darktable
Develop RAW photographs with a nondestructive editing pipeline and a searchable photo library.GetGPL-3.0
Image editors
Open-source image editors for Mac for photo retouching, RAW development, layered editing and digital painting.
Image editors cover several related jobs: retouching and compositing photos with layers and selections, developing RAW files from a camera, and painting or drawing with brushes. The apps below include examples of each.
Check whether you need layer-based editing, a non-destructive RAW workflow or painting tools, which file formats each app reads and writes, and whether it supports colour management and graphics tablets.
All Apps
7 free, open-source apps
GIMP
Retouch photographs and build layered images with selection, painting, and editing tools.GetGPL-3.0
Krita
Paint illustrations, comics, and frame-by-frame animation with a flexible digital art workspace.GetGPL-3.0
Pinta
A painting and image editor modelled on Paint.NET, with layers, unlimited undo and live-preview effects.GetMIT
RawTherapee
Develop RAW files with detailed exposure, color, sharpening, and batch export controls.GetGPL-3.0
Redlamp
An alpha-stage RAW photo developer modelled on Lightroom’s Develop workspace, with masking and film looks.GetMPL-2.0
Seashore
A free, straightforward layer-based image editor, kept available on the Mac App Store by its maintainer.GetGPL-2.0
