Who does not love a bargain? And with the prices of Adobe and other software rising constantly, it is nice to know that there is perfectly capable editing software out there that will be useful to most people, most of the time! Although you would have heard of many of these before, many of them have released new versions this year, and are more user friendly and more capable than ever before.
Gimp 3.x
Considered by many to be the ultimate free Photoshop replacement, Gimp recently had a huge upgrade to version 3. It has everything you need for creative work, including the ability to add add-ons to expand its capability. When you load in raw files, they will directly open either Darktable or RawThearapee for initial edits.
[Handle raw files? Yes, via Darktable or RawThearapee]
Available for Windows, Mac and Linux
Download Here
Darktable 5.x
Darktable is a premium raw editor that can produce professional results. It has a medium difficulty level in getting to learn and understand the software, but once you’ve put time into it, it is a very powerful tool that can bring out detail and quality that other raw editors struggle to find.
[Handle raw files? Yes, handles most raw files, and each update adds new cameras]
Available for Windows, Mac and Linux
Download Here
RapidRaw
The new kid on the block, RapidRaw has been developed by one person as a Photoshop alternative. It has come a long way since it’s initial release, and it is now a capable raw editor in it’s own right. It is simple to use, and although it has a few quirks, it is very promising for the future.
[Handles raw files? Yes]
Available for Windows, Mac and Linux
Download Here
RawTherapee
Another completely free and open source raw editor like Darktable. Although it misses out on some of the features of Darktable, as a raw editor it is very powerful. This program does have a steep learning curve, but once you get to grips with it, it is a great raw editor.
[Handle raw files? Yes, handles most raw files]
Available for Windows, Mac and Linux
Download Here
Photopea
A fantastic online photo editor with the power of Photoshop. You can use Photopea on any computer with a browser, so it is ideal for times you are away from your main computer and need to use someone else’s computer to edit photos.
[Handle raw files? Yes, handles most raw files]
Available for Windows, Mac and Linux
Use Online Now
Affinity Studio
Recently Canva bought Affinity Photo and released it as Affinity Studio. The complete suite is free, and technically speaking this is now the number one choice for free editing software. It comes with everything you need, although should you want any AI tools, these are behind a pay wall. This is beyond doubt the number one choice for many people now leaving Adobe.
[Handle raw files? Yes, handles most raw files, and each update adds new cameras]
Available for Windows and Mac
Download Here
Adobe Express
If you just want to get things done quickly and insist on being in the Adobe ecosystem, Adobe Express is a competent piece of software that is easy to use and get great results from. It is very basic compared to other photo editors, however for many it will be more than enough.
[Handle raw files? Yes, handles most raw files]
Available for Windows and Mac
Download Here
Paint .Net
This program has been around forever, and many years ago it was my program of choice. Things for myself have moved on a lot over the decades, but Paint .net is still around, and actively worked on. It’s a great alternative to Gimp too!
[Handle raw files? Yes, buy not natively, 3rd party plugins are needed]
Available for Windows
Download Here
Conclusion
All of these editing programs are free and easy to install and many of them are available for multiple Operating Systems. The great thing about free software is that you can download and use it without any cost to yourselves, and invest as much time as you wish in learning the software.
Generally speaking there are great communities out there for most of this software which will help you should you need any advice on using the editing program of your choice.
There truly is something for everyone, so feel free to give them all a try. Myself, I am an advocate for Darktable as it is extremely powerful, and once you understand the basic tools, it is simple to use. RapidRaw is a lot of fun too, and although a very new project, it is really simple and powerful to use.
Of course, there is a chance that your camera came with its own editing software, and that in most cases will be suitable for most work. Take a look at this NX Studio review for Nikon Cameras to give you an idea of just how good this software can be.
Let us know what you use for your editing, it will be interesting to see.
This has been Part 3 of a 12 part series for “12 Days Of Christmas 2025”. A collection of new articles and so much more from Mark G Adams from One Camera One Lens Photography as well as guest authors. Catch them all if you missed any here.
One Camera One Lens Photography 
A really solid overview, Mark, clear, practical, and refreshingly hype-free. It’s good to see free and open tools discussed as serious options rather than “temporary substitutes,” especially now that many of them have genuinely matured. I also like that you acknowledge different learning curves instead of pretending everything is instant and easy.
As for myself and what I use most: you know I’m a big RawTherapee user and find it surprisingly easy to work with, hahah 🙂 which probably says more about me than about the software. I’ve also come to realise how personal these choices really are, and that there’s no single “best” tool, only what fits how you think and work.
So, well written and big 👍, I’m already looking forward to the next article !
Marc.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I really try and avoid “selling” editing packages these days, as, as you say everything works differently for everyone and we are all different so it’s personal choice. Give RapidRaw a try, you might be surprised at this new little project.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Well, I tested RapidRaw quite some time ago, on the recommendation of one of my readers, and the thing is, you could say that Darktable and RawTherapee are broadly on the same level, both very strong editors, and next to those RapidRaw feels a bit too lightweight for me. It still needs time to grow. On the other hand, I do think it’s a good recommendation for people who want to start with RAW processing, simply because it’s easier to learn, perhaps as a stepping stone toward Darktable or RawTherapee later on.
LikeLiked by 1 person