Lightroom CC Vs Lightroom Classic: Which Should You Use?
I actually get asked this question quite a lot: What is the difference between Lightroom CC vs Lightroom Classic?
Back when I was teaching my Lightroom workshop around the world as part of a Women’s retreat, we kept running into the same issue: we would be at some gorgeous remote location, with poor wifi, and as soon as we were ready to sit down and start the Lightroom workshop, girls would open their laptop just to realize they had downloaded the wrong version.
After some failed attempts at grouping girls together, or even trying to make the class Lightroom CC friendly, we decided that on the prep email we send the girls a few weeks before the retreats start, we had to include a brief explanation of how to make sure they were downloading the right version.
Look, it’s not their fault, Adobe did a terrible job at differentiating them, and I kinda think they did it on purpose to push Lightroom CC (this is just my suspicion based on how they are trying to target everyone, including more amateur shooters, and the CC version looks way less scary, and way easier to operate).
Theories aside, there is a clear difference in both versions, but often you are not able to see this until you open the program. But don’t fret, you can trial and error, and even have both under the same Adobe Photography membership.
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A little background on Adobe
In 2018 they decided to switch the access to their programs to a subscription membership. There was a lot of backlash about it, and it has a lot of pros and cons, but regardless, it is the way it is, and as photographers, we didn’t have much of a choice than to swap over.
Honestly, smart move on their part, us working professionals have no choice but to subscribe, as I can’t afford to have an old outdated version of the software I use to literally operate my entire business. And to be honest, like many other things, it’s a cost of being in business.
But back to the name, the CC after Lightroom refers to Creative Cloud, the name given to their subscription membership, and that is why the newest, lighter version of Lightroom adopted the CC, and the original version, the full Lightroom stayed named classic.
Let’s start with the things Lightroom CC and Lightroom Classic have in common
Both Lightroom Classic and Lightroom CC are bundled in the Creative Cloud photography membership. With just one monthly payment of $9.99 USD, you get access to both Lightroom versions and photoshop. So you can download both and try them, see what feels more natural, or what fits your needs better. There’s actually a FREE 7-day trial – so you can test it out and see if you like it! You can sign up for the free trial here (just make sure to navigate to the “Free Trial” link in the menu of this page).
Both Lightroom Classic and Lightroom CC can easily link to the cloud, share with your phone app, and use the Creative Cloud features. Although Lightroom CC is better designed for this purpose, while Lightroom Classic just offers it as a feature.
Both Lightroom Classic and Lightroom CC contain the full range of post-production and editing tools. Although organized and displayed differently, both versions of the software will have the same powerful capacity to edit your images from basic settings such as exposure, contrast, tone, and saturation, to more localized editing like brushes, crops, and spot removal tools.
So how to tell them apart at first glance? The name, and the logo.
They are both actually referred to as “desktop” and that is because they are both meant to be used on the computer. But the fuller version of Lightroom will be always labeled as “Classic”, and the CC version might say Lightroom CC or even just Lightroom (and at the bottom, it will be called the “cloud-based” version).
Lightroom Classic gets its name not only because it is the more traditional version, but it is also the more complete version, and it is the original. Meaning, Lightroom was JUST Lightroom Classic, and Lightroom CC didn’t exist until after the app was created.
Think of Lightroom CC, or Cloud based Lightroom, as a light version, a cloud-based app that can connect across smart devices and your computer (this is not to say your Lightroom Classic version can’t connect to your mobile device though).
Now onto the logo. If you look closely at the image below, you can see that Lightroom CC (on the left) has a lighter blue rim, and it is rounded. This is a good way to remember it: Light rim = Light version. Lightroom Classic, on the other hand, has a darker blue, and square corners to it.
Lightroom Cloud
Lightroom Classic
But as of 2020, Adobe has changed the thumbnail of Lightroom Classic, making them even easier to differentiate.
New Lightroom Classic logo
The only issue is that the logo hasn’t been updated across all platforms. For example, on my desktop bar, Lightroom Classic still looks like a little square with the Lr on it.
And even on their Creative Cloud platform, they are still using the old logos. I’m sure this will update soon enough, but until then, remember the lighter version is lighter in color.
But why use Lightroom Classic vs Lightroom CC?
Like most things in life, it completely depends on what your end goal is, and your purpose for using the software. I think both options are valid, and although I only work on Lightroom Classic vs Lightroom CC, and have done this for the past ten years, I do know some people find Lightroom CC perfectly fine for their needs.
LIGHTROOM CLASSIC
Lightroom Classic is a more complete full control software allowing you to manage, organize, cull, curate, and label images, adjust in bulk names, time stamps, locations, and many other metadata on your images.
With Lightroom Classic you can access your photos stored on your computer, and hard drives, and it allows you to import from cameras, and move your images through their storage places, with ease. This means you control your main archive of images straight through Lightroom, affecting your computer and hard drives directly.
On top of all that, you get access to a full array of “develop” tools, which are your editing and post-production most commonly used tools.
Lightroom Classic is divided into modules, each module dedicated to a specific task. 80% of your time on Lightroom Classic will be spent on your library module (organizing, culling, and browsing your images), and the Develop module, where you will do all your editing and post-production. Here is where you can really develop your editing style and make your own presets, too.
Library module – Lightroom Classic
Develop Module – Lightroom Classic
LIGHTROOM CC
Lightroom CC, on the other hand, is an app style program, created to store your images on the cloud, and access them and edit them equally on iPhone, iPads, and laptops.
There is no direct access to your original storage of images, and the photos you will see on your screen will be those shared to the cloud. Lightroom CC doesnt work in modules, instead it is a simplified one screen display where you can navigate through your images, and edit them as you go.
Although the software has the capacity to edit in full, just like the classic version, the adjustments and presets are organized in a simplified way. You do not have access to the majority of the Library module features, but you still can arrange images into smaller albums.
Lightroom CC has more the appearance of your camera roll on your iPhone, than a post production image editing software.
Lightroom CC
On the left, you can navigate to your cloud and find your photos (in my case it pulled automatically from my iPhone) on the right, you can access your editing tools. At the top right, your exporting, and syncing options.
My opinion on Lightroom Classic vs Lightroom CC
I am sure you can tell I am totally biased towards Lightroom Classic. This isn’t only because it’s what I’m used to, and what I have used for years (I used premiere for editing video for years, and when I discovered Da Vinci Resolve I spent an entire summer learning how to use it and switched over, because it was a better choice) this is because it is the professional standard for many reasons.
With Lightroom Classic you are able to run a full photography business.
What do I mean by this?
Well, being a professional photographer isn’t just editing beautiful photos. It is having full control over your images, how they are stored, selected, organized, and edited.
Being a pro is backing up files properly and assuring your clients their images are safe, and ready to re-deliver months or even years later (and charge for these services of course).
Having a process and a system in place to ingest, select, and edit images after a shoot, not only will make you more organized and clear on your job, but it will speed up your post-production, allowing you that extra time to focus on the creativity.
With Lightroom Classic, you can hover over your presets quickly to settle on a look and feel, and step by step focus on all the editing you need to do, and then seamlessly sync to all images at once.
You can move through the modules according to the part of the process you are working on, and most important of all, you control where the images are stored, and have proper organization among all your shoots, clients, and jobs.
Let me say this in the nicest way possible: having client images on your cloud or phone is not a professional way to handle files, and losing photos, edits or versions, or not knowing where images are, is a huge way to show yourself as an amateur.
But there are many reasons why someone might choose to use Lightroom CC.
For starters, it is much easier to navigate and understand, it’s got less clutter, options, and you can clearly see your images and move through them with ease, while making adjustments along the way.
Lightroom CC connects automatically to the cloud and so it seamlessly connects with your phone, iPad, or other devices. Lightroom CC is a great way to play around with editing, tones, colors, and styles, and even presets.
And if you mostly shoot on your phone, it will save you the step of having to transfer the photos manually into the app, or even into the computer.
If you are after quick and easy, Lightroom CC is the place to be. And if you are just starting out in photography and just want to try out editing, you can do this here, without the overwhelm of all the options.
After all, the greatest asset of Lightroom CC is that it has full access to all the editing tools Lightroom Classic offers.
Use Lightroom Classic if:
- You are or want to be working as a professional photographer and have paying clients
- You shoot a high volume of images
- You shoot with one or more professional cameras
- Store your images on hard drives or your computer
- You edit photos beyond the purpose of social media
Use Lightroom CC if:
- You run a business that is not in photography but need quick and easy edited photos
- Mostly shoot on your iPhone, don’t work with clients or have a need to retrieve original files to re edit, modify or export.
- If you just want to do quick editing
- If you are starting out or want photography as a hobby and want to watch tutorials and be part of the Creative Cloud community
- Only edit photos for instagram and prefer a simple system from computer to phone
In summary
Lightroom Classic is the industry standard for professional photographers. It is not only designed to follow a pro workflow, and system, but it contains tools not available in Lightroom CC that are crucial to operating a business. The library module is the key element to this. In Lightroom Classic you will have modules that allow you to accomplish many different goals, but the Library Module is where you will spend most of your time, alongside the Develop module. It will allow you select, cull, organize, and label images with ease and speed, giving you the tools you need to work for different types of jobs and clients.
Lightroom CC was designed more like the mobile version of the software, a quick and simple way to edit images, mostly for social media or as a hobby. Although both software provides the same tools for editing, Lightroom CC is more geared towards the quick editor, someone focusing on the look of the image, and who might be shooting mostly on mobile phones, or entry-level cameras.
If you are just starting out in photography and really want to learn, although Lightroom CC might seem the easier option, I would encourage you to learn Lightroom Classic, if you are thinking you might want to take your photography to the next level. It might seem overwhelming at first, but it is incredibly intuitive and easy to learn.
So there you have it, the Lightroom CC vs Lightroom Classic debate ANSWERED (in my opinion)!
Don’t forget to snag your FREE 7-day Lightroom trial HERE!
If you want to learn Lightroom with me, I have an online Lightroom Masterclass that will take you through this powerful software step by step.
Some links in this post are affiliate links, meaning at no cost you, I will receive a small commission if you make a purchase using the links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This helps cover some of the operational costs associated with this blog, so I’d appreciate the support!
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