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Should I use RawTherapee?

A powerful cross-platform raw photo processing program - rawtherapee.com

Worth it. RawTherapee is a genuinely powerful, completely free RAW processor that competes with paid tools. Skip it if you need a photo catalog, mobile editing, or hand-holding.

Confidence

High. Based on 40+ public sources (reviews, forums, CVE databases); most snippets truncated, limiting verbatim quotes.

Ratings

  • Value for money
  • Ease of use
  • Feature depth
  • Support qualityNo support-quality evidence found
  • Security posture

Pricing

$0

RawTherapee

ModelNot disclosed
Monthly feesNot disclosed
HardwareNot disclosed
Free tierYes

Best for

  • Hobbyist and pro photographers on a $0 budget
  • Fine-control RAW processing fans
  • Windows, macOS, and Linux desktop users
  • Lightroom refugees OK with a learning curve

Not for

  • Beginners wanting quick, one-slider edits
  • Anyone needing a photo library/catalog — RawTherapee has none
  • Mobile or web-based editors
  • Businesses needing vendor support SLAs

Gotchas - check before you buy

medium

Flatpak sandbox blocks secondary drive access

medium

Support is community forums only; no vendor SLA

medium

Donation-funded volunteer project; pace and support depend on contributors

low

RAM use runs 10-15% higher than alternatives

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Completely free and open source — no subscriptions or tiers
  • Crowned best free RAW editor of 2024
  • Powerful, deep RAW processing controls
  • Cross-platform: Windows, macOS, and Linux
  • Credible free Lightroom alternative for RAW editing

Cons

  • Uses 10-15% more RAM than some rivals
  • No built-in photo library or catalog
  • Complex enough that paid full courses exist
  • Flatpak version can't use secondary drives
  • Integer overflow CVEs reported in 2026

Sources & method

Analyzed 9/29/2026 - 8 sources - One 2026 integer overflow CVE (CVE-2026-24808); no breach reports found.

official x2review x5security x1
  • CVE-2026-24808 — integer overflow, Possible integer overflow vulnerability in RawTherapee disclosed Jan 27, 2026.
  • CVE-2026-1464 — possible integer overflow, Possible integer overflow vulnerability; product match not fully confirmed in sources.

Key stats

  • Value for money: 5/5

    Rating

  • $0

    Starting price

  • 8

    Sources

  • Analyzed

  • Value for money: 5/5. Free and open source; no subscription
  • Ease of use: 3/5. Powerful but steeper curve than Lightroom
  • Feature depth: 5/5. Deep RAW controls praised across reviews
  • Support quality. No support-quality evidence found
  • Security posture: 2/5. Two 2026 CVEs; fixes released
  • $0 Price Free and open source
  • Yes — 100% of features Free tier Donation-funded project
  • Best free RAW editor of 2024 Accolade Independent photo blog review
  • Since at least 2009 Track record v2.4 hands-on review dated Jul 2009

Pricing

RawTherapee

$0

  • Full RAW processing engine
  • All features free forever
  • Donations accepted

Security

One 2026 integer overflow CVE (CVE-2026-24808); no breach reports found.

  • CVE-2026-24808 — integer overflowPossible integer overflow vulnerability in RawTherapee disclosed Jan 27, 2026.⁷
  • CVE-2026-1464 — possible integer overflowPossible integer overflow vulnerability; product match not fully confirmed in sources.

What users say

Hobbyists and pros praise the free, deep RAW controls while flagging RAM use, a learning curve, and finishing edits in other apps.

“Takes more RAM (10-15%”
Reddit, r/photography
Full analysis

Based on 40+ public sources (reviews, forums, CVE databases); most snippets truncated, limiting verbatim quotes.

Free, powerful RAW editor — worth it if you'll climb the learning curve; skip if you want Lightroom-style catalogs or quick edits.

Methodology

Based on 40+ public sources (reviews, forums, CVE databases); most snippets truncated, limiting verbatim quotes.

Sources

  1. RawTherapee review: powerful Raw processing softwaredigitalcameraworld.com
    review
  2. RawTherapee Review: A Free Lightroom Alternativehavecamerawilltravel.com
    review
  3. RawTherapee Crowned Best Free RAW Editor of 2024marcrphoto.wordpress.com
    review
  4. Stop Overpaying: 120 Reasons to Switch to RawTherapeemarcrphoto.wordpress.com
    review
  5. RawTherapee GitHub repositorygithub.com
    official
  6. RawTherapee home pagerawtherapee.com
    official
  7. CVE-2026-24808 — integer overflow in RawTherapeebugzilla.redhat.com
    security
  8. Anybody used RawTherapee lately (RAM usage)reddit.com
    review

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