Lightroom CC vs Lightroom Classic – Which One is Better in 2024?

Last updated on December 19th, 2023

At the beginning of time, at the beginning of photography, there was only Lightroom.

And then Adobe introduced the Creative Cloud (CC), a subscription model for creative apps and more.

As a result, the showdown of Lightroom CC vs Lightroom Classic started — to confuse new photographers — and increase profits.

Not only is it confusing, but the naming conventions are also bad. The official names of both Lightroom software are:

• Adobe Photoshop Lightroom CC
• Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic CC

So, what’s the difference between Lightroom CC and Lightroom Classic? Lightroom CC is a cloud-based photography software that primarily focuses on quick image editing with syncing across multiple devices while on the go. It comes with apps for desktop, iOS, Android, and web. On the other hand, Lightroom Classic is a desktop-only comprehensive image management and editing software used by professional photographers and enthusiasts.

Related:

• How to Buy Lightroom
• How to Get Lightroom for Free
• Best Laptops for Lightroom

Lightroom CC and Lightroom Classic Comparison Chart

Lightroom CC vs Lightroom Classic

The main question potential Lightroom customers have is which Lightroom app is better? In my opinion, Lightroom Classic is better than Lightroom CC.

Don’t let the word classic take away from the potency of the original Lightroom, which is loved by thousands, if not millions, of photographers.

Adobe claims both Lightroom versions can be used by professionals, which is technically true, but wedding photography can also be done with an iPhone only. Do you see the issue here? There’s a reason why professional photographers prefer Lightroom Classic over Lightroom CC.

Lightroom Classic offers critical features that Lightroom CC doesn’t:

1. A full suite of image management, including tagging, keywords, smart collections, GPS coordinates, folder hierarchies, filtering, and EXIF data. If you have thousands of photos, then organizing your photos is a priority. If you later need to find a photo down the road, you don’t want to spend more than five minutes searching it. However, Lightroom CC does have Adobe Sensei to search for photos, which is AI-powered.
2. The Print Module helps professional photographers prepare an image for printing. Unfortunately, with image printing, what you see on a computer monitor is not what you get printed. You have to take into consideration color management and how digital photos are displayed differently than printed photos with ink. With Lightroom Classic, you can import color profiles to help with printing images. If you’re an amateur photographer wanting to print family photos, then go with Lightroom Classic.
3. The Book Module is an extension of the Print Module in Lightroom Classic. It helps photographers crop and set up photos for making photo books or albums. This is an exceptional feature for wedding photographers or families that want to save on costs.
4. The GPS Module is one of the coolest features of Lightroom Classic. If you enjoy travel photography or taking photos in remote places, then this module is for you. The majority of Earth locations don’t have an address, but they can be located with GPS coordinates. Since newer cameras have GPS, the coordinates can be tagged to your RAW image files. With this information, you can see where the photos were exactly taken using the map in Lightroom Classic.

Plugins

An important part of the post-photo photography workflow is image editing with plugins. Plugins are extensions to help with edits or anything else for that matter. Overall, plugins save you time and make your photos look more aesthetic.

A non-photography example of a plugin is how Google Chrome has extensions. They are used to improve the browsing experience, provide information, help with shopping, and more.

Some plugins I use with Lightroom Classic are HDR software and Topaz Labs Apps.

Unfortunately, Lightroom CC doesn’t support plugins, which is a tilting point for many photographers.

Is Lightroom 6 the Same as Lightroom CC and Classic?

Yes and no. Lightroom 6 is technically the perpetual license of Lightroom Classic.

However, Lightroom 6 was released in 2015 and stopped receiving updates in 2022 due to reach its end of life. Therefore, it doesn’t have the newest features of Lightroom Classic, which receives updates through a Creative Cloud subscription.

Furthermore, Lightroom 6 will eventually be incompatible with newer computers. You can still buy Lightroom 6 through Adobe resellers, but it’s not advisable.

Lightroom CC Has Some Advantages Over Lightroom Classic

Though I prefer Lightroom Classic over the cloud-based version, Lightroom CC still has space in my travel photography workflow.

Lightroom Classic doesn’t have a mobile app, it’s too complicated to have that. Plus, the learning curve on mobile devices will be too long for new photographers. Hence, Lightroom CC is a stripped-down version of Lightroom Classic for on-the-go image editing.

If I want to use Lightroom on my iPhone, then I have to choose Lightroom CC. Which is fine with me. I don’t do any image management on my iPhone, and I only want to use Lightroom CC for editing. Most edits take me a few minutes, and I’m done. This is a good thing because I don’t want to waste important time organizing photos before editing — a clear advantage Lightroom CC has over Lightroom Classic.

The main feature Adobe advertises with Lightroom CC is the syncing feature with Adobe Cloud Storage. As mentioned earlier, you don’t need to do any real image importing with Lightroom CC. With Creative Cloud syncing, a photo you take on your Android or iOS smartphone will be available for editing later on all your Lightroom CC devices, including your desktop and tablet. Of course, you’ll need an internet connection. For me, the syncing feature is not a must since I use Lightroom Classic as my primary image-management software.

Important: As of February 1, 2024, Adobe will discontinue its cloud syncing service for free and personal users. I did read that cloud syncing should be available for Lightroom plans, but I’m not 100% sure.

Lightroom CC Adobe Sensei: Intelligent Search

This is actually a cool feature that is part of the new Lightroom CC and not the Classic. The Adobe Sensei technology produces automatic tagging so you can search for photos more quickly. However, since travel photography is my passion, I organize my photos in Lightroom Classic CC by country and date. So finding specific photos isn’t a problem.

When Lightroom CC was first introduced, it did not have facial recognition like the class version. However, facial recognition is not included in both versions.

Backing Up Your Photos on the Cloud

The new Lightroom CC is marketed to back up your photos on the Creative Cloud. However, you can do the same with Lightroom Classic, but you have to do it manually.

I do want to point out that CC plans come with different amounts of cloud storage. However, I use Dropbox to back up photos. I find Dropbox is more comprehensive than CC, and I already use it for backing up non-media files. Professionals, you’re going to need at least 1 TB of cloud storage.

Should I Use Lightroom CC or Lightroom Classic?

Use Lightroom CC if you:

• want to do light editing
• want to learn Lightroom with the least amount of time
• don’t need to print photos

Use Lightroom Classic CC if you:

• already use it
• use plugins
• want to do advanced editing
• print photos
• need full control of your photography library
• are a professional photographer or designer

In summary, if you want full control of your photography workflow, then use Lightroom Classic, otherwise, use the new Lightroom CC, which is geared towards cloud-based users who require less intensive photography tools for editing.

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