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darktable vs Krita

Focused on digital painting and illustration rather than RAW workflow.

Which to pick

Pick darktable if you want…

  • Open-source RAW workflow

Pick Krita if you want…

  • Free professional painting software
  • Free painting and illustration

Side by side

What it is
darktable:darktable is an open-source photography workflow app and RAW developer with non-destructive editing.
Krita:Krita is a free, open-source digital painting and illustration application.
Best for
darktable:Open-source RAW workflow
Krita:Free professional painting software
Who it’s for
darktable:Photographers who need a free, full-featured RAW processing tool.
Krita:Artists and illustrators of any skill level looking for a cost-free painting tool.
Pricing
darktable:Open source
Krita:Free
Open source
darktable:Yes, 13,217 GitHub stars
Krita:Yes, 10,492 GitHub stars

darktable features

  • Virtual Lighttable. Browse and organize digital negatives in a zoomable database view.
  • Non-destructive Editing. All adjustments are stored in a pipeline, leaving the original file untouched.
  • GPU-accelerated Processing. Leverages the video card to speed up image development.
  • Professional Color Management. Ensures color fidelity from screen to print.
  • Cross-platform Installation. Available for Linux, macOS and Windows with simple install guides.
  • Community Support. Mailing list, forum and source code contributions for users and developers.

Krita features

  • Multiple brush types. Provides a variety of brushes for different art styles.
  • Layer support. Offers layers, drawing assistants, and stabilizers for complex compositions.
  • Animation tools. Includes animation features to create moving artwork.
  • Resource libraries. Access brushes, patterns, vector libraries, and texture packs.
  • Plugin system. Allows plugins to extend functionality.
  • Community hub. Online community for sharing work, feedback, and bug reports.

darktable vs Krita FAQ

Is darktable or Krita free?+

Yes, both are free, and darktable is open source.

Is darktable or Krita open source?+

Yes, both are open source: darktable (darktable-org/darktable on GitHub, GPL-3.0 license) and Krita (KDE/krita on GitHub, GPL-3.0 license).

On DevHunt

Based on each tool's website and DevHunt data. Details may change; check the official sites.