Darktable has many features, but even after learning the platform, many edits will take much longer than other editing apps.

While the number of features is impressive, darktable suffers from subpar RAW color processing, a lack of built-in support for camera color profiles, reduced accuracy in local selection tools, a steep learning curve, and a few strange, random bugs. Yet, there are many features that even Lightroom users have to head into Photoshop for, like gaussian blur and liquefy. As free programs, open source apps tend to have fewer updates and typically lag behind in the latest technology. The program darktable (yes, it’s supposed to have a lower-case d) is an open-source application that competes with RAW editors like Adobe Lightroom Classic and Capture One. Download our app for iOS, iPad, and Android and get no banner ads for $24.99/year. Subscribers get some sweet perks and are automatically entered into contests!. But several unnecessary hours and a few weird bugs later, the only thing suppressing the urge to throw my laptop across the room is the little LrC icon in my dock and the fresh memory of just how much the Apple M1 Pro costs. It’s a free Lightroom alternative with many surprisingly advanced tools. But, sometimes, there are other hidden costs, like the urge to throw a $3,000 computer across the room. Open-source software offers alternatives to popular photo editing software without a subscription or even a one-time cost.

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