To buy Adobe Lightroom, choose a subscription that includes the apps you need. The Lightroom plan includes Lightroom, Lightroom Classic and 1 TB of cloud storage. The Photography plan adds Photoshop. You do not need Photoshop just to get Lightroom Classic.
Current Lightroom desktop apps require a subscription; there is no current one-time purchase option. Before you subscribe, check the apps, storage and billing term on Adobe’s order page. Paying each month does not necessarily mean you can leave an annual plan without a cancellation charge.
How to Buy Adobe Lightroom
Start with Adobe Lightroom and choose the plan that fits your editing work:
- Lightroom plan: choose this if you want Lightroom or Lightroom Classic without Photoshop. It includes 1 TB of cloud storage.
- Photography plan: choose this if you also need Photoshop. It includes both Lightroom apps and 1 TB of cloud storage.
- A wider Creative Cloud plan: compare this if you also use apps for video, illustration or page design.
Adobe’s plan comparison shows the current options. Check the price in your country, the full subscription term and the renewal conditions before you enter payment details.
Can You Try Lightroom Before You Buy?
Adobe offers a seven-day Lightroom trial. Choose a plan, sign in or create an Adobe account, complete the trial registration and download the app.
The trial starts at checkout and becomes a paid subscription unless you cancel before it ends. Use those seven days to edit some of your own photos and decide whether the app fits your workflow. Check Adobe’s system requirements before installing it.
Can You Buy Lightroom Without a Subscription?
Adobe does not sell the current desktop Lightroom apps as a permanent licence. An annual prepaid plan is still a subscription: paying for a year upfront does not give you lifetime access.
Adobe Creative Cloud Photography Plan
The Photography plan is the option to compare when you want Lightroom, Lightroom Classic and Adobe Photoshop together. If you only use the Lightroom apps, compare it with the Lightroom plan before paying for software you do not need.
The old Photography plan with 20 GB of storage is no longer available to new subscribers. Adobe stopped offering new purchases on its website on January 15, 2025. Existing subscribers have separate renewal arrangements; do not cancel an existing plan on the assumption that you can buy it again. See Adobe’s explanation of the 20 GB plan.
Lightroom or Lightroom Classic: Which App Do You Need?
Lightroom works across desktop, mobile and the web, with cloud syncing for photos you add to its cloud library. Lightroom Classic focuses on desktop work with photos stored on your own drives.
That does not mean Lightroom must upload every photo. Its desktop Local tab can edit files without importing or syncing them to the cloud. Choose the app around how you want to organise and access your images, then choose a plan that includes it.
The Adobe Creative Cloud
If you want more than photography apps, compare Adobe Creative Cloud Pro. Adobe’s photography comparison page lists this wider plan for work across photo, design and video.
A wider bundle can make sense if you regularly use several included apps. For a photographer who only needs Lightroom and Photoshop, the Photography plan is the more focused option. Compare the apps you will actually use and the renewal total, rather than assuming the largest bundle is the best value.
Eligible students and teachers can also check Adobe’s education plans. Check eligibility and renewal terms; do not assume an education offer applies to every individual app plan.
What Comes With Your Adobe Lightroom Subscription?
The Lightroom plan includes both Lightroom and Lightroom Classic, so you can try each without buying Photoshop. The included cloud storage is separate from the space available on your computer or external drives.
Adobe also lists Fonts and Portfolio among its Lightroom membership resources. Portfolio lets you build a website to show your work. These extras may be useful, but the editing apps and your storage needs should guide the decision.
What Should You Check About Billing?
Compare the commitment as well as the payment schedule. An annual plan billed monthly spreads payments across a year. An annual prepaid plan takes the year’s payment upfront. Neither is a permanent software purchase.
Before subscribing, read the cancellation terms for your plan and region. Early cancellation of an annual plan billed monthly can incur a fee. Also check when a trial or introductory offer ends and what you will pay at renewal.
Choose the Lightroom Plan That Fits Your Work
Start with Adobe Lightroom if you need the Lightroom apps. Compare the Photography plan if you also need Photoshop. Consider Adobe Creative Cloud Pro only after checking which extra apps you will use and what Adobe currently includes.
Use the trial to test your own photos, and confirm the plan’s current local price and contract terms before you subscribe.
