Free darktable AlternativesTop Raw Photo & Image Editors like darktable

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

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darktable alternatives are mainly Photo Editors, but if you're looking for Raw Photo Editors 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. GIMP icon

    GIMP

     4816 likes

    Free open-source suite offering advanced photo retouching, image composition, original artwork creation, batch processing, plugin support, custom scripting, mass image format conversion, and integration with free publishing tools for comprehensive editing solutions.

    208 GIMP alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • Snapcraft
    • Flathub
    • PortableApps.com
    • Haiku
    • Flatpak
    • AmigaOS
    • AppImage
    GIMP screenshot 1
     
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    9
    GIMP vs darktable Comments
    Top Negative Comment
    nabarunroy
    2

    Both tool have totally different usage purpose. Gimp is a photo editing and digital art tool without any photo management usage.

    Guest
    Negative
    0

    GIMP is a raster image editor, Darktable is a non-destructive RAW developer and photo manager.

    Guest
    Negative
    0

    Lacks photo management capability and RAW photo editing features.

    3 of 9 comments
    • GIMP is Free and Open Sourcedarktable is also Free and Open Source
    • GIMP is an Image Editor darktable is a Raw Photo Editor
    • GIMP is Customizable and Lightweightdarktable is not according to our users
  2. Affinity icon

    Affinity

     88 likes

    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.

    91 Affinity alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    Affinity screenshot 1
     
  4. RawTherapee icon

    RawTherapee

     242 likes

    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.

    68 RawTherapee alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • Snapcraft
    • Flathub
    • PortableApps.com
    • Flatpak
    RawTherapee screenshot 1
     
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    1
    RawTherapee vs darktable Comments
    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.

    • RawTherapee is Free and Open Sourcedarktable is also Free and Open Source
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    CyberLink PhotoDirector

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  6. RapidRAW icon

    RapidRAW

     69 likes

    GPU-accelerated RAW photo editor for Windows, macOS, and Linux featuring non-destructive workflow, AI-driven masking tools, 32-bit precision, advanced color grading, tonal controls, batch operations, preset system, customizable interface, and comprehensive export options.

    61 RapidRAW alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Flathub
    • Flatpak
    RapidRAW screenshot 1
     
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    1
    RapidRAW vs darktable Comments
    Guest
    Positive
    0

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

    • RapidRAW is Free and Open Sourcedarktable is also Free and Open Source
    • RapidRAW is Lightweight and Customizabledarktable is not according to our users
  8. digiKam icon

    digiKam

     367 likes

    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.

    127 digiKam alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • KDE Plasma
    • Flathub
    • Qt
    Image editor
     
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    3
    digiKam vs darktable Comments
    Guest
    Negative
    7

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

    as dll
    Negative
    0

    digikam is more focused on picture organization, darktable for raw edit. Works well in tandem.

    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...

    • digiKam is Free and Open Sourcedarktable is also Free and Open Source
    • digiKam is a Photo Manager darktable is a Raw Photo Editor
  9. QuickEdit icon

    QuickEdit

     23 likes

    Lightweight tool offering cropping, drawing, text editing with formatting options, GPUImage filters, smooth Jetpack Compose-based animations, quick saving, and direct sharing to social media apps, designed for fast, simple photo enhancements on any device.

    57 QuickEdit alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Platforms

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

    Snapseed

     93 likes

    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.

    77 Snapseed alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    Snapseed screenshot 1
     
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    2
    Snapseed vs darktable Comments
    DalsPhotography
    0

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

    Guest
    Negative
    0

    cannot open raw camera files.

    • Snapseed is Free and Proprietarydarktable is Free and Open Source
    • Snapseed is an Image Editor darktable is a Raw Photo Editor
    • Snapseed is Lightweightdarktable is not according to our users
  11. Shotwell icon

    Shotwell

     188 likes

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

    112 Shotwell alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • Flathub
    • Flatpak
    Shotwell screenshot 1
     
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    2
    Shotwell vs darktable Comments
    Ákos Dián
    Negative
    1

    Shotwell is not a RAW editor.

    Guest
    Negative
    0

    Shot well is not a tool designed for photo development.

    • Shotwell is Free and Open Sourcedarktable is also Free and Open Source
    • Shotwell is a Photo Manager darktable is a Raw Photo Editor
    • Shotwell is Lightweightdarktable is not according to our users
  12. Polarr icon

    Polarr

     119 likes

    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.

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Chrome OS
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    Polarr screenshot 1
     
  13. PhotoSort icon

    PhotoSort

     10 likes

    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

    Application types

    Alerts

    • Discontinued

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    PhotoSort screenshot 1
     
  14. Photon Studio icon

    Photon Studio

     10 likes

    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
     
  15. ART icon

    ART

     11 likes

    ART, a free, open-source, cross-platform raw image processing program. ART is a derivative of the popular RawTherapee , trading a bit of customization and control over various processing parameters for a simpler and (hopefully) easier...

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    ART screenshot 1
     
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    1
    ART vs darktable Comments
    nrwd
    Positive
    0

    Best of both worlds between RawTherapee and Darktable. With a very dynamic development and listening to the community.

    • ART is Free and Open Sourcedarktable is also Free and Open Source
12 of 54 darktable alternatives