The lightweight Lightroom alternative brings major performance improvements, regenerating AI masks for batch edits and direct synchronisation with self-hosted photo platform Immich.
RapidRAW has issued version 1.6.7, marking one of the most substantial updates yet for the open-source RAW editor that is positioning itself as a lightweight alternative to Adobe Lightroom. According to the project’s own release notes and product pages, the software is built around a Rust backend, a React and TypeScript front end, and Tauri packaging, with a footprint of just over 20MB across Windows, macOS, Linux and Android. It began in July 2025 as a personal project by a Swiss developer looking to build a faster tool for his own photographic workflow.
This release puts speed and memory use at the centre of the update. RapidRAW says thumbnails now load more quickly, scrolling through large catalogues is smoother, sliders update previews faster, and exports complete with less RAM usage. The developer also rewrote major parts of the image pipeline, optimised GPU shaders, reduced memory consumption across the interface and preview system, and added controls for batch exports so users can limit how many files are processed at once and how much free memory those jobs may consume. The change is significant for photographers handling large shoots, where library responsiveness and export throughput are often as important as raw editing quality.
A major new feature is direct integration with Immich, the self-hosted photo platform. RapidRAW can now browse Immich albums and timelines, edit files as if they were local images, and send edits back to the server so they remain attached to the photo across devices. The software also supports uploading exports to Immich, stacking them with the original and placing them into a chosen album. According to the release notes, edits are synchronised periodically and on exit, while any unfinished work resumes after restart. RapidRAW also stores the API key in the operating system’s secure credential store, and the integration requires Immich version 2.5 or newer.
The editor has also gained more flexible comparison tools and smarter masking behaviour. Users can now compare an edit against the original in split-screen layouts or side-by-side views, with the divider adjustable and the zoom position preserved when switching modes. More importantly for batch work, AI masks no longer remain tied to the first image when copied or saved in presets; instead, RapidRAW regenerates them for each file, including sky, subject and face masks, as well as depth, normal and denoise data. That makes presets far more practical for applying local adjustments across an entire shoot.
Under the bonnet, version 1.6.7 replaces older masking models with newer ones, adds text-based masking and face segmentation, and moves more AI work on to the GPU on supported systems. The release also rewrites noise reduction, sharpening, dehaze and negative conversion, while improving colour handling, highlight reconstruction and automatic adjustments. RapidRAW warns that some existing edits may look different after upgrading, particularly where dehaze, whites, noise reduction or highlight recovery had been used. For current users, the message is clear: this is not just a maintenance release, but a broad overhaul of the processing pipeline that changes both performance and output.
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