While I’m not a pro photographer, I have a huge penchant for shooting RAW photos with iPhone. Unlike other image formats, RAW offers complete control over pivotal aspects like colors, exposure, saturation, and more, thereby allowing you to edit your images with precision. And it’s this flexibility that makes this image format a must-have for professional photographers. If you are also fond of capturing high-quality shots, these are the 7 best RAW photo editing apps for iPhone and iPad that you would like to have at your disposal.
So, how do the RAW photo editors for iOS work, and more importantly; what are the editing tools they offer. While there is no denying the fact that iOS photo editors can’t make a match with their macOS/Windows counterparts, they are more than capable to live up to the expectation.
- Darkroom
- Snapseed
- Adobe Lightroom
- VSCO
- Photofox
- Affinity Photo
- Filterstorm Neue
1. Darkroom
In more ways than one, Darkroom is a complete RAW photo editing app for iPhone and iPad. So, it seems befitting to kickstart this roundup with this app. Despite being feature-rich, the photo editor has kept simplicity at the forefront. Therefore, both casual photographers and pros will love using the app. And it’s this fine balance that makes Darkroom such a popular choice.
Cons:
- At times, it seems to stutter while exporting large files
Install: (Free, $3.99)
If there was a race to be the most feature-packed RAW photo editor for iOS, I guess Snapseed may comfortably win the tile or at least finish among the top contenders. So, if you prefer to have the flexibility to use a wide range of tools to edit your RAW photos, you shouldn’t fail to try it out.
What’s more, Snapseed also offers a much-improved brush tool to let you selectively retouch things like saturation, brightness, and exposure. To make the image appear more natural, you can also adjust the white balance by taking control of colors. And if you want to dive even further, you can take advantage of the lens blur to add a stunning bokeh effect and use the vignette tool to add a soft darkness around the corners.
Cons:
Install: (Free)
3. Adobe Lightroom
I don’t think there are too many photo editors that can edit RAW files with as efficiency as Adobe Lightroom. So, if you have set your sight on both: a wide range of tools and top-of-the-line photo editing precision, you should give serious consideration to it.
Pros:
Install: (Free, $4.99/month)
Another RAW photo editing app that has never failed to impress me is VSCO. Just like Adobe Lightroom and Snapseed, VSCO also has a solid roster of editing tools. You can easily import your RAW images and use a variety of editing tools to edit them with the desired flexibility.
Featuring over 200 professionally designed presets, the app lets you edit your RAW photos with the needed control. So, whether you want to add the glam quotient to your image or make it look retro for a nostalgic effect, you have a ton of presets to achieve the desired effect.
Install: (Free, $19.99/year)
5. Photofox
When it comes to creating amazing art design, Lightricks Photofox has long been one of the best in the business. So, if you are looking for a RAW photo editor that can let you craft eye-catching art, you should try out Photofox.
Install: (Free, offers in-app purchases)
For the folks looking for a top-notch photo editor that can get the most out of the iPad, Affinity Photo can be one of the better contenders. The app features a clean interface and is fully optimized to handle RAW files. Being metal accelerated, it can render large files (supports over 100 megapixels) smoothly.
Cons:
- Doesn’t offer an iPhone app
- Comparatively expensive
Install: ($19.99)
Last but not least, Filterstorm Neue is more than handy to be your favorite RAW photo editor. Packed with a range of masking tools and pre-defined filters, the app can let you edit RAW photos with ease.
Personally, I have found its blend modes very helpful thanks to the ability to add, subtract, color dodge, color burn, overlay, and more. Besides, the noise reduction tool has also performed exceptionally during my test.
Install: ($3.99)
That’s all there is to it! So, these are my top RAW photo editors for iOS. Despite being powerful image editors, they are quite easy-to-use. Therefore, you won’t have to spend much time to take a good hang of their editing tools.
