7 Photo Management Apps to Replace Aperture and iPhoto

The best replacements for Aperture and iPhoto

By
Tom Nelson
Tom Nelson
Writer

Tom Nelson is an engineer, programmer, network manager, and computer network and systems designer who has written for Other World Computing,and others. Tom is also president of Coyote Moon, Inc., a Macintosh and Windows consulting firm.

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Updated on September 14, 2021

A good photo management app allows you to track all your images in one location with cloud access and organizational tools. Rudimentary editing features, while useful, are not entirely necessary. Here's our list of the best currently available photo management apps you can use in place of Aperture or iPhoto.

There are other photo editing and management apps available, including a number of free web-based offerings.

01
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Photos

Apple Photos screenshot

This is Apple's replacement for iPhoto, which was discontinued in 2014. It offers a simple interface with basic editing features, iCloud library access, professional printing, and sharing functions. With seamless iOS integration, it is the natural replacement for any Apple user who is used to the iPhoto experience. Aperture and PC users may have a tougher time making the transition.

02
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AfterShot Pro 3

It's not an app, per se, but Corel's photo management and editing app deserves a close look. Its RAW conversion speed and bulk processing capabilities make AfterShot a leading contender when it comes to workflow. It also includes a photo asset management system, with a very fast search and tagging system. The standard price is $79.99; a demo is available.

03
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Lyn

This lightweight and very fast media browser can replace many of the basic features of iPhoto and even some features of Aperture. It provides editing tools that are easy to use and supports a wide range of image types. Lyn is $20; a fully-featured demo is available.

04
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Unbound

Unbound

Unbound is a fast photo manager that will leave iPhoto libraries in the dust when it comes to organizing and viewing photos. Unbound uses standard Finder folders for image organization, which can make backup and recovery of images a bit easier. Unbound is available for free from the website, but as of 2020 will feature no new updates or versions.

05
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Emulsion

This pro-level cataloging app, which happens to be available at a competitive price of $50, offers many of the library management capabilities found in the departed Aperture and iPhoto apps. One feature I really like is the ability to assign an external image editor that will be used by Emulsion for photo manipulation. The emulsion can also make use of an Aperture plug-in you may already have.

06
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GraphicConverter

GraphicConverter

GraphicConverter from Lemke Software is an old standby for Mac users who need to perform basic image format conversions as well as limited editing. The newest versions of this app bring more powerful editing functions and the ability to work directly with image libraries you've created on your Mac.

07
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Adobe Lightroom

Adobe Lightroom

Adobe Lightroom and Aperture have long been the top professional photo management apps for the Mac. Many photographers have built their photo workflow using one or the other as the key image management app in their businesses. Lightroom may be a logical direction to move in, but first Adobe will need to come up with a graceful and easy way to migrate Aperture libraries, as well as offer equivalent workflow utilities.

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