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Photography · head to head

Pixelmator Pro vs RawTherapee

Pixelmator Pro logo

Pixelmator Pro

Photography

Professional image editing for Mac

From
$49.99/one-time
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: Pixelmator Pro macOS only - no Windows, iPad, or mobile support; 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: Pixelmator Pro covers ML-powered editing, RawTherapee covers Selectable demosaicing.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Pixelmator Pro and RawTherapee actually diverge.

Attributes where Pixelmator Pro and RawTherapee differ
AttributePixelmator ProRawTherapee
Starting price$49.99/one-timeFree
Pricing modelUnknownOpen source, no licence fee
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsmacOSLinux, Windows, macOS
Founded2007Unknown

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 Pixelmator Pro

  • ML-powered editing
  • Non-destructive editing
  • RAW support
  • Layer styles
  • Color adjustments
  • Photos app
  • iCloud
  • Apple Silicon optimization

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.

Pixelmator Pro

  • Photo editingnot RawTherapee
  • Graphic designnot RawTherapee
  • Digital artnot RawTherapee
  • Image retouchingnot RawTherapee

RawTherapee

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

Where each one falls short

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

Pixelmator Pro

  • macOS only - no Windows, iPad, or mobile support
  • Less comprehensive feature set compared to Photoshop
  • Smaller community and fewer third-party plugins than Photoshop
  • Less suitable for professional print workflows compared to industry standards

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

Pixelmator Pro

$49.99/one-time

No published plan breakdown. See the Pixelmator Pro review.

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 Pixelmator Pro if

  • You need ml-powered editing.
  • You work on macOS.
  • You also want non-destructive editing.
Pixelmator Pro 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 Pixelmator Pro or RawTherapee better?
Neither clearly leads. Pixelmator Pro starts at $49.99/one-time and RawTherapee at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Pixelmator Pro or RawTherapee?
RawTherapee has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $49.99/one-time for Pixelmator Pro and Free for RawTherapee.
Does Pixelmator Pro or RawTherapee run on more platforms?
Pixelmator Pro runs on macOS. 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. Pixelmator Pro starts at $49.99/one-time.
What is Pixelmator Pro best used for?
Pixelmator Pro is most often used for photo editing, graphic design, digital art, image retouching. Of those, photo editing and graphic design are not what RawTherapee is typically brought in for.
What can Pixelmator Pro do that RawTherapee cannot?
Pixelmator Pro covers ML-powered editing, Non-destructive editing, RAW support, Layer styles. RawTherapee covers Selectable demosaicing, Floating point pipeline, Local adjustments, Wavelet levels.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Pixelmator Pro: Does Pixelmator Pro work offline?

Yes. Pixelmator Pro is a standalone macOS application that works entirely offline with no subscription or cloud connectivity required.

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.

Pixelmator Pro: What is the price for Pixelmator Pro?

Pixelmator Pro costs $49.99 as a one-time purchase with perpetual license, not a subscription.

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.

Pixelmator Pro: Does Pixelmator Pro support AI-powered editing?

Yes. Pixelmator Pro includes ML-powered features like automatic background removal, smart color adjustments, and ML-based auto-enhancement of photos.

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.

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