Adobe Lightroom vs Photopea:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Photopea had more branded searches than Adobe Lightroom among photo editing apps in New Zealand. Photopea had about 12,300 branded searches, while Adobe Lightroom had 900. Photopea made up 55.3% of all photo editing app searches we track, and Adobe Lightroom accounted for 4.1%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about photo editing apps, Adobe Lightroom appeared in all five answers and Photopea in none.
Who do people search for more?
Photopea, about 14 searches for every 1 for Adobe Lightroom
Who does AI mention more?
Adobe Lightroom, mentioned in every answer we collected
Who does AI recommend more?
Adobe Lightroom, the only one of the two named
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Top photo editing apps in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Adobe Lightroom appeared in all five answers. Photopea did not appear in any of the five answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
- Adobe Lightroom1st
- Snapseed2nd
VSCO3rd
Picsart4th
Pixlr5th- Apple Photos / Google Photos6th
- Photopea–
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Adobe Lightroom5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Snapseed5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- VSCO5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Picsart3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Apple Photos / Google Photos2 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Pixlr1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Photopea0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about photo editing apps
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which photo editing app should I use in New Zealand?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best photo editing apps in New Zealand?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best photo editing app in New Zealand for creative editing?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“best photo editing app”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“photo editor app”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in New Zealand on October 21, 2026.
Is Adobe Lightroom or Photopea more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Adobe Lightroom and Photopea by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all seven photo editing apps we track, month by month, from searches in New Zealand.
Share of searches by month for Photopea, Adobe Lightroom. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Photopea | Pixlr | Picsart | Adobe Lightroom | Snapseed | VSCO | Apple Photos / Google Photos |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 48.8% | 29.3% | 11.9% | 3.9% | 3% | 3.1% | 0.04% |
| Nov 2025 | 49.5% | 29.7% | 12% | 3.6% | 2.7% | 2.6% | 0.04% |
| Dec 2025 | 44.3% | 26% | 16.1% | 4.9% | 4.2% | 4.3% | 0.05% |
| Jan 2026 | 47.1% | 23.3% | 14.3% | 5.3% | 4.4% | 5.6% | 0.06% |
| Feb 2026 | 52% | 25.4% | 12.5% | 4.3% | 2.9% | 2.9% | 0.04% |
| Mar 2026 | 52.8% | 25% | 12.7% | 3.9% | 3.3% | 2.3% | 0.03% |
| Apr 2026 | 49.1% | 24% | 14.6% | 4.3% | 4.8% | 3.3% | 0.05% |
| May 2026 | 49% | 25.2% | 15% | 3.7% | 4.3% | 2.8% | 0.04% |
| Jun 2026 | 52% | 25.3% | 12.8% | 3.9% | 3.7% | 2.3% | 0.04% |
| Jul 2026 | 55.7% | 21.9% | 13.2% | 3.7% | 3% | 2.4% | 0.04% |
| Aug 2026 | 56.4% | 21.9% | 13.7% | 3.3% | 2.7% | 1.9% | 0.04% |
| Sep 2026 | 55.3% | 22.1% | 13.5% | 4.1% | 2.7% | 2.3% | 0.05% |
How has the Adobe Lightroom and Photopea comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Photopea was ahead of Adobe Lightroom in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Adobe Lightroom’s share of searches among photo editing apps in New Zealand moved from 3.9% to 4.1%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 970 to 900.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Photopea’s share of searches among photo editing apps in New Zealand moved from 48.8% to 55.3%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 12.2K to 12.3K.
How did search popularity change for New Zealand photo editing apps in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Adobe Lightroom gained share of searches among photo editing apps in New Zealand, from 3.3% to 4.1%.
In September 2026, Photopea lost share of searches among photo editing apps in New Zealand, from 56.4% to 55.3%.
How are branded searches counted?
13 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Adobe Lightroom’s and Photopea’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Adobe Lightroom
6 branded search terms
- adobe lightroom
- adobe lightroom classic
- adobe lightroom downloader
- adobe lightroom editing
- adobe lightroom filters
- adobelightroom
Photopea
7 branded search terms
- photopea
- photopea app
- photopea clm
- photopea editing
- photopea filters
- photopea image editor
- photopea photo editor
Other head-to-heads among photo editing apps
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