Hashtag research
✓ AI caption help

Visit Flick ↗
#35

Best for: Film-style filters for photos

✓ Beautiful presets
✓ Free version

Free plan
Visit VSCO ↗
#36

Best for: Creators selling courses and coaching from Instagram

✓ All-in-one creator store
✓ Simple

Visit Stan ↗
#40

Best for: Coaches running courses, email and payments in one place

✓ All-in-one
✓ Strong marketing tools

Visit Kajabi ↗
1remove.bg logo

remove.bg

Best for: Instant background removal for product and profile photos

Visit site

One-click AI background removal, with bulk and API options.

Pros

  • Very fast and accurate
  • API for bulk work

Cons

  • Free downloads are low resolution
Free plan
Yes
Pricing
See provider
Also in
AI Photo Editing Tools
2Photoroom logo

Photoroom

Best for: E-commerce sellers creating product photos on a phone

Visit site

AI photo editor for product shots: background removal, AI backgrounds and batch editing.

Pros

  • Great for marketplace listings
  • Batch editing
  • Mobile app

Cons

  • Watermark on free plan
Free plan
Yes
Pricing
See provider
Also in
AI Photo Editing Tools, Instagram & Creator Tools
3Picsart logo

Picsart

Best for: Creators editing photos and social graphics on mobile

Visit site

Photo and video editor with AI tools, templates and stickers.

Pros

  • All-in-one mobile editor
  • Lots of templates

Cons

  • Many features behind subscription
Free plan
Yes
Pricing
See provider
Also in
AI Photo Editing Tools, Graphic Design Software
4Pixelcut logo

Pixelcut

Best for: Small sellers making product photos quickly

Visit site

AI product photo editor with background removal and upscaling.

Pros

  • Easy to use
  • Product templates

Cons

  • Limited advanced control
Free plan
Yes
Pricing
See provider
Also in
AI Photo Editing Tools
5Clipdrop logo

Clipdrop

Best for: Quick cleanup, relighting and upscaling

Visit site

Suite of AI image tools: cleanup, relight, upscale and background removal.

Pros

  • Many small tools in one place

Cons

  • Free usage is limited
Free plan
Verify
Pricing
See provider
Also in
AI Photo Editing Tools
6Fotor logo

Fotor

Best for: Beginners editing photos and designs online

Visit site

Online photo editor and design tool with AI features.

Pros

  • Beginner friendly
  • Templates

Cons

  • Watermarks and limits on free plan
Free plan
Yes
Pricing
See provider
Also in
AI Photo Editing Tools, Graphic Design Software
7Topaz Photo AI logo

Topaz Photo AI

Best for: Photographers sharpening and upscaling images

Visit site

Desktop AI software for denoising, sharpening and upscaling photos.

Pros

  • Excellent upscaling and noise reduction
  • Works offline

Cons

  • Paid desktop app
Free plan
No (trial may exist)
Pricing
See provider
Also in
AI Photo Editing Tools
8Adobe Photoshop logo

Adobe Photoshop

Best for: Professional photo editing and compositing

Visit site

Industry-standard image editor with generative AI features.

Pros

  • Industry standard
  • Generative Fill

Cons

  • Subscription cost
  • Learning curve
Free plan
No (trial may exist)
Pricing
See provider
Also in
AI Photo Editing Tools, Graphic Design Software
9Photopea logo

Photopea

Best for: Editing PSD files in the browser for free

Visit site

Free browser-based editor that opens PSD, AI, XD and Sketch files.

Pros

  • Free
  • Opens Photoshop files
  • No install

Cons

  • Ads on free version
Free plan
Yes
Pricing
See provider
Also in
AI Photo Editing Tools, Graphic Design Software
10Pixlr logo

Pixlr

Best for: Quick browser photo edits

Visit site

Online photo editor and designer with AI tools.

Pros

  • Free in browser
  • Simple

Cons

  • Ads and limits on free plan
Free plan
Yes
Pricing
See provider
Also in
AI Photo Editing Tools, Graphic Design Software
11Snapseed logo

Snapseed

Best for: Free pro-level photo edits on a phone

Visit site

Free photo editor from Google with precise tools.

Pros

  • Completely free
  • No ads

Cons

  • Mobile only
Free plan
Yes
Pricing
See provider
Also in
AI Photo Editing Tools, Instagram & Creator Tools
12Upscayl logo

Upscayl

Best for: Free AI image upscaling on your computer

Visit site

Free, open-source desktop app that upscales images with AI.

Pros

  • Completely free
  • Works offline

Cons

  • Needs a capable GPU for speed
Free plan
Yes
Pricing
See provider
Also in
AI Photo Editing Tools, Free & Open-Source AI Tools
13Canva logo

Canva

Best for: Small businesses creating social posts, flyers and presentations

Visit site

Online design platform with templates and AI features such as Magic Studio.

Pros

  • Huge template library
  • Free plan
  • Easy for non-designers

Cons

  • Premium assets need Pro
  • Less control than professional tools
Free plan
Yes
Pricing
See provider
Also in
AI Design & Presentation Tools, Social Media Management Tools
14Buffer logo

Buffer

Best for: Small businesses scheduling posts on a few channels

Visit site

Simple social media scheduling and analytics tool.

Pros

  • Very easy
  • Free plan
  • AI assistant for posts

Cons

  • Limited inbox and listening features
Free plan
Yes
Pricing
See provider
Also in
Social Media Management Tools, Instagram & Creator Tools
15Later logo

Later

Best for: Instagram and visual-first brands

Visit site

Visual social scheduler with link-in-bio and creator tools.

Pros

  • Visual planner
  • Good for Instagram

Cons

  • Limited on non-visual channels
Free plan
Verify
Pricing
See provider
Also in
Social Media Management Tools, Instagram & Creator Tools
16Meta Business Suite logo

Meta Business Suite

Best for: Managing Facebook and Instagram for free

Visit site

Free tool to schedule posts, reply to messages and see insights on Facebook and Instagram.

Pros

  • Free
  • Official Meta tool

Cons

  • Only Meta platforms
Free plan
Yes
Pricing
See provider
Also in
Social Media Management Tools, Instagram & Creator Tools
17Metricool logo

Metricool

Best for: Freelancers and agencies wanting analytics plus scheduling

Visit site

Social media planning and analytics including ads reporting.

Pros

  • Free plan
  • Good analytics

Cons

  • Advanced features paid
Free plan
Yes
Pricing
See provider
Also in
Social Media Management Tools, Instagram & Creator Tools
18OpusClip logo

OpusClip

Best for: Turning long videos into viral shorts and reels

Visit site

AI tool that finds highlights in long videos and turns them into captioned shorts.

Pros

  • Saves hours on repurposing
  • Auto captions and reframing

Cons

  • Choose clips yourself for best results
Free plan
Yes
Pricing
See provider
Also in
Video Editing Software, Instagram & Creator Tools
19VEED logo

VEED

Best for: Browser-based editing with subtitles

Visit site

Online video editor with AI subtitles, avatars and screen recording.

Pros

  • Works in the browser
  • Great subtitles

Cons

  • Watermark on free plan
Free plan
Yes
Pricing
See provider
Also in
Video Editing Software, Instagram & Creator Tools
20Kapwing logo

Kapwing

Best for: Teams editing social videos together online

Visit site

Collaborative online video editor with AI tools.

Pros

  • Collaboration
  • Templates and AI tools

Cons

  • Export limits on free plan
Free plan
Yes
Pricing
See provider
Also in
Video Editing Software, Instagram & Creator Tools
21Captions logo

Captions

Best for: Talking-head creators who need fast captions and edits

Visit site

AI video editing app for captions, eye contact correction and dubbing.

Pros

  • Excellent auto captions
  • Mobile-first

Cons

  • Subscription for most features
Free plan
Verify
Pricing
See provider
Also in
Video Editing Software, Instagram & Creator Tools
22ManyChat logo

ManyChat

Best for: Creators and brands automating Instagram DMs

Visit site

Chat automation for Instagram, WhatsApp, Messenger and SMS.

Pros

  • Instagram comment-to-DM automations
  • Free plan

Cons

  • Advanced AI features paid
Free plan
Yes
Pricing
See provider
Also in
WhatsApp Marketing & Business API Tools, AI Chatbots for Customer Service
23Predis.ai logo

Predis.ai

Best for: Generating social posts and ads from a prompt

Visit site

Indian AI tool that creates social media posts, carousels and video ads.

Pros

  • Built in India
  • Posts plus scheduling

Cons

  • Outputs need brand review
Free plan
Yes
Pricing
See provider
Also in
AI Design & Presentation Tools, Instagram & Creator Tools
24Adobe Express logo

Adobe Express

Best for: Quick social graphics with Adobe fonts and stock

Visit site

Template-based design app with Firefly AI features.

Pros

  • Free plan
  • Adobe Fonts and stock

Cons

  • Fewer templates than Canva
Free plan
Yes
Pricing
See provider
Also in
Graphic Design Software, Instagram & Creator Tools
25CapCut logo

CapCut

Best for: Short-form video editing with trendy templates (outside India)

Visit site

Popular free video editor from ByteDance with templates, effects and AI tools.

Pros

  • Free and powerful
  • Trending templates

Cons

  • Not available in India — Indian creators should pick an alternative such as Edits, VN or InShot
Free plan
Yes
Pricing
See provider
Also in
Video Editing Software, Instagram & Creator Tools
26InShot logo

InShot

Best for: Quick reel edits on a phone

Visit site

Mobile video and photo editor popular for reels.

Pros

  • Simple mobile editing
  • Music and text

Cons

  • Watermark and ads on free version
Free plan
Yes
Pricing
See provider
Also in
Video Editing Software, Instagram & Creator Tools
27VN Video Editor logo

VN Video Editor

Best for: Free mobile and desktop editing without watermark

Visit site

Free video editor with multi-track timeline for mobile and desktop.

Pros

  • No watermark
  • Multi-track editing

Cons

  • Some templates are paid
Free plan
Yes
Pricing
See provider
Also in
Video Editing Software, Instagram & Creator Tools
28KineMaster logo

KineMaster

Best for: Layered video editing on Android and iOS

Visit site

Mobile video editor with layers, chroma key and assets.

Pros

  • Powerful on mobile
  • Chroma key

Cons

  • Watermark on free version
Free plan
Yes
Pricing
See provider
Also in
Video Editing Software, Instagram & Creator Tools
29Edits (by Instagram) logo

Edits (by Instagram)

Best for: Instagram creators editing reels on the phone

Visit site

Free video editing app from Instagram for creating reels.

Pros

  • Free
  • No watermark
  • Made for reels

Cons

  • Mobile only
Free plan
Yes
Pricing
See provider
Also in
Video Editing Software, Instagram & Creator Tools
30Linktree logo

Linktree

Best for: One link-in-bio page for all your links

Visit site

Link-in-bio tool for Instagram and other social profiles.

Pros

  • Free plan
  • Analytics

Cons

  • Branding on free plan
Free plan
Yes
Pricing
See provider
Also in
Instagram & Creator Tools
31Beacons logo

Beacons

Best for: Creators selling products and media kits from their bio link

Visit site

All-in-one creator link-in-bio with store, media kit and email.

Pros

  • Store and media kit
  • Free plan

Cons

  • Transaction fees on free plan
Free plan
Yes
Pricing
See provider
Also in
Instagram & Creator Tools
32Planoly logo

Planoly

Best for: Visually planning an Instagram grid

Visit site

Visual Instagram and Pinterest planner and scheduler.

Pros

  • Grid preview
  • Scheduling

Cons

  • Advanced features are paid
Free plan
Verify
Pricing
See provider
Also in
Social Media Management Tools, Instagram & Creator Tools
33Tailwind logo

Tailwind

Best for: Pinterest and Instagram marketing for small brands

Visit site

Social scheduling and AI design tool focused on Pinterest and Instagram.

Pros

  • Strong for Pinterest
  • Free plan

Cons

  • Fewer networks
Free plan
Yes
Pricing
See provider
Also in
Social Media Management Tools, Instagram & Creator Tools
34Flick logo

Flick

Best for: Finding Instagram hashtags and planning content

Visit site

Hashtag research, AI captions and scheduling for Instagram.

Pros

  • Hashtag research
  • AI caption help

Cons

  • Paid only
Free plan
No (trial may exist)
Pricing
See provider
Also in
Instagram & Creator Tools
35VSCO logo

VSCO

Best for: Film-style filters for photos

Visit site

Photo and video editor known for film-inspired presets.

Pros

  • Beautiful presets
  • Free version

Cons

  • Best presets are paid
Free plan
Yes
Pricing
See provider
Also in
Instagram & Creator Tools
36Stan logo

Stan

Best for: Creators selling courses and coaching from Instagram

Visit site

Creator store for digital products, courses and bookings.

Pros

  • All-in-one creator store
  • Simple

Cons

  • Paid plans only
Free plan
No (trial may exist)
Pricing
See provider
Also in
Instagram & Creator Tools
37Instagram Professional Dashboard logo

Instagram Professional Dashboard

Best for: Understanding which posts and reels perform best

Visit site

Free insights, tools and education built into Instagram professional accounts.

Pros

  • Free
  • Official data

Cons

  • Limited history and exports
Free plan
Yes
Pricing
See provider
Also in
Instagram & Creator Tools
38OBS Studio logo

OBS Studio

Best for: Streaming and recording gameplay for free

Visit site

Free, open-source software for recording and live streaming.

Pros

  • Completely free
  • Professional features
  • Plugins

Cons

  • Setup takes some learning
Free plan
Yes
Pricing
See provider
Also in
Instagram & Creator Tools, Gaming & Streaming Tools
39Discord logo

Discord

Best for: Building a gaming community or squad chat

Visit site

Voice, video and text chat for communities and friends.

Pros

  • Free
  • Great voice quality
  • Bots

Cons

  • Moderation needed for big servers
Free plan
Yes
Pricing
See provider
Also in
Instagram & Creator Tools, Gaming & Streaming Tools
40Kajabi logo

Kajabi

Best for: Coaches running courses, email and payments in one place

Visit site

All-in-one platform for courses, coaching, email marketing and websites.

Pros

  • All-in-one
  • Strong marketing tools

Cons

  • Expensive
Free plan
No (trial may exist)
Pricing
See provider
Also in
Instagram & Creator Tools, Education & Coaching Software