JohnR Loc: The Gates of Hell

I loved Lightroom Classic on my iMac but could't use it without being connected to the Internet. With the scammers and hackers nowadays I do NOT want to be connected to the Internet unless I have a need. What I want is an alternative I can use without being on-line.

frankraney Loc: Clovis, Ca.

Lightroom does not have to be connected all the time, only once in awhile to check license.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

Every other choice is inferior. As noted, you have no need to be connected to the internet to use LR Classic, except for a monthly verification of your subscription status and download / install of any software updates.

RightOnPhotography Loc: Quebec,QC

Why don't you use VPN for extra security?

bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA

Lightroom Classic is a one year contract. You can pay monthly or annually. If you pay annually, the frequency of checking is reduced.

terryMc Loc: Arizona's White Mountains

My brother thought that Photoshop was on an Adobe server somewhere and he was using it online every time he worked with a photo. He was surprised when I told him it was installed on his Mac and he didn't need Internets to use it.

Where do people get these ideas?

frankraney Loc: Clovis, Ca.

Miss information and or understanding.

Capn_Dave

I haven't given it a go yet, but I ahve an indoor event shot without flash and plan on giving it a work out

Delderby Loc: Derby UK

"Every other choice is inferior."
Bull!

Red6

I tend to agree. I started with the LR/PS subscription several years ago but kept thinking there was something better. I canceled the subscription and have tried quite a few different software packages, both free and purchased.

But I have found nothing that works, so I am coming around to restarting my subscription. Adobe just seems to have all the bases covered from start to finish. The cost is very reasonable and it just works.

Ysarex Loc: St. Louis

That's too extreme. LR/PS is the best choice for a lot of people and as such it's the industry leader for good reason. But there are alternatives that can be better for some of us depending on our priorities.

I switched from LR/PS to C1 back in 2012-13. I would not switch back if you paid me. At that time all Adobe products were free for me to use personally, paid for by my employer. I chose to spend more when I switched.

The key issue that prompted me to leave LR/PS was LR's reliance on PS. If you encountered a task in LR that LR's tools didn't handle well enough the pat answer was; just send the image to PS and do it there -- PS can do anything. Except for one thing. PS can't keep your raw editing 100% non-destructive. LR can but not when you send an image to PS -- in PS your editing likely becomes destructive.

That was and remains enough incentive for me to find a better alternative. In C1 I'm much more able to get the job done without having to send the image out to a raster editor and give up a feature (100% non-destructive raw workflow) that's a high priority for me.

Ednsb Loc: Santa Barbara

There are other options to replace LightRoom Classic though it is a very good Data Asset Management and uses the same raw processor as Photoshop. Adobe is moving some of the functionality of Photoshop to Lightroom. The one thing it can’t do is layers. But when you push an image to Photoshop from Lightroom it creates a new image so your original is still in Lightroom. And if you use layers in Photoshop not touching your background layer it is non-destructive especially if you use smart objects and save in either tiff or psd to save the layers.

That said there are option that have most of the features of Lightroom and Photoshop like On1 , pse, or Luminar.

Ysarex Loc: St. Louis

That is not correct.
That's why I switched from using LR/PS.

Begin editing a raw file in LR. Do as much of your editing as you can in LR.
Oops you've got a clone/healing job that's too difficult for the crude tools in LR.
Send a SmartObject from LR to PS.
Create a new raster layer above the SmartObject layer and set the clone/heal tools to sample Current & Below.
Complete the clone/heal job.
Save as a PSD -- that would be a humongous monster-huge PSD, and you're finished.
Return to the image in a week and reevaluate it.
Hmm, I'll be that would look better using a different opening input profile.
Open the PSD and double click the SmartObject.
You're now in ACR where you can change that input profile.
Make the change which changes the overall color of the image -- yep, that's better.
Oh cr*p! The clone/healing job doesn't update the change -- it was a destructive raster element.
Enjoy doing the clone/healing job over. PS added a destructive element into your raw workflow and you got screwed.

In C1 however:
Begin editing a raw file in C1. Do all of your editing in C1.
That includes a clone/healing job that's simple to complete in C1 using C1's excellent clone/heal tools.
Return to the image in a week and reevaluate it.
Hmm, I'll be that would look better using a different opening input profile.
Make the change and see -- yep that's better.
Clone/healing job updates the input profile change -- no problem.
You're done 100% non-destructively.

JohnR Loc: The Gates of Hell

I do my photography on an iMac which I do NOT connect to the internet even monthly! Nor do I use the Cloud. I look at UHH on a Windows PC transferring copies of anything I wish to post from the iMac to the Win10 PC. Never mind guys - I surrender

Rick Garside

To get back to the OP's specific question, which is; "Are there alternatives to LR I can use offline", I would suggest a couple options. LR is great for DAM and light photo editing. I have a Mac as well, and - while I frankly hate the new 'Photos' (vs. iPhoto and/or Aperture), Photos is one option available to you and is free with your operating system. It does handle photo organizing and light editing.

A much better alternative - IMHO, that I have been using now is ACDSee. This software only costs $50 bucks, (One time), totally manages and organizes your photos, has tagging, rating, face recognition, locations and does a fair amount of light editing. It is still not as good as Aperture, but it's close and the company stands behind it's software. :) Plus they make it easy to switch your files from LR. Here is their URL if you want to check it out:
https://www.acdsee.com