vioscaleAI
Comparison

Affinity Photo vs darktable

On the evidence we track, Affinity Photo leads this comparison with a composite score of 69/100. Scores are only directly comparable because these tools share a category; the full breakdown and every source is below.

Affinity Photo full profile →darktable full profile →
Machine formatsMarkdownJSONGraphQLMarkdown is open. JSON and GraphQL need a free key.
★Affinity Photo69
darktable52
Score
vioscaleAI score
Affinity Photo69 / 100medium · 54%
darktable52 / 100medium · 59%
Pricing
Free tier
Affinity Photo✓
darktable✓
Model
Affinity Photofree
darktableopen_source
Price level
Affinity Photofree
darktablefree
Transparent
Affinity Photo✓
darktable✓
Integrations
Count
Affinity Photo2
darktable–
Security
Gdpr
Affinity Photo✓
darktable–
Scorecard
Affinity Photo–
darktable5.6
Vulnerabilities
Adoption
Dependent repos
Affinity Photo–
darktable0
Github stars
Affinity Photo–
darktable13,279
Activity
Commits last 30d
Affinity Photo–
darktable100
Release
Cadence days
Affinity Photo–
darktable63
History
Affinity Photo–
darktable20 items
License
Spdx
Affinity Photo–
darktableGPL-3.0
Language
Primary
Affinity Photo–
darktableC
Market
Availability
Content
Faq
Affinity Photo5 items
darktable5 items

Capabilities

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

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

What each one is

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

Affinity Photo

Leader

An image editor available at no cost, offering photo adjustment, raw file processing, and unlimited-layer composition. It imports Photoshop files with editable structure intact and supports real-time collaborative workflows. Features pixel manipulation, vector design, and layout tools in one customizable application with automated batch operations.

Independently observed

darktable

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.

Affinity Photo

Leader
FreeFree tier

Completely free. Optional Canva AI tools available with premium Canva subscription.

  • AffinityFree
    • RAW development
    • Photo retouching
    • HDR merge
    • Focus merge
    • Astrophotography stacking
    • +9 more
as of verify ↗

darktable

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
macOS
Affinity Photo✓
darktable✓
Windows
Affinity Photo✓
darktable✓
Linux
Affinity Photo✗
darktable✓
Deployment
Self-hosted
Affinity Photo–
darktable✓

Integrations

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

Affinity Photo

Leader
2 total
  • Photoshop
  • Canva
Independently observed

darktable

Not documented yet.

Still deciding?

Affinity Photo 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.