Shooting in RAW and looking for a free developer for the files? RawTherapee pairs a thumbnail File Browser with a detailed Editor and processes camera RAW files with non-destructive adjustments, leaving the original image unchanged.
RAW development controls
RawTherapee’s Editor provides tools for adjusting exposure, white balance, color, detail, and noise. Its processing engine uses 32-bit floating-point calculations, and demosaicing algorithms convert the color-filter data in a camera RAW file into a viewable image. The program can also apply two demosaicing algorithms to the same photo.
Edits are stored as processing instructions, so adjustments can be revisited without changing the camera original. When the image is ready, export a rendered copy for sharing or further editing.
Which camera-file corrections are available?
Alongside ordinary RAW development, RawTherapee includes tools for correcting several capture-specific problems. Dark-frame subtraction can reduce fixed-pattern noise, while flat-field correction addresses shading and color casts from a lens or sensor. Hot- and dead-pixel correction targets faulty sensor pixels.
- Composite pixel-shift RAW captures with automatic ghost masking.
- Process multiple-frame RAW files.
- Develop high-dynamic-range DNG files.
From thumbnail selection to export
Choose a photo in the File Browser to work on it in the Editor. The Editor’s adjustment controls let you tune the image and compare the rendered result as you refine settings. For groups of photos, apply processing settings across images and send finished work to the processing queue for export.
Pros
- 32-bit floating-point processing engine for RAW development
- Supports HDR DNG and multi-frame RAW files
- Offers pixel-shift compositing with automatic ghost masking
- Includes dark-frame subtraction and flat-field correction
System requirements: Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1, Windows 10, Windows 11 · 64-bit only
Does RawTherapee change the original RAW file?
No. It saves editing instructions separately and leaves the camera original unchanged.
Can RawTherapee process HDR DNG files?
Yes. It supports developing high-dynamic-range DNG files.
What does pixel-shift compositing do?
It combines pixel-shift RAW captures, with automatic ghost masking to handle movement between frames.
