Products · Product
darktable
Raised as a usability problem by 93 people on Hacker News over 14 years (2013–2026), in 50 threads.
No issue was raised by at least 3 people in 3 threads this year.
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- 3Locks up when changing slider valuesUnreviewed
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Every issue, all time, most people first
Can't sort or browse large photo library, file browser is slowUnreviewed
20132026- Interface is poor at organizing and browsing photos, wasting user time2026-07-30
- Crashes when importing photos, and the interface is not intuitive2018-12-07
- Can't sort or browse a large photo library; file browser is hobbled and slow with many photos2017-12-27
Locks up when changing slider valuesUnreviewed
20132026- Sliders use inconsistent ranges, 0..1 for some and 0..100% for others, and there is no simple mode2022-11-09
- Locks up when changing slider values, and has a strange UI2020-08-21
- Tiny slider knobs and cramped elements cause constant misclicks, and values can't be typed in2019-12-25
Terrible contrast and tiny controls make interface hard to seeUnreviewed
20132026- Controls were hard to read: ignores system font sizes, can't change them, poor contrast2021-01-22
- Interface doesn't work well on smaller displays and resolutions2016-12-27
- Terrible contrast and tiny controls make the interface hard to use2015-11-29
Separating photo management from edit screen makes workflow cumbersomeUnreviewed
20132026- Hard to use because it ignores organizing photos, which the commenter needs for professional workflows2026-07-29
- Lacks the practical, easy workflow needed for editing hundreds of photos2022-07-03
- Separating photo management from the edit screen makes the workflow feel wrong and cumbersome2020-08-14
Default import makes RAW photos flat, needing manual tweakingUnreviewed
20132026- Default settings render RAW imports with horrible results2024-12-31
- Default settings make RAW images hard for novices to get usable results from2023-11-25
- Default import makes RAW photos flat and dull, needing extensive manual tweaking2019-12-25
Unreviewed issues were grouped by machine: Claude Haiku labelled each comment as a usability complaint, named what it's about and summed up the problem in a line, and a small model grouped similar problems. Nobody has checked them by hand. Expect mistakes.
The newest 50 complaints
- User gives up repeatedly on Darktable; UI/UX judged poorly designed with no user research2026-10-12
- Interface layout disrupts the user's efficient workflow and flow state2026-10-05
- Software is unintuitive, so users need documentation to learn it2026-07-31
- Design so confusing that users need documentation to copy pictures2026-07-30
- Interface is poor at organizing and browsing photos, wasting user time2026-07-30
- Feature creep made the software penalize usability, performance and maintenance2026-07-29
- Hard to use because it ignores organizing photos, which the commenter needs for professional workflows2026-07-29
- Feature creep and regressions made some features stop working reliably2026-07-29
- Editing panels are placed confusingly, so the user can never find things2026-07-29
- Cursor keys don't navigate photos; single click doesn't select, requiring double click2026-07-29
- Clunky UX for organizing photos; buttons and controls placed in wrong spots2026-07-29
- Dense documentation, awkward masking, and slow performance make basic editing hard2026-07-29
- The user interface was atrocious, so the user bought a different product2026-07-29
- Harder to reach the same speed and workflow as Lightroom2026-05-19
- Used to have confusing workflows and overlapping modules that were hard to navigate2026-04-15
- Not intuitive enough, and required a lot of manual tweaking2026-04-14
- Hard to learn; user can't make sense of the UI despite hours of effort and tutorials2026-04-14
- Hard to use unless you spend years mastering it2026-04-14
- UI is not good enough for culling a large photo shoot, so user does selection elsewhere2026-04-14
- Hard for new users; requires reading documentation to learn modules and workflows2026-01-11
- Right-clicking empty space in the left rail shows remove and update path options by accident2026-01-11
- Controls sit in unintuitive places; cropping can't be added to quick controls palette2025-10-31
- Light gray design makes the window look unresponsive, confusing first impression2025-10-31
- Had to read docs to find the Mount Camera button; tethering is slow and focus is unclear2025-09-25
- Default settings are poorly chosen, showing questionable options right after opening2025-07-10
- Delete acts on the photo under the pointer instead of the selected photo2025-07-09
- Interface is hard to work with, requiring a lot of effort to get results2025-07-09
- Two conflicting color temperature controls and a overly complex module confuse productive editing2025-07-09
- Developers are seen as deliberately making the app hostile to users2025-05-08
- Visual algorithms and sliders named after papers make it a confusing mess2025-03-27
- Interface is dreadful and tasks are more tedious than in Lightroom2025-01-02
- Too many confusing options; white balance controls trigger warnings and the wrong module is used2025-01-01
- Commenter finds the software frustrating to use and slow2024-12-31
- Forces one library for all photos and unclear whether ranking applies to filmstrip or main image2024-12-31
- Endless tiny crowded options make simple crops and level changes hard to find2024-12-31
- User found the interface and features extremely frustrating to work with2024-12-31
- Default settings render RAW imports with horrible results2024-12-31
- Older photos look broken after switching module order; new imports default to Legacy despite settings2024-12-31
- Steep learning curve from exposing too many advanced options to beginners2024-12-31
- Darktable's user experience is described as horrible, with no specific problem named2024-12-31
- Clicking empty space sends events to nearby widgets; sliders give no way to enter exact values2024-12-31
- Two white balance modules; the active one errors when changed per docs2024-09-22
- UI works in bad, difficult and unpredictable ways2023-11-25
- Doing anything in it requires excessive patience and tolerance for pain2023-11-25
- Poor performance and UI/UX make it hard to work with2023-11-25
- Cluttered UI forces choosing among five algorithms just to apply a filter2023-11-25
- Mask position shifts between zoom levels and export, and the interface lags on hover2023-11-25
- Becomes increasingly unusable due to poor defaults and hard-to-configure options2023-11-25
- Default settings make RAW images hard for novices to get usable results from2023-11-25
- Newer versions wash out images by default and hide useful modules, making editing tedious2023-11-24