DxO PhotoLab vs GIMP Comparison 2026
Both cover photo editing. Here is what separates them on price, billing, what you can take with you, and coverage.
Raw processing bought once, not rented
A free image editor for retouching and paint
At a glance
- Only GIMP has a free tier.
Side by side
DxO PhotoLab | GIMP | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | From $149.99 | Free |
| Pricing model (they differ) | One-time purchase | Free |
| Free tier (they differ) | No | Yes |
| Billing | One-time purchase | 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 (they differ) | macOS, Windows | macOS, Windows, Linux |
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.
DxO PhotoLab
Raw processing bought once, not rented
DxO PhotoLab is a raw converter with a reputation built on two things: noise reduction that recovers frames other software gives up on, and optical corrections measured from the actual lens rather than estimated. It is sold as a licence you own, which is why it keeps turning up in conversations about leaving Adobe. The library side is thinner than Lightroom's, and anybody whose workflow depends on catalogues should test that first.
Our note
Buy Elite or do not buy at all, because the noise reduction that makes this worth owning is the part held back from Essential. Against a subscription the maths favours DxO after roughly two years, assuming you skip at least one paid upgrade.
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.
Our note
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.