Photography · head to head
Adobe Photoshop vs darktable
Adobe Photoshop
Photography
The world's best imaging and graphic design software
- From
- $19.99/month
- Rated
- -
darktable
Photography
Free open-source RAW photo editor and digital darkroom
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only darktable has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Adobe Photoshop subscription-only model with ever-increasing costs, no perpetual license option; darktable interface has a steeper learning curve than commercial editors with more guided workflows.
- They diverge on capability: Adobe Photoshop covers Advanced photo editing, darktable covers Non-destructive RAW editing.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Adobe Photoshop and darktable actually diverge.
| Attribute | Adobe Photoshop | darktable |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $19.99/month | Free |
| Pricing model | Unknown | free |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, iPad, iPhone, Web, Android | windows, mac, linux |
| Founded | 1982 | Unknown |
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Photography).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in Adobe Photoshop
- Advanced photo editing
- Layer-based editing
- Selection tools
- Color correction
- Digital painting
- 3D design
- Typography tools
- Batch processing
Only in darktable
- Non-destructive RAW editing
- Virtual lighttable
- Wide camera RAW support
- Tethered shooting
- Color management and modules
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Adobe Photoshop
- Photo editingnot darktable
- Digital art creationnot darktable
- Graphic designnot darktable
- Web designnot darktable
- Print designnot darktable
- Social media graphicsnot darktable
darktable
- Processing RAW photos without paying for a subscription editornot Adobe Photoshop
- Organizing and cataloging large personal photo librariesnot Adobe Photoshop
- Tethered shooting directly into an editing workflownot Adobe Photoshop
- Applying non-destructive edits that preserve the original RAW filenot Adobe Photoshop
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Adobe Photoshop
- Subscription-only model with ever-increasing costs, no perpetual license option
- High hardware requirements for smooth performance with large graphics
- Limited mobile optimization compared to desktop version
- Limited 3D modeling and rendering tools for professionals
- AI text generation inside images remains inconsistent and unpredictable
- No progress monitoring bars for rendering operations
darktable
- Interface has a steeper learning curve than commercial editors with more guided workflows.
- Lacks the AI-based generative editing tools found in newer commercial competitors like Luminar Neo.
- No official mobile app, limiting editing to desktop platforms only.
- Community-driven support model lacks the dedicated customer support of paid software.
Pricing, plan by plan
Adobe Photoshop
$19.99/month- Photography Plan$19.99/month
- Photoshop desktop for macOS and Windows
- Lightroom desktop and cloud
- 1TB cloud storage
- Photoshop Single App$22.99/month
- Photoshop desktop for macOS and Windows
- Photoshop for iPad
- Photoshop web (limited features)
- Creative Cloud Pro$69.99/month
- All Creative Cloud apps including Photoshop
- Unlimited standard AI features with Firefly Pro
- 4,000 AI credits monthly
darktable
Free- FreeFree
- Full RAW editing and lighttable features
- Open-source under GNU GPL v3
- No account or subscription required
Which should you pick?
Choose Adobe Photoshop if
- You need advanced photo editing.
- You work on Windows, macOS, iPad, iPhone, Web, Android.
- You also want layer-based editing.
Choose darktable if
- You need non-destructive raw editing.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on windows, mac, linux.
- You also want virtual lighttable.
Questions people ask
- Is Adobe Photoshop or darktable better?
- Neither clearly leads. Adobe Photoshop starts at $19.99/month and darktable at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Adobe Photoshop or darktable?
- darktable has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $19.99/month for Adobe Photoshop and Free for darktable.
- Does Adobe Photoshop or darktable run on more platforms?
- Adobe Photoshop runs on Windows, macOS, iPad, iPhone, Web, Android. darktable runs on windows, mac, linux.
- Can I use darktable for free?
- Yes. darktable has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Adobe Photoshop starts at $19.99/month.
- What is Adobe Photoshop best used for?
- Adobe Photoshop is most often used for photo editing, digital art creation, graphic design, web design. Of those, photo editing and digital art creation are not what darktable is typically brought in for.
- What can Adobe Photoshop do that darktable cannot?
- Adobe Photoshop covers Advanced photo editing, Layer-based editing, Selection tools, Color correction. darktable covers Non-destructive RAW editing, Virtual lighttable, Wide camera RAW support, Tethered shooting.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Adobe Photoshop: What does a Photoshop subscription include?
A single-app Photoshop subscription ($22.99/month) includes the desktop app for macOS and Windows, Photoshop for iPad, limited web features, 100GB cloud storage, and 25 AI credits monthly. The Photography Plan ($19.99/month) adds Lightroom and increases AI credits to 1,000 monthly.
SourceAdobe Photoshop: Is there a free trial for Photoshop?
Yes, Adobe offers a 7-day free trial for individuals and 14 days for Teams. The trial requires credit card verification, includes 100GB cloud storage, and full access to all features. The subscription auto-renews at $20.99/month unless cancelled 24 hours before trial ends.
SourceAdobe Photoshop: What AI features does Photoshop 2026 include?
Photoshop 2026 features Generative Fill with reference image support (for control over lighting and color), Generative Upscale (enlarges images to 8MP while preserving detail), a conversational AI assistant in beta, Harmonize for auto light and color matching, and integration with Gemini 2.5 Flash and FLUX.1 AI models.
SourceAdobe Photoshop: What platforms does Photoshop run on?
Photoshop is available on Windows 10/11, macOS 13+, iPad (iOS 17+), iPhone (iOS 17+), and web browsers. Android version entered beta in June 2025.
SourceRelated pages
More on Adobe Photoshop
Other head to heads
- Adobe Photoshop vs Adobe Lightroom
- Adobe Photoshop vs Affinity Photo
- Adobe Photoshop vs Luminar Neo
- Adobe Photoshop vs Pixelmator Pro
- Adobe Photoshop vs Capture One
- Adobe Photoshop vs ON1 Photo RAW
- darktable vs Adobe Lightroom
- darktable vs Affinity Photo
- darktable vs Luminar Neo
- darktable vs Pixelmator Pro
- darktable vs Capture One
- darktable vs ON1 Photo RAW