head to head · open source
rembg vs Darktable
rembg has 25,301 GitHub stars, 2,467 forks, 3 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Darktable has 13,383 stars, 1,506 forks, 678 open issues and last shipped yesterday. rembg leads on adoption by 89% (25,301 vs 13,383 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 | 2026-11-02 | 2026-11-02 |
| Forks | ⑂ 2.5K | ⑂ 1.5K |
| 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 a tool to remove image backgrounds. It can be used as a CLI, Python library, HTTP server, or Docker container. Sponsors PhotoRoom Remove Background API Fast and accurate background remover API If this project has helped you, please consider making a donation. Requirements bash pip install "rembg[gpu]" for library pip install "rembg[gpu,cli]" for library + cli bash pip install "rembg[rocm]" for library pip install "rembg[rocm,cli]" for library + cli shell rembg help shell rembg help shell curl s rembg i output.png shell rembg i path/to/input.png path/to/output.png shell rembg i path/to/input.png →…
read the full rembg overview →
About Darktable
darktable ========= darktable is an open source photography workflow application and non destructive raw developer a virtual lighttable and darkroom for photographers. It manages your digital negatives in a database, lets you view them through a zoomable lighttable and enables you to develop raw images, enhance them and export them to local or remote storage. darktable is not a free Adobe® Lightroom® replacement. Table of Contents 1. Documentation 2. Website 3. Requirements Supported platforms Hardware AI features (optional) 4. Installing Latest release Development snapshot 5. Updating from older versions 6…
read the full Darktable overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is rembg or Darktable more popular?
rembg has 25,301 GitHub stars and Darktable has 13,383. 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 (25,301 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose Darktable if its feature set, stack or GPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.