RawTherapee Reviews & Product Details

RawTherapee is a free, cross-platform raw image processing program designed to develop raw files from a wide range of digital cameras. It caters to users from enthusiastic newcomers seeking to understand digital imaging to professional photographers aiming to enhance their workflow. Key Features and Functionality: - High Image Quality: Utilizes a non-destructive, 32-bit floating point processing engine, modern demosaicing algorithms, and advanced color and detail editing tools to produce high-quality images. - Extensive Raw Support: Supports numerous raw formats, including those from Pentax Pixel Shift, Canon Dual-Pixel, Foveon, and X-Trans sensors, as well as common image formats like JPEG, PNG, and TIFF. - Advanced Editing Tools: Offers exposure control, tone mapping, color correction, noise reduction, sharpening, and various demosaicing algorithms. - Non-Destructive Editing: Allows users to make adjustments without altering the original image, with changes saved in separate sidecar files. - Batch Processing: Facilitates handling large numbers of images efficiently through batch processing capabilities. Primary Value and User Solutions: RawTherapee enhances photographers' workflows by providing a comprehensive suite of tools for high-quality image development. Its non-destructive editing approach ensures the original files remain unaltered, preserving image integrity. The software's extensive raw format support and advanced editing capabilities make it a versatile choice for photographers seeking a free, open-source alternative to proprietary raw processing programs.

Seller

Gabor Horvath and an open source dev team

Discussions

RawTherapee Community

Solution Type

Best-of-Breed

Value at a Glance

Averages based on real user reviews.

Perceived Cost

$$$$$

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Top-Rated Alternatives

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User Insights

Average based on 56 real user reviews.

Perceived Cost

$$$$$

RawTherapee Reviews FAQs

Generated using AI

Last updated: Nov 04, 2026

What is RawTherapee, and what problem is it built to solve?

RawTherapee is open-source photography software focused on processing RAW photos. It provides editing tools for enhancing photographs, including color handling, exposure and detail adjustments, and noise reduction, with non-destructive editing.

What company sizes and industries is RawTherapee the best fit for?

RawTherapee is used by positively rated reviewers in both small businesses and mid-market organizations, with photography and software-related work among the represented industries. The strongest clusters are:

Company size: Small businesses and mid-market organizations.
Industry: Photography and computer software.

What customer support options does RawTherapee provide, and how do users find the overall support experience?

RawTherapee’s support experience can be uneven: some users find responses slow or unhelpful, while others describe resolving issues through their own troubleshooting. Support channels are not specified here.

What features or capabilities could make RawTherapee even more useful?

RawTherapee could be more approachable and responsive during everyday editing, particularly for new users. Improvements users would value include:

Clearer interface: Make the layout and controls easier to navigate and understand.
Better performance and stability: Reduce slow processing and improve reliability, especially with larger batches of images.
More learning guidance: Provide clearer tutorials and instructions to help users get comfortable with the tools.

G2 reviews are authentic and verified.

Here's how.

Juih G.

Ruby Ralls Software Engineer

Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)

4/11/2019

"Editing Images from a complex tool"

3.5/5

What do you like best about RawTherapee?

RawTherapee enables the users to edit their raw images and make them more sharp and clearly detailed. It develops the raw images out of the camera. If a user is looking for a tool that extracts the most possible information from the images, RawTherapee does that in a very effective way. But if a person is looking for a tool that manipulates the images or does the correction of blemishes, then this is not for it. As many expensive tools and software are available to edit the pictures, people still tend to prefer RawTherapee because of its advanced functions. Moreover, it gives all these benefits FREE OF COST, therefore, users tend to switch to this software. Despite its free services, it provides all the new advancements and stays in a stage of constant improvement. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about RawTherapee?

The complex nature of this software makes it difficult to grasp the method of using its features. The users who are on this software for a long time still do not know all the functions it has. This software is not for photographers who have to develop the pictures but rather it's for professional photographers. The software crashes sometimes in the old versions, however, there is no risk of losing the data except for some current changes. But the advanced versions are very reliable to use. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What problems is RawTherapee solving and how is that benefiting you?

It is helping me solve difficult light problems and is the best-suited software for my work. And the other software does not tend to solve the issues of highlights that are blown. Therefore, as soon as the images are clicked, the first step is to edit them on RawTherapee to have the best results. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Ana A.

Android Software Engineer

Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)

4/10/2019

"I am using a free editor for images"

4/5

What do you like best about RawTherapee?

The main benefit of the software is that it is free of cost and irrespective of this it allows the complex extensive lines of functions that can be used for image editing. It has all the functions that a user would need to make images look according to their desire and use them where they want. It can work effectively on the raw files and this function makes it popular and worth using. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about RawTherapee?

Although it works well with raw data but it is a very slow program to work with. Despite of this issue it is widely used and is the preference of users because of its free services as a bit wait is worth having an effective work done for free. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Kanisha B.

Ruby Ralls Software Engineer

Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)

4/10/2019

"Using the software for my projects"

4/5

What do you like best about RawTherapee?

Rawtherapee made me confident of my work in many projects. It helped me through different group and individual projects. It is easy to use the software once you get to use it. Its function for editing in details fascinates me the most as the images came out to be so amazing. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about RawTherapee?

It is hard to use the software at first because there is no guideline available to use and apply the features. But when a person gets used to it it is not difficult to use after that. As far as I am concerned, i don't have any issues with the software as I am at the learning stage and dont have much knowledge about it. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Leeann E.

PHP Developer

Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)

4/11/2019

"I am using RawTherapee for my projects."

3.5/5

What do you like best about RawTherapee?

I have been using the software to complete my group as well as individual projects. The navigation is now easy for me as I am getting used to it. I also use it for my personal images which looks fabulous after the editing touch of RawTherapee. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about RawTherapee?

At the initial stage it was hard for me to navigate and edit but when I found how to use it , It was no more of a problem. I am still figuring out its features and trying to learn it so I got no issues with the program. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Gregg B.

Executive Director

Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)

Originally submitted 2/12/2019

"Complete, complex, and powerful RAW developer"

4.5/5

What do you like best about RawTherapee?

RawTherapee does one thing and that one thing really well: develop RAW files out of your camera. If you are looking for fancy masking, image manipulation or blemish corrections you'll need to look elsewhere. If you need a tool that can pull the absolute most information possible from your RAW images - and then tune them to exacting standards - this is it. I've used several manufacturer specific tools in addition to some of the (very expensive) RAW editors on the market and RawTherapee beats them all. It's also open source software and seems to be in a perpetual state of development and improvement. What more can you ask for the price of FREE? Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about RawTherapee?

RawTherapee is a complex tool and even though I've used it for years, it feels I'm only scratching the surface of its capabilities. It isn't for the casual photographer who wants to catalog and develop images - that's not what RawTherapee is for. Past versions experience occasional crashes, which were bothersome, but with its nondestructive editing, I've never lost an image being edited with RawTherappe - only the most recent corrections I was making. Since the release of version 5.0, I don't recall a crash (I'm on version 5.5 now.) Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Recommendations to others considering RawTherapee:

If you demand to get the most out of your RAW images, RawTherapee is a tool you'll have to invest time into learning, but it'll pay off if you are patient and studious. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What problems is RawTherapee solving and how is that benefiting you?

RawTherapee fits into my workflow especially when I have very difficult lighting situations to solve. My catalog and basic development tool can't "rescue" images with blown highlights (my mistake in exposure) or at very high ISOs. I often need to shoot above 12,800 ISO and once I cull the images I'm going to use, their first stop is RawTherapee where I can clean up noise and retain color and sharpness before any additional editing. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Stacey C.

PHP Developer

Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)

5/13/2019

"What I Favor the Most"

4/5

What do you like best about RawTherapee?

The extensive provision of choices for writing makes it the most effective. I take advantage of it to enhance my photos' quality, and they come out with fabulous results. Thus, this is a highly recommended and effective writing tool. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about RawTherapee?

It is arduous to figure out how it works, but as soon as you figure it out, there's no reason to dislike it. And its layout isn't so great. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Grayson H.

Google Forms Review

Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)

2/21/2019

"I prefer using RawTherapee in some situations, but not others."

3.5/5

What do you like best about RawTherapee?

I really enjoy the fact that this software is free. It is a factor I consider when choosing between other software and this one. I also enjoy the feel of this software because it is very simple and to the point. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about RawTherapee?

I don't like the support services. They aren't very responsive and take a lot of time to respond, so by the time they actually respond, I have already fixed my problem by looking at a Youtube video. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Trisha L F.

Graphic Designer

Information Technology and Services

Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)

2/19/2019

"My favorite RAW Editor of all time. I use it in Windows. The multiplatform goodness!"

4.5/5

What do you like best about RawTherapee?

I like this application, it has been a while using this tool. The underlying processing and the ability to modify the processing with respect to RAW data using RT is simply amazing and offers much more than most. You can also use it to edit format images like JPEG and PNG which is very useful. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about RawTherapee?

The only one that disguised me about this tool is that there are not many guides to learn how to use it .. but over time you get used to it. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What problems is RawTherapee solving and how is that benefiting you?

I tried Rawtherapee about a year ago after I became disillusioned with the pace of the development of AfterShot Pro and wanted to see if it could be replaced with an open source solution. I have not looked back, for my purposes, RT does everything I want, has a constant development and I can have better results since then. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Kathie L.

SR Full Stack Software Engineer

Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)

4/10/2019

"The free image Editor"

3.5/5

What do you like best about RawTherapee?

There are many expensive editors available, but RawTherapee provides the same features for free. It makes all the basic and advanced changes in the images despite being FREE. The pictures can be edited for use in any field. The procedure done on the Linux system is its major advantage. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about RawTherapee?

The software tends to work really slow and takes too long to export the edited images, but as it works free of cost, anyone can ignore this issue. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

deeana d.

operations manager

Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)

2/19/2019

Business partner of the seller or seller's competitor, not included in G2 scores.

"How this program helped me through a lot of projects."

5/5

What do you like best about RawTherapee?

This program helped me edit my pictures for group projects and projects or personal use. Once I got used to the program is was easy to navigate and edit. I like that you can edit with the most detail and make my pictures look wonderful. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about RawTherapee?

At first it was hard to use as I did not have any direction on how to use it. But once I figured that out I was able to use the program with ease. There isn't much I don't dislike as I am still learning how to use this program. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Recommendations to others considering RawTherapee:

Get some introduction on how to use this product as that will help you navigate through the program. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What problems is RawTherapee solving and how is that benefiting you?

When making presentations, my pictures look great and presentable. This also helps with my portfolio to look great for others and future business partners to see. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.