Edit RAW photos non-destructively with RapidRAW, a GPU-accelerated alternative to Lightroom.
Rapid Raw
RapidRAW is a GPU-accelerated RAW image editor that supports non-destructive editing.
About Rapid Raw
Rapid Raw is an open source RAW image editor for photographers. It is built to be fast and uses the GPU for processing. Edits are non-destructive, so the original RAW file is not changed. The project describes itself as a lightweight alternative to Adobe Lightroom, with a package under 20MB.
The editor covers common photo adjustments, including white balance, tone curves, crop and lens or perspective correction, and export options such as borders and aspect ratio padding. Recent development has added an AI-free mode, cancellable AI tasks, and groundwork for cloud-based inpainting, which is still being prepared. The developer states that the software is still in active development and is not yet as polished as Darktable, RawTherapee, or Lightroom, and that users may encounter bugs.
Key features
- Non-destructive RAW editing with GPU acceleration
- Kelvin white balance mode with area sampling
- Tone curves with overlays for inactive channels
- Guided perspective and lens correction on the main canvas
- Export options including borders and aspect ratio padding
- AI-free mode, plus cancellable AI tasks
Best for: Photographers who want a fast, simple RAW editing workflow and can accept software that is still in active development.
Good for
- Lightweight package under 20MB
- Available for Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android
- Source code is publicly available on GitHub
Watch out for
- Still in active development and not as polished as Darktable, RawTherapee, or Lightroom
- Users may encounter bugs; the developer asks for bug reports
Rapid Raw at a glance
- Category
- Design & Creative › Image Creation & Editing
- Type
- Open-source project
- Pricing
- Not confirmed. Check the site
- Open source
- Yes · Source code
- Language
- English
- Last checked
- Oct 6, 2026 · Online when checked
- Listed
- Oct 5, 2026
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Rapid Raw FAQ
Where can I download Rapid Raw?
The latest release is available for Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android from the project's GitHub page.
Where can I find tutorials?
The project links to step-by-step tutorials and documentation covering adjustments and masking.
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