# Affinity Designer vs darktable

**Leader by vioscaleAI score:** Affinity Designer

| Attribute | Affinity Designer | darktable |
|---|---|---|
| **vioscaleAI score** | 65.3 (52% (medium)) | 52.4 (59% (medium)) |
| activity.commits_last_30d | - | 100 |
| adoption.dependent_repos | - | 0 |
| adoption.github_stars | - | 13,279 |
| content.faq | `[{"answer":"Affinity is a free desktop application that combines vector drawing, raster photo editing, and page layout tools in a single workspace without requiring a subscription. It is indexed under Design & Creative Software.","source":"https://affinity.serif.com/en-us/designer/","question":"What is Affinity Designer?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Affinity Designer offers a free tier, so you can start without paying. Pricing changes often, so verify at source before relying on it.","source":"https://affinity.serif.com/en-us/designer/","question":"Is Affinity Designer free?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Affinity Designer supports Windows, macOS and iOS. Platforms we have not confirmed are simply not listed here rather than ruled out.","source":"https://affinity.serif.com/en-us/designer/","question":"What platforms does Affinity Designer support?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"We have independently confirmed GDPR for Affinity Designer. Certifications we do not list are ones we have not been able to verify from public sources, which is not the same as Affinity Designer not holding them. Always confirm compliance directly before you rely on it.","source":"https://affinity.serif.com/en-us/privacy/","question":"What security certifications does Affinity Designer have?","confidence":0.7},{"answer":"Affinity Designer is available worldwide. The vendor is headquartered in the United Kingdom.","source":"https://affinity.serif.com/en-us/designer/","question":"Where is Affinity Designer available?","confidence":0.75}]` | `[{"answer":"Darktable is a free, open-source photography application providing non-destructive raw image development and editing. It functions as a virtual darkroom and lighttable, managing photos in a database with professional color management, GPU acceleration, and optional AI-powered features. It is indexed under Design & Creative Software.","source":"https://www.darktable.org","question":"What is darktable?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"darktable is open source, so it can be self-hosted and used at no licence cost. It is released under the GPL-3.0 licence. Pricing changes often, so verify at source before relying on it.","source":"https://www.darktable.org","question":"Is darktable free to use?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"darktable supports Windows, macOS and Linux. Platforms we have not confirmed are simply not listed here rather than ruled out.","source":"https://www.darktable.org","question":"What platforms does darktable support?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Yes. darktable can be deployed self-hosted, so it does not have to run on the vendor's infrastructure.","source":"https://www.darktable.org","question":"Can darktable be self-hosted?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Yes. darktable is published under the GPL-3.0 licence, a copyleft licence, so check its terms before embedding it in a closed-source product. Licence terms can change between releases, so verify against the repository for the version you intend to use.","source":"https://github.com/darktable-org/darktable","question":"Is darktable open source?","confidence":0.95}]` |
| deployment.options | - | `{"self_hosted":true}` |
| description.long | A comprehensive design tool that integrates vector drawing, photo editing, and layout capabilities with real-time performance, precision controls, non-destructive editing, and broad export support. | A digital photo management and editing application that organizes images in a database and enables non-destructive raw image processing and enhancement for photographers. |
| features.capabilities | `{"dtp_layout":true,"free_available":true,"raster_editing":true,"vector_editing":true,"digital_painting":true,"platform_breadth":"Desktop (macOS, Windows) and mobile (iOS)","vector_illustration":true}` | `{"cmyk_print":true,"dtp_layout":false,"generative_ai":true,"pricing_model":"open_source","free_available":true,"raster_editing":true,"digital_painting":false,"platform_breadth":"Linux, Windows (10+), macOS (Intel and Apple Silicon), FreeBSD, NetBSD, OpenBSD","plugin_ecosystem":"Lua API for scripting and extensibility","vector_illustration":false,"realtime_collaboration":false}` |
| integrations.count | 1 | - |
| integrations.list | `[{"name":"Canva","native":true,"direction":"outbound"}]` | - |
| language.primary | - | C |
| license.spdx | - | GPL-3.0 |
| market.availability | `{"hqCountry":"GB","primaryMarkets":[],"availabilityScope":"global","availableCountries":[],"notAvailableCountries":[]}` | `{"primaryMarkets":[],"availabilityScope":"global","availableCountries":[],"notAvailableCountries":[]}` |
| platform.support | `{"mac":true,"windows":true}` | `{"mac":true,"linux":true,"windows":true}` |
| pricing | `{"type":"free","plans":[{"free":true,"name":"Affinity","features":["Vector design with pen precision, snapping, and alignment","Symbols and constraints for UI component consistency","Non-destructive editing","Real-time pixel previews","Raster and photo editing tools","Layout tools","Expressive brushes for digital illustration","Shape warping and path manipulation","Export to PDF, SVG, PNG, JPEG, TIFF, WebP by object, slice, or artboard","Batch export","Print-ready presets","Direct export to Canva","Free updates with new features"],"description":"Complete access to all vector, raster, and layout tools with no restrictions or payment","contactSales":false}],"summary":"Completely free with all features included","freeTier":true,"sourceUrl":"https://affinity.serif.com/en-us/designer/","retrievedAt":"2026-09-23T14:40:51.761Z"}` | `{"type":"open_source","plans":[{"free":true,"name":"darktable","summary":"Free and open-source","features":["Non-destructive raw image editing","Virtual lighttable and darkroom interface","Digital negative database management","Professional color management for print output","GPU-accelerated processing","AI-powered features: denoise, upscale, object masking","Editing modules: local contrast, contrast equalizer, retouch, liquify","Lua scripting API for customization"],"contactSales":false}],"summary":"Free, open-source","freeTier":true,"sourceUrl":"https://www.darktable.org","retrievedAt":"2026-08-16T21:32:58.849Z"}` |
| pricing.free_tier | yes | yes |
| pricing.model | free | open_source |
| pricing.price_level | free | free |
| pricing.transparent | yes | yes |
| release.cadence_days | - | 63 |
| release.history | - | `[{"url":"https://github.com/darktable-org/darktable/releases/tag/nightly","date":"2026-10-15T00:48:48Z","type":"prerelease","version":"nightly"},{"url":"https://github.com/darktable-org/darktable/releases/tag/release-5.6.2","date":"2026-10-04T16:36:31Z","type":"stable","version":"release-5.6.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/darktable-org/darktable/releases/tag/release-5.6.1","date":"2026-08-27T07:02:41Z","type":"stable","version":"release-5.6.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/darktable-org/darktable/releases/tag/release-5.6.0","date":"2026-06-21T09:18:30Z","type":"stable","version":"release-5.6.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/darktable-org/darktable/releases/tag/release-5.4.1","date":"2026-02-05T17:01:49Z","type":"stable","version":"release-5.4.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/darktable-org/darktable/releases/tag/release-5.4.0","date":"2025-12-21T08:46:44Z","type":"stable","version":"release-5.4.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/darktable-org/darktable/releases/tag/release-5.2.1","date":"2025-08-06T06:18:52Z","type":"stable","version":"release-5.2.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/darktable-org/darktable/releases/tag/release-5.2.0","date":"2025-06-21T10:50:55Z","type":"stable","version":"release-5.2.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/darktable-org/darktable/releases/tag/release-5.0.1","date":"2025-02-12T12:30:14Z","type":"stable","version":"release-5.0.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/darktable-org/darktable/releases/tag/release-5.0.0","date":"2024-12-21T18:04:40Z","type":"stable","version":"release-5.0.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/darktable-org/darktable/releases/tag/release-4.8.1","date":"2024-07-24T20:03:39Z","type":"stable","version":"release-4.8.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/darktable-org/darktable/releases/tag/release-4.8.0","date":"2024-06-21T15:51:19Z","type":"stable","version":"release-4.8.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/darktable-org/darktable/releases/tag/release-4.6.1","date":"2024-02-17T14:16:07Z","type":"stable","version":"release-4.6.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/darktable-org/darktable/releases/tag/release-4.6.0","date":"2023-12-21T18:18:49Z","type":"stable","version":"release-4.6.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/darktable-org/darktable/releases/tag/release-4.4.2","date":"2023-07-22T17:28:22Z","type":"stable","version":"release-4.4.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/darktable-org/darktable/releases/tag/release-4.4.1","date":"2023-07-01T06:18:27Z","type":"stable","version":"release-4.4.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/darktable-org/darktable/releases/tag/release-4.4.0","date":"2023-06-21T15:28:29Z","type":"stable","version":"release-4.4.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/darktable-org/darktable/releases/tag/release-4.2.1","date":"2023-02-22T18:45:50Z","type":"stable","version":"release-4.2.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/darktable-org/darktable/releases/tag/release-4.2.0","date":"2022-12-21T11:48:14Z","type":"stable","version":"release-4.2.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/darktable-org/darktable/releases/tag/release-4.0.1","date":"2022-09-17T09:36:54Z","type":"stable","version":"release-4.0.1"}]` |
| security.gdpr | yes | - |
| security.scorecard | - | 5.6 |
| security.trust_center | https://affinity.serif.com/en-us/privacy/ | - |
| security.vulnerabilities | - | `{"count":0,"source":"https://advisories.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/advisories?ecosystem=go&package_name=github.com%2Fdarktable-org%2Fdarktable&per_page=100","last_12m":0,"max_severity":null}` |

## Capabilities (Design & Creative Software)

| Capability | Affinity Designer | darktable |
|---|:--:|:--:|
| **Discipline** |  |  |
| Raster / photo editing | ✓ | ✓ |
| Vector illustration | ✓ | ✗ |
| DTP / page layout | ✓ | ✗ |
| Digital painting | ✓ | ✗ |
| **Platform** |  |  |
| Platform breadth | Desktop (macOS, Windows) and mobile (iOS) | Linux, Windows (10+), macOS (Intel and Apple Silicon), FreeBSD, NetBSD, OpenBSD |
| **Output** |  |  |
| CMYK / print production | - | ✓ |
| **Interoperability** |  |  |
| PSD / AI import | - | - |
| **Collaboration** |  |  |
| Real-time collaboration / cloud | - | ✗ |
| **AI** |  |  |
| Generative AI features | - | ✓ |
| **Extensibility** |  |  |
| Plugin / template ecosystem | - | Lua API for scripting and extensibility |
| **Pricing** |  |  |
| Pricing model | - | Open-source (free) |
| Free / open-source available | ✓ | ✓ |

*Source: vioscaleAI. Generated 2026-10-16T00:44:24.618Z. "-" = undocumented, not absent.*