- And the best part of a RAW editor is that the edits you make don’t hurt the quality of your photo! With that understanding of how RAW photography works, let’s take a look at some of the best RAW photo editing software. Free RAW photo editors. There are a few options if you want to save money and use a free RAW photo editor.
- Movavi Photo Editor – Most Popular Software. Users sometimes use a RAW photo editing software to edit multiple photos at once, some RAW editing software feature sync edit options to copy specific changes you’ve made to one photo to another, which saves you the time to repeat all the changes you.
Whether you’re a professional photographer or just need to occasionally crop or add some text to an image, it’s important to choose the best photo editing apps for your mac.
Good image editing software will make it quick and easy for you to adjust the look of your photos and create simple graphics for your website and social media.
For simple photo editing, there are plenty of free apps to choose from. If you’re really into your photography or graphic design, you might want to pay for more professional software to access premium features.
It is the best free, open-source photo editor in general. Capture One Express for Sony and Fujifilm. If you are using a Sony or Fujifilm camera to click your RAW photo, then you should use Capture One Express to process your images. Capture One Express is the free version and has the full editor’s cataloging tools. If you use Windows 10, following are 4 free tools you can us to edit RAW files. Darktable is probably the best free alternative to Lightroom. The interface of Darktable is pretty similar to Lightoom. Darktable itself is a free cross-platform RAW editor. This tool might is more popular in Linux users, but you can also use it on. There's no doubt that PhotoDirector 365 is a powerful and versatile photo-editor, but Mac users should definitely check out the free trial to see how they get on with the program's unfamiliar way.
Either way, we’ve rounded up some of the best photo editing apps for Mac in 2021 to help you choose.
1. Apple Photos & Preview (Best Free Apps for Quick Edits and Photo Management)
We’ll start with the easiest and most obvious tool, as it’s free and comes pre-installed with MacOS.
Photos is more of an image management tool, but you can use it to make simple edits to your photos (including RAW files) such as resizing, cropping, rotating, adjusting colors and contrast, and applying pre-set filters.
You can also use the one-click enhancer to automatically adjust and improve your photos.
All users get access to 5GB of free cloud storage and you can upgrade for more for a small monthly fee. The app will also sync across multiple devices. This makes Photos a useful tool for backup as well as editing.
Apart from the Photos app, another useful free app that comes pre-installed on Macs is Preview.
The editing function of Preview isn’t too obvious so many users don’t know it’s there. But it’s a very handy way to make quick changes to your photos such as resizing, adjusting colors, and adding text and simple shapes.
Price: Free
More info:
2. Adobe Photoshop & Lightroom (Best Pro Image Editing Tools for Photographers)
We’ve bundled these tools together because they’re now available together under a monthly subscription plan. Although you can pay for them separately, it’s not any cheaper.
Photoshop has been the undisputed king of photo editing apps since the ‘90s, and no professional digital artist or designer would be without it.
Whatever you want to do with your images or whatever kind of graphic you want to create, you can do it with Photoshop.
In fact, this app is so powerful and well known that “Photoshop” has become a verb. We no longer talk about “editing” photos to remove a blemish from a selfie or replace a dull background with a more appealing one. Instead we “Photoshop” them.
However, the tool is not without its downsides. The software is resource-intensive and can run slowly on older macs or those that don’t have a lot of memory. Opening up Photoshop is overkill if you just want to make a quick edit.
It’s also not exactly the cheapest option but for many people who are serious about image manipulation, it’s the only choice.
While Photoshop is the ultimate app for image manipulation, most photographers prefer working in Lightroom for more subtle edits. It’s not the tool for advanced photo retouching down to the pixel, but it’s perfect for adjusting the overall color balance, tone, and contrast of your images.
In Lightroom, you can record a series of edits, called a preset, and batch-apply this preset to several images to speed up your workflow.
This app is also one of the best choices for organizing your photos, and if you’re using the Cloud based version it’s a useful tool for backup too.
Pricing
Adobe moved from a traditional software model a few years back and Photoshop is now only available as a “Creative Cloud” subscription. You can still use Lightroom as the “Classic” non-cloud version but need to pay a monthly subscription to access it regardless.
A Creative Cloud subscription starts from $9.99 a month, which includes Photoshop for desktop and iPad, the cloud and Classic versions of Lightroom, and 20GB of cloud storage.
For Lightroom only, you can opt for a plan that includes 1TB of cloud storage for $9.99 a month.
There’s also a Photoshop-only subscription for $20.99 a month, which includes 100GB of cloud storage and a drawing and painting app called Adobe Fresco.
For those who like Photoshop but don’t need the full suite of editing tools, Photoshop Elements is an alternative to consider. This software costs $99.99 as a one-off payment with no monthly subscription needed.
More info and download:
- Creative Cloud Photoshop Lightroom
3. Affinity Photo (Best Budget Alternative to Photoshop)
Affinity Photo is a great budget alternative to Photoshop and has become more popular since Adobe changed to a subscription-only pricing model.
As well as all the editing features you’d expect, Affinity includes professional tools such as HDR merge, panorama stitch, and 360-degree image editing. You can also edit PSD files with full layer integrity, plugin support, and smart object import.
Affinity Photo is a cross-platform application that has full file format compatibility so you can work across multiple devices including Mac, Windows, and iPad.
Like Photoshop, there’s a learning curve to making full use of the app and it may be too advanced for those just wanting to do basic edits. But for anyone looking for a cheaper alternative for working with existing PSD files, it’s an excellent choice.
Pricing: $24.99 for the Mac version. The iPad app is an additional $9.99.
4. GIMP (Free Alternative to Photoshop)
GIMP is often described as the open-source version of Photoshop, and its suite of advanced editing tools is certainly more than what you’d expect from free software.
As it’s open-source, there are also a lot of third-party plugins available to extend its functionality and provide filters and tools for speeding up your workflow.
However, while GIMP may be powerful, it’s not the most user-friendly app on this list. There are also very few tutorials (official and user-created) compared to other software.
This app also has its own scripting language that you can use to automatically run a series of edits on a batch of photos, much like Lightroom actions. But the process of setting this up is pretty intimidating if you don’t have any coding experience.
GIMP is definitely a tool for the technically inclined. If you don’t mind spending the time to learn and the unappealing user interface, you can do a lot with it. But it’s not as advanced as Photoshop and lacks a mobile version for on-the-go edits.
Pricing: Free
5. Pixelmator (Good Budget All-Rounder)
Pixelmator is a very popular and easy-to-use image editing app for Mac that’s also very affordable.
This app comes in two versions: Classic and Pro. Classic is still available and includes all the tools you’d expect from an image editor including making selections, adjusting colors, retouching, adding effects, and adding your own text, vector shapes, and freehand painting. This version is no longer being actively developed.
The Pixelmator team is now concentrating on the Pro tool, which includes additional and enhanced features such as non-destructive workflow, a new painting engine with dual-texture brushes and advanced blending, and enhancements for fast performance.
Pricing: Pixelmator Classic is currently available for $4.99, while Pixelmator Pro is normally $39.99 but is on sale for $19.99 at the time of writing
6. Luminar (Best AI Tool for One-click Image Enhancement)
Luminar is an AI-powered editing tool that can help to improve your photography by making automatic tweaks guided by its internal algorithms. This means that it’s very easy for beginners to use to improve their photos without needing to learn how to make advanced photo edits.
You can also use Luminar to carry out more sophisticated changes such as replacing the sky in landscapes and adding effects like sunrays and digital fog, and perfecting skin and features in portrait photography.
Luminar is a great choice for anyone who wants to make their photos look more impressive at the click of a button. But while it has all the basic editing options, it’s probably not the best choice if you dislike auto-edits and filters and prefer to have more fine control over edits.
Side note: The popular free AI-powered photo-editing app Photolemur is no longer available and is now part of Luminar AI.
Pricing: From $73.70 for a single computer license for Luminar 4. Luminar AI costs an additional $108.90, which includes a license for two computers.
7. Fotor (Free Basic Editor with Upgrade Option)
If you’re looking for a free photo-editing app with basic functionality, you might want to give Fotor a try. This app is the perfect antidote to complicated software with dozens of options. You can also install it on multiple devices.
Fotor includes all the basic photo editing tools you need to adjust the color, contrast, sharpness, and saturation of your images. You can also apply photo effect filters in a single click and use the portrait retouching tools to enhance your pictures of people.
There’s also a suite of design tools so you can easily add borders, stickers, and text to create photo collages, graphics, posters, flyers, and more. The app includes thousands of pre-designed templates that you can edit as needed.
Pricing: Fotor Basic is free to download and use. Fotor Pro is also available from $8.99 a month. This version includes advanced editing tools and more photo effects, layouts, and templates.
8. PhotoScape X (Simple Free Image Editor & GIF Creator)
PhotoScape X is another free image editing tool that makes it easy for you to adjust and enhance your photos.
The software comes with a number of filters and photo effects to create artistic looks with your photography. There are also hundreds of frames and patterns to create graphics, and a collage and cut out tool.
You can edit your RAW images with this app, and it also includes a handy GIF creator.
Price: Free
9. Movavi Picverse (Best for Photo Restoration)
Movavi Picverse Photo Editor is an easy-to-use image editing app. It’s designed to meet the needs of beginners and professional photographers alike.
Its AI-powered tools make it quick and easy to enhance your photos, remove or replace image backgrounds, remove objects from images, and restore scratches, stains, and noise from scans of old photos.
You can apply one of hundreds of filters to change the look and effect of your photos instantly.
There’s also a suite of advanced photo retouching tools for improving portraits including removing blemishes, applying makeup, and enhancing smiles.
Pricing: $59.95
What is the Best Photo Editing App for Mac?
So, how to decide on the best photo editing software for you? You must first consider how much you’re willing to pay for it.
The free Photos tool that comes pre-installed on your Mac will do just fine for basic edits, or you can use a free app like PhotoScapeX or Fotor for more filters and options.
When you want to get into serious photo manipulations, you’ll need a tool that has a more advanced suite of editing tools.
If you have a spare $10 a month, check out the Photoshop/Lightroom combo. There’s no doubt this will help your images look amazing. If you’re making money from your photography, it’s worth the investment.
For those on a more modest budget, try Affinity Photo or Pixelmator Pro. They’re both impressively powerful for a very low one-off cost.
Artificial intelligence technology has made it possible to instantly improve your photos in a single click. You can also achieve tasks such as removing unwanted objects or people from your photos in a fraction of the time it would take you to do manually. If you want an AI-powered image editing app, take a look at Luminar or Movavi Picverse.
Do you take a lot of photos on your phone and post them directly to social media? Or prefer working on the go from your iPad? If so, it makes sense to choose an app that has cross-platform support. Photoshop, Affinity Photos, and Pixelmator all include cloud syncing tools. This means you can access your images and edit on mobile devices.
You might also want to take a look at our list of web-based photo editing tools. You can use these services to make quick edits on most devices.
Editing those non-processed RAW images is a time-consuming process. But, when you have a good raw photo editor with you, it becomes pretty easy to edit these photos with minimum efforts just like other sorts of images.
Because no information is compressed in the RAW images, these files could be heavy in size. So, to edit them, you must have a system with decent configurations along with a good photo editing software.
Having an intuitive and easy-to-use photo editing software can assist you to edit your photos quickly and take them to the subsequent level. So, in this article, I am going to discuss the best RAW Photo Editors which you can use in your Windows and Mac system.
Because RAW editors are sophisticated software that needs an extended time to develop, you will hardly find free RAW photo editors. Nevertheless, all paid RAW photo editors on this list offer free trials that allow you to check them before buying.
I have also published an article discussing the best photo editors for Mac. Read it too.
1. Luminar 4
Luminar is one of the most amazing and user-friendly RAW photo editing software. Its AI-powered tools are highly impressive when it comes to editing your desired sorts of HDR or RAW images.
You can use its interactive editing features such as smart contrast, refined editing module, and LUT mapping.
Luminar may be a relative newcomer to the photo-editing scene but it is made an enormous splash already. If you wish the thought of an all-in-one photo-editor which will both organize your images and edit those with a non-destructive workflow, then you are within the right place!
It even supports image layers, masks, and montages. It also introduces the thought of custom workspaces which you will found out for specific image types, like Black and White or Portraits.
Primary Features of Luminar 4 as a RAW Photo Editor
- Dodge and Burn
- AI-powered Sunrays feature
- Batch processing
- The Orton effect
- Easily customizable and adjustable gradient
Price of Luminar 4:
- New User: US$89
- Existing User: US$69
2. Capture One Pro
Capture One Pro is one of the most popular RAW photo Editor that supports RAW file formats and has dedicated versions for Fuji and Sony camera users.
It is a fully-packed photo editor that suits well for any sort of RAW editing task.
With the new 2021 update of Capture One Pro is offerings some additional tools such as clone brush, heal brush, lightroom export, and Nikon profiles.
It offers exceptional RAW image file processing, image cataloging, layers, local adjustments, and keystone adjustments, also as almost all the features one would expect out of a professional image editing app.
For RAW editing works, you can use its amazing detailing features and lens profiles. Custom lenses are there to make your editing works much smoother.
Features of Capture One pro as a RAW Photo Editor:
- Different software packages for Sony, Fuji-film, and Nikon
- Color control options
- Sharpening and Noise-reduction tools
- Output Proofing
- Lens correction and Keystone
- Moire
- Simulated Film Grain
Price of Capture One Pro:
- Monthly Plan: US$20/Month
- Perpetual License: US$180
3. Corel PaintShop Pro
Corel Paintshop Pro is another impressive RAW photo editor which you should try in 2021. The software comes along with numerous advanced editing features which makes it best to editing RAW and HDR images.
Numerous AI-powered tools, 360 degree photo editing, plugin support, and various other features makes this software suitable for professional editing tasks.
Corel continues to create on its low-cost Photoshop competitor, adding some fun new tools and improving the speed of some operations. Photographers who value simplicity will adore Corel PaintShop Pro (and if you continue to grind to a halt, you will rest assured as there are learning tutorials available as well).
Corel Paintshop Pro has a separate feature for RAW photo editing which is known as RAW Lab. Here, you will find before and after view, and other preview options which are backed by advanced editing tools.
Features of Corel Paintshop Pro for RAW Photo Editing:
- Basic RAW editing tools such as White Balance, Highlight recovery, and Noise reduction
- Lens correction
- Preview tools to see before and after outputs
- RAW Support for more than 650 camera models
Price of Corel PaintShop Pro 2021:
US$ 55 Approx.
4. ON1 Photo RAW
ON1 Photo RAW is an entire solution that has photo management functionality, a strong RAW processor, and various advanced tools for professional photo editing.
The 2021 version brings several improvements, including AI auto adjustment and AI match options, four new ‘weather’ filter effects, new effects presets, and – coming over the subsequent few months – cloud sync and a mobile app.
This new versions has enhanced decoding capabilities for raw files especially for Fuji-film. You can create custom camera profiles too.
All you have got to try to do is download it to your device and install it to unlock countless custom presets, borders, textures, and stackable filters. All things considered, it is a comprehensive photo editing tool that permits you to enhance your photos quickly.
In other words, using this advanced RAW photo editor, you can get amazing outputs for any sort of RAW editing task.
Features of ON1 Photo RAW for RAW photo editing:
- RAW processor and layered editing interface
- SmugMug Integration
- Noise reduction features
- AI Mask, AI Match, and AI Auto tune features
- Support for more than 800 cameras
Price of ON1 Photo RAW:
- Bronze Package: US$49.99
- Gold Package (Updgrade): US$63.99
- Gold Package (New): US$79.99
5. Darktable
Darktable is an open-source, free RAW photo editor available for Windows, Mac, and Linux. It is designed to be a virtual darkroom and allows you to look at negatives through a zoomable lighttable.
Rather than being a raster graphics editor like Adobe Photoshop or GIMP, it includes a lot of features for amazing RAW editing tasks for photographers.
Darktable allow you to improve your digital photography experience by creating excellent images using its versatile offerings. The non-destructive editing and a smart workflow makes this software suitable for any sort of professional photo editing.
Darktable has a GPU accelerated image processing feature that makes editing tasks fast and efficient for the users.
Features of Darktable For RAW Photo Editing:
- Advanced color management
- Zoomable user-interface
- 8×32-bit floating point pixel buffers supported core functions
- Various Demosaicing methods
- Enhanced basecurve presets
Price of Darktable:
Free and Open-Source
6. DxO PhotoLab
DxO PhotoLab is another highly impressive RAW Photo editor preferred by the professionals. DxO PhotoLab matches the rendering of over 60 camera models and provides optical corrections and custom lens profiles.
You can use it easily to convert RAW file formats into JPEG and others. Managing colors in this software is pretty easy using its HSL tools.
DxO PhotoLab is that the replacement for the old DxO Optics Pro, adding local adjustment tools from DxO’s acquisition of the Nik Collection software to form it a more powerful all-round photo-editing solution.
Using its advanced refining tools, you can get amazing results to edit and optimize your RAW files. You can easily adjust the lighting and effects that suits best with your photographs.
You can try its trial version and check whether it suits with your RAW photo editing requirements or not.
Features of DxO PhotoLab for RAW photo editing:
- DxO Smart Lighting
- Spot Weighted Correction
- Batch Processing
- FullScreen view and customizable interface
- Moire Removal
Price of DxO PhotoLab 3:
- Essential Edition: US$129
- ELITE Edition: US$199
7. Aurora HDR
Aurora HDR is the primary Skylum solution for RAW photo editing and is one of the foremost appreciated HDR photo editors. Its AI-powered tools are highly impressive to edit both HDR and RAW images.
Aurora is capable of stunning results, producing images with artistic flair but with natural tonal and color gradation. Aurora HDR allows you to use its 80 different looks and customize your RAW images in your desired manner.
It has the tone-mapping innovation for single and organized pictures with the Quantum HDR Engine. LUT Mapping filters for creative color and tone adjustments are available in Aurora HDR.
For RAW editing purposes, Aurora HDR is equipped with amazing tools and features including batch processing. Also, it support most of the popular camera brands and intelligent processing engines for impressive results.
Features of Aurora HDR for RAW Photo Editing:
- Use as standalone or Plug-in
- Advanced Noise removal, clarity, and smart structure features
- Layers, blending modes and masking features
- Quantum HDR Engine
- Bracket Merging
Price of Aurora HDR:
US$90 Approx.
8. PhotoDirector 11 Ultra
With PhotoDirector Ultra, Cyberlink aims to deliver a photograph editor that accumulates the functionalities of Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom at a far better price. PhotoDirector Ultra supports RAW file formats and provides AI-based tools for image retouching, layer editing, and presets.
Premium photo editor PhotoDirector ultra is not hugely different from its predecessor – and that is no bad thing. Amazing layer editing features and AI-powered deblur features make this software great for photographers.
Photo workflow and editing program PhotoDirector ultra offers a smooth interface and powerful capabilities.
AI Facial recognition, move & clone, Dehaze & Defringe, 360 degree photo editing are some excellent features of this software which should try once.
Features of PhotoDirector 11 Ultra for RAW photo editing:
- HDR, HSL, Preset and other photo editing tools
- Content aware editing and AI-guided tools
- Premium plug-in supported
- Masks, Blend, Text, and other layer editing tools
Price of PhotoDirector 11 Ultra:
US$99.99 [Trial Period is available]
9. Adobe Lightroom
Adobe Lightroom is another highly advanced cloud-based HDR Photo editor. Yes, Lightroom will allow you to edit your RAW images on the go using any device.
Lightroom is one of the most suitable photo editor software for Photographers. So, you can expect some amazing features for RAW editing too.
It also allow you to organize your photos at one place and access them from anywhere and anytime you want. Its in-app tutorials makes it much more easier to learn for the beginners.
Most impressively, Adobe Lightroom is not so much complex as compared to Adobe Photoshop. Also, getting help related to any feature inside the app is pretty easy.
Features of Adobe Lightroom for RAW photo editing:
- Customizable presets and profiles
- Easy to enhance photo using in-built effects
- Use sliders to edit images
- Sharpen photos and shift focus
- Healing brush and background removal tools
Price of Adobe LightRoom:
- Lightroom (1TB): US$9.99/Month
- Photography (20GB): US$9.99/Month
- Photography (1TB): US$19.99/Month
10. AfterShot Pro
AfterShot Pro is another amazing RAW photo editor offered by Corel. Designed to compete with Adobe Lightroom, AfterShot Pro focuses on increasing processing speed while delivering high-quality editing and refining features to the Photographers.
AfterShot Pro uses its proprietary algorithm to render raw images. With its powerful RAW processing engine, it offers extensive features that you will not get with any other software in this domain.
It has a vast preset library, recover tools, and highlight recovery options always ready for the users. You can also add watermarks to your work using its separate watermarking tool.
Features of AfterShot Pro for RAW photo editing:
- Lens Correction Development Kit
- Supports popular camera brands including Nikon, Canon, Panasonic, Sony, Kodak, etc.
- Lots of camera profiles
- Blemish recover tool
- Lots of free and paid plug-ins
- Multi-version editing
- Noise reduction by Athentech
Best Free Raw Photo Editor Mac Os
Price of AfterShot Pro:
- Full Version: US$79.99
- Upgrade: US$59.99
Best Free Raw Photo Editor Machine
Final Words:
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