Capture One vs darktable
darktable scores 7.3 to Capture One's 6.2 among the raw photo editors we rate, and is the better pick for 3 of the 4 kinds of buyer below.
darktable wins, 7.3 to 6.2
darktable costs nothing and is open source, while Capture One asks $18 a month billed yearly or a one-time licence you can switch to later. Capture One lets clients comment on photos remotely and syncs edits across devices. darktable answers with its own AI upscaling and Lua scripts anyone can install and share to extend the program. The choice comes down to paying nothing for darktable or paying for Capture One's studio and client review tools.
Pick Capture One if you need client review and cross-device sync.
Pick darktable if you want free software with AI upscaling built in.
Best for
Who each one suits, decided on the criteria that matter to that buyer and the checked facts where the two differ.
- AI upscaling: darktable yes, Capture One no
- Syncs photos or edits to other devices: Capture One yes, darktable no
- Comments or review with clients: Capture One yes, darktable no
- Where it runs: 3 platforms against 2 platforms
- But darktable leads on developer or scripting API: darktable yes, Capture One no
- Free plan: darktable yes, Capture One no
- Cheapest plan you can edit in, monthly: $0 against $18
- Source published under an open licence: darktable yes, Capture One no
- But Capture One leads on ways to reach support: 3 support channels against 2 support channels
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. darktable 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 (6)
Pricing, plan by plan
Every plan each vendor publishes, monthly and yearly where both are offered.
Capture One
darktable
For everything else about each tool, read the full Capture One review and darktable review.
Capture One vs darktable: common questions
Which is better, Capture One or darktable?
darktable scores 7.3 and Capture One 6.2 out of 10 among the raw photo editors we rate. darktable is ahead on what it adds beyond the basics, pricing and privacy and trust. Capture One is ahead on workflow and sharing.
Is Capture One or darktable cheaper?
Capture One's cheapest paid plan is $18/mo billed yearly (Pro) and darktable's is Free. Compare what each plan includes below before going on price alone.
Do Capture One and darktable have a free plan?
darktable does and Capture One does not.
What can Capture One do that darktable cannot?
On the facts both vendors publish: syncs photos or edits to other devices and comments or review with clients.
