darktable vs GIMP Comparison 2026
Both cover photo editing. Here is what separates them on price, billing, what you can take with you, and coverage.
At a glance
- Both have a genuinely free tier.
Side by side
darktable | GIMP | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | Free |
| Pricing model | Free | Free |
| Free tier | Yes | Yes |
| Billing | Not stated | Not stated |
| Free trial | Not stated | Not stated |
| API | Not stated | Not stated |
| Data export | Not stated | Not stated |
| Their cut | None | None |
| Runs on | macOS, Windows, Linux | macOS, Windows, Linux |
| Covers | Photo Editing |
Shaded rows are where the two answers disagree and both listings have answered. A row where one side has not stated a fact is left plain, because silence is not a difference.
darktable
A raw developer that costs nothing
darktable manages a photo library in a database and develops raw files without ever altering the original, which is the same arrangement Lightroom sells a subscription for. Colour management runs the whole way to print and the processing uses the graphics card. It is open source and there is no paid tier, no account and no upload. The interface was built by photographers for photographers and it shows in both directions, so expect to read the manual.
Our note
Try this before paying for a raw developer, because the reason to buy one is workflow speed rather than image quality and you cannot tell which you care about until you have used a free one. If the module-based approach clicks within an evening it will keep clicking, and if it does not, no amount of practice changes that.
GIMP
A free image editor for retouching and paint
GIMP has been the free answer to a paid image editor since the nineties, covering retouching, compositing, painting and format conversion, with scripting for the jobs you do a hundred times. Its colour management is strong enough for print work. The interface is its own rather than a copy of anyone else's, which is the real cost of switching to it.
Ratings are the average of reviews readers left. The facts are stated by each tool’s own listing and are not verified by CloutStack. How we make money.