GIMP
Open Sourceby The GIMP Team
The best-known free alternative to Adobe Photoshop.
- Layers, masks, channels and paths
- Extensive selection and retouching tools
- Scriptable batch processing
Free alternatives to darktable
5 photo & graphics programs worth considering instead of — or alongside — darktable.
Alternatives to darktable
Inkscape
Open Sourceby Inkscape Project
Professional vector illustration — the free Illustrator alternative.
- Native SVG editing
- Full bezier and node editing
- Text on path and typography tools
Krita
Open Sourceby Krita Foundation
Digital painting software built for illustrators and concept artists.
- Exceptional customisable brush engine
- Excellent graphics tablet support
- Frame-by-frame animation tools
Paint.NET
Freeby dotPDN LLC
The sweet spot between MS Paint and Photoshop.
- Layers and adjustment effects
- Very fast to launch and learn
- Active plugin community
RawTherapee
Open Sourceby RawTherapee development team
Precision RAW converter with exceptional detail control.
- Multiple high-quality demosaicing algorithms
- Advanced noise reduction and sharpening
- Non-destructive processing profiles
About darktable
darktable is a RAW developer and photo workflow application for photographers, offering non-destructive editing, a proper light-table for culling, and colour management aimed at serious photographic work.
It is open source and runs on Windows, macOS, Linux. Below are 5 photo & graphics programs that cover the same ground — some open-source, some cross-platform, each free to use.
darktable alternatives compared
| Program | Licence | Platforms | Best known for |
|---|---|---|---|
| GIMP | Open Source | Windows, macOS, Linux | Layers, masks, channels and paths |
| Inkscape | Open Source | Windows, macOS, Linux | Native SVG editing |
| Krita | Open Source | Windows, macOS, Linux | Exceptional customisable brush engine |
| Paint.NET | Free | Windows | Layers and adjustment effects |
| RawTherapee | Open Source | Windows, macOS, Linux | Multiple high-quality demosaicing algorithms |
The alternatives in detail
GIMP Open Source
GIMP is a full-featured raster image editor covering photo retouching, compositing, masking, layers, channels and scriptable batch processing. Notable for layers, masks, channels and paths and extensive selection and retouching tools. Runs on Windows, macOS, Linux.
Inkscape Open Source
Inkscape is a full vector graphics editor working natively in SVG, suitable for logos, illustrations, diagrams and print-ready artwork. Notable for native svg editing and full bezier and node editing. Runs on Windows, macOS, Linux.
Krita Open Source
Krita is purpose-built for digital painting rather than photo editing, with an outstanding brush engine, excellent drawing-tablet support, and features aimed at comic and concept artists including frame-by-frame animation. Notable for exceptional customisable brush engine and excellent graphics tablet support. Runs on Windows, macOS, Linux.
Paint.NET Free
Paint.NET fills the gap between Windows Paint and a full professional editor: layers, effects and a genuinely simple interface that opens instantly. Notable for layers and adjustment effects and very fast to launch and learn. Runs on Windows.
RawTherapee Open Source
RawTherapee is a RAW image processor known for the quality of its demosaicing algorithms and the granularity of its controls. Notable for multiple high-quality demosaicing algorithms and advanced noise reduction and sharpening. Runs on Windows, macOS, Linux.
How to choose
4 are fully open source (GIMP, Inkscape, Krita, RawTherapee) — pick one of these if you value auditable code you can self-host. For the widest platform coverage, GIMP, Inkscape, Krita run on three or more operating systems. On a Mac, GIMP, Inkscape, Krita support macOS natively.
All 5 are free to download from the publisher's own website, so installing two or three and testing them on your own files is the fastest way to decide — it costs nothing but a few minutes.