PicsArt vs. Lightroom: Which Editing Masterpiece Wins in 2024

The photo and video editing platforms, PicsArt and Lightroom, are powerful contenders in the world of editing. In the digital world of photography, both shine like stars in the sky. Each of them contains a wide range of tools, from basic to advanced, catering to both beginners and professionals.

With a few similar characteristics, both editing giants have some differences that set them apart from each other. For example, PicsArt is well-known for its pre-made templates, social media integration, AI tools, drawing, and illustration. Lightroom gained immense popularity because of its raw editing, layer editing, HDR merging feature, and color correction capabilities.

Selecting one of them depends on the editing requirements and the project at hand. In this comprehensive guide, we will debate on features, functionalities, prices, pros, and cons, making the selection process easier for you. So, read the article till the end.

PicsArt vs LightRoom – Overview

The top trending photo and editing application launched in 2012 and gained immense popularity. It is a great choice for applying stickers, filters, effects, and creating collages. Plus it is widely used for embellishing images with natural glare, drawing a sketch, editing portraits, AI sketching, and many more. Once you edit your piece of art, PicsArt also allows sharing your creations with a global community.

 Although, with its comprehensive set of features, it has become a go-to application for both novice and professional photographers, Lightroom is a professional-grade photo editing and management software.

Lightroom was launched by Adobe Systems and it is part of the Creative Cloud. It is designed to streamline the post-processing workflow for photographers. The software offers powerful editing tools for adjusting color, tone, and various other aspects of a photo. It supports non-destructive editing, allowing users to experiment with edits without altering the original image. Also Check: PicsArt vs. Filmora

Key Features of PicsArt vs Lightroom

There are a few similarities but both editing tools are aimed at different tasks. With the functionalities, the basic features are also different. Let’s explore some key features of PicsArt & Lightroom.

The photo and video editing application, PicsArt is designed for editing from basic to advanced. All the editing tools are easy to understand and use even for beginners. Apart from editing tools, it offers hundreds of pre-made customizable templates making the editing a child’s play.

Photo Editing Tools

PicsArt offers a wide range of tools for photo editing. It includes a caption generator, logo maker, image upscale, background remover, sticker maker, GIF maker, QR code generator, object remover, color blender text editor, YouTube thumbnail maker, photo editor, and many more. Plus there are several filters, effects, and adjustments that enable users to customize the look of photos.

Collage Maker and Drawing Tools

For combining multiple photos in a single frame, PicsArt offers a magical tool, a collage maker. You can edit your family image and friends’ photos in a single image. Plus with the help of its drawing tools and brushes, you can add annotations to photos.

AI-Powered Features

Artificial Intelligence, smart suggestions, and automated enhancements help for enhancing photos with ease. So, there are numerous AI tools available in the PicsArt making the editing easier for you. It includes an AI art generator, background, face maker, writer paragraph generator, and AI filters.

Social Media Integration

Furthermore, PicsArt is designed with social media in mind. It serves as the crowning touch that makes it easy for you to share your creations directly on various social platforms. The social media integration offers a built-in community where you not only share your content but also learn from professional editors.

The non-destructive editing software, Lightroom offers various professional-grade tools for giving a professional look to images. Here’s a quick overview of a few main characteristics. Let’s have a look.

Non-Destructive Editing Without Layers

With these advanced photo editing tools you can do layer editing. It provides complete control over photographs. Not only this but also you can edit specific objects in layer editing without altering the original file. As you start editing, an image catalog file will be created that keeps the whole record of your edits in the form of layers. In fact, after exporting your piece of art you can access the both original and edited files.

Powerful Adjustment Tools

Lightroom offers various editing tools for the powerful adjustment of images. The tools include cropping, adjustment brushes, different filters, object removal, and many more. From the specific object to complete file editing each and everything will be under your control.

Quick Development Panel

One of the amazing features of Lightroom is its quick development panel. With the help of this amazing tool, you can effortlessly apply batch processes. Not only one or two images but it can be applied to more than 400 images with a few clicks. For this, you only need to make a setting for the first image and then, ctrl + click the image’s number for the rest. 

Time-Saving Tool

There are several editing that need a lot of time but with the help of Lightroom, you can do it within minutes. Although it is an advanced-level software that needs a lot of practice to create a professional piece of art, once you get experience, everything will be at your fingertips.

Professional Photography Workflow

Designed to fit into a professional photography workflow, with features for organization, cataloging, and batch editing. Plus it allows sharing your edits on all popular publishing platforms such as Behance etc. You can easily share and publish to showcase your editing skills.

Pricing of PicsArt vs Lightroom

When we compare the subscription plans of editing giants, PicsArt wins. The reason is that with the free version, its pricing is very accessible. Its packages start from $5 while Lightroom’s prices start from $12. Here’s a quick overview, let’s read on!

Devices Supported & Operating Systems

Both editing platforms PicsArt and Lightroom are versatile and compatible with multiple devices. PicsArt supports various operating systems such as iOS, Android, Web version, and Desktop. You may download it from the APP Store, Chrome, and Google Play Store.

On the other hand, Lightroom supports iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, Apple TV, and Web versions. The seamless integration across these platforms allows users to edit and sync their photos across various devices.

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

PicsArt boasts a user-friendly and creative interface. It is designed to appeal to a wide range of editing enthusiasts. All the editing tools are easy to understand whether you may not have extensive experience with professional photo editing.

In fact, the interface is relatively unified, combining photo editing tools, collage-making features, and drawing tools within a single app. It allows you to explore various creative avenues in one place.

In contrast, Lightroom’s interface is module-based, which is a little bit tricky to understand. It is designed to separate different aspects of the photo editing workflow. It includes the Library, Develop, Map, Book, Slideshow, Brush Adjustment, Print, Color, Blur, and Web modules. 

The modular design is aimed at providing a professional and organized environment for photographers. Each module is focusing on specific tasks that engage in a comprehensive photography workflow. 

Career Options

Nowadays, a huge number of people are earning through photo and video editing. The question is, do PicsArt and Lightroom offer any career options to editors? Well, as an expert in PicsArt or Lightroom software, you can find numerous opportunities for earning.

A PicsArt expert can be a social media content creator, graphic designer, photo editor, brand marketer, freelance artist, logo maker, and more. It offers multiple pre-made templates, making editing easier for content creators.

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 provides theme-based settings, allowing users to easily create cohesive visual stories. This feature enhances the overall aesthetic appeal by providing a unified look to a series of images or videos.

AI-powered Tools

With AI-powered tools, PicsArt makes editing smarter. The software can intelligently suggest enhancements, making it easier for users to achieve professional-looking results without extensive manual adjustments.

Many Templates

Furthermore, it comes loaded with numerous pre-made templates that are customizable. You can edit them according to your needs and preferences. These templates simplify the creative process for editors.

Graphic Designing

PicsArt is a versatile platform for graphic designing. It offers a wide range of content. You can 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

HDR, (High Dynamic Range) is the ratio between the brightest and the darkest aspect of an image. Such an amazing feature is available in Lightroom. With the help of this, you can combine multiple exposures making the image visually appealing.

Raw Support

The most crucial Lightroom element, it supports RAW files. It offers greater flexibility in post-processing. With the utmost control over the file, editors can make non-destructive edits. Saying this would not be wrong that this robust raw editing capability makes Lightroom more popular.

Presets Function

Lightroom simplifies editing with presets, allowing users to apply predefined settings for a quick and consistent look. This feature is particularly useful for maintaining a cohesive style across a series of photos.

Spot and Balance Color Correction Function

Lightroom’s advanced color correction tools enable users to target specific areas for adjustments, ensuring precise control over the color balance in their images.

Let Eradicating Nonessential Things in an Image

Lightroom provides tools for removing unwanted elements from photos, offering a clean and polished final result. This function is valuable for enhancing the overall composition of an image.

Advanced Photo Integration and Lens Improvements

With advanced photo integration, Lightroom seamlessly connects with other Adobe Creative Cloud applications. Additionally, it offers lens improvements for photographers seeking optimal image quality and correction for lens distortions.

Pros & Cons of PicsArt

Pros & Cons of Lightroom

FAQs – Frequently Asked Questions