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RawTherapee

A free, open-source RAW photo processor focused on high-quality development.

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About RawTherapee

RawTherapee is an open-source RAW developer that concentrates on getting the most out of each file. It offers several demosaicing algorithms, detailed noise reduction, capture sharpening, wavelet tools, dark frame subtraction, flat field correction and hot or dead pixel correction, along with familiar exposure, curve and colour tools. Instead of a catalogue it uses a file browser, and edits are saved in sidecar profiles next to your images, which keeps things simple and portable but means it lacks Lightroom-style collections and keyword management. It also has no layers or brush-based local adjustments as broad as darktable's, although local adjustment tools have been added. The interface is dense, so it rewards people who like technical control. RawTherapee is free under the GPLv3, maintained by volunteers, and runs on Linux, Windows and macOS in over 15 languages.

Best for: Technically minded photographers who want precise, free RAW conversion.

Pros and cons

What works

  • Free and open source under GPLv3
  • Excellent demosaicing, sharpening and noise tools
  • Sidecar profiles keep edits portable

Why people leave

  • No real catalogue or keyword management
  • Dense interface with many technical options
  • Fewer local-adjustment and AI tools than commercial editors

Top RawTherapee alternatives

See all 5
  1. 1darktable logo
    darktable

    Free and open source too, but adds a library, tethering and more flexible masking.

    66.5
  2. 2Adobe Lightroom logo
    Adobe Lightroom

    Much easier to pick up, with a full catalogue and mobile sync.

    62.6
  3. 3Capture One logo
    Capture One

    Commercial RAW editor with a cleaner interface, layers and tethering.

    57.2
  4. 4GIMP logo
    GIMP

    Free layered editor to pair with RawTherapee for retouching after development.

    55.3
  5. 5DxO PhotoLab logo
    DxO PhotoLab

    A paid editor with automatic lens corrections and DeepPRIME noise reduction.

    49.1

Why people left RawTherapee

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RawTherapee: common questions

Is RawTherapee free?

Yes. RawTherapee is free, open-source software.

Is RawTherapee open source?

Yes. The source code is on GitHub at Beep6581/RawTherapee.

What platforms does RawTherapee run on?

RawTherapee is available for Windows, macOS and Linux.

What are the best alternatives to RawTherapee?

The highest-ranked RawTherapee alternatives right now are darktable, Adobe Lightroom and Capture One. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.

See all 5 RawTherapee alternatives