Edit Sony ARW files on your Mac.
Built around Sony Alpha.
RevelRaw is a native macOS editor for Sony Alpha. Drop a .ARW, and the app reads the scene, ranks 50+ curated presets, and lets you fine-tune, compare and export, all on your Mac.
Edit and compare unlimited photos free. Includes one full-quality export. Lifetime purchase available.
macOS 26 or later · Apple M1 or later
About the ARW format
ARW is the RAW file every Sony Alpha writes: the sensor's unprocessed data, the shot's metadata and a small JPEG preview in one file. RevelRaw is built around it, and when your Mac can't read a new body's files yet, RevelRaw tries its own decoder.
- Cameras
- Every Sony Alpha body since 2006
- Variants
- Compressed, Lossless Compressed, Uncompressed; which you get depends on the body
- Opens in macOS Preview?
- Most bodies; a just-released camera waits for a macOS update
- File size, our a7 V (33 MP)
- 26.2 MB median Compressed (532 files); 44.1 MB Lossless Compressed (14 files)
The most common ARW problem on a Mac is a brand-new Sony body. macOS has one RAW decoder, and it only learns a new camera through a macOS update, so a whole card can show blank icons. The files are fine. RevelRaw tries Apple's decoder first, then its own, and often opens a new body before macOS does. On that path, white balance and lens correction aren't available yet.
The second trap is the compression setting. Sony adds new RAW compression modes with new bodies, and those can outrun every decoder at once: the A7R VI's "Compressed RAW 2" files opened in neither macOS nor RevelRaw until an August 2026 macOS update. A mode newer than RevelRaw's own decoder needs an update, Apple's or ours. Until it lands, shoot Lossless Compressed. It keeps every bit the sensor recorded.
Related guides
Change just part of your photo.
Brighten a face, soften a background or bring out the sky. Selective edits let you adjust light, color and detail exactly where you want them.
- Click to select
- Click a face, the sky or the background to select it. Requires macOS 27; Apple’s selection model downloads on first use, then runs on your Mac.
- Gradients and brush
- Darken a sky with a linear gradient, lift a subject with a radial gradient, or paint a mask with the brush. Works on macOS 26 and later.
- Refine each area
- Use up to three layers per photo, each with its own light and color controls. Soften edges, change the amount or invert the selection.
- Carry edits across a series
- Sync, Copy and Paste gradient and brush layers across compatible photos. AI selections stay with the original photo.
Bring out the detail. Get the color right.
Start with Auto white balance, fine-tune in Kelvin, and return to As Shot whenever you like. Pull back highlights and lift shadows without halos, add depth with Structure and cut through haze with Dehaze. Shift any of eight color bands with HSL, shape contrast with RGB tone curves, and compare with the original as you edit.
Export for your feed, portfolio or print.
Choose an export preset for Instagram, your portfolio, stock sites or print. Set the format, size and color space together, and include your name and copyright in the file.
- Instagram JPEG · 1080 × 1350 · sRGB · 90%
- 500px JPEG · 2048 × 2560 · sRGB · 95%
- Adobe Stock JPEG · Full · sRGB · 100%
- Print TIFF 16-bit · Full · Adobe RGB
- Web HEIF · 2400 long · P3 · 85%
“RevelRaw does everything locally, with no account and no internet. The AI scene detection is genuinely useful, and the AI denoise saved several high-ISO photos from a wedding last week.”
“It was better than I expected. For editing something quickly, it’s a very good app.”
“The AI helped me remove the noise from my photos.”
Clean up the grain in the shots worth keeping.
Reduce luminance and color noise with AI denoise, then set the strength to keep the texture you want. Process the full-resolution photo on your Mac. Drag the comparison to inspect the detail.
Keep the look you chose in-camera.
RevelRaw reads the Sony Creative Look recorded in your ARW and applies it when you open the photo. Start with the FL, VV or other supported look you shot, then refine it with the editing controls.
Bring the RAW files you already shoot.
Open 24 RAW formats, from Canon CR3, Nikon NEF, Sony ARW and Fujifilm RAF to DNG and iPhone ProRAW. Check supported RAW formats, then try one of your own files. Just need to look at a file first? See how to open RAW files on a Mac with nothing installed.
Edit free. Your first export is on us.
Edit as many photos as you like. To export more than one, choose any plan below.
- Unlimited full-resolution exports, no watermark
- Batch export a whole shoot, or just your selection
Prices shown in USD. Download free and choose a paid plan inside the app. Apple handles payment. Monthly and yearly subscriptions auto-renew until you cancel in System Settings; lifetime is a one-time purchase.
Before you download
Can RevelRaw open ARW files?
Yes — ARW is the format RevelRaw is built for. Drag one in or pick it from File > Open: AI scene detection ranks 50+ presets against the photo, Sony Creative Looks are read and applied automatically, and exports go out as JPEG, PNG, TIFF or HEIF. Want the full story on the format itself? Read our ARW guide, see how to open ARW files on a Mac, or convert ARW to JPEG when you need a shareable file — or browse every format RevelRaw opens.
Which cameras does RevelRaw support?
Every Sony Alpha body since 2006 — ARW is RevelRaw's deepest support. It also opens RAW from Canon, Nikon, Fujifilm, Panasonic, OM System and nine more brands: 24 RAW formats in all.
How much does RevelRaw cost?
RevelRaw is free to download, editing is free, and your first export is free so you can try the whole workflow. After that, RevelRaw Pro gives you unlimited exports and batch export for $3.99/month, $24.99/year (about $2.08 a month), or $94.99 once for lifetime access. You buy inside the app through your Apple Account, and monthly or yearly plans can be canceled anytime.
What is RevelRaw?
RevelRaw is a Mac app for editing Sony RAW photos. Open a Sony .ARW file and RevelRaw recognizes what's in the shot, suggests the best-matched looks from its 50+ presets, and lets you fine-tune and export, all on your Mac.
Which ARW compression setting should I shoot?
Lossless Compressed, where your body offers it: it keeps every bit the sensor recorded. On our a7 V, lossless files came to a median 44.1 MB against 26.2 MB for Compressed, which discards a little data you'll almost never see. Availability varies by generation: the a7 III has no lossless option, the a7 IV does.
Do I need Sony's Imaging Edge to edit ARW files on a Mac?
No. RevelRaw opens ARW files directly and exports JPEG, PNG, TIFF or HEIF. Sony's free Imaging Edge Desktop is still worth keeping as a backup: its decoder comes from Sony, so it reads a just-released body on day one.
What can I try for free?
Open, edit and compare unlimited photos for free, including syncing edits across a shoot. One full-quality single-photo export is included. Pro unlocks unlimited exports and batch export.
Will it work on my Mac?
You need macOS 26 or later and a Mac with an Apple M1 chip or later. RevelRaw is available in English, Spanish, Japanese, German, French, Italian and Portuguese. Check the current requirements on the Mac App Store before downloading.
Do I need editing experience?
You can start with a suggested preset and export, or refine the result with exposure, color, detail and crop controls. Preview your changes, compare with the original and use undo to explore different edits.
Does RevelRaw have film looks and HSL?
Yes. RevelRaw 4.8 adds 14 film looks inspired by classic slide, negative, cine and black-and-white film, and an HSL panel that adjusts hue, saturation and luminance in eight color bands. Structure and Dehaze arrived in 4.7. All of them are free to use; Pro adds unlimited and batch export.
Do my photos get uploaded?
Opening, editing, AI processing and exporting happen on your Mac. You do not need a RevelRaw account. You need internet access to download the app or buy Pro through the App Store.
Can I export for social media and print?
Yes. Export as JPEG, PNG, TIFF or HEIF, with presets for social media, stock sites, print and web. Set the dimensions, quality and color space for your destination, and add copyright and other metadata to the file.
Can I edit a whole shoot at once?
Yes. Open a folder or multiple RAW files, refine one photo, then Sync, Copy or Paste selected settings across the others. Batch editing is free and can be undone in one step. Pro adds batch export of your selection or the whole shoot.
Can I edit just part of a photo?
Yes. Masks are free, with no Pro required. Use linear gradients, radial gradients and a brush on macOS 26 or later. Click-to-select requires macOS 27 and downloads Apple’s on-device selection model on first use. Each photo supports up to three layers with separate light and color controls. Gradient and brush layers can be synced across compatible photos; AI selections are not copied.
Can I bring my Lightroom presets and edits?
Import compatible Lightroom .xmp presets and .cube color LUTs. Supported Lightroom adjustments can also be read from a DNG or an accessible XMP sidecar beside your RAW file, including its crop and straighten angle. Adobe profiles and masks are not imported, and rendering can differ. This does not import your Lightroom catalog.
From .ARW to finished photograph, in minutes.
Take one of your own photos from a suggested look to a finished export. Try the workflow before choosing a paid plan.