These days, most people manage their huge photo library with the default app on their phone: Google Photos on Android or iCloud Photos on iPhone. I did likewise, until recently. I took back control of my pictures, trying out Lightroom alternatives: Darktable and Digikam. I almost settled on the latter. But I ended up going with Adobe programs after all: Bridge and Photoshop Elements with Adobe Camera Raw. You might call it something like, "Lightroom Elements."
Why not Darktable?
While it's impressively similar to Lightroom Classic that I used years ago, it isn't a feature-parity match. It largely looks and works the same but there are differences. Being so close yet not quite the same is off-putting. Darktable reminds me too much of what the high-standard is, Lightroom itself, and reminds me too much of what I'm missing. The fit-and-finish lacks the polish of its inspiration. And proper Smart Collections are missing, for example. Also, I'm averse to the Library-import model, where your photos are referenced or linked or must be fully-ingested into its database.
Why not Digikam?
It looks and works very differently from Lightroom while providing basically all of the same features. So it almost won me. The photo management side is solid, robust, and more "to-the-metal" in that your photos simply stay in the file structure of your OS and are directly manipulated while using a database to track things. There is a bit of a library-import aspect since Digikam uses its own icons and terms for folders, like Albums and Collections, but it's small and not controlling like Darktable or Lightroom.
The real dislike for me is in the editing side. The tools and tool layout are poor or ugly. I could make it work, but I just don't like it. On a plus side, I found it's versioning system for edits really interesting and useful, though it was a little tricky to distinguish between its export, save, and save as options.
Why Bridge?
It's free like the others above. Plus it has the polish of an Adobe app, like Lightroom. And it has the Digital Asset Management (DAM) features I want and need. So the real question to me became, "Why NOT Bridge?" I then realized that the only flak I ever hear about Adobe products is the subscription-licensing model. Well, Adobe Bridge avoids any pricing at all.
Ignoring cost structures, Adobe software itself is generally robust, reliable, and fully-featured. Basically, it's the gold-standard. I find Bridge lives up to that. As far as DAM goes, I love it because it avoids any catalog or library setup — it is literally the folder hierarchy of the system-level File Explorer. It gives me a feeling of direct control over my locally-stored image files. There was one downside for me at first, though: lack of an image editor. Lightroom, Darktable, and Digikam are complete solutions, offering not just DAM but also photo editing within the program. Bridge, by design, omits such. Instead, it easily connects to other Adobe apps. It also can integrate Camera Raw, which is basically the Develop Module from Lightroom.
Why Photoshop Elements?
I'm using Photoshop Elements for editing. I discovered that it runs Adobe Camera Raw like Lightroom or the full Photoshop but it's simpler, more, uh, elemental. You don't get every tool from Lightroom's Develop Module. But you do get the most basic or important adjustment sliders. And for what's missing, as a hobbyist or enthusiast, I find Photoshop Elements has enough other tools and controls to make up for it.
That said, it's not free. But a fair price for good software isn't a problem; subscription-models are the issue. Photoshop Elements costs $99 for a three-year license, or about $33 per year. After that, you can upgrade for $80, for another three years I believe. You pay once, up front, in full. Then you can buy it again if you choose, kind of like how things worked years ago. It’s not the same ideal since the app “expires” after three years, but it’s better than Adobe’s other options.
Wrap-up
Finally, one other reason that pushed me to settle on Adobe software is the fact that not only did I myself enjoy Lightroom in the past, my wife did too. And if she ever gets back into photography, I'm sure she will want to use Lightroom again. So it makes sense for me to stick with Adobe products.
No matter which of these programs, or others like them, you want to use, I think the important thing is that you're in direct control of your photo library, especially if it's mainly in your local storage. Adobe still tries to push its cloud storage and sync with Photoshop or Lightroom but not with Bridge, which relies on the local file system.
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