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Photography · head to head

darktable vs Krita

darktable logo

darktable

Photography

Free open-source RAW photo editor and digital darkroom

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Krita logo

Krita

Design

Free and open-source digital painting software

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: darktable open-source with no vendor pricing: Darktable is released under GPL 3.0; no cost or licensing applies; Krita not portable across Windows/macOS/Linux with consistent performance
  • They diverge on capability: darktable covers Non-destructive RAW editing, Krita covers Digital painting.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which darktable and Krita actually diverge.

Attributes where darktable and Krita differ
AttributedarktableKrita
Pricing modelfreeUnknown
Platformswindows, mac, linuxWindows, macOS, Linux
CategoryPhotographyDesign
FoundedUnknown1999

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

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 darktable

  • Non-destructive RAW editing
  • Virtual lighttable
  • Wide camera RAW support
  • Tethered shooting
  • Color management and modules

Only in Krita

  • Digital painting
  • Brush engines
  • Layer management
  • Animation
  • Vector tools
  • OpenEXR
  • PSD files
  • Graphics tablets

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

darktable

  • Processing RAW photos without paying for a subscription editornot Krita
  • Organizing and cataloging large personal photo librariesnot Krita
  • Tethered shooting directly into an editing workflownot Krita
  • Applying non-destructive edits that preserve the original RAW filenot Krita

Krita

  • Digital paintingnot darktable
  • Concept artnot darktable
  • Character designnot darktable
  • 2D animationnot darktable
  • Texture paintingnot darktable

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

darktable

  • Open-source with no vendor pricing: Darktable is released under GPL 3.0; no cost or licensing applies
  • Self-hosted photography workflow: customers bear full responsibility for hosting, maintenance, and support outside community
  • No commercial support model published: community-driven project with mailing lists and forums only; no commercial SaaS alternative
  • Community contribution required for feature development: no vendor roadmap for prioritized feature work; community volunteers drive development

Krita

  • Not portable across Windows/macOS/Linux with consistent performance
  • Performance limits on large projects with many layers compared to professional software
  • Requires system administrator privileges for installation on managed systems
  • Limited professional support compared to commercial alternatives

Pricing, plan by plan

darktable

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Full RAW editing and lighttable features
    • Open-source under GNU GPL v3
    • No account or subscription required

Krita

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Krita review.

Which should you pick?

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.
darktable review

Choose Krita if

  • You need digital painting.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, macOS, Linux.
  • You also want brush engines.
Krita review

Questions people ask

Is darktable or Krita better?
Neither clearly leads. darktable starts at Free and Krita at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, darktable or Krita?
darktable starts at Free and Krita at Free.
Does darktable or Krita run on more platforms?
darktable runs on windows, mac, linux. Krita runs on Windows, macOS, Linux.
Can I use darktable for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is darktable best used for?
darktable is most often used for processing raw photos without paying for a subscription editor, organizing and cataloging large personal photo libraries, tethered shooting directly into an editing workflow, applying non-destructive edits that preserve the original raw file. Of those, processing raw photos without paying for a subscription editor and organizing and cataloging large personal photo libraries are not what Krita is typically brought in for.
What can darktable do that Krita cannot?
darktable covers Non-destructive RAW editing, Virtual lighttable, Wide camera RAW support, Tethered shooting. Krita covers Digital painting, Brush engines, Layer management, Animation.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

darktable: How much does Darktable cost?

Darktable is free and open-source under the GPL 3.0 license. There are no licensing fees, subscription costs, or commercial restrictions.

Source
Krita: Is Krita free and open source?

Yes, Krita is completely free and open source software developed by the KDE community. It is distributed under the LGPL license with no licensing fees.

Source
darktable: Is Darktable created by a commercial vendor?

No. Darktable is a community-driven open-source project 'created for photographers, by photographers.' It has no commercial vendor or SaaS model.

Source
Krita: What platforms does Krita support?

Krita is available for Windows, macOS, and Linux. It can be downloaded from krita.org or installed via package managers on Linux distributions.

Source
darktable: How can I get support for Darktable?

Darktable is supported through community channels including mailing lists and forums. There is no commercial support option published on the website.

Source
Krita: What animation capabilities does Krita have?

Krita supports frame-by-frame animation with onion skin view, timeline management, and export to video formats for creating animated sequences.

Source
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