Alternatives / Adobe Lightroom
Looking for an open source Adobe Lightroom alternative? We compared 2 open source RAW photo editors by license, workflow, color management, platforms, and features. Darktable is the closest to Lightroom's library and develop workflow, and RawTherapee is a powerful RAW processor with a different approach.
Written by Maxime DERAME
Last updated:
| Alternative | Best for | License |
|---|---|---|
| darktable | Closest RAW workflow with a photo library | GPL-3.0 |
| RawTherapee | Advanced RAW processing and demosaicing | GPL-3.0 |
We looked for open-source tools that overlap with Lightroom's core: developing RAW photos non-destructively, managing a photo library, and applying color corrections. We verified each project's license, recent activity, stars, releases, and platforms in its repository. Only two mature projects fit, and both are desktop apps with no cloud sync or mobile apps. See our methodology for the full criteria.
Both darktable and RawTherapee are desktop applications. Neither provides Lightroom's cloud sync, mobile apps, or built-in photo storage subscription, so syncing between devices means managing files yourself, for example with your own backup or file sync setup.
Darktable is the closest: it combines a lighttable for browsing and rating a photo library, a darkroom for non-destructive RAW development, professional color management, and GPU acceleration, with edits stored in a database and sidecar files. RawTherapee focuses on the processing itself, with a 32-bit floating point engine, advanced demosaicing algorithms, HDR DNG support, and multi-frame processing, and offers less of a library manager.
Both run on Linux, Windows, and macOS. Darktable is developed mainly on Linux, so other platforms can have additional bugs, and its macOS builds target Apple Silicon Macs running macOS 14 or later. Check platform support for your hardware before switching.
Darktable and RawTherapee are both GPL-3.0.
Both projects are actively developed. Darktable's latest release was 5.6.1 in August 2026, and RawTherapee's was 5.13 in July 2026, with commits in both repositories within days of this update.
Adobe Lightroom is a proprietary subscription: you pay monthly, cloud storage plans add cost, and your catalog and presets are tied to Adobe's ecosystem. Open-source alternatives are free, keep your photos and edits on your own disk, work with open sidecar files, and have no subscription, at the cost of a steeper learning curve and no integrated cloud sync or mobile editing.
| Alternative | Focus | License | Platforms | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| darktable | Library and RAW development | GPL-3.0 | Linux, Windows, macOS (Apple Silicon) | Lightroom-style workflow |
| RawTherapee | RAW processing | GPL-3.0 | Linux, Windows, macOS | Advanced RAW conversion |
Want a Lightroom-style library and develop workflow
Darktable offers a lighttable, non-destructive RAW editing, color management, and GPU acceleration, with a steep learning curve.
Want advanced RAW processing and demosaicing
RawTherapee has a 32-bit floating point engine, advanced demosaicing, HDR DNG support, and multi-frame processing.