11 Free RAW Photo Editors for Mac/Windows/Online in 2025

Part 1. 6 Best RAW Picture Editor for Mac

If you're looking to edit your RAW shots, here are some of the best RAW picture editors for macOS:

1. RawTherapee

Compatibility: Apple Silicon Mac running macOS 13.3 or later

For a free RAW photo editor, this software stands out with advanced capabilities like a 32-bit floating-point processing engine for maximum image fidelity. Its smart demosaicing algorithms recover fine details from sensor data, producing sharp images. RawTherapee's advanced exposure controls and tone mapping deliver perfectly balanced HDR results.

Key Features

• 1.It's Global Lens Corrections automatically fixes distortion for cleaner images.
• 2.You can process multiple files at once by applying identical edits.
• 3.Multi-core acceleration increases editing speed for heavy workloads.

Limitations

• RawTherapee is often criticized for its complexity due to its interface.
• Local adjustment tools like masking are limited compared to competitors.

2. Polarr

Compatibility: macOS 10.15 or later and Apple Silicon (M1/M2)

Regarding a free RAW image editor, it provides advanced color correction, HSL curve adjustments, and other editing tools. Its batch processing lets users edit multiple images simultaneously. You can create custom overlays and blending modes, offering creative freedom.

Key Features

• 1.It allows complex editing like AI-powered object removal and personalized filters.
• 2.Instantly improve RAW photos with intelligent auto-adjustments.
• 3.Apply professional-grade color grading styles and use presets created by others.

Limitations

• It can bring performance hiccups and lag on large batches.
• RAW formats may be down-sampled or mishandled, adding noise in image.

3. Adobe Lightroom

Compatibility: macOS Catalina (10.15) or newer

For those looking for a free photo editor for RAW files, it's AI-powered presets and real-time masking offering selective RAW editing. Its advanced healing tool lets you remove objects non-destructively. You can batch edit multiple RAW files by copying adjustments.

Key Features

• 1.Lightroom syncs edits between desktop, mobile, and browser apps seamlessly.
• 2.Apply Denoise, Super Resolution, and Raw Details directly to RAW files.
• 3.The new Scene Enhance tool identifies landscapes and lets you adjust mountains and skies.

Limitations

• Lightroom often runs slowly, even on high-end computers, with lag issues.
• Cloud storage is expensive to increase, forcing users to either prune their library size or pay.

4. Darktable

Compatibility: macOS Ventura 13.5 or newer, including M1 and M2 chips

Darktable is a free photo RAW editor that does editing in 32-bit floating point. Its color management is precise with built-in ICC profile support like Adobe RGB. In addition, it offers batch editing and advanced features like Diffusion module.

Key Features

• 1.GPU acceleration lets you process high-resolution files swiftly.
• 2.Users can apply complex masks for localized adjustments.
• 3.It supports advanced editing modules like exposure, tone curve, and denoise tools.

Limitations

• The interface stuck during bulk editing, especially on lower RAM systems.
• Its performance can be degraded because of OpenCL/GPU memory constraints.

5. Canon RAW Editor

Compatibility: macOS 13 (Ventura), macOS 14 (Sonoma), or macOS 15

This free RAW file editor offers robust RAW photo editing, optimized exclusively for Canon's CR2/CR3 files. DPP provides deep control of white balance and tone curves, all in a non-destructive workflow. Digital Lens Optimizer improves image clarity, automatically adjusting for lens-specific aberrations.

Key Features

• 1.The Noise reduction goes further, with settings for both luminance and chrominance.
• 2.It also supports batch processing and rapid export in multiple formats.
• 3.This tool can merge multiple images for wider in-focus range.

Limitations

• DPP works only with Canon-compatible RAW files, limiting generic RAW support.
• Advanced local adjustment tools and the print module are less sophisticated than other editions.

6. Affinity Photo

Compatibility: 10.15 (Catalina) or later/ (M1, M2, M3) Mac models

Another free RAW picture editor delivers RAW editing with a non-destructive workflow and advanced layer handling. Its robust RAW development tools offer HDR merge and focus stacking. The smart selection and masking tools allow intricate adjustments, while real-time adjustment layers.

Key Features

• 1.Users enjoy full support for major file formats and fast compositing.
• 2.Advanced features include live mesh warp and normal map editing for textures.
• 3.Asset management is streamlined via dedicated panels for stored cutouts.

Limitations

• The sluggish performance when handling large files ruins the experience.
• It sets a low default PPI, occasionally causing image size and sharpness confusion.

Part 2. Free RAW Photo Editor for Windows

When it comes to finding a free RAW picture editor for Windows, here are powerful options:

1. GIMP (with plugins)

Compatibility: Windows 10 or newer

GIMP stands out as a freeware RAW photo editor, allowing you to retouch RAW files using plugins like UFRaw for vivid images. It supports layers, extensive color grading, and advanced brushes. Its scripting options let you automate repetitive tasks in Python or Scheme.

Key Features

• 1.The plugin ecosystem allows expansion far beyond basic editing.
• 2.AI filters and batch conversion or specialized effects make/workflow easy.
• 3.It offers precise, non-destructive GEGL-based filters and improved color fidelity .

Limitations

• File compatibility with Photoshop and Illustrator formats is limited.
• Handling RAW files requires external plugins, making the workflow more complex.

2. PhotoDirector by CyberLink

Compatibility: Windows 11 and Windows 10 (64-bit only)

This RAW photo editing software excels with AI-assisted features for creative adjustments. It offers multiple exposure blending and background replacement. You can use its batch processor for editing large photo sets.

Key Features

• 1.Includes advanced exposure and dehaze sliders for clarity.
• 2.Offers up to 100 lens correction profiles for enhanced pictures.
• 3.Easy exporting to formats and supports sharing and archiving.

Limitations

• Cataloging and facial recognition tools are less smart.
• The lack of support for the newest camera RAW files is a significant issue.

Part 3. 2 Free RAW File Editor Online

Shifting from software, our next pick is the RAW file editor online tool and application, which lets you work on the go:

1. Best Online Solutions-Photopea

Compatibility: Online tool works on all browsers

The best free RAW photo editor's features include non-destructive layer-based editing and smart object support. Its adjustment suite enables precise exposure, and tonal corrections. Photopea allows users to open and export complex multipage documents.

Key Features

• 1.It features smart objects, vector shape tools, and puppet warp.
• 2.Unique features include AI-powered background removal and content-aware fill.
• 3.Advanced users benefit from batch processing for seamless and efficient work.

Limitations

• The RAW editor lacks advanced controls such as highlight, shadow, and clarity.
• Saving your work isn't automatic, and edits can be lost if you navigate away.

2. Mobile-App Solutions-Snapseed (Android | iOS)

Compatibility: All mobile phones

For the best RAW editor free application, Snapseed supports fine-tuning RAW files, offering granular control over exposure, highlights, and shadows. Its interface includes advanced adjustment tools and more than 29 unique filters. The Selective Brush lets you retouch specific areas to enhance and smooth images.\

Key Features

• 1.To remove unwanted objects, it offers a Healing tool.
• 2.The Curves tool lets you finesse tonal ranges with intuitive swipes.
• 3.Standout features also include Lens Blur and Double Exposure for creative editing.

Limitations

• Snapseed cannot batch-edit photos, so you must edit images individually.
• Sharing options remain basic, with no seamless cloud integration.

Part 4. The Best Photo Editor for RAW Files: HitPaw FotorPea

You're a professional chief and get stunning but flat-looking RAW images from last campaign, instead of wasting time editing traditionally, you turn to HitPaw FotorPea (formerly HitPaw Photo Enhancer), an AI-powered RAW photo software. In seconds, it automatically fixes exposure and sharpness while preserving every detail. Plus, it supports all major RAW formats and works seamlessly on Mac or iPad, transforming your shots from dull to breathtaking without the time-consuming manual edits.

Key Features

• 1.Boosts image resolutions up to 16K while preserving sharpness using AI-powered upscaling.
• 2.Edits multiple photos simultaneously using AI model selection and gallery-based batch workflows.
• 3.Adjusts the exposure, contrast, and color of the RAW photo to enhance it.
• 4.Applies a variety of filters to give RAW pictures a unique vibe.
• 5.Efficiently provides automatic model detection and smart enhancement for improving images.

Guide to RAW Photo Editing With FotorPea

Let's explore how this RAW photo software works to edit your pictures:

Step 1. Access the RAW Photo Editing Tool and Add a Photo

Open HitPaw FotorPea and choose the "AI Photo Editor" to insert your target RAW picture.

Step 2. Adjust the Image Accordingly

Choose the "Adjust" tab and expand the "Basic Adjustment" option. Then drag the slider to adjust its contrast and other elements till you're satisfied.

Step 3. Save the Edited RAW Image

Once done, press the "Export" button to download the edited RAW photo.

Conclusion

In conclusion, this guide has introduced you to top solutions for Mac, Windows, and online use of RAW photo editors, catering to different skill levels. Among them, HitPaw FotorPea stands out as the best all-around, combining powerful features and ease of use.