Don’t Follow the Crowd: Why You Should Trial Photo Editing Software Before You Buy

In the world of digital photography, the conversation around post-processing software often feels like a one-horse race. Adobe’s offerings, particularly Photoshop and Lightroom, are the “gold standard” and the packages that everyone “knows.” While there’s no denying their power and ubiquity, simply choosing a program because “that’s what everyone else uses” is a major disservice to your personal creative workflow and, ultimately, your photography.

Over the last decade that I have been teaching photography, taking photography groups out, taking photos for weddings, events and so much more, I get constantly asked which editor people should use. This article is to help you understand that, it does not matter what I use, because you are a different person.

The truth is, the market for photo editing software is more diverse and innovative than ever before. From one-time purchase options to AI-powered editors and powerful open-source alternatives, there is a tool for every kind of photographer, whether you’re a professional studio shooter, a weekend hobbyist, or a complete beginner. The key is to find the one that fits you, and the best way to do that is to take advantage of free trials.

Here’s why a “try before you buy” approach is the only sensible way to choose your next photo editor:

1. Your Workflow is Unique

Every photographer’s process is different. A wedding photographer who needs to batch-process thousands of images has a different set of needs than a portrait retoucher who spends hours perfecting a single image. A landscape photographer who relies on precise adjustments and layer masks may find a different program more intuitive than a street photographer who wants quick, stylistic edits.

Using a trial period allows you to test how well a program’s interface, organization tools, and editing capabilities align with your personal shooting and editing style. You can see how smoothly you can import, cull, and organize your images, or if the layout of the adjustment sliders feels natural to your muscle memory. What works for a popular influencer on YouTube might feel clunky and inefficient for you.

2. The Right Tool for the Job

While Adobe Photoshop is an industry powerhouse for its layer-based manipulation and graphic design features, it might be overkill for someone who only needs to make basic colour corrections and apply filters. Similarly, Adobe Lightroom is fantastic for its organizational features and non-destructive RAW editing, but it may not have the robust compositing tools a digital artist requires.

By trialling different packages, you can determine if a program is built for your specific type of photography. You might find that a program like Capture One offers superior RAW file processing for your specific camera system, or that an AI-centric tool like Luminar Neo can handle your sky replacements and background blurs with a single click, saving you hours of manual work. You can explore subscription-free alternatives like Affinity Photo or Corel PaintShop Pro, which offer many of the same features as their more popular counterparts at a fraction of the cost.

3. It’s Not Just About Features, It’s About User Experience

A program’s feature list is only part of the story. The user interface, the learning curve, and the overall user experience are equally, if not more, important. A program with a hundred different tools is useless if you can’t figure out how to use them.

Free trials give you the opportunity to get your hands dirty. You can see if the program’s tutorials and help menus are actually helpful. You can experiment with different tools to see if they feel intuitive and responsive. Does the software lag on your computer? Is the file management system easy to navigate? These small, day-to-day usability issues can be a dealbreaker, no matter how powerful the software is.

4. The Financial Implications

For many photographers, the subscription model of some popular software packages can be a significant and ongoing expense. While these subscriptions often come with cloud storage and frequent updates, they may not be the most financially viable option for everyone.

Exploring alternatives through trials allows you to compare the value proposition of a one-time purchase versus a recurring fee. You might find a subscription-free program that perfectly meets your needs, saving you hundreds of dollars over the years.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the best photo editing software is not a one-size-fits-all solution. It’s a personal choice that should be based on your unique needs, your creative vision, and your financial comfort. By taking the time to download a few different trials, you’re not just testing software—you’re investing in a more efficient, enjoyable, and tailored editing experience that will truly enhance your photography.

And for those that may be curious, although I have the latest ON1 Photo Raw 2026, Luminar Neo, DXO and so much more (plus I’ve recently finished a year of Adobe Photography subscription which I had for free), my editing software of choice is the free and open source Darktable, which I always come back to for it’s superior colour control and general control over everything I want in photography… and it is totally free of AI (which I avoid in my “real” editing).