Best Macbook For Adobe

1. Adobe For Macbook Air
2. Best Macbook For Adobe Creative Suite

Apple didn't get its reputation for performance and accuracy from nowhere.

For now, the MacBook Air (M1, 2020) is the only Apple silicon-based MacBook we're recommending for photographers. The recommendation is largely based on price and battery life. There's a $1,000 price difference between the least expensive MacBook Air and the recommended 13-inch MacBook Pro model. Apple MacOS Catalina broke a bunch of Adobe products – here are the best alternatives to check out. There are a few standout options available.

What we thought of the Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch: While Adobe's Premiere line of video editing applications has become an industry standard, Apple's Final Cut Pro X is on the rise again. A macbook that we can recommend is the Apple MacBook Air. This macbook comes at an affordable price and its decent specs needed to run Adobe Creative Cloud smoothly. It features a i5 processor, 8 GB of RAM, and a Intel UHD Graphics 617. Although it doesn't have the best specs on this list, it makes up for it with portability. There is one hands-down winner for the most innovative computer for running Adobe Creative Cloud: the Microsoft Surface Studio for desktop computers, and the Microsoft Surface Book 2 for laptop computers.

Everything from phones to paper-thin notebooks are engineering to work efficiently, and this makes their MacBooks ideal for all levels of video editing.

Besides integrating extremely well with the Adobe Creative Cloud suite and many other third-party photo/video editing software, they offer a streamlined experience that will work well in any freelance or industry position.

In this guide, we'll point out some key points for choosing the best MacBook Pro that will most effectively work for video editing at various levels, and showcase some of our own recommendations as well.

Quick Summary

• For the casual creative, we recommend the 13-inch MacBook Pro with 256GB SSD, which offers quality performance without unnecessarily bulking up the specs. It doesn't offer touch bar, but it is portable and sturdy.
• If you certainly aren't a hobbyist but not a pro either, 13-inch MacBook Pro with 512GB SSD is a better choice. The storage has been beefed up a bit, and the touch bar offers a new dimension of functionality.
• Lastly, the professional creative looking to max out their performance power would be best served with a 15-inch MacBook Pro with i9 Processor and 512GB SSD. This model offers insane amounts of processing power, though you'll likely still want an external monitor for the sake of screen space.

Is MacBook Pro Good for Video Editing?

In this case, it isn't about whether or not a Mac will be effective for video editing, but a matter of how much power you really need.

If you just plan on doing minor work for youtube, you won't be troubled by extensive renders or clamoring for screen restate, so it doesn't make sense to pay for specs built for something ten times as processor-intensive.

However, if you plan on doing digital animation or working in 4K, it's definitely time to look at higher-end machines that will be able to handle what you're throwing at them.

If you're not planning on editing videos in some way, you should not treat this article as a collection of the most powerful MacBooks overall.

Intensive computer work demands different specs depending on what you plan on doing, so you can't assume the best for editing will be the best for say, gaming.

Best MacBook Pro for Video Editing: What to Consider in 2020?

Graphics

The key to a fast render is a high quality dedicated graphics card, and while lower-level work will likely be fine using an integrated card, you'll want a dedicated one for anything beyond the casual home video or Youtube vlog. Dedicated graphics allow your computer to utilize RAM (Random Access Memory) specifically for the high-quality visuals you'll be rendering as effectively as possible.

Processor

The processor is going to be handling every detail of your video as you build it, so you're going to want to look towards the latest generations of the Intel i5 and i7 lines. Since video software can make use of multiple threads as well, these will benefit you while creating your project.

RAM

The final element that will make or break the performance of your MacBook while working on video editing is RAM. It's used in every aspect of your computer's execution of processes, and you'll want a minimum of 8GB for amateur work, with a goal of 16GB if you're editing professionally.

Best MacBook Pro for Video Editing in 2020: Our Picks

1. Casual Video Editing: 13-inch MacBook Pro (2.4GHz, Intel Core i5 processor, 256GB)

If you're going to be editing home videos and content for Youtube, you probably won't be doing intensive 3D renders or completely utilizing heavy programs even if they are installed. This version of the 13″ MacBook Pro comes with the processing power to reach your goal without unnecessarily overcompensating.

Pros:

• The 13″ model is extremely portable, so you'll have editing power at your fingertips wherever you go.
• RAM is the perfect amount for this type of user and should last several years.
• SSD drive means that renders and saves will be completed faster than with a physical HDD disk.

Cons:

• SSD is pricey, which is why this model only comes with 256 GB in disk space. You'll definitely want to purchase an external drive to compensate for this when storing your videos.
• Additionally, this model uses an integrated graphics card which will be fine for this level of editing but doesn't offer room for growth.

2. For Amateur Movie Making: 13-inch MacBook Pro (2.4GHz, Intel Core i5 processor, 512GB)

Whether college student or budding short-film director, you need power and a modern flair without the expense of a professional setup. This model of MacBook is a great compromise, offering Apple's latest touch bar and touch ID technology packed into a 13″ body powered by an integrated Intel Iris Plus Graphics 655.

Pros:

• Offering both portability and power, this modern masterpiece has all the specs to get you where you want to go without any unnecessary bulk.
• The brand-new touch bar is also included and known to have great integrations when working in Final Cut Pro or the Adobe Suite.

Cons:

• While offering more space than the aforementioned 256GB model, it's still a bit on the small side for storing large video files.
• It also has an integrated graphics card, which is slightly less than ideal.

3. For Professional Creatives: 15-inch MacBook Pro (2.3GHz, Intel Core i9 processor, 512GB)

Truly a top of the line machine, this MacBook Pro model was built for precision and nothing less. The 8-core i9 processor can stand up to just about anything you throw at it, it has a powerful graphics card UHD Graphics 630. The 15″ screen offers some more real estate than the smaller 13″ models.

Pros:

• It has nearly unbeatable power between the mix of RAM, dGPU, and processor.
• The beautiful screen will produce accurate colors and the touch bar will allow you to work even more effectively in your favorite editing programs.
• You have the option to choose more storage space if needed.

Cons:

• When editing professionally, you need all the screen space you can get, and no size laptop is going to be able to offer that. If you don't have an external monitor, check out our recommendations.

Useful Mac Video Editing Resources

Just getting started with editing your own videos? LifeWire offers a great tutorial on getting started, from which software will be the most useful to whether you'll fare better with some peripherals. Also, check out this complete video editing tutorial for non-editors on Mac:

A fan of iMovie? MacWorld has made a fantastic list of best tips on how to get the most out of Apple's video editing software for macOS.

You could also check out this list of free and paid Mac video editing apps (TechRadar), which will let you experiment before deciding exactly what you need in a paid program.

Final Words

Video editing is a prime example of technical work that eats RAM and CPU power like no other. Luckily, a MacBook Pro was made to stand up to these things and is sure to perform if you've picked an adequate model.

What set up do you currently use to edit videos? Let us know and share which specs you think are most important for productive work.

Photo editing programs allow both amateurs and professionals to make corrections to the raw footage captured by their digital camera, by removing the errors therein.

One can, with the help of these programs, remove background (green screen effect), remove noise from images, sharpen them, blur them, and lots of other options.

When thinking about such programs, Adobe Lightroom is the first that comes to mind. However, it does not run on versions of Windows lower than version 10 (1709 or later) and also demands the latest versions of the Macintosh operating system too.

In addition to the above is Adobe's hefty price. It then becomes clear to understand why a Lightroom alternative will be needed.

Luminar's AI Sky Replacement

A quick online search reveals that there is no dearth of Adobe Lightroom competitors or an Adobe Lightroom replacement.

I would suggest that you purchase one of the best Adobe Lightroom alternatives, as they offer you value for money and provide you with the same editing power as that of Lightroom.

I am going to review apps like Lightroom, or apps similar to Lightroom, as this will help you determine what the best alternative to Adobe Lightroom is for your photo editing purpose.

I shall be reviewing five alternative Lightroom software that work on the Windows operating system and the Mac and review one good editing program that works on the Linux.

Quickly Navigate to:

The Perfect Alternatives to Lightroom (Mac, Windows & Linux)

These are perfect alternatives to Lightroom Mac, Windows or Linux. I leave it to you to determine which one of the six will be a good alternative to Lightroom for mac and the other operating systems and which will provide you with the best value for money after going through this comparison.

Skylum Luminar 4

(Mac & Windows)

Although I was quite impressed with the previous versions of this Lightroom 8 alternative, it did not have a DAM (Digital Assets Manager) in the form of an image library that allowed me to organize photographs in the same way that Adobe Lightroom does, or better.

Skylum has addressed this issue and the latest version of their Lightroom CC alternative now has an image library better than that offered by Adobe.

Luminar is a cutting-edge standalone photo editing program, packed with all the features you need to edit an image from beginning to end.

Like the offering from Adobe, it also boasts of a right-hand column, in which you can make adjustments with the help of sliders. This further shows how Luminar compares to Lightroom.

You also have the option to choose which adjustments you would like to appear in that column.

This similarity makes it easier for people looking for a photo editor like Lightroom (and people who may already have been used to Lightroom) to quickly get acquainted with Luminar.

The DAM included in the latest version helps you keep your image organized along with options for batch processing and quick editing.

Adobe professional video editing software. By the way, this program, which I consider to be an excellent Windows Lightroom alternative (and Mac), also includes layer masking, Photoshop-like layers, numerous filters, blend modes, as well as advanced stuff such as LUT mapping, which Lightroom does not have.

For your information, EISA voted Luminar 3 as the best photo editing software of 2019-2020.

You can simply move a single slider or even do complex stuff like masks and multiple layers, or experiment with 3rd party plugins.

Luminar also boasts of unique filters such as bottom and top lighting, sunrays, AI sky enhancer, and the standard editing tools such as black & white, highlights/shadows, curves, raw develop and some others.

These, together, offer you endless opportunities for artistic and creative editing and straight-up batch processing work. This is why I consider it to be the best Lightroom alternative Windows 10 as well.

How Best to Use Luminar As A Plugin?

In order to, efficiently, use this program as a plugin, Skylum has provided Luminar Flex for this purpose.

I loved the Accent AI in this new version as it has undergone a massive update. This can speed up the processing speed quite a lot.

Luminar has also improved the way the library works. When you apply the same look to numerous photographs, the software understands that it should not transfer selective adjustments such as cropping, erasing all of the photographs, as well as cloning.

You now have the ability to copy and paste your adjustments over individual photographs or synchronize them across multiple images.

Do you want to compare your edited images with the way your camera edits? Here's some good news for Fuji fans. You can view both of them simultaneously and use the JPEG for referencing while editing the RAW version.

Price

Luminar 4 costs $89. However, if you purchase it now, the vendor will include `Inspiration Looks,' which includes plugins such as Dramatic Landscapes, Neon Tokyo, and Analogue Film. The vendor offers a 60 days money-back guarantee.

Aurora HDR

(Mac & Windows)

I shall now check Aurora HDR in this review of best Lightroom alternative Mac to see how the former stands against the latter.

Although this program works excellently on the Windows operating system, it is the perfect Mac alternative to Lightroom.

Best for HDR Imaging

HDR is a highly specialized type of photography coded to expose details in both shadows and highlights of a specific scene by mixing multiple versions of an identical image, clicked at different exposures.

A Product of Merged Images

It is tough to do this right without overdoing it. The camera sensor cannot capture what your eyes see and this HDR technique compensates by creating the exact image you saw through your eyes.

The 2020 version of this software boasts of a new Quantum HDR Engine with AI (artificial intelligence) based tone-mapping technology. This helps produce natural results through more efficient photo merging.

A New Smart HDR Structure feature offers more realistic sharpness and precise details sans halos, noise or artifacts.

Can Be Used As A Plugin or Standalone

You can run this software as an Adobe Photoshop plugin or as a standalone app. It works as a plugin for Lightroom too (does this not put it ahead of Lightroom?) and even as an Apple Photos extension.

Aurora HDR supports plug-ins of Photoshop such as the Nik Collection and Imagenomic and you also have the option to combine Aurora with Luminar as a bundle.

Classical HDR photography mixes multiple images; however, Aurora, via its AI-based neural network, permits you to transform one RAW image to HDR as well.

It prevents ghosting and unnatural lighting, reduces noise, boosts contrast, as well as corrects colors.

The batch processing feature of this photo editor allows you to import multiple image folders for export as single or bracketed images. It can accurately identify which images stand alone and which are bracketed. It allows you to work with different image formats, including RAW.

Image Bracketing

If you are in need of software like Lightroom, Aurora HDR boasts of a friendly interface and is extremely easy to use. The 2020 version introduces a new Looks feature, which was previously known as presets, with additional refined toning and aesthetic choices.

As a good Lightroom substitute for Mac and Windows, this photo editing software has sliders and controls that give you total visual power over your picture. This software ships with some Looks collections: Artistic, Dramatic, Architecture, Landscape, and Essential.

Applying one-click Looks is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg as you can build in additional edits with the masking and layer features.

Like most Photoshop Lightroom alternatives, Aurora, too, is non-destructive. It allows you to undo any adjustments. If required, you can revert to the original image and start from scratch.

The new Lookup Table (LUT) mapping feature allows you to simply put your mouse pointer over the 11 built-in LUTs to look at dynamic previews of the various color grading styles that you are able to apply to your photos.

Additional Textures, LUTs, and Looks are available either for free or for a reasonable price from the Aurora HDR Marketplace.

Price

If you are in need of a software similar to Lightroom (and cheaper), the Aurora HDR makes for a good option. For a limited time, it can be purchased at a cost of $99. Existing users can always upgrade to the new version by supplying their names and emails or serial numbers for verification.

In my opinion, this is among the best in the OSX Lightroom alternative.

Capture One Pro

(Mac & Windows)

Another powerful photo editing software that can be a good replacement for Lightroom is Capture One Pro. From import to export, it gets the job done (and quickly too).

Its interface is similar to that of Lightroom. Hence, you should find it familiar if you have been using Lightroom before or migrating.

For those familiar with Lightroom, it makes use of catalogs for photo organization and storage while Capture One makes use of both catalogs and sessions for the same function.

Because Lightroom works with one database file, it can get pretty slow when you have several thousands of photographs in its catalog whereas Capture One gives you the option of also using ‘sessions'.

‘Sessions' in Capture One, creates folders for your photos that are carefully organized into subjects (or whatever the session folder is about). They are portable and so you can just move those folders from one place to the other. This can be handy if you do a lot of traveling.

Capture One supports many camera types and brands, so you should not face any problems with camera compatibility.

Some camera brands supported include:

• Fujifilm
• Sony
• Leica
• Samsung
• Ricoh
• Pentax
• Panasonic
• Nikon
• Konica Minolta
• Canon
• Mamiyaleaf
• Olympus
• and others

Tools in the toolbar and user interface can be re-organized and customized as you deem fit. You may remove tools that you do not need or add those that you need. Some are also collapsible and expandable.

Capture One has ‘Levels' and ‘Curve' adjustments, which are standard for all you need for professional photo editing.

In addition to a wide array of toolbar options to choose from, it also contains keyboard shortcuts that can be customized to speed up your workflow.

You can stack up photos in layers with Capture One and adjust the opacity. You can also toggle between a layer and the background. This will help you see the ‘before' and ‘after' of any image.

There are ‘Process Recipes' available for a perfect output of your files into whatever format you need. You can also create your own ‘Process Recipes' for output. You can also select many images for batch processing.

Franzis

(Mac & Windows)

Franzis has, virtually, all you need to churn out great-looking photos in very little time. Just give it an ordinary picture, and the result will amaze you.

To achieve all these, it has a wide variety of tools that you can use. Some of these tools include HDR, Denoise, Black & White, Neat, Analogue, Sketch, Focus, Sharpen, cutout, color effects, and many more.

Compared to other similar software, it is one of the best lightroom competitors worthy of mention.

Whether you want to take perfect pictures at night (when the light is poor) or you want to turn any image or photo into a beautiful work of art, Franzis has got you covered.

There is also an array of presets to use for your editing projects.

The tools can function as a standalone or as a plugin.

Exposure X5 (Alien Skin Software)

(Mac & Windows)

‘Exposure Software' is the new company name of ‘Alien Skin'. This is a non-destructive RAW editing software developed to serve all creative photographers.

The latest of this is the ‘Exposure X5' which comes with some new improved functionality to enhance editing and make for an efficient workflow.

Some of the new functionalities in Exposure X5 include:

• 3D color masking preview
• Ability to correct lens distortion, chromatic aberration and vignetting
• Ability to target specific problem areas in an image by setting mask parameters
• Ability to take the luminosity and color range that is used to define the layer mask on an image and re-use them on other images with similar characteristics
• Remove unwanted areas from the mask with a brush thereby saving you time

There are, basically, 3 tools that you can get in the Exposure bundle. They are:

(i) Exposure

As already mentioned above, it lets you edit in a non-destructive manner.

You can:

• Organize
• Customize and reproduce looks with creative styles to make the looks unique
• Use it as a plug-in with Adobe

(ii) Snap Art

With this, you can turn your photos into works of art.

There are pencil, watercolor, crayon, sketch and oil painting presets that you can choose from to achieve beautiful artistic photos that look real that you can hang on the wall or frame.

(iii) Blow Up

Do you need to enlarge your photograph and still retain the high quality of those photos? If so, ‘Blow Up' will let you achieve this.

‘Blow Up' images are sharp and will enlarge low-resolution JPG images with ease even if you can no longer find the original RAW files.

Eye Candy

‘Eye Candy' includes effects such as lightning, chrome, smoke, fire and many more that you can use to add real-looking effects to your photos.

Remember, you can get all of the above 3 tools when you get the Exposure Bundle.

Corel Aftershot Pro

(Mac, Windows & Linux)

Finally here is some good news for Linux users. Corel Aftershot Pro is the best Lightroom alternative (Linux). In fact, it is the only software among the six programs like Lightroom I am reviewing here that supports Windows, Mac, and Linux.

Let us check this Adobe Lightroom alternative (Linux) in detail.

This program has all you need for a seamless RAW editing workflow on Linux, Mac, and Windows. It lets you edit, develop, and export your RAW images. Although it is primarily meant for professionals, it is struggling to overcome Adobe Lightroom as the most commonly-used RAW editor.

I downloaded the 30-day free trial version and installed it on my Linux PC. I was impressed by the speed of the program. However, it lacked some of the advanced editing tools that the above-reviewed programs have. I had no worries about that as I needed a Linux based photo editor at the time.

Unlike Adobe's offering, which comes at a monthly subscription, you only need to pay a one-off charge for AfterShot.

The program takes far less storage space than competitors. While Lightroom CC takes up a whopping 1.3GB, this offering from Corel takes just 142MB.

A Word About Installation and Settings

Once the installation is complete, you will view a dialog box with lots of text with the choice to adjust some settings like user data, cache, and so on. I suggest that you leave these settings to default unless you know what you are doing.

Next, you have the option to register this Linux, Windows and Mac Lightroom alternative 2020 software using an email address.

The interface was, however, not as impressive as those of the other programs earlier mentioned in this review.

Coming from the house of Corel, I had expected much more. However, Linux users need not complain as they just do not have many choices.

Adobe For Macbook Air

Once you get yourself familiarized with the program, you'll find the program easy to use. I had to spend some time trying to figure out how to import an image.

However, once I found out the process, I was pleasantly surprised by the speed at which this Lightroom alternative for Windows, Mac, and Linux imported and built previews when I tried to import several images in one go.

Best text editing software for mac. The importing speed of this Lightroom alternative for Linux is the best of the five programs compared here.

Price

The list price of this program is $79.99 but is generally discounted. Existing users can update to the latest version at any time, which is fair enough for this Adobe Lightroom equivalent for Linux and the other operating systems.

Cyberlink PhotoDirector

(Windows & Mac)

This is the last in the list of programs similar to Lightroom that I shall be reviewing today.

Unlike two of the programs reviewed here, you can download a free version of this software for trial purposes. Remember, the free version does not have all the features of the paid version.

The vendor has introduced professional-quality features like soft proofing and tethered shooting together with a new artificial intelligence style engine as well as additional style packages to modernize the creative process.

Best Macbook For Adobe Creative Suite

As a good Lightroom alternative software, PhotoDirector 10 offers a number of enhancements, which includes improvements to its layering system.

This allows greater creative flexibility to experienced editors without losing its simple touch, ensuring that less experienced users will also be able to use the tool and learn to edit photographs with it.

The introduction of layer grouping, cropping masks, as well as the capability to add new empty layers to projects collectively presents an excellent range of options for users interested in experimenting with their Lightroom alternative raw images.

Users looking for quick and creative solutions can purchase a wide range of stylish express layer templates, available for sale from the website of the vendor.

In addition to the existing collection that ships with this online Lightroom alternative, the vendor will be offering four additional packs during launch, which includes Comic, Teenage, Galaxy, and Shapes.

These packs will make your life simpler when adding special effects to images. For example, the Comic pack allows you to create professional-looking comic strips in a flash. You no longer have to waste time creating speech bubbles.

Easily Turn Your Photo into A Masterful Piece of Art

On numerous occasions, first-time entrants in the world of photo editing feel intimidated by the number of tools available on the same bar. It is due to this that PhotoDirector, yet another Lightroom alternative for Mac and Windows, offers a navigation system with clearly labeled tools, divided into tabs.

On rare occasions in which the program uses icons, they are always explained with practical tips. There is a large variety of options available; however, the tabbed design implies that there are never too many options on the screen simultaneously.

This prevents new editors from getting confused. They might have to spend some time to find a specific function, but it is always clear where to look.

Price

The 'Ultra' version of this Lightroom alternative online retails for $99.99, but the vendor is currently offering it at only $69.99.

Which Will Be A Better Alternative to Lightroom (Mac, Windows or Linux)?

I leave it to you to determine which is the best Lightroom alternative for Windows, Mac, and Linux in 2020.

After going through this basic review, you should not face any problem making a choice between the above alternatives to Lightroom for PC, Mac or Linux.

Even though I use a Linux PC, I believe that any of the above-mentioned programs will make for a good alternative to Lightroom.