I’ve been using RawTherapee a lot over the past 4-5 years and have found it to be a great raw photo editor, though it does have a steep learning curve in certain areas. I can see where a professional photographer or enthusiast would be able to get the most out of their raw photos using RawTherapee.
ART is also a very capable raw editor. I am an enthusiast and not a pro. I rarely print my photos and I never sell them. Coming from Adobe Lightroom and Adobe Camera raw, I find ART to be the perfect alternative for the kind of editing that I do. There is a sense of familiarity that makes the transition to ART seem like, I’ve been here before. The “exposure” tab is a perfect example of that. Yet, when needed, there are comprehensive modules like the “local editor” which is powerful and versatile.
I’m sure that the way ART was developed accounts for my ability to get the results I want with minimal effort. Thanks @agriggio for creating an editor with Just the right mix of RGB, L*ab and “local editing”, to name a few. Not too Little not too much. At least for me!