RawTherapee

RawTherapee is the other serious open-source RAW processor, known for exceptional demosaicing algorithms and detail recovery — pixel-peepers often prefer its output to darktable’s. The processing pipeline is deep (wavelets, local adjustments, capture sharpening) and it’s non-destructive, storing edits in sidecar files next to your originals.

It has no real asset management — it’s a develop tool with a file browser, not a Lightroom-style catalog, so pair it with digiKam if you need organization. The interface is dense with dozens of tool panels, and knowing which combination to use takes time. Development has historically moved in bursts, with long gaps between major releases.