Adobe LightroomvsVSCO
Score Comparison
Signals Comparison
Adobe Lightroom
- Extreme slowness with large catalogs(9/10)
- AI features consume excessive resources(7/10)
- Denoise and AI edits bloat the catalog(6/10)
VSCO
- App is laggy and slow to load photos(6/10)
Adobe Lightroom
- Subscription model with no perpetual license(8/10)
- 50% cancellation fee for annual plans(8/10)
- Cheap 20GB plan gone, 1TB plans cost more(7/10)
- Lightroom price increase 2026: $11.99 to $14.99(7/10)
- AI tools now use up generative credits(6/10)
VSCO
- Previously purchased filters locked behind paywall(9/10)
- Free trial charges immediately despite 7-day claim(8/10)
- Cannot cancel subscription from within the app(5/10)
- No refunds available from VSCO directly(5/10)
- VSCO One costs $499.99 a year — is VSCO worth it now?(5/10)
Adobe Lightroom
- Cloud sync issues between Classic and CC(7/10)
- Catalog corruption causes data loss(10/10)
- Frequent outages affect cloud users(6/10)
- Lightroom Classic updates keep breaking things(8/10)
VSCO
- Inconsistent server uptime and response times(5/10)
- Photos disappear or fail to save properly(7/10)
- Deleting app without backup permanently loses all photos(7/10)
Adobe Lightroom
- Steep learning curve for beginners(6/10)
- Confusing Lightroom vs Classic distinction(5/10)
- Missing features compared to Classic(5/10)
VSCO
- Confusing icons and non-intuitive interface(4/10)
- No archive feature forces users to delete photos(6/10)
- AI Labs features alienating core photography users(7/10)
Adobe Lightroom
- Mobile app laggy on budget phones(6/10)
VSCO
- VSCO Pro not available on Android, Android app lags behind iOS(6/10)
Adobe Lightroom
- Photos used for AI training by default(6/10)
VSCO
No signals
Adobe Lightroom
- Photoshop roundtrip breaks intermittently(6/10)
VSCO
No signals
Adobe Lightroom
No signals
VSCO
- Customer support is unresponsive for weeks(8/10)
- Account deletion is deliberately difficult(4/10)
Pricing Comparison
Adobe Lightroom
Users: 1 user
Storage: 1TB cloud
Limits: No Photoshop; AI tools such as Generative Remove and Topaz upscaling draw on the monthly credit allowance
Users: 1 user
Storage: 1TB cloud
Limits: Now the cheapest way for new subscribers to get Lightroom plus Photoshop
Users: 1 user
Storage: 20GB cloud
Limits: Not available to new customers; 20GB fills up quickly with RAW files
Users: 1 user
Storage: 100GB cloud
Limits: Overkill for photo-only users; replaced the old All Apps plan
Users: 1 user
Storage: Local device storage
Limits: No cloud sync; essentially a trial of the paid app
VSCO
Users: 1 user
Storage: 10 GB gallery storage
Limits: Only 15 presets vs 200+ on paid plans, no advanced editing tools like HSL or Dodge & Burn
Users: 1 user
Storage: Not specified
Limits: Excludes Pro presets, AI Lab and pro tools; only limited VSCO Studio on Web access; refunds only through Apple/Google
Users: 1 user
Storage: Unlimited gallery storage + 65 GB video
Limits: Listed as available on iOS and desktop only; Studio Pro has no RAW editing yet
Users: Up to 6 users
Storage: Unlimited gallery storage + 65 GB video
Limits: iOS and desktop only; desktop Studio Pro and RAW support listed as coming soon at launch (June 2026)
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Adobe Lightroom | VSCO |
|---|---|---|
| Editing | ||
| Non-destructive RAW editing Industry-standard XMP sidecar approach | ||
| Film emulation presets 200+ presets, 15 free | ||
| AI-powered masking Select Subject, Sky, Background automatically | ||
| Advanced editing tools HSL, Dodge & Burn on paid tiers | ||
| AI Denoise Excellent results but RAM-intensive | ||
| Desktop editing Pro tier only ($60/year) | ||
| AI-powered editing AI Labs prompt-based editing, Pro only | ||
| HDR panorama merge Lightroom Classic only, not mobile | ||
| RAW file support Limited compared to Lightroom | ||
| Layer-based editing Requires Photoshop for layers | ||
| Video editing Basic color/exposure only, no timeline | ||
| Sync | ||
| Cloud sync across devices Lightroom cloud version; Classic requires setup | ||
| Mobile | ||
| Mobile app iOS and Android with most desktop features | ||
| Android feature parity Many iOS features unavailable on Android | ||
| Professional | ||
| Tethered capture Lightroom Classic only | ||
| Professional portfolio website Pro tier only | ||
| Storage | ||
| Cloud sync Pro tier only | ||
| Export | ||
| Print/Book modules Lightroom Classic only | ||
| Integrations | ||
| Adobe Lightroom integration Pro tier only | ||
| Social | ||
| Creative community No likes/follower counts, gallery sharing | ||
| Organization | ||
| Face recognition Works but accuracy issues reported | ||
| Usability | ||
| Offline editing Classic fully offline; cloud version limited | ||
| Photo archive feature Requested for 7+ years, not implemented | ||
| Pricing | ||
| Perpetual license option Subscription only since Lightroom 6 | ||
| Billing | ||
| In-app subscription cancellation Must cancel via device settings | ||
| Collaboration | ||
| Multi-user catalog Single-user catalogs only | ||