Comparison

Adobe Photoshop vs darktable

On the evidence we track, darktable leads this comparison with a composite score of 52/100. Scores are only directly comparable because these tools share a category; the full breakdown and every source is below.

Machine formatsMarkdownJSONGraphQLMarkdown is open. JSON and GraphQL need a free key.
Adobe Photoshop28
★darktable52
Score
vioscaleAI score
Adobe Photoshop28 / 100medium · 54%
darktable52 / 100medium · 59%
Pricing
Free tier
Adobe Photoshop✗
darktable✓
Model
Adobe Photoshopcommercial
darktableopen_source
Price level
Adobe Photoshopunknown
darktablefree
Transparent
Adobe Photoshop–
darktable✓
Integrations
Count
Adobe Photoshop1
darktable–
Security
Disclosure policy
Adobe Photoshop✓
darktable–
Scorecard
Adobe Photoshop–
darktable5.6
Reliability
Status page
Adobe Photoshop✓
darktable–
Adoption
Dependent repos
Adobe Photoshop–
darktable0
Github stars
Adobe Photoshop–
darktable13,279
Activity
Commits last 30d
Adobe Photoshop–
darktable100
Release
Cadence days
Adobe Photoshop–
darktable63
History
Adobe Photoshop–
darktable20 items
License
Spdx
Adobe Photoshop–
darktableGPL-3.0
Language
Primary
Adobe Photoshop–
darktableC
Market
Availability
Content
Faq
Adobe Photoshop3 items
darktable5 items

Capabilities

Feature-by-feature on the axes that matter for design & creative software. “-” means undocumented, not absent.

Discipline
Raster / photo editing
Adobe Photoshop✓
darktable✓
Vector illustration
Adobe Photoshop-
darktable✗
DTP / page layout
Adobe Photoshop-
darktable✗
Digital painting
Adobe Photoshop-
darktable✗
Platform
Platform breadth
Adobe Photoshop-
darktableLinux, Windows (10+), macOS (Intel and Apple Silicon), FreeBSD, NetBSD, OpenBSD
Output
CMYK / print production
Adobe Photoshop-
darktable✓
Interoperability
PSD / AI import
Adobe Photoshop-
darktable-
Collaboration
Real-time collaboration / cloud
Adobe Photoshop-
darktable✗
AI
Generative AI features
Adobe Photoshop✓
darktable✓
Extensibility
Plugin / template ecosystem
Adobe PhotoshopExtensible via third-party integrations
darktableLua API for scripting and extensibility
Pricing
Pricing model
Adobe Photoshop-
darktableOpen-source (free)
Free / open-source available
Adobe Photoshop-
darktable✓

What each one is

The product in its own terms, so the numbers below have context.

Adobe Photoshop

A cloud-based application for photo editing and design work that combines advanced image manipulation capabilities with generative AI features for tasks like background composition, object removal, and image enhancement.

Independently observed

darktable

Leader

A digital photo management and editing application that organizes images in a database and enables non-destructive raw image processing and enhancement for photographers.

Independently observed

Pricing

List pricing as published by each vendor, with the date we read it. Always verify at the source before you buy.

Adobe Photoshop

Subscription
as of verify ↗

darktable

Leader
Open sourceFree tier

Free, open-source

  • darktableFree
    • Non-destructive raw image editing
    • Virtual lighttable and darkroom interface
    • Digital negative database management
    • Professional color management for print output
    • GPU-accelerated processing
    • +3 more
as of verify ↗

Platform & deployment

Where each product runs and how it can be hosted. A dash means undocumented, not unsupported.

Platforms
Web
Adobe Photoshop✓
darktable✗
macOS
Adobe Photoshop✗
darktable✓
Windows
Adobe Photoshop✗
darktable✓
Linux
Adobe Photoshop✗
darktable✓
Deployment
Cloud / SaaS
Adobe Photoshop✓
darktable✗
Self-hosted
Adobe Photoshop✗
darktable✓

Integrations

What each product connects to. Counts come from the vendor's own integration directory where one exists.

Adobe Photoshop

2 total
  • Topaz Labs
  • Adobe Express
Independently observed

darktable

Leader

Not documented yet.

Still deciding?

Adobe Photoshop or darktable: which one depends on you

A composite score cannot know your constraints. Describe them and both get re-weighted against what you actually need, with the evidence behind every position.

Free to run, no account needed to start. How the evaluation works

Comparison generated from independently-sourced facts. Every value links to its source and retrieval date. See the method.