Since its launch, Lightroom has been characterized by offering the solution to one of the main problems of many photographers: the organization and management of their workflow, as it offers the ideal combination of image organizer and photo editor. It is a very useful tool for any photographer, regardless of their level, so today I will show you how to buy Lightroom in 2023.
How to buy Adobe Lightroom
Lightroom was first released in January 2007, version 1.0, and from the beginning the way to buy the program was straightforward: For $299 you could buy a lifetime license and enjoy the program for as long as you wanted. Year after year, Adobe released updates or new versions of Lightroom, also offering a discount on the new version for all those who already had the previous one.
This purchase format was widely used by its users, who could easily obtain a new version and update their software whenever they wanted. During this period, each new version of the system had a cost, of around $299 if you were a new user and $99 for upgrading from an old version of Lightroom.
Subscription system
Lightroom 6 was the last version of Adobe software that could be purchased in the lifetime license format. After this release, Adobe changed the traditional way of purchasing the program: from a one-time payment for a lifetime license to a monthly subscription system. After this move, Adobe received a lot of criticism, both positive and negative, from the consumer public. Many asked for a step back in the way they acquired the software, while others were happy with the benefits this new subscription system brought to them.
Before the change, there were two ways to buy Lightroom: buying the software or upgrading from a previous version, but with the subscription system, the range of possibilities grew wider and changed drastically.
How to buy Lightroom in 2023
Currently, you can’t “buy” Lightroom, traditionally speaking, but you can subscribe to any of the different plans offered by Adobe for it:
The Lightroom price and subscription plans
Plan 1 – Photography Plan (1TB)
This plan is undoubtedly the best way to buy Lightroom in 2023, thanks to its price and the benefits it offers. Includes:
- Lightroom
- Lightroom Classic
- Photoshop
- 1TB of cloud storage
- Price: $19.99/mo or $239.88/yr
If you are a photographer, regardless of your level, this plan is the most recommended for you. Not only does it include both versions of Lightroom (Classic and CC), but it also includes Adobe Photoshop, the leading photo-editing program. Apart from that, this plan comes with 1TB of cloud storage to back up your photos and can be paid monthly or annually. This way to buy Lightroom is the most recommended as it offers the best price/value balance.
Plan 2 – Photography Plan (20GB)
An alternative version of plan 1, includes:
- Lightroom
- Lightroom Classic
- Photoshop
- 20GB of cloud storage
- Price: $9.99/mo or $119.88/yr
Almost identical to option one, but with a significant reduction in available cloud space and half the price. If you keep all your photographic backups somewhere other than the Adobe cloud, this would be for you the best way to buy Lightroom in 2023, as you get the same benefits of the Photography 1TB plan, but at half the price.
Plan 3 – Photography Plan (Lightroom Plan)
Another alternative version of plan one includes fewer things:
- Lightroom
- 1TB of cloud storage
- Price: $9.99/mo or $119.88/yr
This plan includes only the new version of Lightroom that is focused on mobility, since you can use it in its web format, for mobile devices or Desktops, and save all your photos in the cloud. Ideal if you travel and want to edit your photos on the road.
Plan 4 – All Apps Plan
All Adobe suite applications in one place, this plan includes:
- The entire collection of 20+ creative desktop and mobile apps including Photoshop, Illustrator, and Adobe XD
- 100GB of cloud storage, Adobe Portfolio, Adobe Fonts, and Adobe Spark
- Price: $52.99/mo or $599.88/yr
This plan really shines in the hands of an editing professional or an enthusiast who uses more than one program from the Adobe suite. It’s the best option if you know or handle different Adobe applications since their price gains more value the more software you use. If you only want to buy Lightroom, the photography plan is your best option.
Buy Lightroom with Discounts
Student/Teacher discount
If you’re a student or a teacher, regardless of your academic level, you can choose to receive Adobe’s discount on their products: more than 60% off the All Apps Plan. To qualify for the discount, you must first go through Adobe’s verification process for all applicants, to prove that the person actually buying the product is a student or teacher.
Once passed the verification process, the All Apps Plan is available for $19.99/mo, a discount of over 60%. If you are a student or teacher, this is one of the best ways to buy Lightroom in 2023.
Special discounts
Adobe offers different types of discounts on its plans throughout the year, where you can purchase different plans for a much lower price than the rest of the year, making it cheaper to enjoy Lightroom or any of its other programs. If waiting isn’t a problem for you, you can stay tuned from time to time to see if there is an active discount.
So, what’s the best way to buy Lightroom 2023?
It’s up to you since the different plans offered by Adobe cover different needs, but my recommendation is the Photography plan (1TB), as it offers the best price/value ratio for lovers of photography and editing. Not only does Lightroom come in its desktop version, but it also includes the mobile version, Photoshop, and plenty of storage space. If cloud storage is not your thing, for half the price you can take the Photography Plan (20GB) and enjoy one of the best photo editing programs for a low price.
If you would like to learn about Adobe Lightroom CC 2023 check out our article Adobe Lightroom Review.
