darktable vs RawTherapee: Which Should You Use?

darktable 4.4.2 darkroom view with modules on the right and history on the left — Wikimedia Commons screenshot of darktable 4.4.2 darkroom (identifies the UI). Source · License: GPL-3.0.

RawTherapee official carousel screenshot showing local-mask develop of a landscape RAW — RawTherapee site carousel (rawtherapee.com). Source · License: GPL-3.0.

Verdict. Choose darktable if you want a lighttable plus non-destructive darkroom (release 5.6.2, 13,300 stars). Choose RawTherapee if the job is demosaic and develop controls without a DAM (5.13, 4,242 stars). We have no sourced speed or quality test.

Compare darktable and RawTherapee.

Dimension	darktable	RawTherapee	Source
License	GPL-3.0 (LICENSE, 2026-10-21)	GPL-3.0 (LICENSE on dev, 2026-10-21)	Official LICENSE files
Price	free (open-source)	free (open-source)	Licenses above
Current release (this check)	release-5.6.2 (2026-10-04)	5.13 (2026-07-26)	GitHub Releases
Community snapshot (2026-10-21)	13,300 stars / 1,484 forks; last push 2026-10-21	4,242 stars / 427 forks; last push 2026-10-20	GitHub API
Job (project positioning)	Virtual lighttable + darkroom; catalog of digital negatives	RAW develop with demosaic control; DAM/print/upload called peripheral gaps	darktable.org; RawTherapee README
Implementation	C	C++ / GTK+	GitHub language fields / README
Quality vs Lightroom	Not independently tested	Not independently tested	n/a

When to choose which

Catalog plus develop this week: darktable — That is darktable’s own lighttable+darkroom positioning. We did not migrate a catalog.
Demosaic / develop controls without a DAM: RawTherapee — Copied from the README’s target-audience and peripheral-gap sentences.
Photo library (albums, tags, share): digiKam — Different job. See the Lightroom hub. GitHub KDE/digikam is archived; use invent.kde.org.

Read the entity pages for the full sourced tables: darktable and RawTherapee. Both are listed on Lightroom alternatives. Versus the commercial catalog: darktable vs Lightroom. Related photo-library row: digiKam.

Key differences

darktable is a virtual lighttable and darkroom (darktable.org). RawTherapee is a RAW processor that the README says may lack DAM, printing, and upload peripherals. Star counts are not quality.

Pixel editing is a different job: Photoshop alternatives, PhotoCraft vs GIMP, How to install PhotoCraft, GIMP, Krita.

See also Image & Design and Comparisons.

FAQ

Is darktable better than RawTherapee?

We have no sourced benchmark that says so. They target different jobs (catalog+develop vs demosaic-focused develop).

Can I use both?

Yes. Both are GPL-3.0. That is not legal advice.

Where do GIMP and PhotoCraft fit?

Those are pixel editors. See Photoshop alternatives, PhotoCraft vs GIMP, and How to install PhotoCraft.

Sources & verification

Last verified 2026-10-21 · Last updated 2026-10-21· Edited by forkalt editors · Editorial policy

License notes are not legal advice. Read the original LICENSE. Trademark & disclaimer.