Krita VS Darktable

Compare Krita VS Darktable and see what are their differences

PhotoG.art

The World's First AI Marketing Agent featured

Contents:

» Base Details
» Videos
» Reviews
» Alternatives

Krita

Krita is a professional FREE and open source painting program. It is made by artists that want to seaffordable art tools for everyone. Concept art. texture and matte painters, illustrations and comics.

Darktable

darktable is an open source photography workflow application and raw developer.

Landing page //
2024-05-31

Landing page //
2021-10-18

Krita

Website: krita.org
$ Details: -

Edit details

Darktable

Website: darktable.org
$ Details

Edit details

Krita features and specs

Free and Open Source
Krita is completely free to use, and its source code is available to the public, which allows for extensive customization and community-driven improvements.
Powerful Brush Engine
Krita offers a highly configurable and dynamic brush engine, suitable for various art styles and techniques, from digital painting to textured brushes.
Rich Feature Set
The software includes a comprehensive suite of features such as HDR painting, layer management, color wheels, advanced selections, and many more.
Cross-Platform Compatibility
Krita is available on multiple platforms including Windows, macOS, and Linux, providing flexibility for users across different operating systems.
Active Development and Community
Krita benefits from regular updates and an active community that offers tutorials, forums, and additional resources to help users.

Possible disadvantages of Krita

Learning Curve
Due to its extensive feature set, new users might find Krita overwhelming at first, requiring time and effort to learn and master the tool.
Performance Issues
Some users have reported performance lags and stability issues, especially when working with very large files or complex projects.
Limited Vector Tools
While Krita excels in raster graphics, its vector tools are not as advanced or comprehensive compared to specialized vector graphic software like Adobe Illustrator.
Less Industry Standard
Krita, despite its capabilities, is not as widely adopted in professional industries compared to other software like Photoshop, potentially affecting collaboration and job opportunities.
Hardware Dependency
Optimal performance in Krita can be highly dependent on the user's hardware configuration, necessitating more powerful machines for high-end work.

Darktable features and specs

Open Source
Darktable is open-source software, meaning it's free to use and its source code is available for users to modify and improve. This can appeal to those who prefer community-driven projects.
Non-Destructive Editing
The software ensures that the original image files are never altered. All edits are stored in a separate file, allowing users to revert to the original image at any time.
RAW Processing
Darktable supports a wide range of RAW file formats from numerous camera manufacturers, offering high-quality RAW image editing capabilities.
Extensive Toolset
Darktable offers a comprehensive set of tools for color correction, retouching, and other adjustments, comparable to other professional photo editing software.
Cross-Platform Support
Available for Linux, macOS, and Windows, Darktable allows users to work on their preferred operating system without compatibility issues.
Active Community
Darktable has an active community of users and developers who regularly contribute to forums, create tutorials, and develop plugins, providing robust support.

Possible disadvantages of Darktable

Learning Curve
Darktable has a steep learning curve, which can be daunting for beginners who are not familiar with photo editing software.
Less Intuitive UI
Compared to some commercial alternatives, Darktable's user interface is less intuitive, which may make it harder for new users to navigate and utilize all features efficiently.
Slower Performance
Some users have reported that Darktable can be slower compared to other photo editing software, especially when working with very large files or complex edits.
Limited Integration
Darktable does not integrate as seamlessly with other software in the Adobe ecosystem, which could be a drawback for those who rely on multiple Adobe products for their workflow.
Infrequent Updates
Although the software is updated, it does not receive updates as frequently as some commercial alternatives, which can delay the release of new features or bug fixes.
Limited Documentation
While there is a community and some documentation available, new users might find comprehensive guides and official tutorials lacking compared to more mainstream software.

Krita videos

+ Add

LET'S TRY: Krita!! (free art program)

Darktable videos

+ Add

Free Lightroom Alternative: Darktable Review

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Krita and Darktable)

Krita

Darktable

Digital Drawing And Painting

90 90%

Digital Drawing And Painting

10% 10

Image Editing

76 76%

Image Editing

24% 24

Graphic Design Software

80 80%

Graphic Design Software

20% 20

Photo Editing

0 0%

Photo Editing

100% 100

User comments

Share your experience with using Krita and Darktable. For example, how are they different and which one is better?

Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Krita and Darktable

Krita Reviews

Best Adobe Photoshop alternatives of 2024

Krita is open-source and free alternative to Adobe Photoshop, backed by a huge community of developers and talented artists who share artwork and methods. If you’re looking for an active user base that’s invested in discussing and sharing art, Krita is a great Photoshop alternative for drawing.

Source: www.techradar.com

10 BEST Procreate Alternatives For Android For 2023

Krita offers a natural sketching experience digitally. You get textures along with default brushes that aid you in creating various art types. You can customize the brushes as well. The app also has an integrated reference panel and color wheel.

Source: www.softwaretestinghelp.com

7 BEST Procreate Alternatives for Android (2023)

Krita’s provides a Gradient tool to help you create stunning artwork. It offers many assets, such as perspective halftone filters, etc., to help you draw efficiently. Krita also has comic textures and other templates. The blending works well, and it gives a lot of creative options.

Source: www.guru99.com

15 Best Procreate Alternatives For Android 2023

Krita is a fun app with many innovative and common features, including brush engines for painting and sketching, stabilizers for freehand inking, a distraction-free canvas, and assistants for creating complex scenes.

Source: rigorousthemes.com

Our 6 Favorite Free Photoshop Alternatives (2022 Update)

Krita is a free and open-source painting program, originally developed by a team of rag-tag students and later expanded to become a full-scale professional drawing program that rivals, and in my opinion, surpasses Photoshop in its drawing capabilities.

Source: www.cgdirector.com

Darktable Reviews

Our 6 Favorite Free Photoshop Alternatives (2022 Update)

Darktable is a free, open-source photo editing software that is used by photographers and editors and is a wonderful alternative to the likes of Photoshop and Lightroom.

Source: www.cgdirector.com

5 Best Linux Photo Management Software

Darktable is more of a photo editing application than an organizer. Darktable stands out for its own user interface regardless of the desktop environment you might be using, and of course for its editing capabilities. The basic features include:

Source: itsfoss.com

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Krita seems to be a lot more popular than Darktable. While we know about 300 links to Krita, we've tracked only 8 mentions of Darktable. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Krita mentions (300)

Ask HN: Which "open-source alternatives" have succeeded?
Fairly well known on HN by now but Krita is also excellent and simple image editor and painting app like Photoshop was 20 years ago https://krita.org/en/. - Source: Hacker News / 11 months ago
Cancel Adobe if you are a creative under NDA with your clients
Well, there is Serif's suite: https://affinity.serif.com/en-us/designer/ (There's also a Photo and page layout app) or the open-source stuff: - https://krita.org/en/ - https://inkscape.org/ - https://www.scribus.net/. - Source: Hacker News / 12 months ago
Cancel Adobe if you are a creative under NDA with your clients
These are all valid alternatives with real world use, but none of them are Photoshop, and that's kinda the problem we face. Krita - https://krita.org/en/. - Source: Hacker News / 12 months ago
Photoshop ToS grants Adobe access to user projects for 'content moderation'
I migrated away from Adobe after Photoshop CS6 which I believe was the last release before they switched over to a subscription only pricing model. If you're looking for a Photoshop alternative to break away from the incredibly user hostile relationship with Adobe I can heartily recommend either Krita (open source) or Pixelmator (Mac only). Pixelmator Pro is my daily driver for image related work and is incredibly... - Source: Hacker News / 12 months ago
Paint.net
Check out Krita[0]. It's what I used after leaving Windows - a little different, maybe 25% more complicated, but has everything you need. If you just want a MS Paint replacement, KolourPaint[1] is the way to go [0] https://krita.org/en/. - Source: Hacker News / about 1 year ago

Darktable mentions (8)

Photomator for Mac
I'm pretty new to photography. I understand a lot of the basics (ex-wife shot as a professional hobbyist for a few years) but never really paid much attention to her editing workflow. Adobe already gets me for $20/mo for Illustrator (because designers) and I looked at alternatives. I've been using darktable http://darktable.org since I got my camera about a month ago and it's nice enough for me. - Source: Hacker News / about 2 years ago
Nudibranch (Nembrotha cristata), Verde Island, Philippines, April 2023
Thank you! The shot was gently edited in darktable. More TG-5 / single strobe examples here. Source: about 2 years ago
I've seen it with Adobe
No, unfortunately not. But check out the free Darktable app which is similar on darktable.org and also this list https://petapixel.com/best-free-raw-editing-programs/. Source: over 2 years ago
Exporting a RAW file. Is it possible without the format changing? If I export to another folder on my mac it becomes a .jpeg, to Lightroom it becomes a .jpg, to Photoshop it becomes a .tiff. I want to be able to edit the RAW file, a .dng in another app that is not Apple proprietary.
It sounds like you might want non-destructive editing. Look at something like darktable.org or Lightroom. You can edit your RAW files in multiple different ways, i.e., effectively keeping multiple copies of edited RAW files around. Source: almost 3 years ago
Software to edit and enhance Photos (JPG and RAW).
If you're looking to learn more complicated software without having to rent it while you do, there's Darktable. Rawtherapee is another app in the same category, and usually appeals to people who don't like Darktable's interface. Source: about 3 years ago