Adobe Lightroom vs darktable
Adobe Lightroom scores 8.1 to darktable's 7.3 among the raw photo editors we rate, and is the better pick for 3 of the 4 kinds of buyer below.
Adobe Lightroom wins, 8.1 to 7.3
darktable is free and open source, with no company behind it, while Lightroom charges $11.99 a month billed yearly for Lightroom alone. Lightroom syncs your library and edits across devices and removes objects automatically. darktable answers with its own AI upscaling and Lua scripts you can install and share to extend the program. Choose based on whether you want Adobe's cloud workflow or a program you install once and keep.
Pick Adobe Lightroom if you want cloud sync and automatic object removal.
Pick darktable if you want a free program with no subscription.
Best for
Who each one suits, decided on the criteria that matter to that buyer and the checked facts where the two differ.
- Removes an object by itself: Adobe Lightroom yes, darktable no
- Syncs photos or edits to other devices: Adobe Lightroom yes, darktable no
- Where it runs: 5 platforms against 2 platforms
- Cheapest plan you can edit in, monthly: $0 against $11.99
- Ways to reach support: 3 support channels against 2 support channels
- But darktable leads on source published under an open licence: darktable yes, Adobe Lightroom no
How they score
Both are scored the same way, against the other raw photo editors we rate, from facts on each vendor's own pages. Adobe Lightroom leads on 3 of 4 criteria.
Where they differ
Every point where the two vendors' published facts disagree, with a link to where each fact was read. "Not published" means the vendor does not say either way.
Published by only one of them
Where they match (8)
Pricing, plan by plan
Every plan each vendor publishes, monthly and yearly where both are offered.
Adobe Lightroom
darktable
For everything else about each tool, read the full Adobe Lightroom review and darktable review.
Adobe Lightroom vs darktable: common questions
Which is better, Adobe Lightroom or darktable?
Adobe Lightroom scores 8.1 and darktable 7.3 out of 10 among the raw photo editors we rate. Adobe Lightroom is ahead on what it adds beyond the basics, workflow and sharing and privacy and trust. darktable is ahead on pricing.
Is Adobe Lightroom or darktable cheaper?
Adobe Lightroom's cheapest paid plan is $11.99/mo billed yearly (Lightroom) and darktable's is Free. Compare what each plan includes below before going on price alone.
Do Adobe Lightroom and darktable have a free plan?
Yes, both do.
What can Adobe Lightroom do that darktable cannot?
On the facts both vendors publish: removes an object by itself and syncs photos or edits to other devices.
What can darktable do that Adobe Lightroom cannot?
On the facts both vendors publish: source published under an open licence.
