What opens an ARW file?

Lightroom, Capture One, Photoshop, and Sony's free Imaging Edge. darktable and RawTherapee handle them too.

Compressed or uncompressed ARW?

Sony's newer lossless compressed mode gives you smaller files with nothing discarded — it's the sensible default. The older lossy compressed mode is the one photographers argued about.

My ARW is over the size limit — what now?

Convert to DNG with Adobe's free converter, which usually brings it under 25 MB while keeping full editability.

Host an ARW file and share it as a link

Put a Sony raw photo online at its own address — for handing originals to an editor or a client.

You can host:

Drop your ARW file here

Any other file works too — up to 25.0 MB, or 100.0 MB for a whole site

Free to use. Your ARW file is live at your-name.99helpers.site in about ten seconds.

What is a .arw file?

ARW is Sony's raw format, used across the Alpha range. Sony historically offered a compressed mode that discarded some data — the source of long arguments among photographers — and now offers lossless compressed options that avoid the trade-off entirely.

What people use ARW files for

Unprocessed photos from a Sony Alpha body
Originals delivered to a retoucher
Commercial shoots where the client receives the raws
Archives from mirrorless shoots

What opens a ARW file

Lightroom, Camera Raw, Capture One and Photoshop
Sony Imaging Edge, free from Sony
darktable and RawTherapee
No browser displays ARW

How to host a ARW file

1
Drop your ARW file in
Drag it onto the box at the top of this page, or click to choose it. Files up to 25 MB are supported, and nothing is uploaded until you publish.
2
Pick an address
Type a name and we'll tell you straight away whether it's free. That becomes the link: sony-original.99helpers.site
3
Publish and share
Create a free account — that step exists so the file is yours to update, replace or delete — and the link is live within seconds.

The same three steps work for any file — see how file hosting works on 99helpers.com.

What happens when someone opens the link

The file downloads and opens in a raw editor. Capture One has a particularly strong reputation for Sony files, having shipped tailored profiles for them for years.

Why host a ARW file instead of emailing it?

Raw delivery is part of most commercial photography contracts, and the files are far too large to email. A link per file is permanent, downloads at full speed, and doesn't require the client to sign into anything.

Worth knowing before you publish

Sony's lossless compressed setting produces smaller files with no quality cost — worth enabling if you haven't.
Uncompressed ARW files from high-resolution bodies exceed the 25 MB limit; converting to DNG usually solves it.
Host a JPEG alongside so the client can see the image without a raw editor.

ARW hosting questions

What opens an ARW file?: Lightroom, Capture One, Photoshop, and Sony's free Imaging Edge. darktable and RawTherapee handle them too.
Compressed or uncompressed ARW?: Sony's newer lossless compressed mode gives you smaller files with nothing discarded — it's the sensible default. The older lossy compressed mode is the one photographers argued about.
My ARW is over the size limit — what now?: Convert to DNG with Adobe's free converter, which usually brings it under 25 MB while keeping full editability.

Put your ARW file online now

It takes about ten seconds, and you only make an account once the file is ready to go live.

Back to the top

Hosting guides for related formats

Host a camera raw file Host a DNG raw photo Host a Canon CR2 raw file Host a Nikon NEF raw file Host a JPG photo Host a Fujifilm RAF raw file

ARW is one of over 211 formats you can host — see free file hosting for any file type for the full list, or read the hosting guides for other file types.