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Photography · head to head

Adobe Photoshop vs RawTherapee

Adobe Photoshop logo

Adobe Photoshop

Photography

The world's best imaging and graphic design software

From
$19.99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
RawTherapee logo

RawTherapee

Photography

Open source raw developer with selectable demosaicing algorithms and floating point processing

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only RawTherapee has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Adobe Photoshop subscription-only model with ever-increasing costs, no perpetual license option; RawTherapee there is no catalogue, only a folder browser, so any library management, keywording or search has to happen in a separate application.
  • They diverge on capability: Adobe Photoshop covers Advanced photo editing, RawTherapee covers Selectable demosaicing.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Adobe Photoshop and RawTherapee actually diverge.

Attributes where Adobe Photoshop and RawTherapee differ
AttributeAdobe PhotoshopRawTherapee
Starting price$19.99/monthFree
Pricing modelUnknownOpen source, no licence fee
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWindows, macOS, iPad, iPhone, Web, AndroidLinux, Windows, macOS
Founded1982Unknown

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Photography).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Adobe Photoshop

  • Advanced photo editing
  • Layer-based editing
  • Selection tools
  • Color correction
  • Digital painting
  • 3D design
  • Typography tools
  • Batch processing

Only in RawTherapee

  • Selectable demosaicing
  • Floating point pipeline
  • Local adjustments
  • Wavelet levels
  • Processing profiles
  • Colour management

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Adobe Photoshop

  • Photo editingnot RawTherapee
  • Digital art creationnot RawTherapee
  • Graphic designnot RawTherapee
  • Web designnot RawTherapee
  • Print designnot RawTherapee
  • Social media graphicsnot RawTherapee

RawTherapee

  • Difficult raw files where the demosaicing algorithm visibly changes the result, such as fine fabric, foliage or architectural detailnot Adobe Photoshop
  • Archive and restoration work where a free tool with strict colour management is preferable to a subscriptionnot Adobe Photoshop
  • Photographers who want to understand and control each processing stage rather than accept a vendor renderingnot Adobe Photoshop
  • Producing a high quality sixteen bit TIFF to hand to GIMP or another editor for compositingnot Adobe Photoshop

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Adobe Photoshop

  • Subscription-only model with ever-increasing costs, no perpetual license option
  • High hardware requirements for smooth performance with large graphics
  • Limited mobile optimization compared to desktop version
  • Limited 3D modeling and rendering tools for professionals
  • AI text generation inside images remains inconsistent and unpredictable
  • No progress monitoring bars for rendering operations

RawTherapee

  • There is no catalogue, only a folder browser, so any library management, keywording or search has to happen in a separate application.
  • The default rendering is deliberately neutral and looks flat next to the camera JPEG, which means every user has to build their own processing profiles before the tool is pleasant to use.
  • Support for new camera models and for Fujifilm X-Trans sensors arrives later than in commercial converters because it depends on volunteer work and upstream library updates.
  • The interface presents several hundred controls across many tabs with little guidance about which ones interact, and the learning curve is measured in weeks rather than hours.
  • Batch export is slow compared with commercial converters and there is no GPU acceleration, so processing a large wedding shoot ties up the machine for a long time.

Pricing, plan by plan

Adobe Photoshop

$19.99/month
  • Photography Plan$19.99/month
    • Photoshop desktop for macOS and Windows
    • Lightroom desktop and cloud
    • 1TB cloud storage
  • Photoshop Single App$22.99/month
    • Photoshop desktop for macOS and Windows
    • Photoshop for iPad
    • Photoshop web (limited features)
  • Creative Cloud Pro$69.99/month
    • All Creative Cloud apps including Photoshop
    • Unlimited standard AI features with Firefly Pro
    • 4,000 AI credits monthly

RawTherapee

Free
  • RawTherapeeFree
    • GPL licensed with no seat limit
    • All processing features included
    • Documentation and support through RawPedia and the community forum

Which should you pick?

Choose Adobe Photoshop if

  • You need advanced photo editing.
  • You work on Windows, macOS, iPad, iPhone, Web, Android.
  • You also want layer-based editing.
Adobe Photoshop review

Choose RawTherapee if

  • You need selectable demosaicing.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Windows, macOS.
  • You also want floating point pipeline.
RawTherapee review

Questions people ask

Is Adobe Photoshop or RawTherapee better?
Neither clearly leads. Adobe Photoshop starts at $19.99/month and RawTherapee at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Adobe Photoshop or RawTherapee?
RawTherapee has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $19.99/month for Adobe Photoshop and Free for RawTherapee.
Does Adobe Photoshop or RawTherapee run on more platforms?
Adobe Photoshop runs on Windows, macOS, iPad, iPhone, Web, Android. RawTherapee runs on Linux, Windows, macOS.
Can I use RawTherapee for free?
Yes. RawTherapee has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Adobe Photoshop starts at $19.99/month.
What is Adobe Photoshop best used for?
Adobe Photoshop is most often used for photo editing, digital art creation, graphic design, web design. Of those, photo editing and digital art creation are not what RawTherapee is typically brought in for.
What can Adobe Photoshop do that RawTherapee cannot?
Adobe Photoshop covers Advanced photo editing, Layer-based editing, Selection tools, Color correction. RawTherapee covers Selectable demosaicing, Floating point pipeline, Local adjustments, Wavelet levels.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Adobe Photoshop: What does a Photoshop subscription include?

A single-app Photoshop subscription ($22.99/month) includes the desktop app for macOS and Windows, Photoshop for iPad, limited web features, 100GB cloud storage, and 25 AI credits monthly. The Photography Plan ($19.99/month) adds Lightroom and increases AI credits to 1,000 monthly.

Source
RawTherapee: Does RawTherapee support Fujifilm X-Trans files?

Yes, but support arrived later than in commercial converters and results on fine detail still trail Capture One and Adobe on some bodies.

Adobe Photoshop: Is there a free trial for Photoshop?

Yes, Adobe offers a 7-day free trial for individuals and 14 days for Teams. The trial requires credit card verification, includes 100GB cloud storage, and full access to all features. The subscription auto-renews at $20.99/month unless cancelled 24 hours before trial ends.

Source
RawTherapee: Can it replace Lightroom entirely?

It replaces the develop side. It does not replace the catalogue, so you will need digiKam, darktable or something similar alongside it.

Adobe Photoshop: What AI features does Photoshop 2026 include?

Photoshop 2026 features Generative Fill with reference image support (for control over lighting and color), Generative Upscale (enlarges images to 8MP while preserving detail), a conversational AI assistant in beta, Harmonize for auto light and color matching, and integration with Gemini 2.5 Flash and FLUX.1 AI models.

Source
RawTherapee: Are my edits stored in the raw file?

No. Edits are written to sidecar profile files next to the raw, so originals are untouched and profiles can be copied between images.

Adobe Photoshop: What platforms does Photoshop run on?

Photoshop is available on Windows 10/11, macOS 13+, iPad (iOS 17+), iPhone (iOS 17+), and web browsers. Android version entered beta in June 2025.

Source
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