Adobe Lightroom vs Capture One
Adobe Lightroom scores 8.1 to Capture One's 6.2 among the raw photo editors we rate, and is the better pick for 2 of the 4 kinds of buyer below.
Adobe Lightroom wins, 8.1 to 6.2
Lightroom costs $11.99 a month billed yearly for Lightroom alone, and Adobe never sells a licence you keep. Capture One asks $18 a month billed yearly, or a one-time licence that subscribers can switch to whenever they want. Lightroom adds automatic object removal, HDR and panorama merging, and AI upscaling. Capture One answers back with a way to invite clients to comment on photos remotely for shared review.
Pick Adobe Lightroom if you want cloud sync and built-in object removal.
Pick Capture One if you want a one-time licence instead of a subscription.
Best for
Who each one suits, decided on the criteria that matter to that buyer and the checked facts where the two differ.
- Removes an object by itself: Adobe Lightroom yes, Capture One no
- AI upscaling: Adobe Lightroom yes, Capture One no
- Developer or scripting API: Adobe Lightroom yes, Capture One no
- Where it runs: 5 platforms against 3 platforms
- Sells a licence you own outright: Capture One yes, Adobe Lightroom no
- But Adobe Lightroom leads on free plan: Adobe Lightroom yes, Capture One no
How they score
Both are scored the same way, against the other raw photo editors we rate, from facts on each vendor's own pages. Adobe Lightroom leads on 3 of 4 criteria.
Where they differ
Every point where the two vendors' published facts disagree, with a link to where each fact was read. "Not published" means the vendor does not say either way.
Published by only one of them
Where they match (8)
Pricing, plan by plan
Every plan each vendor publishes, monthly and yearly where both are offered.
Adobe Lightroom
Capture One
For everything else about each tool, read the full Adobe Lightroom review and Capture One review.
Adobe Lightroom vs Capture One: common questions
Which is better, Adobe Lightroom or Capture One?
Adobe Lightroom scores 8.1 and Capture One 6.2 out of 10 among the raw photo editors we rate. Adobe Lightroom is ahead on what it adds beyond the basics, workflow and sharing and privacy and trust. Capture One is ahead on pricing.
Is Adobe Lightroom or Capture One cheaper?
Adobe Lightroom's cheapest paid plan is $11.99/mo billed yearly (Lightroom) and Capture One's is $18/mo billed yearly (Pro). Compare what each plan includes below before going on price alone.
Do Adobe Lightroom and Capture One have a free plan?
Adobe Lightroom does and Capture One does not.
What can Adobe Lightroom do that Capture One cannot?
What can Capture One do that Adobe Lightroom cannot?
On the facts both vendors publish: sells a licence you own outright.
