I stopped paying for Lightroom and switched to this self-hosted alternative

I’m an avid photographer who clicks using both my smartphone and camera. Since I use different devices, I prefer shooting in RAW so that I can match the colors later on when editing the photos. I’ve been using Lightroom for all my color grading needs over the years, and it has fared well. However, the subscription costs started bothering me, especially since I don’t click or edit photos as often anymore. So, it didn’t make sense to continue paying for a service I didn’t use regularly. So, I canceled my subscription and started looking for free alternatives. While several options don’t need a subscription, I settled on Darktable.

The primary reason for this is that Darktable can be self-hosted, which falls right in line with my recent obsession with self-hosting pretty much all the apps and services I use regularly. It helps with privacy while also allowing me to access these apps from anywhere in the world, using any device I have. So, I got started with the process and had Darktable up and running on my home network in no time. A few weeks in, and I don’t think I’m going back to paying Adobe anymore.

Has most pro features

You’re not missing out on anything

For starters, Darktable can import a wide range of image formats. So, no matter which format you shoot in, you can import your photos directly into the app without needing to convert them. Once you import them, you can organize them by adding tags and also edit the metadata if required. Then, there’s the usual editing suite with controls to vary contrast, exposure, white balance, noise levels, vignetting, etc. These are all grouped into multiple settings to make it easier to find them.

Speaking of noise levels, Darktable lets you denoise images even if you have shot them at incredibly high ISO levels. This is generally uncommon with photo editing apps, so it gives Darktable an edge if you want to smooth out your photos. Other features found in popular tools, like masking, histogram, lens correction, etc., are also present on Darktable. If you’re accustomed to using Lightroom — rest assured, you will find every single tool on Darktable, if not more than what you’ve already used. The granular control that the app provides when editing is impressive, especially for an app that’s completely free to use.

There’s certainly a learning curve

The UI is good, but not as polished as Lightroom

One of the biggest advantages of using a popular app like Lightroom is that the UI is extremely polished and easy to use. If you’re a beginner, Adobe’s apps are generally simple to learn since you’ll find tons of tutorials online, and the options and features are easy to navigate. However, that’s not the case with Darktable. Firstly, the UI can be slightly intimidating, which may put off first-timers. However, if you put some effort into navigating through the initial hiccups and use the app for a few days, you will start getting the hang of it.

Apart from the UI design, you may also feel intimidated by the nomenclature used for the various modes, like Lighttable and Darkroom. Features like parametric masking, drawn masks, and color management would need some level of familiarity with concepts like luminance and hue ranges, which aren’t beginner-friendly. Additionally, there’s limited support if you’re stuck somewhere, especially since Darktable is an open-source app. It’s completely community-driven, so you’ll have to resort to forums to seek support in case things go wrong. There is an official user manual, but it’s not as elaborate as one would like. Some users have also pointed out how the terminology used for some features is non-standard. So you may have a hard time figuring out what the features mean.

While it may seem like a lot of work, spending a week on the app should get you familiar with the basics. You can then learn to use all the different tools while you edit photos. Considering that it’s free, this slight friction can be ignored.

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Edit photos professionally — for free

Once you get used to Darktable’s UI, you’ll realize how the process of editing your photos on the app is much more detailed and in-depth compared to other standard apps like Lightroom and Affinity Photo. The sheer number of options that the app offers is unmatched, which also gives you the opportunity to experiment with different looks. Despite being a free app, it has all the professional tools you would expect to edit photos and make them attractive.

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