darktable

darktable team · Open source · Graphics & design

darktable is an open-source photography workflow application and RAW developer designed to manage digital negatives and develop camera files. Operating on lighttable and darkroom principles, it provides a comprehensive pipeline for non-destructive color grading, exposure correction, noise reduction, and lens corrections directly on raw sensor data.

Download for Windows

github.com · Official website

✓ Official source (winget)
✓ SHA256 taken from the official repository
✓ Last checked: Nov. 4, 2026
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Version: 5.6.2
Release date: Oct. 4, 2026
License: GPL-3.0
Installer type: inno

Install from the command line

How do I use this?

Type Terminal in the Start menu and open it, paste the command (Ctrl+V or right-click) and press Enter. It uses winget, Windows' own package manager, to install the program from its official source.

winget install --id darktable.darktable -e

SHA256 (file verification)

7f7a1eabcd0a1b548dcfacac842c8203fc85a4175697fb09f90bb891c8931edd

Open official page for Linux

flathub.org · Official website

✓ Community package (Flathub)
✓ Last checked: Nov. 4, 2026

Version: 5.6.2
Release date: Oct. 4, 2026
License: GPL-3.0
Installer type: flatpak

Install from the command line

How do I use this?

Open a terminal, paste the command and press Enter. Flatpak and Flathub must be set up; Linux Mint has them by default, for other distributions see flathub.org/setup.

flatpak install flathub org.darktable.Darktable

Platform pages: Windows · macOS · Linux · Android
Old versions (10)

darktable 5.6.2: what's new?

Fixed issues on Windows where darktable stole window focus or keyboard input from other applications, blocked Alt+Tab navigation over thumbnails, or repeatedly spawned console windows.
Fixed crashes occurring when importing styles with an empty module order, during raw denoising in neural restore on certain sensor sizes, and when AI models return more data than reserved.
Resolved multiple OpenCL issues, including mask errors in filmic RGB, highlight processing bugs, and compatibility with recent Intel drivers.
Added white balance presets for the Leica SL3-P (DNG) and Sony ILCE-7RM6.

Summarized from the publisher's release notes.

Official release notes →

Highlights

Non-destructive image processing pipeline preserving original RAW files
Lighttable view for sorting, rating, tagging, and filtering large photo collections
Extensive darkroom modules for exposure, contrast, white balance, and denoise adjustments
Full color management workflow with ICC profile support

Who is it for?

Built for amateur and professional photographers processing camera RAW files and organizing extensive digital photo libraries.

Good to know before installing

The modular interface and complex color science create a steep learning curve for beginners.
Lacks layer-based raster manipulation tools such as text insertion or complex composite painting.
Processing dense collections of high-resolution RAW files demands significant RAM and GPU performance.

Screenshots

How to install

Windows

Click the official download link to get the installer, or run 'winget install --id darktable.darktable -e' in PowerShell.
Run the downloaded installer and follow the setup wizard instructions.
Launch darktable from the Start menu once installation finishes.

Alternatives

All darktable alternatives →

Frequently asked questions

Does darktable modify the original RAW images?

No, it uses non-destructive editing. Adjustments are saved to sidecar XMP files without touching source files.

Is darktable completely free to use?

Yes, darktable is free and open-source software released under the GPL-3.0 license.

Can darktable handle formats other than RAW?

Yes, it can import and process standard image formats such as JPEG, PNG, and TIFF.