head to head · open source
rembg vs Darktable
rembg has 24,813 GitHub stars, 2,422 forks, 3 open issues and last shipped 12 days ago. Darktable has 13,106 stars, 1,434 forks, 678 open issues and last shipped today. rembg leads on adoption by 89% (24,813 vs 13,106 stars). rembg is written in Python under MIT; Darktable is written in C under GPL-3.0. rembg has attracted 10% as many forks as stars, Darktable 11%. Darktable was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
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Side by side
| rembg | Darktable | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 25K | ★ 13K |
| License | MIT | GPL-3.0 |
| Written in | Python | C |
| Last push | 2026-09-08 | 2026-09-20 |
| Forks | ⑂ 2.4K | ⑂ 1.4K |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick rembg if
- You weight community size — 25K stars and counting
- You want the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick Darktable if
- You want the Darktable feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the GPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches C
- You evaluated both and Darktable fits your workflow better
About rembg
Rembg is an MIT licensed Python tool for removing image backgrounds, usable as a CLI, a Python library, an HTTP server, or a Docker container, and aimed at developers, designers, and automated image pipelines that need background removal without depending on a hosted service.
read the full rembg overview →
About Darktable
Darktable is an open source photography workflow application and non destructive raw developer. It acts as a virtual lighttable and darkroom for photographers, and it lives in the open source photography ecosystem as a C project licensed under the GPL 3.0. It manages digital negatives in a database, lets a user view them through a zoomable lighttable, and supports raw development, enhancement, and export to local or remote storage.
read the full Darktable overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is rembg or Darktable more popular?
rembg has 24,813 GitHub stars and Darktable has 13,106. rembg has the larger community by that measure.
Are rembg and Darktable free?
Both are open source. rembg is licensed under MIT and Darktable under GPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between rembg and Darktable?
rembg is written in Python and Darktable in C. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, rembg or Darktable?
Choose rembg if you want the larger community (24,813 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose Darktable if its feature set, stack or GPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.