Free darktable AlternativesTop Raw Photo Editors & Photo Managers like darktable

The best free alternative to darktable is RawTherapee, which is also Open Source. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 50 alternatives to darktable and many of them is free so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting free alternatives to darktable are RapidRAW, digiKam, Affinity and Sly.

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darktable alternatives are mainly Photo Editors, but if you're looking for Raw Photo Editorss or Image Editors you can filter on that. Other popular filters include Android and Free. These are just examples - use the filter bar below to find more specific alternatives to darktable.
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Alternatives list

  1. RawTherapee icon

    RawTherapee

     231 likes
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    Raw photo processing software with advanced control over demosaicing. Ideal for newcomers, semi-professionals, and professionals. Supports HDR DNGs, JPGs, and TIFFs, with in-house enhancements for some camera models. Open-source, lacks digital asset management.

    58 RawTherapee alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • Snapcraft
    • Flathub
    • PortableApps.com
    • Flatpak
    RawTherapee screenshot 1
     
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    26
    Comments about RawTherapee as an Alternative to darktable
    nazarzajya
    Positive
    1

    RawTherapee is way easier and more logical organized than Darktable. I really tried to work with both, but in Darktable elements are structured in a not logical order. While RawTherapee is bit slower in startup and loading pictures though.

    darktable Icon
    RawTherapee icon

    • Most users think RawTherapee is a great darktable alternative.

    • RawTherapee is the most popular Windows, Mac & Linux alternative to darktable.

    • RawTherapee is the most popular Open Source & free alternative to darktable.

    • RawTherapee is Free and Open Sourcedarktable is also Free and Open Source
  2. RapidRAW icon

    RapidRAW

     49 likes
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    A beautiful, non-destructive, and GPU-accelerated RAW image editor built with performance in mind.

    53 RapidRAW alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Flathub
    • Flatpak
    RapidRAW screenshot 1
     
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    1
    Comments about RapidRAW as an Alternative to darktable
    Guest
    Positive
    0

    Very simple and intuitive. Still lacks some features like blurring selected areas but is pretty good overall.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    darktable Icon
    RapidRAW icon
    • RapidRAW is Free and Open Sourcedarktable is also Free and Open Source
    • RapidRAW is Lightweight and Customizabledarktable is not according to our users
  4. digiKam icon

    digiKam

     348 likes
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    digiKam is an advanced digital photo management tool that simplifies importing and organizing photos into albums. It supports various formats including RAW, features tagging, metadata management, duplicate finder, photo editing, sharing, GPS data handling, and has cross-platform compatibility.

    102 digiKam alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • KDE Plasma
    • Flathub
    • Qt
    Image editor
     
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    11
    Comments about digiKam as an Alternative to darktable
    Guest
    Negative
    7

    digiKam can do simple RAW editing, yes, but it's mostly for organization. The functionality is not the same.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Ákos Dián
    Negative
    1

    digiKam is a photo management tool, with some RAW editing functionality, while darktable is a RAW editor, with some photo management functions...

    darktable Icon
    digiKam icon

    • Some users think digiKam is a great darktable alternative, some don't.

    • digiKam is Free and Open Sourcedarktable is also Free and Open Source
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  6. Affinity icon

    Affinity

     43 likes
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    Unified design solution merging advanced photo, vector, and layout tools for seamless workflow, non-destructive editing, RAW support, batch processing, AI enhancements, GPU acceleration, file compatibility, cloud asset integration, and tailored workspace options.

    64 Affinity alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium (Subscription)
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    Affinity screenshot 1
     
  7. Sly icon

    Sly

     48 likes
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    Sly is a user-friendly, offline image editor requiring no expertise; adjust brightness, contrast, apply effects, and export in JPEG or PNG formats with control over metadata.

    36 Sly alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Linux
    • Android
    • Flathub
    • Flatpak
    • Online
    Sly screenshot 1
     

    • Sly is the most popular Web-based & Android alternative to darktable.

    • Sly is Free and Open Sourcedarktable is also Free and Open Source
    • Sly is Lightweightdarktable is not according to our users
  8. QuickEdit icon

    QuickEdit

     20 likes
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    Lightweight photo editor where you can crop your images, paint over them, add text and even add exciting filters to make it stand out on social media. Save the edited images locally or share them directly to your friends through any other social media app.

    54 QuickEdit alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Android
    • Android Tablet
    • F-Droid
    QuickEdit screenshot 1
    QuickEdit screenshot 2
    QuickEdit screenshot 3
     
  10. Snapseed icon

    Snapseed

     87 likes
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    Snapseed is a photo enhancement and sharing app with a powerful suite of imaging filters and tools for anyone, anywhere, to transform any image into an extraordinary photo.

    74 Snapseed alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    Snapseed screenshot 1
     
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    2
    Comments about Snapseed as an Alternative to darktable
    DalsPhotography
    0

    Does not work with native Mac OS . It's for IOS or Android.

    Guest
    Negative
    0

    cannot open raw camera files.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    darktable Icon
    Snapseed icon

    • Most users think Snapseed is a great darktable alternative.

    • Snapseed is Free and Proprietarydarktable is Free and Open Source
    • Snapseed is Lightweightdarktable is not according to our users
  11. Shotwell icon

    Shotwell

     185 likes
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    Shotwell is an open source photo organizer designed for the GNOME desktop environment.

    98 Shotwell alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • Flatpak
    • Flathub
    Shotwell screenshot 1
     
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    2
    Comments about Shotwell as an Alternative to darktable
    Ákos Dián
    Negative
    0

    Shotwell is not a RAW editor.

    Guest
    Negative
    0

    Shot well is not a tool designed for photo development.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    darktable Icon
    Shotwell icon
    • Shotwell is Free and Open Sourcedarktable is also Free and Open Source
    • Shotwell is Lightweightdarktable is not according to our users
  12. PhotoSort icon

    PhotoSort

     10 likes
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    Desktop app for photo sorting on Windows & Mac, managing JPG+RAW files. Sort photos into folders using keys, providing easy navigation and clean interface without deletion, ensuring a focused experience with flexible viewing, safe storage, and no fluff.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    PhotoSort screenshot 1
     
  13. Polarr icon

    Polarr

     118 likes
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    Offers advanced filters, high-precision color and light tools, clarity, dehaze, batch export, watermarking, custom filter creation, touch and mouse access, infinite undo, HSL/RGB curves, blending, and workspace customization for versatile editing needs.

    139 Polarr alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium (Pay once)
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Chrome OS
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    Polarr screenshot 1
     
  14. PhotoFiltre icon

    PhotoFiltre

     109 likes
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    PhotoFiltre 7 is a complete image retouching program. It allows you to do simple or advanced adjustments to an image and apply a vast range of filters on it. It is simple and intuitive to use, and has an easy learning curve.

    126 PhotoFiltre alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium (Pay once)
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • PortableApps.com
    PhotoFiltre screenshot 1
     
  15. Photon Studio icon

    Photon Studio

     7 likes
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    Photon Studio grabs the latest photo taken with Photon Camera on your iPhone, and allows you to easily display it on your iPad, Apple Silicon Mac, or another iPhone connected to an external monitor.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • iPhone
    • iPad
    • Mac
    Photon Studio screenshot 1
     
12 of 45 darktable alternatives