Adobe Lightroom: Perpetual to Subscription Transition: Difference between revisions

}}'''[[wikipedia:Adobe Lightroom|Adobe Photoshop Lightroom]]''' is a photo-editing and management software developed by [[Adobe]]. As of January 2025, it is licensed for use either standalone or as part of [[Adobe Creative Cloud]], and is supported both on desktop (Windows, macOS) and mobile platforms (iOS, Android), as well as Apple TV (tvOS). Despite its simplicity compared to other photo-editing software, it remains a very popular choice among photographers.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Condon |first=Mark |date=12 Dec 2024 |title=What Photo Editing Software Do Photographers Use in 2024? (Survey Results) |url=https://shotkit.com/photo-editing-software-survey/ |url-status=live |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=Shotkit |ref=condon-article-1}}</ref>

Lightroom underwent a significant licensing transformation by shifting from a perpetual-license model (up to Lightroom 6) to a subscription-based model (Lightroom 7 and on) under Adobe's Creative Cloud (CC) ecosystem, being either standalone or bundled with other software in the suite.<ref name=":02">{{Cite web |last=Hogarty |first=Tom |date=18 Oct 2017 |title=Introducing: Lightroom CC, Lightroom Classic CC and More |url=https://theblog.adobe.com/introducing-lightroom-cc-lightroom-classic-cc-and-more/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190209210136/https://theblog.adobe.com/introducing-lightroom-cc-lightroom-classic-cc-and-more/ |archive-date=9 Feb 2019 |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=Adobe Blog}}</ref> Before 2017, Lightroom was available as a standalone application purchased through a perpetual license.<ref name=":02" /> Users paid a one-time fee, granting them indefinite ownership of the software with access to updates and support for a specified period. In October 2017, Adobe officially announced that future versions of Lightroom would not sold under perpetual licenses, instead being integrated into its CC subscription service.<ref name=":02" /> This strategic move aligned Lightroom with Adobe’s suite of applications, all accessible solely through ongoing subscriptions. The perpetual-license option was permanently removed,<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Condon |first=Mark |date=29 Nov 2024 |title=What’s the Best Way to Buy Lightroom in 2024? |url=https://shotkit.com/buy-lightroom/ |url-status=live |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=Shotkit |ref=condon-article-2}}</ref> forcing users to switch to a subscription model to continue using the software and accessing new features.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cox |first=Spencer |date=18 Oct 2017 |title=Lightroom Classic and Lightroom CC Announced – Subscription Only |url=https://photographylife.com/news/lightroom-classic-and-lightroom-cc-announced-subscription-only |url-status=live |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=Photographylife}}</ref>

|Adobe announces its shift to the Creative Cloud model,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Weber |first=Harrison |date=6 May 2013 |title=After nearly 10 years, Adobe abandons its Creative Suite entirely to focus on Creative Cloud |url=https://thenextweb.com/news/after-nearly-10-years-adobe-abandons-its-creative-suite-entirely-to-focus-on-creative-cloud |url-status=live |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=TheNextWeb}}</ref> with plans to still offer Lightroom 5 as a standalone, perpetual-license application, and no plans for Lightroom CC<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hogarty |first=Tom |date=6 May 2013 |title=Lightroom and the Creative Cloud |url=http://blogs.adobe.com/lightroomjournal/2013/05/lightroom-and-the-creative-cloud.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130510151234/http://blogs.adobe.com/lightroomjournal/2013/05/lightroom-and-the-creative-cloud.html |archive-date=10 May 2013 |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=[[Adobe]]}}</ref>

|Adobe releases Lightroom 5<ref>{{Cite web |title=Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 5 |url=https://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop-lightroom.html |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130611023215/https://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop-lightroom.html |archive-date=11 Jun 2013 |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=[[Adobe]]}}</ref>

|Adobe releases a new Lightroom and Photoshop $10/month subscription package<ref>{{Cite web |last=Shankland |first=Stephen |date=4 Sep 2013 |title=Adobe to offer Lightroom, Photoshop for $10 a month |url=https://www.cnet.com/tech/tech-industry/adobe-to-offer-lightroom-photoshop-for-10-a-month/ |url-status=live |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=CNET}}</ref>

|Adobe releases Lightroom 6 under both perpetual licenses and subscription packages<ref>{{Cite web |title=Adobe Photoshop Lightroom CC |url=http://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop-lightroom.html |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150422103340/http://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop-lightroom.html |archive-date=22 Apr 2015 |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=[[Adobe]]}}</ref>

|Map feature becomes unavailable in Lightroom's Maps module for everyone on a perpetual license<ref>{{Cite web |date=30 Nov 2018 |title=How to Re-enable Google Maps View in Lightroom Classic 6.14 |url=https://robertreiser.photography/re-enable-maps-view-in-lightroom-classic/ |url-status=live |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=Robert Reiser Photography}}</ref>

|Adobe ends support for syncing in Lightroom 6<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=31 Dec 2023 |title=End of Support {{!}} Lightroom 6 Downloads and Syncing |url=https://helpx.adobe.com/lightroom-classic/help/lightroom-6-end-of-support.html |url-status=live |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=[[Adobe]]}}</ref>