Best RAW Photo Processing Software in 2026
Updated
In short: Adobe Lightroom is ranked #1 of 24 as of 3 October 2026, ahead of darktable and RawTherapee. The best-ranked option with a free plan is darktable. The lowest first paid tier on this page is Zoner Photo Studio X at $4.92/mo.
24 RAW photo processing software ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
| # | Platform | Score | Why | From | Free plan | Paid from | Catalog workflow | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Adobe Lightroom | 7.5 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | — | — | — | View |
| 2 |  darktable | 7.3 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | — | View |
| 3 |  RawTherapee | 7.0 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | — | View |
| 4 | Capture One | 6.9 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | No | — | — | View |
| 5 | Darkroom | 6.7 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | — | View |
| 6 | Canon Digital Photo Professional | 6.6 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | — | View |
| 7 |  Nikon NX Studio | 6.6 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | Yes | View |
| 8 | ON1 Photo RAW | 6.5 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | — | — | — | View |
| 9 | ART | 6.4 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | — | View |
| 10 |  DxO PhotoLab | 6.3 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $159.99/mo | — | — | — | View |
| 11 | Zoner Photo Studio X | 6.3 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $4.92/mo | No | — | — | View |
| 12 |  Hasselblad Phocus | 6.1 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | — | View |
| 13 |  vkdt | 6.0 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | Yes | View |
| 14 |  OM Workspace | 5.9 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | — | View |
| 15 |  RAW Power | 5.8 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $9.99/mo | No | — | — | View |
| 16 | Photomator | 5.8 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | — | — | — | View |
| 17 |  Corel AfterShot Pro | 5.7 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $79.99/mo | No | — | — | View |
| 18 | Exposure | 5.4 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | No | — | — | View |
| 19 |  FUJIFILM X RAW STUDIO | 5.3 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | — | View |
| 20 |  SILKYPIX Developer Studio Pro12 | 5.2 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | ¥25,300/mo | No | — | No | View |
| 21 | Luminar Neo | 5.1 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $129/mo | No | — | — | View |
| 22 | dcraw | 5.1 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | No | View |
| 23 |  Iridient Developer | 5.0 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $119.99/mo | No | — | — | View |
| 24 |  Nitro | 4.7 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | No | — | Yes | View |
Is your platform on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored. They are labelled, and the editorial order and scores never change for payment.
Questions about this list
Which RAW photo processing software is ranked first on Inferse?
Adobe Lightroom is ranked #1 of 24 with a score of 7.5. darktable is second and RawTherapee third.
How many of these have a free plan?
6 of the 24 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, Zoner Photo Studio X has the lowest first paid tier we found: $4.92/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked on what each maker publishes, open and connectable first: a public API, open-source code, the depth of its documentation and a free tier to try it on. Model lists are sorted by the figure in their title, exactly as each provider publishes it. Paid placements never change a rank.