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GPL-3.0freeRuns locallyImage & Design

RawTherapee: Open-Source RAW Developer

Cross-platform GPL RAW photo processor with deep demosaic controls.

RawTherapee official carousel screenshot showing local-mask develop of a landscape RAW
Official project image. Source · License: GPL-3.0.
License
GPL-3.0
Stars
4,242 (2026-10-21)
Platforms
Windows, macOS, Linux
First seen
2015-08-11

TL;DR. RawTherapee is Cross-platform GPL RAW photo processor with deep demosaic controls. License: GPL-3.0 (verified). Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux. Price: free. Runs locally: yes. It is an alternative to Adobe Lightroom.

NameRawTherapee
LanguageC++
LicenseGPL-3.0
Pricingfree
PlatformsWindows, macOS, Linux
Runs locallyYes
Stats4,242 stars · 427 forks (as of 2026-10-21)
First seen2015-08-11
Repositoryhttps://github.com/RawTherapee/RawTherapee

RawTherapee is a cross-platform RAW photo processing program. Official hosts we opened on 2026-10-21: rawtherapee.com and RawTherapee/RawTherapee. It is listed on Lightroom alternatives as a demosaic-focused developer, not because we measured feature parity.

Key facts (2026-10-21)

Field Value Source
Stars / forks 4,242 / 427 GitHub API RawTherapee/RawTherapee
Created 2015-08-11T11:54:01Z same
Last push 2026-10-20T12:01:53Z same
License GPL-3.0 LICENSE on dev
Language C++ (GTK+) README / GitHub
Latest release 5.13, 2026-07-26T18:07:26Z GitHub Releases
Docs RawPedia rawpedia.rawtherapee.com

README (checked 2026-10-21): powerful RAW processor; also HDR DNG, JPEG, TIFF, PNG. Target audience: enthusiast newcomers through semi-professionals. Professionals “may lack some peripheral features such as Digital Asset Management, printing, upload.”

Comparisons

FAQ

Is RawTherapee free?

Yes. The README and LICENSE (dev branch, checked 2026-10-21) are GNU GPL Version 3. Not legal advice.

Which repository is current?

The live repo is RawTherapee/RawTherapee (API 2026-10-21). Older Beep6581/RawTherapee URLs redirect there. 4,242 stars, last push 2026-10-20T12:01:53Z.

Should I pick RawTherapee or darktable?

RawTherapee’s README targets RAW develop with demosaic control and says DAM, printing, and upload peripherals may be missing. darktable is the catalog-plus-develop app. See darktable vs RawTherapee. We have no quality rank.

Sources & verification

Last verified 2026-10-21 · Last updated 2026-10-21· Edited by forkalt editors · Editorial policy

License notes are not legal advice. Read the original LICENSE. Trademark & disclaimer.