Aftershoot Photon: a free RAW editor with an AI Coach

Photon, a new RAW editor, is not only free, it also includes an AI Coach that explains what to adjust in each photo and why, so photographers learn to edit instead of relying on auto-fixes. 

Known for its software for professional photographers, Aftershoot launched Photon recently, a RAW editor that, the company says, “makes editing simpler and more intuitive.” Available for macOS and Windows, the app gives photographers, claims Aftershoot, “ a simple, intuitive way” to edit their own RAW photos. Photon debuted at MODE in Minneapolis (18-20 September, 2026) and is available now worldwide. 

Do photographers really need another RAW editor? And does another AI editor really help with creativity or are they all going to offer the same cookie-cutter (no)solution? Harshit Dwivedi, Founder, Aftershoot believes there is space for a RAW editor that is “not locked by any subscription charges” but also “helps photographers learn to edit with the guided editing experience”. 

“For years, we’ve helped professionals get their time back. But most people who love photography never get a great place to start editing. Photon is that place” he says, adding that ”Al Coach is like having a mentor alongside you – helping you get the best out of your images while walking you through the editing process and explaining the why behind each adjustment. You’re not just getting better edits; you’re learning how to make them yourself.” 

Why now? Because, according to Aftershoot, “more people are buying cameras. Digital camera shipments reached 9.44 million in 2025, the highest since the pandemic, according to CIPA data  reported by PetaPixel. It was the first time shipments rose two years in a row since 2007. Compact camera shipments jumped about 30%, and mirrorless shipments grew from 5.6 million to 6.3 million.” 

Many of these photographers will eventually want to shoot RAW, and that’s where they get stuck. Most RAW editors are built for professionals, with subscriptions and complex tools that assume you already know what each slider does. Photon takes a different approach – making RAW editing simple and intuitive, whether you’re just getting started or already know your way around a camera. How it works

Photographers open a RAW photo in Photon. They can edit manually or choose to use Al Coach for guidance. For Al Coach, they select from suggested styles and AI Coach explains in plain language what could be improved, which adjustment to make, and how that adjustment changes the image. 

According to Aftershoot, “photographers remain in control of every edit. They can edit manually at any time, or turn to Al Coach when they want guidance on what to adjust and why. All the edits are non-destructive and original files are never altered.” 

What’s in Photon: 

• Al Coach: Photo-specific guidance on what to change and why. Optional to use.
•  Full RAW toolkit: Exposure, color, tone curves, HSL, sharpening, noise reduction,
  cropping and more, in a simple interface.
• Free to use: No subscription, trial, paywall- Core editing experience is completely
  free to use.
• Offline and non-destructive: Core editing workflow runs on your computer, and
  original files are never altered.
  

The brief test made (the downloaded app is in beta) reveals that Photon is an interesting offer that is still RAW (pun intended). There are only three editing options offered by the AI Coach – although they seem to work… when they do – and the app can be slow to create the “lesson”. The suggestions for the images we used to try the app, did make sense, and the interface helps to adjust confidently, following the steps for each edit. And at any moment, you can just deactivate the AI Coach and play with the multiple sliders, in search of the perfect photo. And although Photon is a RAW editor, it also works with JPEGS. 

Aftershoot is the post-production platform for professional photographers, with Al-powered culling, editing, retouching and galleries. It has transformed workflows for more than 248,000 photographers worldwide and processed more than 8.8 billion photos.

Aftershoot’s core platform helps professional photographers cull, edit, retouch and deliver thousands of photos faster. Now with Photon, Aftershoot helps photographers learn to edit with the guided editing experience that’s not locked by any subscription charges. Photon is free to download now worldwide for macOS and Windows.