PicsArt vs Lightroom: Discover which editing giant leads in 2024?

Picsart vs  Lightroom

Picsart and Adobe Lightroom are considered the two best photo editing applications with tons of features and powerful editing tools. We bring you this Picsart vs Lightroom comparison so you can get all the insights of these editing apps and make your choice of which one is the best.

When it comes to mobile photo editing, two apps reign supreme – Picsart and Adobe Lightroom. At first glance, both seem to offer powerful editing tools and filters. However, there are some major differences in their capabilities, use cases and ideal users.

In this in-depth feature comparison, we’ll examine Picsart and Lightroom’s editing features, interface, sharing capabilities, pricing, pros and cons, and ideal use cases. Read on to determine which platform fits your needs as a mobile photo editor. Let’s dive deep into this Picsart vs Lightroom comparison and find out the best app for all the social creators out there.

PicsArt vs LightRoom – Overview

PicsArt

Picsart

PicsArt is a versatile photo editing app that combines a wide array of tools and features aimed at both casual users and more creative enthusiasts. It offers a robust set of editing capabilities, including filters, effects, cropping, and adjustments for brightness, contrast, and saturation. One of its standout features is the ability to add stickers, text, and draw directly on images, making it popular for creating visually engaging and personalized content. Additionally, PicsArt includes a social component, allowing users to share their creations within the PicsArt community and participate in challenges and collaborations.

Lightroom

Lightroom

Lightroom, developed by Adobe, is a more professional-grade photo editing software, primarily used by photographers and serious hobbyists. It excels in non-destructive editing, meaning original photos remain unchanged, and all adjustments can be tweaked or undone at any time. Lightroom offers advanced tools for fine-tuning images, such as detailed color grading, exposure adjustments, and lens corrections. It also includes powerful organizational features, enabling users to catalog and manage large collections of photos efficiently. Lightroom is part of Adobe’s Creative Cloud suite, providing seamless integration with other Adobe products and cloud storage for accessing and editing photos across multiple devices.

Key Features of PicsArt vs Lightroom

Both PicsArt and Lightroom have some similarities but are designed for different purposes. Their functionalities and core features vary significantly. Let’s delve into some of the key features of PicsArt and Lightroom.

PicsArt Key Features

Photo Editing Tools

Picsart: Photo Editing Tools

Picsart is a comprehensive photo editing app , they offer a wide range of creative tools and user-friendly interface. They offer various filters and effects to transform your editing. They provide a vast library of stickers and clipart that users can add to their images. Picsart also provides a caption generator, logo maker, image upscale, background remover, GIF maker, QR code generator, object remover, color blender text editor, YouTube thumbnail maker, photo editor, and many more.

Collage Maker and Drawing Tools

Picsart: Collage Maker and Drawing Tools

PicsArt offers a magical tool, a collage maker. You can easily combine your photos in a single frame.  The Collage Maker provides a variety of pre-designed templates 

Users can pick from different layouts, add borders, backgrounds, and stickers, to make images that look good.  On the other hand, the Drawing Tools offer a comprehensive suite of features for more artistic endeavors. With a wide range of brushes, layers, and shape tools, users can create detailed and expressive drawings.

AI-Powered Features

Picarst: AI-Powered Features

PicsArt uses AI to make editing easier and more creative. It can remove backgrounds from photos automatically, so you can put subjects in different backgrounds without hard work. The AI also helps select and edit specific parts of images accurately, like objects or people. It offers “Magic Effects” that instantly apply artistic styles to photos with just a tap. PicsArt even suggests filters and adjustments based on your photos. For portraits, it smoothes skin and enhances features automatically, making your photos look better without much effort. Overall, PicsArt’s AI features make editing photos simpler and more fun, whether you’re a beginner or a pro.

Social Media Integration

Picsart: Social Media Integration

PicsArt integrates smoothly with social media platforms, allowing users to directly share their edited photos on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and more. It offers features tailored for different platforms, like square crops for Instagram and banners for Facebook. Additionally, users can participate in challenges and collaborate within the PicsArt community, fostering creativity and engagement. This seamless integration makes it easy for users to showcase their work and connect with others.

Lightroom Key Features

Non-Destructive Editing Without Layers

Lightroom : Non-Destructive Editing Without Layers

Lightroom’s non-destructive editing means you can edit photos without changing the original file. All changes are saved separately, so you can undo them anytime. Unlike other editing tools, Lightroom doesn’t use layers; it directly applies adjustments like brightness and color, keeping the process simple and efficient.

Powerful Adjustment Tools

Lightroom; Powerful Adjustment Tools

Lightroom’s powerful adjustment tools let you fine-tune your photos with precision. You can easily adjust brightness, contrast, color, sharpness, and more to enhance your images. These tools help you achieve professional-quality results with just a few clicks.

Quick Development Panel

Lightroom: Quick Development Panel

The Quick Development Panel in Lightroom lets you quickly adjust photo settings like brightness, contrast, and color in the Library module. It’s handy for making fast, basic edits without switching to the Develop module.

Time-Saving Tool

Lightroom: Time-Saving Tool

There are several edits that usually take a lot of time, but with Lightroom, you can do them within minutes. While it is advanced software that requires practice to master, once you gain experience, you can create professional-quality art quickly and easily.

Professional Photography Workflow

Lightroom: Professional Photography Workflow

Lightroom is essential for a professional photography workflow. It helps photographers organize, edit, and manage their photos efficiently. With its powerful tools, you can quickly make adjustments, apply presets, and process large batches of images. This streamlines the workflow, allowing photographers to focus more on their creative vision and less on time-consuming tasks.

Pricing of PicsArt vs Lightroom

Comparing subscription plans between editing giants, PicsArt stands out due to its affordability even with the free version. Starting at $5, PicsArt’s packages are notably more accessible compared to Lightroom, which begins at $12. This price difference makes PicsArt a more budget-friendly option for users looking to access robust editing features without a significant financial commitment.

FEATUREPICSARTLIGHTROOM
Subscription PlansPicsArt offers a free version with limited features. Premium plans include PicsArt Gold and PicsArt Team.Lightroom offers a free version with limited features. Premium plans include Lightroom (part of Adobe Creative Cloud).
PricingPicsArt Gold: $5/month
PicsArt Team: $7/month
Lightroom 1TB: $12.99/month
Adobe Creative Cloud Photography 1TB (Lightroom + Photoshop): $25.99/month

Devices Supported & Operating Systems

Both picsArt and Lightroom cater to a wide range of devices and operating systems. PicsArt is widely available across multiple platforms, including available on both iOS and Android devices, Also accessible via web browser. 

On the other hand, Lightroom is supported on various platforms including  Available on iOS and Android, and also compatible with both Windows and macOS operating systems,

PicsArt vs Lightroom – Convenient & Module-Based User-Interface

When comparing the user interfaces of PicsArt and Lightroom in terms of convenience and module-based design:PicsArt features a user-friendly interface designed for ease of use and creativity. They organize tools into modules for editing, collage making, drawing, and more, allowing users to navigate between different functionalities effortlessly. They also offer intuitive controls and a straightforward layout, making it accessible for beginners while still providing advanced editing capabilities.

On the other hand, Lightroom has a simple and organized interface that makes photo editing and management easy. It divides tasks into different sections, like organizing photos in the Library module and editing them in the Develop module. This setup helps you focus on one task at a time. Each section is user-friendly, with intuitive tools and sliders for making quick adjustments. Overall, Lightroom’s design helps photographers work efficiently and achieve great results.

Career Options

Career Options

These days, many people are making a living through photo and video editing. So, the question is, do  PicsArt and Lightroom provide career options for editors?

Nowadays, Both platforms provide valuable skills that can be applied in various creative and technical careers. PicsArt is best suited for roles in social media, digital art, graphic design, and content creation, Marketing Specialist, Freelance Editor, where creativity and quick visual impact are key.

In comparison, by utilizing Lightroom software, you can pursue a career as a professional photographer, retoucher, studio manager, or photojournalist, and offer photo editing services. It is professional software that provides multiple opportunities for professional-level jobs.

Additional Functions of PicsArt

Themes-Based Image Setting

Picsart: Themes-Based Image Setting

PicsArt offers themes-based image settings that allow users to quickly apply cohesive looks to their photos. This feature provides a variety of pre-designed themes and styles that can be easily applied to images, giving them a unified and professional appearance. 

Users can choose from themes that include specific color palettes, filters, and effects, all tailored to create a specific mood or aesthetic. This makes it easy for users to enhance their photos and maintain a consistent visual style across their projects, whether for social media, marketing materials, or personal use.

AI-powered Tools

Picsart: AI-powered Tools

PicsArt incorporates a range of AI-powered tools that enhance the photo editing experience by making complex edits simple and quick. It  includes Background Removal, Object Selection, Magic Effects, Portrait Enhancements and Smart Cutout. These AI-powered tools streamline the editing process, enabling users to achieve professional-quality results with minimal effort.

Many Templates

Picasrt: Many Templates

PicsArt offers a wide variety of templates to cater to different creative needs and projects. These templates are pre-designed layouts that users can easily apply to their photos or graphics , it includes Collage Templates, Social Media Templates, Social Media Templates, Photo Editing Templates and Seasonal and Holiday Templates. These templates save time and simplify the creative process, making it easier for users to create professional-looking visuals without starting from scratch.

Graphic Designing

Picsart: Graphic Designing

PicsArt provides robust tools for graphic designing, catering to a wide range of creative needs. You can easily create graphics for marketing, business projects, presentations, social media content, logos, videos, YouTube thumbnails, and many more

Additional Functions of Lightroom

HDR Merge and View Edging

Lightroom; HDR Merge and View Edging

HDR (High Dynamic Range) Merge in Lightroom allows you to combine multiple exposures of the same scene into a single image with a wider dynamic range. This is particularly useful for scenes with a high contrast between the darkest and brightest areas.

View Edging, often referred to as Edge Detection or Edge Sharpening, is used to enhance the clarity and definition of edges within an image. While Lightroom doesn’t have a specific tool called “View Edging,” it provides various sharpening and clarity tools to achieve similar results:

Raw Support

Lightroom; Raw Support

Adobe Lightroom provides comprehensive support for RAW files, which are uncompressed and unprocessed image files captured by digital cameras. These files contain all the data from the camera sensor, allowing for greater flexibility in post-processing.

Presets Function

Lightroom: Presets Function

Presets in Adobe Lightroom are a powerful tool for streamlining your photo editing workflow. They allow you to apply a set of predetermined adjustments to your images with a single click, ensuring consistency and saving time. 

Spot and Balance Color Correction Function

Lightroom: Spot and Balance Color Correction Function

Lightroom offers powerful tools for spot corrections and overall color balancing, allowing you to fine-tune your images with precision. Balancing colors in an image involves adjusting the overall color tones to achieve a natural and pleasing look. 

Let Eradicating Nonessential Things in an Image

Lightroom: Let Eradicating Nonessential Things in an Image

Eradicating nonessential elements in an image is an important step in creating a clean, focused composition. Lightroom offers several tools to help you remove unwanted objects and distractions effectively.

Advanced Photo Integration and Lens Improvements

Lightroom: Advanced Photo Integration and Lens Improvements

Lightroom offers advanced features for integrating photos and improving lens-related issues, helping photographers achieve high-quality results. 

Pros & Cons of PicsArt

Pros

  •  One of the best parts about picsart is the fact that it is a very easy to use tool. Anyone can use it.
  • Picsart is user-friendly for beginners
  • .PicsArt offers themes-based image settings that allow users to quickly apply cohesive looks to their photos. 
  • PicsArt incorporates a range of AI-powered tools that enhance the photo editing 
  • PicsArt offers a wide variety of templates to cater to different creative needs and projects.
  • PicsArt provides robust tools for graphic designing, catering to a wide range of creative needs.

Cons

  • Picsart  is not an entirely free tool. This means that you will have to pay a certain price for accessing all the tools and features of this platform.
  • While it is true there are several features that you can use for free, the number and the collection of the template and images for free is very limited.
  • When it comes to designing the videos, the number of video related elements are comparatively less.

Pros & Cons of Lightroom

Pros

  • Lightroom Offers a wide range of tools for adjusting exposure, contrast, color balance, and more.
  • Non-destructive editing preserves the original image.
  • Presets for quick application of specific looks or styles.
  • Lightroom has Comprehensive library management.
  • Efficient workflow with the ability to apply edits to multiple photos simultaneously.
  • Backup and access photos from anywhere.
  • Direct integration with Photoshop for advanced editing tasks.
  • High Dynamic Range (HDR) merging for enhanced image quality.
  • Offers improvements for correcting lens distortions
  • Supports RAW files, providing greater flexibility and control over image editing
  • Edits do not affect the original file, preserving image quality.
  • Cons

Cons

  • Requires a monthly or annual subscription.
  • Can be overwhelming for beginners due to its complexity.
  • Resource-intensive and can be slow on less powerful computers.
  • Focuses more on photo editing, lacking extensive drawing features.

PicsArt vs. Lightroom  – Which One is Better?

Ultimately, the best choice depends on your editing needs, If you’re a professional photographer or someone who needs precise control over image adjustments and advanced editing tools, Lightroom is the ideal choice for you.

On the other hand, if you’re seeking software with a diverse array of creative options such as stickers, collages, and effects, and you value engagement with a vibrant community of users, then PicsArt would be more suitable for your needs.

After thoroughly comparing both applications, the decision ultimately depends on you. If either aligns with your specific preferences and needs, you can confidently choose the one that best suits your vision for creating stunning images.

FAQs

PicsArt is suitable for graphic designing but Lightroom is a professional editing platform.

Yes, PicsArt provides a free version that includes basic features supported by ads. To unlock premium content and access the full PicsArt library, a paid subscription is required.

Lightroom offers a limited trial but requires a subscription for full access.

No, Adobe Lightroom is primarily designed for photo editing and does not support video editing.

The subscription cost for Adobe Lightroom’s Photography Plan is approximately $9.99 per month.

It all depends on your needs, skills and budget. Picsart offers a wide range of creative tools and a user-friendly interface that is ideal for quick edits and sharing on social media. While Lightroom is ideal for professional  photographers and has advanced editing capabilities.

Picsart offer a wide range of creative tools,  such as stickers, collages, and effects, and you value engagement with a vibrant community of users,

Yes, Adobe Lightroom supports RAW photo editing.

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