After an extended period of not being available through Apple’s MacOS App Store, Lightroom has made a return. The changes to the Mac App Store that came about when Mojave was released last year, allowed Adobe to bring the software back along with the return of several other high profile apps, such as Microsoft Office, It’s available now for any compatible Mac running 10.8 or later. It should be noted that this version is Lightroom Desktop (I.e. the version based on the mobil eversion of Lightroom) and not Lightroom Classic.

The software still requires a subscription, except that this can now be purchased through the Mac App Store through in-app purchase. There are two options available. A monthly subscription for $9.99 and an annual one for $118.99. Both include 1tb of online storage. You can also try the software for free for 7 days. This version is the same as the version you will get if you’re a creative cloud member, although there are a few minor differences, due to the Mac App Store sandboxing rules. These include having to ask for permission when accessing files outside the app directory and so on. I’m not sure you can use this version with an existing subscription or not, although I’m not sure what the point in doing that would be.

It’s interesting to see this happen given the perception of animosity between Adobe and Apple (which I’m pretty sure is unfounded) and I suspect that this will open up the Lightroom eco system to more users, who might not otherwise go to the bother of signing up for creative cloud. Apple’s in-app purchase system makes it a bit easier for people to buy a subscription, so again, it will be interesting to see what happens here. I suspect that this also makes sense to people who might have the iOS version of Lightroom, as this makes it easier to get the desktop companion.

Incidentally, Adobe also recently posted record profits this quarter, so despite all the complaints about the subscription, and how everyone is abandoning it for alternatives, they seem to know what they’re doing.

Speaking of Lightroom, I’m currently having a sale on my Lightroom Presets (at the time of writing - June 2019), which should be fully compatible with this version of Lightroom, with some packs up to 50% off. You can check them out on my digital download store.