RT Landrum

I currently use Lightroom and pay the monthly subscription fee for it and Photoshop. If I stop paying for it will I still be able to use it as it is? Is there a way to pay for the program just once?

IDguy Loc: Idaho

As I understand it you can use it free to view the photos you have in it. Bit not to add more or change them.

You’d have to buy an older standalone version to use it without monthly fee. Better off to get competitor that will be updated and work with your cameras. Darktable very similar and free.

frankraney Loc: Clovis, Ca.

chemsaf Loc: San Diego

The app checks license status at opening and will not open. Turn off your wifi and try to open the app.

bleirer

You can continue to use the library and don't lose any edits or images and can still print, organize and export. You can no longer use the develop module and dont get updates.

https://helpx.adobe.com/manage-account/using/cancel-subscription.html

Cut and paste:

You continue to have access to all your photos on your local hard drive through Lightroom for the desktop. You can continue to import and organize photos and output your edited photos through Export, Publish, Print, Web, or Slideshow. Access to the Develop & Map modules and Lightroom for mobile is not available after your membership ends.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

I have enough money to last me the rest of my life, unless I subscribe.

bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA

The Photography Plan is an annual commitment. You can pay monthly, but you agree to the full year. When you quit, the Develop and Map modules stop working. The rest should still work fine.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

There are two alternatives out there. Subscription plan which is actually an annual maintenance plan, and out right purchase of a license + periodic upgrades. Either way, if you want to stay current, there will be an ongoing expense, because of the cost of ongoing support and R&D.

You can pay for the subscription annually or monthly. Paying for it annually makes it similar to paying for regular upgrades, like On1Raw and Capture One - which offer both plans. But unlike Adobe, purchasing licenses instead of annual maintenance is less expensive with ON1 and Capture 1. Considering the costs of purchasing the last licensed versions of Photoshop and Lightroom, I am still ahead of the game with regards to cost. The last versions cost me $1300 and over the past 8 yrs I have spent $960 in subscriptions. If you project the cost of updates to both PS and LR, which were roughly $300 every 18 months, the subscription cost advantage is even clearer.

I have tried numerous alternates, and in my quest for a better solution did not find one. However, I did find several applications that in one way or another perform some functions better than LR/PS, but none are constitute a complete replacement. As a result I use Capture One, On1 and DXO Photolab in addition to and with LR/PS as alternate processors to LR. Your mileage will likely be different so you should do your homework and find out what makes sense for you. But how you pay for software should not be a factor - unlike annual cost which is most definitely a factor.

Lightroom's catalog, which contains your image modifications are your data, and Adobe lets you use LR to view/print your images even in the event that you chose to terminate your payments.

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

With 2 posts under your belt, welcome to the hog.

If you stop paying you will keep the program (no more updates) and your catalog but you lose the use of the develop, print, and map modules.

You will still be able to use the program to search for your photos but you won’t be able to add any more photos to the catalog.

All hobbies have some cost. This cost is low compared to many others.

lbivins Loc: Green Valley, AZ.

The subscription cost is about the same as 2 Lattes a month at Starbucks!

RLSprouse Loc: Encinitas CA (near Sandy Eggo)

I just don't understand the almost fanatical resistance some folks exhibit toward the $9.99/month maintenance fee for the Lightroom/Photoshop bundle. You get access to two of the very best image processing programs on the planet, with frequent updates and great support. We spend thousands on our cameras and lenses. Why balk at the modest cost of this great software ecosystem, just because it is an ongoing fee? It is an incredible bargain, in my not-so-humble opinion. :-)

Maybe you should forgo driving your car, because you have to keep putting gas in it every month.

doclrb

Bill_de Loc: US

No different than the fanatics who continually try to push people toward it. Everybody has their own reasons. The Lightroom/Photoshop bundle is a good deal for anyone who is really in to post processing. It is a waste of money for anyone who just wants to make minor adjustments. For those folks even $1 is a waste of money, because they can get free programs that will do more than they need.

I was a Photoshop user from version 2 or 3 up through CS 5. I now mostly use PS Elements. My favorite tool when I want to 'play around' with an image is the 'History Brush' in CS 5.

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saxman71 Loc: Wenatchee

I pay for some subscriptions that seem inordinately high. My cable/internet bill is one example. But I find the Adobe bundle to be a great value. Even though my photography outings have dwindled while I work on my golf game, I still find it to be one of the best bargains out there.

mikegreenwald Loc: Illinois

So you plan to live for 30 days?