DaVinci Resolve’s new photo editor was built for RAW shooters first, and the desktop reaction made one thing clear: serious photo work is moving onto smaller surfaces. The Android side has had RAW-capable editors for years. The seven RAW photo editor apps for Android below cover the actual mobile workflows, from a quick fix on the train to a full DNG and CR3 grade with curves and masks.
What to look for in a RAW photo editor on Android
Five things matter:
- Camera RAW format support. DNG is the universal one. Canon CR3, Sony ARW, Nikon NEF, and Fujifilm RAF need explicit decoders. Not every app speaks every format.
- Local adjustments. Brush, gradient, and AI subject masks separate a RAW editor from a filter app. Without them you cannot dodge skies or burn shadows.
- Lens and colour profiles. Built-in lens correction and camera-matched colour profiles save the boring first ten minutes of every edit.
- Cloud sync vs local-only. Lightroom syncs across devices. The local-only apps keep your raws on the phone with no subscription tail.
- Output controls. Sharpen radius, output sharpening, JPEG quality, and TIFF export are the things you discover you need only after exporting a thousand images.
Quick comparison
| App | Best for | Free plan | Subscription | RAW formats |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adobe Lightroom Mobile | Cross-device pro workflow | Yes (limited) | Adobe Creative Cloud Photography | DNG, CR3, ARW, NEF, RAF, more |
| Snapseed | Free local-only DNG editing | Yes | None | DNG |
| Polarr Photo Editor | AI-driven masks and styles | Yes (limited) | Polarr Pro | DNG, CR3, ARW, NEF, RAF |
| VSCO | Filmic colour grading on RAW | Yes (filters) | VSCO Membership | DNG |
| PhotoDirector | Full editor plus video | Yes (with watermark) | PhotoDirector Premium | DNG, CR3, ARW, NEF |
| Photopea | Photoshop-style web editor | Yes | Photopea Premium | DNG, CR3, ARW, NEF, RAF |
| Pixlr | Quick fixes with AI tools | Yes (with ads) | Pixlr Premium | DNG |
The apps
1. Adobe Lightroom Mobile, the cross-device default
Adobe Lightroom Mobile is the obvious answer when your edits need to land on a desktop later. The mobile app supports the full RAW pipeline including DNG, CR3, ARW, NEF, and RAF, with masking that includes AI subject and sky selections. Edits sync to the cloud through the Adobe Creative Cloud Photography plan, so the same image appears on a desktop with the same sliders.
The free tier covers everything except cloud sync, lens-blur effects, and the higher-resolution exports. The paid plan unlocks 1TB of storage and the advanced masks.
Where it falls short: the subscription is the price of admission for cloud sync. The free tier strips back the masking tools enough to feel limiting on heavier edits.
Pricing:
- Free: local edits and presets.
- Paid: Creative Cloud Photography plan as a monthly subscription.
Platforms: Android, iOS, Windows, macOS, web.
Bottom line: the right pick when your phone edits feed a desktop later.
2. Snapseed, the free DNG specialist
Snapseed is the free, ad-free Google-owned editor that handles DNG with the same tools the desktop pros expect: curves, selective dodge and burn, healing, perspective correction, and a stack-based history that lets you reorder edits like layers. The Tools menu hides serious features behind a clean interface that does not look anything like a pro photo app.
DNG is the only RAW format it accepts, but most modern phone cameras already export DNG. Pair it with a camera app that writes DNG and you have a free RAW pipeline.
Where it falls short: no proprietary RAW support beyond DNG. Updates have slowed since the Google acquisition.
Pricing:
- Free, no ads, no subscription.
Platforms: Android, iOS.
Bottom line: the right pick if your camera writes DNG and you want a free pro editor.
3. Polarr Photo Editor, AI masks at speed
Polarr Photo Editor is the app that pushes AI-driven local adjustments hardest. The face-aware tools detect skin, lips, and eyes, and the sky and background selections are reliable enough to skip the manual mask. The full RAW pipeline supports CR3, ARW, NEF, RAF, and DNG.
The interface caters to phone-first edits: tap a region, swipe a value, move on. Pro tier opens custom filter creation and unlimited local adjustments.
Where it falls short: the free tier caps the number of layers and exports. Some advanced styles only exist on the iOS version first.
Pricing:
- Free: limited adjustments and exports.
- Paid: Polarr Pro subscription.
Platforms: Android, iOS, Windows, macOS, web.
Download: Download
Bottom line: the right pick when you want fast AI masks instead of brushwork.
4. VSCO, film grading on RAW
VSCO built its reputation on film-stock presets, and the RAW workflow is the one where the presets actually matter. DNG support, the X-ray-style histogram, and the filmic colour profiles let you take a flat raw and put it inside a Portra 400 grade in three taps. The sliders are limited compared to Lightroom, but for stylised work that is the point.
The Membership unlocks the full preset library and the video grading tools. The free version ships a smaller set of presets and a watermark-free export.
Where it falls short: local adjustments are basic. The community feed is built into the app and can feel intrusive.
Pricing:
- Free: starter presets.
- Paid: VSCO Membership annual or monthly.
Platforms: Android, iOS, web.
Bottom line: the right pick when the look matters more than the fine adjustment.
5. PhotoDirector, the all-in-one editor
PhotoDirector from CyberLink is the most desktop-feeling Android editor. The RAW module reads CR3, ARW, NEF, and DNG, and the editor includes layers, AI sky replacement, AI object removal, and a full video pipeline alongside the photo workflow. The free tier exports with a watermark on premium effects, otherwise the local pipeline is open.
It is the closest the Android side gets to a Lightroom plus light-Photoshop combo without a Creative Cloud account.
Where it falls short: the in-app upsell pop-ups are frequent on the free tier. The interface is dense compared to the other apps on this list.
Pricing:
- Free: with watermark on premium features.
- Paid: PhotoDirector Premium subscription.
Platforms: Android, iOS, Windows, macOS.
Bottom line: the right pick if you also edit short video alongside your raws.
6. Photopea, Photoshop in a browser tab
Photopea is the web app that mimics Photoshop’s interface so closely that most muscle memory transfers. The Camera Raw module reads DNG, CR3, ARW, NEF, and RAF, and the layered editor handles PSD files for round-tripping with desktop Photoshop. Running through Chrome on Android keeps the phone storage clean and the toolset broad.
There is no native Android app yet, but the Progressive Web App install lands on the home screen and works offline for non-RAW edits.
Where it falls short: RAW import requires an internet connection to download the decoder. Touch ergonomics on a small phone screen are awkward for fine masking.
Pricing:
- Free with ads.
- Paid: Photopea Premium removes ads.
Platforms: Web, Android (PWA), iOS (PWA).
Download: Download
Bottom line: the right pick when you need Photoshop muscle memory and the file is already a PSD.
7. Pixlr, the fast everyday fix
Pixlr is the fast everyday editor with a RAW-aware import path through DNG. The AI tools cover one-tap subject cutout, generative replace, and template-based exports for social. The free tier ships ads, the Premium tier removes them and unlocks the higher-resolution exports.
The reason it ends the list is the speed: most edits land in under a minute, which is the right shape for a photo you took on the way to work.
Where it falls short: ad load on the free tier is heavy. RAW support is DNG-only.
Pricing:
- Free with ads.
- Paid: Pixlr Premium subscription.
Platforms: Android, iOS, Windows, macOS, web.
Download: Download
Bottom line: the right pick when you want a fast fix on a phone-shot DNG.
How to pick the right one
If your work crosses devices, install Adobe Lightroom Mobile and pair the Creative Cloud Photography plan.
If your camera writes DNG and you do not want a subscription, install Snapseed.
If you shoot CR3 or NEF and want AI masks, install Polarr Photo Editor.
If you live in a film-stock palette, install VSCO.
If you also edit short video and want one app, install PhotoDirector.
If your edit started in Photoshop on a desktop, open Photopea in Chrome.
If a fast fix is the entire job, install Pixlr.
FAQ
What is the best free RAW photo editor for Android?
Snapseed is the strongest free pick if your files are DNG. Lightroom Mobile is the strongest free pick if you also need cloud sync, although the masking tools improve on the paid plan.
Does Snapseed support CR3 and NEF?
No. Snapseed reads DNG only. Use Lightroom, Polarr, PhotoDirector, or Photopea for CR3, NEF, ARW, or RAF files.
Can I edit RAW files on a phone the same way as on a desktop?
Functionally yes. Lightroom and PhotoDirector ship the same colour, masking, and tone tools as their desktop versions. The trade-off is screen size and battery, not feature parity.
Do I need a subscription for RAW editing on Android?
No. Snapseed is fully free. The subscription apps add cloud sync, AI features, and watermark-free premium exports.
Which app exports the highest-resolution photo?
Lightroom Mobile and PhotoDirector both export at the original RAW resolution. Free tiers may downscale exports on a few effects. Check each app’s export settings before exporting a print-resolution file.
