darktable is a free, open-source raw developer and photo organiser with no company behind it. It suits people who want a complete photo workflow without a subscription or an account, and it is worth knowing that its AI features are opt-in and run entirely on your own device.
What is darktable?
darktable is built by a volunteer community rather than a company, and it is released under the GPL 3.0. It is an installed desktop application for Windows, macOS and Linux, and it requires no account: nothing about your photos is sent anywhere.
Developing and organising photos in darktable
darktable develops raw files non-destructively all the way through its pipeline, and the original image is never modified. Its lighttable view organises the library with star ratings, color labels and image grouping. AI object masking lets you click on a subject to build a mask around it, and the neural restore module applies AI-powered raw and RGB denoise and 2x or 4x upscaling; all of these run locally through on-device models such as NIND and NAFNet, and the AI features are opt-in and off by default.
Lens correction automatically corrects distortion, chromatic aberration and vignetting using embedded metadata or the Lensfun library. Tethered shooting supports live view for some camera brands, and the selected-image module can merge bracketed raw exposures into HDR. Object and distraction removal use the retouch module's manual clone, heal, blur and fill tools rather than an AI-driven remover. Exporting can apply the same settings, styles and history to many selected images at once, and a documented Lua scripting API lets contributors write and share scripts that extend the application.
Working with other people
darktable is built for one person editing locally rather than several people working on the same file, so there is no real-time collaboration. Its export system can send images to the Piwigo web album service, and its Lua API is documented for anyone who wants to script or extend it.
darktable pricing
darktable is free, with no paid plan at all: the whole application is free software under the GPL 3.0, and there is nothing to trial or subscribe to.
Privacy and support
Questions about training on your work, SOC 2 and GDPR do not really apply to darktable: it is installed desktop software with no account and no vendor server that your photos pass through, and its AI features run entirely on-device rather than sending anything over the network. Support comes through the project's own manual and documentation, plus community channels: a forum, GitHub issue tracker, IRC and Matrix.
Who darktable suits
darktable suits photographers who want a full raw-development and library workflow without paying for it, and who are comfortable getting support from a community rather than a company help desk. It also suits anyone who wants their photos to stay entirely on their own device, since the optional AI features run locally and nothing needs an account.
It suits less well anyone who wants object removal handled automatically by AI, since darktable's retouch tools are manual, or anyone who wants a companion mobile app or cloud sync, since darktable is desktop-only.
How darktable compares
darktable scores 7.3 out of 10 among the raw photo editors we rate. These three do the same job and are the closest to it, compared on what each vendor publishes.
Adobe Lightroom
Lightroom charges $11.99 a month billed yearly for Lightroom alone; darktable is free and open source, with no company behind it. darktable's own AI upscaling and Lua scripting, which anyone can install and share, come at no cost. Lightroom brings cloud sync across devices and automatic object removal. The choice is between paying Adobe every year for a synced workflow or running free software you fully control.
Pick Adobe Lightroom if you want Adobe's cloud sync and automatic object removal.
Pick darktable if you want free software with no subscription ever.
DxO PhotoLab
darktable costs nothing and is open source, while DxO PhotoLab sells one-time licences, an Essential edition and a pricier Elite edition. darktable can shoot tethered to a computer and merge bracketed exposures into HDR. DxO PhotoLab answers with automatic removal of sensor dust, and Virtual Copies with a full history for going back to earlier edits. Both keep you off a subscription, but darktable asks nothing at all to get started.
Pick DxO PhotoLab if you want automatic sensor dust removal and virtual copies.
Pick darktable if you want tethered shooting and HDR merging for free.
Capture One
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is darktable really free?
Yes. darktable has no paid plan at all: the whole application is free software under the GPL 3.0, with no subscription and no account.
Does darktable open raw camera files?
Yes, darktable is built as a raw developer and reads a wide range of camera raw formats through its RawSpeed library.
Does darktable use AI to edit photos?
Yes, but it is opt-in: AI object masking, denoise and 2x or 4x upscaling all run locally on your own device and are off by default.
Does darktable collect or train on my photos?
No. darktable is installed software with no account and no server your images pass through, and its AI features run entirely on-device.
