If you are capturing your images on your camera or phone in RAW, you may find that these files are flat or lack the pop that you get with a JPG. This is the nature of RAW files; they, unlike JPGs, contain all the information the camera has captured, giving you the capacity to make your own JPG, rather than relying on the JPG algorithm to decide for you. There are numerous applications for your computer, and even more for your phone, that can process RAW files. Fortunately, most have the same basic adjustments, so once you understand these adjustments, you should be able to understand the interface of most of these applications.
Most Popular Computer Applications
The first two rows of the chart below list the most widely used and most comprehensive applications.
Most Popular Phone Applications
In the list below, you will see that some computer applications have also been modified for use on phones. These are usually included with the computer application payment.
Computer Applications
| Name | Key Features / Notes | Platform(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Adobe Photoshop | Industry standard: raster editing, compositing, layers, masking, lots of plugins & extensions. | Windows / macOS |
| Adobe Lightroom Classic / Lightroom CC | Cataloguing, RAW development, batch edits, non‑destructive workflow. Wikipedia+2Digital Camera World+2 | |
| Capture One Pro | High quality RAW processing, tethered shooting, color tools. | Windows / macOS |
| DxO PhotoLab | Excellent RAW conversions, noise reduction (DeepPRIME), lens corrections. | Windows / macOS |
| ON1 Photo RAW | All‑in‑one editor + organizer; lots of effects & presets. | Windows / macOS |
| Skylum Luminar Neo | AI‑driven tools, creative effects, non‑destructive. Wikipedia | |
| Affinity Photo | Powerful Photoshop alternative; one‑time purchase. | Windows / macOS |
| GIMP | Free/open source; raster editor with plugin support. | Windows / macOS / Linux |
| Darktable | Free/Open Source; excellent for RAW processing & photo workflow. | Windows / macOS / Linux |
| RawTherapee | Deep RAW editing, many controls. | Windows / macOS / Linux |
| Photopea | Web‑based; supports PSD, RAW, many formats; good for lighter edits. Wikipedia | |
| ACDSee Photo Studio | Organizer + editing tools; various versions. | Windows (some Mac) |
| Corel PaintShop Pro | More affordable, many features for hobbyists & enthusiasts. Tom’s Guide+1 | |
| Zoner Photo Studio | Photo editor + manager, subscription‑based. Wikipedia | |
| Adobe Photoshop Elements | Simplified Photoshop; aimed at beginners or casual users. | Windows / macOS |
| Canva | Web‑based; templates, graphics, filters; more design/graphics‑oriented but useful for edits. Photo Editing Software+1 | |
| Pixlr | Web editor; lighter edits, filters, effects. New Haven Free Public Library+1 | |
| Paint.NET | Lightweight, simple; good basic editing and plugins. | Windows |
| PhotoScape / PhotoScape X | Simple and fun tools: collages, batch edits, filters etc. | Windows / macOS |
| Ashampoo Photo Optimizer | One‑click fixes, batch operations, easier interface. Youth Power Germany – YP DE+1 | |
| Aurora HDR | Focused on HDR merging / tone mapping. | Windows / macOS |
| Photolemur | Automated enhancements using AI, minimal user control. | Windows / macOS |
| PortraitPro | Tools specialized for portraits (skin smoothing, retouching etc). | Windows / macOS |
| PhotoDirector | Broad toolset + creative effects + video features sometimes. | Windows / macOS |
| InPixio | Simplifies many edits, good for casual users. | Windows / macOS |
| BeFunky | Web‑based; collage, filters, easy graphic design overlays. | Web / some mobile |
| Snappa | More design‑oriented but includes photo manipulation. | Web |
| PhotoDiva | Portrait retouching, beauty tools, simpler UI. | Windows |
| Pixelmator / Pixelmator Pro | Mac‑native; good for editing + painting + graphic design. |
iPhone and Android Applications
✅ Apps That Support RAW Files (iOS & Android)
| App | RAW Support | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Adobe Lightroom Mobile (monthly fee) | ✅ Full RAW support | Import, edit, and export RAW (including DNG); supports tethering and advanced masking. |
| Snapseed (Free) | ✅ Supports RAW (DNG, some others) | Can edit RAW on both Android and iOS. Great free tool. |
| Darkroom (iOS only) (monthly fee or one-time purchase) | ✅ Full RAW support | Non-destructive RAW editing; optimized for iPhone and iPad. |
| VSCO (subscription or app purchase) | ✅ RAW support (iOS & some Android devices) | Offers RAW editing for iPhones and high-end Androids; fewer controls than Lightroom. |
| RAW Power (iOS only) (subscription or app purchase) | ✅ Designed for RAW | Based on Apple’s RAW engine. Advanced editing for RAW files. |
| Affinity Photo (iPad) (subscription or app purchase) | ✅ Full RAW support | Desktop-class editor for iPad. Supports 100+ RAW formats. |
| Photoshop Express (base app free) | ✅ RAW support (limited) | Can open RAW files; fewer controls than Lightroom. Requires Adobe login. |
| ProCamera (iOS) (subscription or app purchase) | ✅ RAW capture & edit | Shoots and edits RAW. Offers full manual control. |
| Halide (iOS) (subscription or app purchase) | ✅ RAW capture | Great for capturing RAW; basic editing. Works well with RAW Power or Darkroom. |
| Camera+ 2 (iOS) | ✅ RAW capture & edit | Captures RAW, allows light editing. Full manual controls. |
| Google Photos | ✅ Limited RAW support | Can view and do minor edits on RAW (varies by device). |
| Lensa | ❌ No RAW support | AI edits and filters only; works on JPEG. |
| PicsArt | ❌ No RAW support | Fun edits and effects only; JPEG files. |
| Pixlr | ❌ No RAW support | For quick edits on JPG/PNG; not a RAW processor. |
| Afterlight | ❌ No RAW support | Only works with JPEG or PNG files. |
| PhotoDirector | ❌ No RAW support | Focuses on quick AI edits and effects. |
| Facetune / Facetune2 | ❌ No RAW support | Only edits compressed files like JPEG. |
📱 Built-in System Apps
| App | RAW Support | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Apple Photos | ✅ Yes (iOS 10.1+) | Can view and do basic edits on RAW (including ProRAW). |
| Google Camera + Google Photos | ✅ Yes (Android) | Can shoot and store RAW (DNG); some editing in Photos. |
Notes on RAW Editing
On iOS, RAW files (including Apple ProRAW) are widely supported in native and 3rd-party apps.
On Android, RAW (DNG) support depends on the device and OS version. Flagship phones typically support it via the Camera2 API.
