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Photography · head to head

RawTherapee vs Stellarium

RawTherapee logo

RawTherapee

Photography

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Stellarium logo

Stellarium

Education

Free open source desktop planetarium software, distinct from the paid Stellarium Mobile Plus app

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: RawTherapee there is no catalogue, only a folder browser, so any library management, keywording or search has to happen in a separate application.; Stellarium it is desktop-only software, so it has no native touch-optimised phone interface; the similarly named mobile app is a different paid product from a different company.
  • They diverge on capability: RawTherapee covers Selectable demosaicing, Stellarium covers Photorealistic sky rendering.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which RawTherapee and Stellarium actually diverge.

Attributes where RawTherapee and Stellarium differ
AttributeRawTherapeeStellarium
PlatformsLinux, Windows, macOSWindows, macOS, Linux
CategoryPhotographyEducation

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (Open source, no licence fee), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

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 RawTherapee

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

Only in Stellarium

  • Photorealistic sky rendering
  • Large object catalogue
  • Telescope control
  • Scripting engine
  • Free and open source
  • Plugin ecosystem

What people use each for

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

RawTherapee

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

Stellarium

  • A student or educator wanting a serious, scriptable planetarium tool without a budget line itemnot RawTherapee
  • An amateur astronomer wanting telescope control from desktop software they can inspect and modifynot RawTherapee
  • Someone running a planetarium display or public astronomy event on a scripted shownot RawTherapee
  • A hobbyist who wants a large object catalogue without paying a subscription, and does not need a phone appnot RawTherapee

Where each one falls short

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

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.

Stellarium

  • It is desktop-only software, so it has no native touch-optimised phone interface; the similarly named mobile app is a different paid product from a different company.
  • As a volunteer-maintained open source project, support is community-based rather than a guaranteed commercial help desk.
  • The interface, while capable, is less immediately intuitive for a first-time user than a polished commercial phone app.
  • Telescope control and some advanced plugins require additional setup that a non-technical user may find fiddly.
  • Because it shares a name with the unrelated paid Stellarium Mobile Plus app, buyers researching pricing online can easily conflate the two products.

Pricing, plan by plan

RawTherapee

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

Stellarium

Free
  • Stellarium DesktopFree
    • Full software, GPL licensed
    • No account, ads or subscription
    • Community-developed plugins

Which should you pick?

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

Choose Stellarium if

  • You need photorealistic sky rendering.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, macOS, Linux.
  • You also want large object catalogue.
Stellarium review

Questions people ask

Is RawTherapee or Stellarium better?
Neither clearly leads. RawTherapee starts at Free and Stellarium at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, RawTherapee or Stellarium?
RawTherapee starts at Free and Stellarium at Free.
Does RawTherapee or Stellarium run on more platforms?
RawTherapee runs on Linux, Windows, macOS. Stellarium runs on Windows, macOS, Linux.
Can I use RawTherapee for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is RawTherapee best used for?
RawTherapee is most often used for difficult raw files where the demosaicing algorithm visibly changes the result, such as fine fabric, foliage or architectural detail, archive and restoration work where a free tool with strict colour management is preferable to a subscription, photographers who want to understand and control each processing stage rather than accept a vendor rendering, producing a high quality sixteen bit tiff to hand to gimp or another editor for compositing. Of those, difficult raw files where the demosaicing algorithm visibly changes the result, such as fine fabric, foliage or architectural detail and archive and restoration work where a free tool with strict colour management is preferable to a subscription are not what Stellarium is typically brought in for.
What can RawTherapee do that Stellarium cannot?
RawTherapee covers Selectable demosaicing, Floating point pipeline, Local adjustments, Wavelet levels. Stellarium covers Photorealistic sky rendering, Large object catalogue, Telescope control, Scripting engine.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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.

Stellarium: Is Stellarium really free?

The desktop software is free and open source under the GPL licence. The separate mobile app, Stellarium Mobile Plus, is a different paid product.

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.

Stellarium: Is the mobile app made by the same team?

No. Stellarium Mobile Plus is built by Noctua Software, a different company, and is sold on subscription.

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.

Stellarium: What platforms does the free version run on?

Windows, macOS and Linux desktop.

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