ON1 Photo RAW vs RawTherapee

ON1 Photo RAW is paid desktop software for photographers who want RAW processing, editing, organization and export in one application. It supports batch editing, layers, masking, AI retouching and cloud sync, and browses files where they are stored while providing tags, albums, stacking and AI keywording. Built-in AI tools include NoNoise AI, Resize AI, Generative Erase, Sky Swap AI, Restore AI and Brilliance AI. Super Select AI, subject and background masks and AI depth masks target specific areas. Optional connections are listed for Photoshop CC, Photoshop Elements, Lightroom Classic, Apple Photos and Affinity Photo; MAX adds Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom plugins. Restore AI uses cloud processing, and ON1 says submitted photos are not used to train models. The standard edition installs on two computers, MAX on three, and subscriptions on up to five, depending on plan. A 30-day trial is available, with no free plan.

RawTherapee is a free desktop program for developing raw images on Linux, macOS, and Windows. Its non-destructive, 32-bit floating-point engine handles raw files from many digital cameras, including HDR DNG, as well as JPEG, TIFF, and PNG images. Photographers can control demosaicing and development with multiple algorithms, use masking tools, and batch process images. Editing parameters can be copied or pasted across files, and the program can also be used from a command line. RawTherapee can open raw images from GIMP as a plugin and return edited images there, or send processed images to GIMP or another editor. It is libre software under the GNU General Public License version 3, with RawPedia documentation and a community forum for help. The project says it does not include digital asset management, printing, or uploading features. The macOS 5.13 build has different minimum system requirements for Apple Silicon and Intel, and must be installed in /Applications to start.