Feature comparison
darktable is one of the most capable open-source RAW processors available. Raw Photo Editor is lighter but includes masking, healing, presets, and creative tools.
| Feature | Raw Photo Editor | darktable |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Installation | None (browser) | Desktop install |
| Learning curve | Minimal | Steep |
| RAW format support | 24 formats + phone DNGs | Very broad camera support |
| White balance | Yes + eyedropper | Yes |
| Tone curves | Master + RGB | Parametric + drawn |
| HSL / color | 7-band HSL | Color zones + calibration |
| Masking | 5 types (linear, radial, luminosity, color, brush) | Parametric + drawn |
| Spot removal | Heal + clone | Retouch (heal, clone) |
| Presets | Built-in + custom | Presets + styles |
| Film grain | Yes | Yes |
| Noise reduction | Basic (luminance + color) | Profiled NR |
| Lens correction | No | Yes (lensfun) |
| Scene-referred | No | Yes (sigmoid, filmic, AgX) |
| Batch processing | No | Yes |
| Privacy | 100% client-side | Local processing |
| Platform | Modern desktop browsers | Linux, macOS, Windows |
When Raw Photo Editor wins
- Zero installation — open a browser tab and start editing immediately.
- Works on shared machines and anywhere you cannot install software.
- Simpler interface — capable tools without learning 60+ modules.
- Masking, healing, presets, and grain without the desktop complexity.
- An experimental backscatter finder for cleaning up underwater shots.
- Ideal for quick single-file edits when you do not need the full darktable pipeline.
When darktable wins
- 60+ modules covering every stage of RAW development with extreme depth.
- Scene-referred workflow (sigmoid, filmic, AgX) for high dynamic range images.
- Parametric masking with more advanced combination logic.
- Profiled noise reduction tuned to specific camera sensors.
- Automatic lens correction via the lensfun database.
- Batch processing, tagging, and a mature library module.
The honest take
darktable is excellent software with depth Raw Photo Editor is not trying to match. But it requires installation, has a steep learning curve, and is overkill for many common editing tasks.
Raw Photo Editor covers curves, HSL, masking (5 types), healing, presets, grain, texture, clarity, dehaze, and more — available in the browser with nothing to set up. For the single-image workflow, it is often the faster path.
Common questions
How does Raw Photo Editor compare to darktable?
darktable is a full-featured open-source desktop editor with 60+ modules and scene-referred processing. Raw Photo Editor is browser-based with masking, healing, curves, HSL, presets, and grain — covering the core editing workflow without installation. darktable is more powerful; Raw Photo Editor is more accessible.
Does Raw Photo Editor have masking like darktable?
Yes. Raw Photo Editor supports 5 mask types: linear gradient, radial gradient, luminosity range, color range, and brush. darktable offers parametric masking and drawn masks with more advanced combination options.
Is darktable free?
Yes. darktable is free and open-source for Linux, macOS, and Windows. Raw Photo Editor is also free and runs directly in the browser with no installation.
Do both keep my photos private?
Yes. darktable processes everything locally on your desktop. Raw Photo Editor processes everything in your browser, on your own computer. Neither uploads your images.