darktable — RAW Photo Editing

darktable project

darktable is an open-source RAW developer and photo library for photographers, released under the GPL 3.0 and listed on its install page for Linux, Windows and macOS on Apple silicon (version 5.6.2 on 27 October 2026). The manual describes a lighttable for importing, rating and selecting images and a darkroom for editing, with originals opened read-only and edits kept in a database and XMP sidecar files; export writes a separate JPEG, TIFF or other file. Version 5.6 adds optional AI tools that the announcement says run on your own computer. The official FAQ warns that the learning curve can be steep and that darktable is not a direct Lightroom replacement.

Why it fits

RAW Photo Editing

Desktop

Go to darktable.org

Good to know (2)

Requires desktop installation.

Available features may vary by device and access method.

Good to know
Good to know	Desktop
Free output	—
No account needed	—
No watermark	—
Works offline	—
Batch processing	Yes
Content language	—

— Unverified conditions. Official documentation reviewed. The app itself has not been hands-on tested. Matches only documented content-language support, not interface language.

Sources and review date (5)

www.darktable.org/Oct 27, 2026
www.darktable.org/installOct 27, 2026
www.darktable.org/about/faqOct 27, 2026
www.darktable.org/2026/06/meet-darktable-5.6-ai-toolsOct 27, 2026
docs.darktable.org/usermanual/5.6/en/overview/workflow/exportOct 27, 2026

Founder feedback and correction

Editorial selection guide

Last checked: Oct 27, 2026

Who is it for?

Photographers who shoot RAW and want sorting, rating and developing in one program: the manual describes a lighttable for import and review and a darkroom for editing, and the project README calls it a workflow application that manages digital negatives in a database.
People who want their originals left alone: the manual says darktable opens all images in read-only mode, records edits in its database and XMP sidecar files, and exports to a separate file.
People willing to learn a deep tool: the FAQ describes a flexible raw processing toolbox that leaves the user in charge of the workflow, and warns that the initial learning curve can be steep because little knowledge transfers from other programs.
People who prefer open-source software and want AI tools to run locally: the 5.6 announcement says the AI features are off by default, run on your computer and send nothing to the cloud.

Getting started

Download the build for your system from the install page (5.6.2 on 27 October 2026): a Windows installer for 64-bit or Windows on ARM, an Apple silicon disk image for macOS, or an AppImage, package-manager or OBS package on Linux. The page says there are no official Intel Mac releases and that the Flatpak lacks the AI features.
Import your photos in the lighttable. The manual offers three routes: Add to library (registers files without copying them), Copy & import (copies them first; existing XMP files are not read) and Copy & import from camera. darktable creates an XMP sidecar file for each image on import and opens originals read-only.
Cull before you edit. New images start at one star. The manual's method rejects or zero-stars unwanted images and gives passing images two stars; at three stars you make quick darkroom edits and promote worthy images to four stars, and at four stars you do the final edit and export. R or 0 rejects an image under the pointer and 2 gives two stars.
Edit in the darkroom. The manual's scene-referred workflow sets overall brightness with the exposure module, black and white points and contrast with filmic rgb, and saturation with color balance rgb, then moves on to corrections such as color calibration, lens correction and denoise (profiled). A December 2025 beginner post builds similar steps around the agx tone mapper, so the manual and the post suggest different tone mappers.
Export with the export module: choose file on disk, JPEG for most purposes (TIFF if you will keep editing in GIMP or Krita) and run it. Files go to a darktable_exported folder next to the RAW file by default. The manual says to back up the XMP files together with your originals, because they are needed to rebuild your work.

Decision points

Your edits stay inside darktable. The manual says changes live in the database and XMP files. The FAQ says presets (styles) belong to the program that created them, edits from other programs cannot be imported properly (Lightroom edit import exists but is very basic, old and somewhat broken), and only ICC camera profiles are supported. If you depend on DCP profiles, the FAQ suggests RawTherapee or ART instead.
Check your camera before you commit. The camera support page is auto-generated from the 5.6.2 source and lists the decoder, white balance presets and noise profile per model. It says DNG cameras should work even if unlisted, and names formats that are not supported: Apple ProRAW DNG, CinemaDNG, DNG 1.7 using JPEG XL, Fujifilm lossy RAF, Nikon high efficiency NEF, some Sony ARW versions and Phase One files other than IIQ L.
Local AI is optional. The object mask and neural restore are off by default, need a model download from preferences and run through ONNX on CPU or GPU. The announcement says nothing leaves your machine, but also that neural restore always reinterprets the image to some degree and that pipeline modules are better for output sharpening and mild noise.
Hardware: the README lists a workable minimum of 4 GB RAM and 250 MB of disk and a recommended 8 GB and 1 GB; a GPU is not mandatory but recommended, and the FAQ says OpenCL speeds up processing.
Price: the pages state the GPL 3.0 license and show downloads without a price or subscription, but they do not use the words free of charge and mention no paid plan.

Limits

Official pages disagree on the minimum macOS version: the install page says 13.5 and later (with the download labeled macOS 14.0), while the project README says Apple silicon Macs running macOS 15 and later. There are no official Intel Mac releases, and the FAQ says the last one was 5.6.1. The README lists Windows 10 and later.
Camera support comes from an auto-generated list, not from testing: this record does not confirm any camera model, lens or file variant. The manual also says darktable does not decode images from cameras with non-Bayer sensors, except Fujifilm X-Trans (Sigma Foveon is its example).
The AI object mask is a single connected vector path, cannot capture per-strand detail such as fur, can select the wrong object on an ambiguous click and takes 1 to 10 seconds for the first selection on a new image. The Flatpak build has no AI features.
Windows 11 may preinstall an OpenCL Compatibility app that causes faults; the FAQ suggests uninstalling it or starting darktable with --disable-opencl.
This record reads official pages and does not test darktable. The manual pages cited are the 5.6 edition and menus, defaults and tone mappers change between versions.

Frequently asked questions

Is darktable free?

The official pages release darktable under the GPL 3.0 and list downloads on the install page without a price, subscription or account step. They do not use the words free of charge, so the license is the documented basis. The website and its images are under a separate Creative Commons license that does not cover the software.

How do I edit RAW photos in darktable?

Import the photos in the lighttable (Add to library or Copy & import), rate and cull them, open an image in the darkroom and work through exposure, filmic rgb and color balance rgb as the manual's scene-referred workflow describes, then use the export module to write a JPEG or TIFF. Your RAW file is opened read-only and the edits are stored in the database and an XMP sidecar file.

Does darktable work on a Mac, and on Intel Macs?

The install page offers an arm64 disk image for Apple silicon and says there are currently no official releases for Intel Macs; the FAQ says the last official Intel Mac release was 5.6.1. Minimum macOS differs between pages: 13.5 on the install page and 15 in the README. MacPorts is listed as another route.

Is darktable a Lightroom alternative?

The FAQ answers yes and no: darktable is an alternative to Lightroom the way any raw editor is, but it would be a mistake to treat it as a direct replacement. It says Lightroom aims at making raw processing accessible to anyone, while darktable is a flexible toolbox whose initial learning curve can be steep. It also says presets are specific to the program that created them, edits from other programs cannot be imported properly (Lightroom edit import is very basic and old), and only ICC camera profiles are supported, not DCP.

Does darktable change my original RAW files?

No. The manual says darktable opens all images in read-only mode and records edits only in its database and XMP sidecar files, which sync automatically. XMP generation can be turned off under Preferences, Storage, XMP sidecar files, though the manual advises against it, and you should back up the XMP files with the originals.

Is my camera supported by darktable?

Check the camera support page, which is auto-generated from the 5.6.2 source and lists white balance presets, noise profiles and the decoder per model. It says DNG cameras should work even if not listed and names unsupported formats such as Apple ProRAW DNG, CinemaDNG and Nikon high efficiency NEF. To request a camera, the page asks you to open or find a bug report and attach samples.

Official sources (12)

www.darktable.org/www.darktable.org/install/www.darktable.org/about/faq/www.darktable.org/resources/camera-support/docs.darktable.org/usermanual/stable/en/overview/supported-file-formats/docs.darktable.org/usermanual/5.6/en/overview/sidecar-files/sidecar/docs.darktable.org/usermanual/5.6/en/overview/workflow/import-review/docs.darktable.org/usermanual/5.6/en/overview/workflow/process/docs.darktable.org/usermanual/5.6/en/overview/workflow/export/www.darktable.org/2026/06/meet-darktable-5.6-ai-tools/www.darktable.org/2025/12/darktable-5.4-beginner-workflow/github.com/darktable-org/darktable

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