Lightroom vs Lightroom Classic: Key Differences in Detail [2024]

To make the right choice between Lightroom vs Lightroom Classic, it is necessary to differentiate between the two applications to determine which one fits your photography workflow. Both are Adobe products that are robust photo editing applications; however, they are designed for different kinds of photographers and usages. 

The below detailed comparison will assist the comparative subject in making a viable decision on which software to use between Lightroom vs Lightroom Classic.

What is Lightroom Classic?

Lightroom Classic is a desktop software program. It stores photos in local storage only and can be used on a desktop only. Lightroom Classic is a good choice for advanced and professional photographers as it contains more advanced and powerful tools. Users can enhance images with presets, adjust exposure and color, and seamlessly integrate with other Adobe products like Photoshop. it is also knowns as Lightroom pc app.

Here are some of the major differance between Lightroom vs Lightroom Classic:

1. User Interface and Ease of Use

Lightroom:

Adobe Lightroom has a clean and simple user interface which is more contemporary in its outlook. This makes it suitable for amateurs and those who occasionally take photos and would wish to edit them. It has a neat and simple layout with easy to use tools that are easy to control.

Lightroom’s design is centered around the ability to work on the same project on a smartphone, tablet, and a computer. This approach of storing photos in the cloud makes it possible for you to work on them from any location at any time.

Lightroom Classic:

Adobe Lightroom Classic is more of a classic version that has a more complex interface and includes all the necessary tools and sections. Although this may seem daunting to the new users, it is beneficial to the advanced photographers as they get the detailed controls they require for complex tasks.

Lightroom Classic is mainly intended for work on a computer, so it will be useful for photographers who work on a powerful computer with a large monitor. It has several panels and sliders that make it easy to make changes but it is not as easy to use as Lightroom.

2. Performance and Speed

Lightroom:

Adobe Lightroom is designed for fast work on a computer and is perfect for working with extensive photo collections. It runs on the cloud which makes your edits on documents to be in harmony across all your devices. 

This means that you can begin editing on your computer and then switch to your tablet or smartphone and the work will not be interrupted. The overall performance is quite good and snappy which makes it a perfect companion for photographers who need to sort and edit their images in the field.

Lightroom Classic:

Lightroom Classic is quite powerful when it comes to dealing with intensive editing tasks and extensive catalogs, but it can be slower due to the fact that it is based on older code. Some operations such as browsing through extensive libraries or applying heavy modifications can be time-consuming. 

Still, when it comes to the fundamental operations such as applying edits, converting files, and exporting images, Lightroom Classic performs decently. Lightroom Classic is still a good option for photographers who deal with high-resolution files and need a local solution even though it sometimes slows down.

3. Storage and Accessibility

Lightroom:

Adobe Lightroom saves all the photos to the cloud, so you can access them and have them synchronized across devices. This is suitable for photographers who have to edit their images from different places and using various devices. The cloud storage makes sure that the photos are stored and safe from local hardware problems. Nevertheless, this makes you heavily dependent on the internet to access your full-resolution files and edit them.

Lightroom Classic:

Lightroom Classic on the other hand, keeps your photos on your computer where you download them to. This makes you have full control of your file organization and back up processes that are required in the system. Local storage is used by photographers who deal with large numbers of high-resolution files and who need fast access to the data without relying on the internet connection. 

It also enables you to organize your storage solutions, such as external hard drives, which can be very important for working photographers with huge photo archives.

4. Editing Tools and Features

Lightroom:

Lightroom provides a set of basic adjustments that should be sufficient for most photographers’ needs. These are simple operations that include exposure, contrast, and color correction, and other complex operations such as masking and healing. 

However, Lightroom does not have some of the features that are found in Lightroom Classic. For example, Lightroom lacks the History panel, which lets you see the previous changes and restore the image to a certain state, or the range masks that give more control over the local adjustments.

Lightroom Classic:

Lightroom Classic has all the necessary tools for fine-tuning the images and is suitable for professional photographers. It has the Tone Curve, Split Toning, and Camera Calibration features which are very essential in color correction. 

Lightroom Classic also has the ability to support third-party plugins which adds to its versatility. This makes it a preferred choice for photographers who require a high level of control over the edits to be made and the inclusion of other tools in the process.

5. Organization and Workflow

Lightroom:

Lightroom has a very basic structure of albums and AI keywording, which makes it easy to locate and sort through your images. The AI feature can also suggest tags for your photos depending on the content of the photos, which is helpful for faster search. However, this system does not have the kind of metadata management as provided in Lightroom Classic.

Lightroom Classic:

Lightroom Classic has a feature of collections, smart collections, renaming of the photos, and metadata. It also features a powerful filter that allows one to search for photos by various parameters including the camera used, the lens used and so on. This level of organization is useful for photographers who require exact control over their images’ organization and tagging and work with large photo archives.

6. Printing and Export Options

Lightroom:

Lightroom has quite a few restrictions when it comes to exporting images, which can be exported only in JPG format with sRGB color space only. This may not be sufficient for the professional photographers who need different formats and color profiles for various applications.

Lightroom Classic:

Lightroom Classic has a vast number of export settings regarding file format (JPEG, TIFF, DNG, PSD) and color space (sRGB, Adobe RGB, ProPhoto). It also has special printing tools for example, soft proofing and custom print layouts making it ideal for photographers who require quality prints. 

These features make sure that your images are optimized to certain standards that are fit for professional use, especially when delivering to clients, for exhibitions or for print media.

7. Mobile Editing Lightroom vs Lightroom Classic

Lightroom:

Lightroom is mobile editing centric, meaning that it is very easy to edit photos on the go. Lightroom mobile is the mobile version of the Lightroom that can be installed on your smartphone or tablet and allows you to make changes, apply Lightroom presets and sort photos on the go. 

This mobility is a great boon for photographers who require to upload the images as soon as possible, for instance, social media photographers or travel photographers.

Lightroom Classic:

Currently, Lightroom Classic does not have a standalone app for mobile devices but the images can be synchronized with Lightroom on the mobile devices through the Adobe Creative Cloud. This feature allows you to adjust the images captured on the mobile device and transfer them to the desktop catalog. 

However, the integration with the mobile application is not as smooth and comprehensive as with Lightroom, so Lightroom Classic is less comfortable for photographers who actively use mobile applications for editing.

8. Target Audience Lightroom vs Lightroom Classic

Lightroom:

Lightroom is intended for amateur and amateur-enthusiast photographers who need a highly effective but at the same time, simple application for post-processing. It is also ideal for anyone who has a busy social media calendar and needs to crop and post content on the go. 

Due to its cloud-based solution and streamlined interface, Lightroom is suitable for photographers who value convenience and adaptability over the number of options.

Lightroom Classic:

Lightroom Classic is designed for experienced photographers and professionals who require complex tools for editing and effective tools for cataloging. It is suitable for those who perform their work on a desktop and need a fine-tuning of the photo management and editing. 

Lightroom Classic is also ideal for photographers who require the creation of high-quality prints and archiving large numbers of photos with intricate metadata.

9. Cost and Subscription Plans Lightroom vs Lightroom Classic

Adobe offers Lightroom and Lightroom Classic as part of its Creative Cloud plans, which are paid. The Photography Plan that comprises Lightroom, Lightroom Classic, and Adobe Photoshop is rather popular among photographers as for $19, it provides a set of tools necessary for work. 99 per month. This plan lets you use both versions of Lightroom, so you can decide which one suits you better.

If all you require is Lightroom, you can opt for the Lightroom Plan which comes with 1TB of cloud storage for $9. 99 per month. This plan is cheaper and ideal for photographers who do not need the professional functions of Lightroom Classic and Photoshop. Adobe also includes other options for extra storage for a fee, so you have enough space for your photo library in the cloud.

Lightroom vs Lightroom classic Comparison table

Pros and Cons of Lightroom

Pros and Cons of Lightroom Classic

FAQs

Conclusion

To sum up, Lightroom vs Lightroom Classic is all about the particular needs and the way of working. Lightroom is the new generation of the software designed for mobile editing and cloud storage, while Lightroom Classic is the most powerful tool for professional photo editing. 

So, based on your requirements and the assessment of the potential of each program, you can make the right choice and select the most suitable Lightroom version for your photography process.

Leave a Reply