darktable
Open source photo editing and raw image development tool
- Also known as
- darktable
Available worldwide
What is 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.
darktable pricing
Plans, per-tier features and add-ons, dated and linked to live pricing. Pricing changes often; always verify at source before you rely on it.
Free, open-source
darktable
Free- 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
What darktable does
The capabilities that matter for design & creative software, normalised so it lines up with every alternative. “-” means we haven't confirmed it, not that it's missing.
- Raster / photo editing
- ✓
- Vector illustration
- ✗
- DTP / page layout
- ✗
- Digital painting
- ✗
- Platform breadth
- Linux, Windows (10+), macOS (Intel and Apple Silicon), FreeBSD, NetBSD, OpenBSD
- CMYK / print production
- ✓
- PSD / AI import
- -
- Real-time collaboration / cloud
- ✗
- Generative AI features
- ✓
- Plugin / template ecosystem
- Lua API for scripting and extensibility
- Pricing model
- Open-source (free)
- Free / open-source available
- ✓
Platform & deployment
Independently observed- macOS
- Linux
- Windows
- Self-hosted
Security & compliance
Known vulnerabilities: 0 (0 in the last 12 months) sourcea count reflects scale & disclosure, not quality
darktable FAQ
Common questions about darktable, answered from independent, dated evidence.
What is darktable?
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
Is darktable free to use?
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
What platforms does darktable support?
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
Can darktable be self-hosted?
Yes. darktable can be deployed self-hosted, so it does not have to run on the vendor's infrastructure.
Source: https://www.darktable.org
Is darktable open source?
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.
darktable alternatives
Other design & creative software we track, ranked by the same independent score.
- Affinity PhotoImage editing platform at no cost, with RAW processing, retouching, and batch automationmedium · 54%
- Affinity DesignerAll-in-one design application combining vector illustration, raster editing, and page layout toolsmedium · 52%
- Photopeamedium · 52%
- Canvamedium · 72%
- KritaA free, open-source digital painting tool designed for professional artistshigh · 75%
- Affinity PublisherPage layout application combining typography, image editing, and vector graphics capabilitieslow · 4%
Compare darktable
Side by side against other design & creative software, attribute by attribute, with a source on every value.
The vioscaleAI score: one lens on the evidence
Not user reviews and not a paid placement: a confidence-weighted blend of the independent signals below (adoption, activity, security posture, and more), which you can sort and re-weight yourself. Vendors can correct their listing but can never move their rank, and stars are weighted low as a vanity metric. It is one way to read the evidence for darktable, not the verdict.
| Signal | Score | Weight | Contribution | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Development activity | 63 | 0.09 | 5.9 | ✓ |
| Capabilities | 67 | 0.07 | 4.7 | ✓ |
| Release cadence | 65 | 0.05 | 3.4 | ✓ |
| Security score | 56 | 0.04 | 2.4 | ✓ |
| Stars | 78 | 0.03 | 2.0 | ✓ |
| Integrations | 0 | 0.08 | 0.0 | - |
| Dependent projects | 0 | 0.06 | 0.0 | ✓ |
| Security posture | 0 | 0.06 | 0.0 | - |
| Package downloads | 0 | 0.14 | 0.0 | - |
| Developer Q&A activity | 0 | 0.06 | 0.0 | - |
Computed . Re-weight it by intent, or see the full method.
All data & sourcesshow ↓
Every value we hold, with its source, retrieval date, and confidence. This is the evidence behind the score: don't trust it, verify it.
Activity
| Attribute | Value | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Commits last 30d | 100 | mediumsource · 2026-10-15 · 65% |
Adoption
Content
| Attribute | Value | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Faq | 5 items | mediumsource · 2026-09-10 · 67% |
Features
| Attribute | Value | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Capabilities | Cmyk print: Yes · Dtp layout: No · Generative ai: Yes · Pricing model: open_source · Free available: Yes · Raster editing: Yes | mediumsource · 2026-10-15 · 60% |
Language
| Attribute | Value | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Primary | C | highsource · 2026-10-15 · 90% |
License
| Attribute | Value | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Spdx | GPL-3.0 | highsource · 2026-10-15 · 95% |
Market
| Attribute | Value | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | PrimaryMarkets: … · AvailabilityScope: global · AvailableCountries: … · NotAvailableCountries: … | highsource · 2026-08-16 · 75% |
Pricing
Release
Security
Is darktable the right choice for you?
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