GIMP vs RawTherapee
Learn how GIMP and RawTherapee differ in their key features, development activity, technology
stack and community adoption, so you can decide which of these photo editing software is best for you.
Learn how GIMP and RawTherapee differ in their key features, development activity, technology stack and community adoption, so you can decide which of these photo editing software is best for you.
GIMP
Last 30 days
Last commit
14 hours agoRepository age
14 yearsRepository
gnome/gimp
RawTherapee
Last 30 days
Last commit
12 days agoRepository age
11 yearsVersion
5.13License
GPL-3.0Repository
rawtherapee/rawtherapee
Detailed Comparison
Both GIMP and RawTherapee have their unique strengths and serve similar purposes effectively. Consider your specific needs regarding popularity, growth, activity, technology, maturity, licensing and features when making your decision.
Both GIMP and RawTherapee have their unique strengths and serve similar purposes effectively. Consider your specific needs regarding popularity, growth, activity, technology, maturity, licensing and features when making your decision.
Community & Popularity
GIMP leads in popularity with 6,401 stars vs 4,160 stars for RawTherapee. The 54% higher star count indicates stronger community adoption. In terms of developer contributions, GIMP has 888 forks, indicating moderate developer engagement.
Growth Momentum
RawTherapee is growing faster, adding 58 stars in the last 30 days (+1.4%) against adding 61 stars for GIMP (+1%). RawTherapee is the smaller project of the two, so it is closing the gap rather than extending a lead.
Development Activity
Both projects show recent activity, with GIMP last updated 14 hours ago and RawTherapee 12 days ago.
Technology Stack
Both tools share common technology foundations, being built with CSS, Bash, Python, C, Objective-C, C++, Perl. However, they differ in their additional technology choices: GIMP uses JavaScript, Lua while RawTherapee leverages C#.
Project Maturity
GIMP has been in development longer, starting 14 years ago, compared to RawTherapee which began 11 years ago. This 3.2-year head start suggests GIMP may have more mature features and established processes.
Licensing
RawTherapee is licensed under GPL-3.0, while GIMP's license terms are not publicly specified.
Use Cases & Features
Both tools serve similar use cases in Photo Editors.
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