Feature comparison
| Feature | Raw Photo Editor | RawTherapee |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Installation | None (browser) | Desktop install |
| RAW formats | 24 formats + phone DNGs | Very broad camera support |
| Demosaicing | AHD; Markesteijn for X-Trans | AMaZE, DCB, LMMSE, and more |
| Tone curves | Master + RGB | Multiple types |
| HSL / color | 7-band HSL | HSV + Lab |
| Masking | 5 mask types | Selective Editing (spots + masks) |
| Spot removal | Heal + clone | Spot removal tool |
| Presets | Built-in + custom | Processing profiles |
| Noise reduction | Basic | Advanced |
| Sharpening | Edge-aware, luminance only | USM + RL deconvolution |
| Lens correction | No | Yes (lensfun) |
| Batch | No | Yes |
| Platform | Modern desktop browsers | Windows, macOS, Linux |
When Raw Photo Editor is better
- No installation — open a browser tab and start editing.
- Familiar masks — gradients, brush, and luminosity or color ranges, each with 12 adjustments.
- Simpler interface for the correction-to-export workflow.
- Built-in presets with save/load for consistent looks.
- An experimental backscatter finder for cleaning up underwater shots.
When RawTherapee is better
- Advanced demosaicing (AMaZE, LMMSE) for maximum detail.
- Batch processing with queued export.
- Deep sharpening (Richardson-Lucy deconvolution).
- Advanced noise reduction and Lab color processing.
- Deep selective editing with RT-spots and parametric masks.
- Lens corrections via lensfun profiles.
The honest take
RawTherapee excels at technical depth. Raw Photo Editor excels at getting started: nothing to install and a smaller set of familiar controls. For correcting and exporting a single RAW file, Raw Photo Editor is often the faster path; when you need every last technical control, RawTherapee is the better tool.
Common questions
How does Raw Photo Editor compare to RawTherapee?
RawTherapee is a free desktop RAW processor with advanced demosaicing, deep sharpening, and powerful selective editing. Raw Photo Editor is browser-based with masking, healing, presets, curves, HSL, and grain — no install required. Raw Photo Editor is simpler to pick up; RawTherapee has deeper technical controls.
Can I use Raw Photo Editor without installing anything?
Yes. Raw Photo Editor runs in a modern desktop browser with WebGL2 support. RawTherapee is installed on Windows, macOS, or Linux.