How to get Lightroom free for 7 days (official trial)
Open Adobe Lightroom on adobe.com
Go to Adobe’s Lightroom page and choose Free trial. Trials usually last 7 days and give you the full, current version.
Choose what to try
Pick the Lightroom single-app plan or an all-apps plan. Both trials include Lightroom, and the all-apps trial adds the rest of Adobe’s catalog.
Sign in and add a payment method
Create a free Adobe account or sign in. Adobe usually asks for a payment method up front, but you aren’t charged until the trial ends.
Install Lightroom with Creative Cloud
Download the Creative Cloud desktop app from Adobe and install Lightroom from its Apps tab. Our step-by-step Lightroom guide covers every screen.
Set a reminder to cancel
If you don’t want to keep it, cancel from the Plans section of your Adobe account before the trial ends and you won’t be charged.
Need every install screen explained? Follow our Lightroom free download guide.
What’s free from Adobe for Lightroom?
Lightroom's mobile app has a free tier with core editing tools. Premium features and the desktop apps require a paid plan.
Adobe usually offers new customers a free trial of the desktop apps (typically 7 days).
Avoid third-party “free Lightroom” downloads and cracked presets bundles. They're a frequent malware source.
Lightroom free download for Windows PC, Mac and mobile
Lightroom for Windows PC
Lightroom’s free trial runs on 64-bit Windows 10 and Windows 11 through the Creative Cloud app. There’s no separate “PC version” to download: the trial is the full Windows app.
Lightroom for Mac
The same trial works on Mac, and Lightroom runs natively on Apple silicon (M-series) Macs as well as supported Intel Macs.
Lightroom for iOS & Android
Mobile versions are free to download from the App Store or Google Play. Core features are free, and premium tools unlock with a paid plan.
Lightroom for Web browser
Adobe offers Lightroom in the browser too. Some features are free with an Adobe account, and the full set needs a plan.
Best free Lightroom alternatives
Free apps that cover most of what people use Lightroom for, with no trial clock and no subscription.
1. Lightroom mobile (free tier)
FreeiOS, Android
Best for: Editing on your phone
Adobe’s own app, with free core editing tools.
2. darktable
FreeWindows, Mac, Linux
Best for: RAW editing and photo management
Free and open source, and the closest match to Lightroom Classic’s workflow.
3. RawTherapee
FreeWindows, Mac, Linux
Best for: Detailed RAW processing
Free and open source, with powerful color and detail controls.
4. digiKam
FreeWindows, Mac, Linux
Best for: Organizing large photo libraries
Free and open-source photo manager with tagging, face recognition and search.
Is a Lightroom crack or “free full version” download safe?
Searches for a “Lightroom free download full version” mostly lead to cracked, “pre-activated” or “portable” copies. They look free, but they cost far more in the end:
Malware
Cracked installers are a leading way to spread info-stealers that harvest saved passwords, banking sessions and crypto wallets.
No security updates
Pirated copies can’t be updated, so known security holes stay open.
Broken features
Cloud features, generative AI tools, Adobe Fonts and syncing all need a genuine license, so they fail in cracked copies.
Legal risk
Unlicensed software breaks Adobe’s license terms and copyright law, and businesses can face audits and fines.
Wasted time
“Portable” and “pre-activated” versions often crash, or stop working after the next system update.
Use Adobe’s official free trial, the free Adobe apps above, a free alternative, or Adobe’s student and teacher discount. Many schools also give students Creative Cloud at no cost.
Next step
Ready to install the real Lightroom?
Our Lightroom download guide walks you through the Creative Cloud app, system requirements and the fixes for common install errors.
Lightroom free download FAQ
Lightroom’s mobile app is free to download with core editing tools. The desktop apps, Lightroom and Lightroom Classic, need a paid plan after Adobe’s free trial of about 7 days; darktable and RawTherapee are free desktop alternatives.
Yes, through Adobe’s official free trial. It runs on 64-bit Windows 10 and Windows 11 and usually lasts 7 days. After that, the full desktop version needs a paid plan.
Adobe’s free trial works on Mac too, and Lightroom runs natively on Apple silicon. After the trial, a paid plan is required for the full desktop app.
Unless you cancel before it ends, the trial converts to the paid plan you chose and Adobe charges the payment method on file. Cancel from the Plans section of your Adobe account to avoid charges.
Adobe offers discounted student and teacher pricing rather than free licenses, but many schools and universities give students Creative Cloud at no cost. Ask your school’s IT department.
Lightroom mobile (free tier) is a strong choice for editing on your phone. Adobe’s own app, with free core editing tools.
No. “Free full version”, “pre-activated” and cracked Lightroom downloads are a common source of malware, can’t be updated, and break Adobe’s license terms. Use Adobe’s free trial or a free alternative instead.