DxO PhotoLab 6 review: a worthy Lightroom contender

Is the new DxO PhotoLab 6 a compelling alternative to Lightroom for most photographers?

Screenshots from the PhotoLab 6 software in use
(Image: © DxO PhotoLab / Jacob Little)

Our Verdict

An excellent photo-editing and management tool in its own right, and a worthwhile contender to Adobe Lightroom. PhotoLab 6 actually surpasses Lightroom in many areas and provides an intuitive platform to use, while at the same time providing high-level RAW and denoising technologies that push the photographer to get the most out of their images.

For

  • Intuitive interface
  • Clean image processing
  • Lots of editing options
  • No subscription model

Against

  • New XD denoise algorithm can sometimes go too far
  • No tethering options
  • Elite option has a high initial payment

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DxO PhotoLab 6: Key specs

Available languages: English, French, German, Japanese, Chinese (Simplified).

Microsoft Windows
Minimum system configuration:
Any CPU supporting SSE 4.1
8 GB RAM
4 GB available disk space
Microsoft® Windows® 10 version 20H2 (64-bit, and still supported by Microsoft®)

Recommended system configuration:
Intel® Core™ processor with 6 cores or better, or AMD Ryzen™
16 GB RAM
6 GB available disk space
NVIDIA RTX™ 2060, AMD Radeon™ RX 6600 or better with latest drivers

macOS
Minimum system configuration:
Any CPU
8 GB RAM
4 GB available disk space
macOS 11.6 (Big Sur) 

Recommended system configuration:
Intel® Core™ Processor with 6 cores or better, or Apple Silicon
16 GB RAM
macOS 12.0 (Monterey), macOS 13.0 (Ventura)
6 GB available disk space
AMD Radeon™ Pro 580X or better for Intel® Macs

DxO, the maker of PhotoLab 6, is a French company with a true history of developing first-class software for the photography industry. They’ve been around since the early 2000s, and in 2004 Optics Pro was released, which offered high-level technology to correct lens defects and image distortion. More latterly, their RAW editing technology and denoising abilities have set a benchmark for amateur and professional photographers alike – with modules and plugins that can be used with or without Lightroom or their PhotoLab suite.

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The Verdict
9

out of 10

DXO PhotoLab

An excellent photo-editing and management tool in its own right, and a worthwhile contender to Adobe Lightroom. PhotoLab 6 actually surpasses Lightroom in many areas and provides an intuitive platform to use, while at the same time providing high-level RAW and denoising technologies that push the photographer to get the most out of their images.

Jacob Little

Jacob Little is a freelance writer and photographer and over the past ten years, has written for several national publications and brands. Based near Bristol, technology and the creative industries form the basis of his work, and he also provides content planning and project scoping services for agencies and businesses.