vioscaleAI
Comparison

darktable vs GIMP

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.

darktable full profile →GIMP full profile →
Machine formatsMarkdownJSONGraphQLMarkdown is open. JSON and GraphQL need a free key.
★darktable52
GIMP43
Score
vioscaleAI score
darktable52 / 100medium · 59%
GIMP43 / 100medium · 74%
Pricing
Free tier
darktable✓
GIMP✓
Model
Price level
darktablefree
GIMPfree
Transparent
darktable✓
GIMP✓
Integrations
Count
darktable–
GIMP2
Security
Scorecard
darktable5.6
GIMP–
Trust center
Vulnerabilities
Adoption
Dependent repos
darktable0
GIMP–
Github stars
darktable13,279
GIMP–
Activity
Commits last 30d
darktable100
GIMP–
Release
Cadence days
darktable63
GIMP–
History
darktable20 items
GIMP–
License
Spdx
darktableGPL-3.0
GIMP–
Language
Primary
darktableC
GIMP–
Market
Availability
darktableAvailable worldwide
GIMP–
Content
Faq
darktable5 items
GIMP4 items

Capabilities

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

Discipline
Raster / photo editing
darktable✓
GIMP✓
Vector illustration
darktable✗
GIMP✗
DTP / page layout
darktable✗
GIMP✗
Digital painting
darktable✗
GIMP✓
Platform
Platform breadth
darktableLinux, Windows (10+), macOS (Intel and Apple Silicon), FreeBSD, NetBSD, OpenBSD
GIMPGNU/Linux, macOS, Windows, and more operating systems
Output
CMYK / print production
darktable✓
GIMP✗
Interoperability
PSD / AI import
darktable-
GIMP-
Collaboration
Real-time collaboration / cloud
darktable✗
GIMP-
AI
Generative AI features
darktable✓
GIMP-
Extensibility
Plugin / template ecosystem
darktableLua API for scripting and extensibility
GIMPPython, Scheme, C, C++ with extensive community-developed plugins and scripts
Pricing
Pricing model
darktableOpen-source (free)
GIMPOpen-source (free)
Free / open-source available
darktable✓
GIMP✓

What each one is

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

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

GIMP

An open-source image editor supporting multiple operating systems, offering tools for photo manipulation, creative artwork, and programmatic image processing through scripting.

Independently observed

Pricing

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

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 ↗

GIMP

Open sourceFree tier
as of verify ↗

Platform & deployment

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

Platforms
macOS
darktable✓
GIMP✓
Windows
darktable✓
GIMP✓
Linux
darktable✓
GIMP✓
Deployment
Self-hosted
darktable✓
GIMP✓

Integrations

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

darktable

Leader

Not documented yet.

GIMP

2 total
  • Scribus
  • Inkscape
Independently observed
Still deciding?

darktable or GIMP: 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.