RapidRAW is a modern, high-performance alternative to Adobe Lightroom®. It delivers a simple, beautiful editing experience in a lightweight package (under 20MB) for Windows, macOS, and Linux.
RapidRAW is for photographers who love to edit their photos in a clean, fast, and simple workflow. It prioritizes speed, a beautiful user interface, and powerful tools that let you achieve your creative color vision quickly.
It is not for users who seek absolute, perfect color accuracy. While the results are great for most purposes, the focus is on a fluid, creative process rather than perfect color precision.
RapidRAW is still in active development and isn't yet as polished as mature tools like Darktable, RawTherapee, or Adobe Lightroom®. Right now, the focus is on building a fast, enjoyable core editing experience. You may encounter bugs - if you do, please report them so I can fix them :) Your feedback really helps!
Publisher’s description
What is RapidRAW?
RapidRAW by Timon Käch is open-source Windows software in the photo editors category. It ranks 14th by popularity among photo editors in this catalogue. It is written in TypeScript. Besides Windows, it is available for Linux.
Installation and requirements
The publisher provides EXE (NSIS) installers for 64-bit and ARM64 Windows. It can be installed for the current user only, without administrator rights. A silent install is possible with the installer’s documented switches.
Updates and version history
The current version is 1.6.5, released on October 6, 2026. The version history goes back to August 11, 2025: 15 releases, all linked to the official files. That is about 13 releases a year. The last update is less than a month old.
Popularity and file types
The source code on GitHub (CyberTimon/RapidRAW) has 10,615 stars. Similar programs include Pinta, Natron and Upscayl.
Project description on GitHub: “A beautiful, non-destructive, and GPU-accelerated RAW image editor built with performance in mind.”
Pros / Cons
Pros
- Open source: the code can be inspected and built by anyone
- Native ARM64 build for Windows on Arm
- Documented silent install
- Installs without administrator rights
- Frequent updates (about 13 a year)
- Also runs on Linux
- Large user base
In short: RapidRAW is an open-source photo editor tool for 64-bit and ARM64 PCs. It is actively maintained. Administrators can deploy it unattended.
Is RapidRAW safe to download?
- The file is served by github.com, the publisher’s own domain
- The download link uses HTTPS
- A SHA256 hash is published, so you can verify the file:
44C38BB74B3C94A4F73CBEE3F8A9A678EFEB39C2ECD98E385438E2E1992DE4D2· Open the VirusTotal report for this hash - The link has not been checked yet
- The source code is public
- ExeAtlas does not host, wrap or modify installers
Related guide: How to check a file’s SHA256 hash on Windows
Recent versions
All 15 versions ›15 versions over 1 year · about 13 a year
| Version | Date | Size | Files |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.6.5Latest | October 6, 2026 | — | 64-bit EXE (NSIS)ARM64 EXE (NSIS) |
| 1.6.4 | September 17, 2026 | — | 64-bit EXE (NSIS)ARM64 EXE (NSIS) |
| 1.6.2 | August 21, 2026 | — | ARM64 EXE (NSIS)64-bit EXE (NSIS)ARM64 MSI64-bit MSI |
| 1.5.8 | June 25, 2026 | — | ARM64 MSI64-bit EXE (NSIS)ARM64 EXE (NSIS)64-bit MSI |
| 1.5.7 | June 7, 2026 | — | ARM64 EXE (NSIS)64-bit EXE (NSIS)ARM64 MSI64-bit MSI |
| 1.5.4 | April 22, 2026 | — | 64-bit EXE (NSIS)ARM64 EXE (NSIS)64-bit MSIARM64 MSI |
| 1.5.2 | March 19, 2026 | — | 64-bit MSIARM64 MSIARM64 EXE (NSIS)64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 1.4.3 | October 19, 2025 | — | 64-bit MSIARM64 MSI |
Install from the command line
Silent install ›winget install --id CyberTimon.RapidRAW -e01_RapidRAW_v1.6.5_windows_x64.exe /SRelated guide: How to use winget: install and update apps
Also for other systems
flatpak install flathub io.github.CyberTimon.RapidRAWInformation
- Publisher
- Timon Käch
- Category
- Photo editors
- Licence
- AGPL-3.0
- Price
- Free
- Source code
- github.com/CyberTimon/RapidRAW
- Written in
- TypeScript
- Content rating
- All ages
- Requires
- Windows 11 / 10
- Architecture
- 64-bit, ARM64
- Installer
- EXE (NSIS)
- Other platforms
- Linux
- Version
- 1.6.5
- Released
- October 6, 2026
- Added to the catalogue
- August 15, 2025
- Versions listed
- 15
- Updates / year
- 13
- GitHub stars
- 10,615
- GitHub forks
- 627
- Website
- github.com
- winget ID
- CyberTimon.RapidRAW
Ratings and reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to rate it.
Alternatives to RapidRAW
See all ›-
Open source15.8K ↓ -
Natron2.5.0Open-source video compositing software. Node-graph based. Similar in functionalities to Adobe After Effects and Nuke by The Foundry.Open source13.8K ↓ -
Upscayl2.15.0A powerful image upscaling tool that uses advanced AI technology to enhance your images.Open source11.1K ↓ -
Open source1.7K ↓ -
Proprietary436.9K ↓ -
Open source791 ↓ -
PhotoDemon2025.4A free portable photo editor focused on pro-grade features, high performance, and maximum usability.Other licence429 ↓ -
Open source8.9K ↓
Frequently asked questions
Is RapidRAW free?
Yes. RapidRAW is open-source software under the AGPL-3.0 licence.
Is RapidRAW safe to download?
The download comes from github.com, which belongs to the publisher; ExeAtlas does not host or change the file. Compare its SHA256 hash with the one shown here, or open the VirusTotal report for that hash.
How do I install RapidRAW with winget?
Open PowerShell or Windows Terminal and run the winget command shown on this page. winget downloads the official installer and checks its SHA256 hash before running it.
Can RapidRAW be installed silently?
Yes. The silent install page lists the exact command for each installer.
Does RapidRAW run on ARM (Windows on Arm)?
Yes, there is a native ARM64 installer.
Where can I download an older version of RapidRAW?
The versions page lists all 15 versions with links to their official installer files, back to August 11, 2025.
Can I use RapidRAW without administrator rights?
Yes, there is a per-user installer that does not need administrator rights.
What are alternatives to RapidRAW?
Pinta, Natron, Upscayl, ART and XnView MP. The alternatives page compares them.
