DisplayCAL

Overview

DisplayCAL is a free display-calibration application for users who need control over measurement, profiles and video LUTs. It suits color-conscious display owners with compatible hardware; without a supported instrument and ArgyllCMS, it is not a ready-to-use option.

Its range goes beyond creating an ICC profile: DisplayCAL also supports verification, uniformity checks and multi-display work. That breadth is compelling at no software cost, but the separate software and instrument requirements are real barriers for casual users.

For more options, browse Color Management Software and Display Calibration Software.

Key features

• Calibration and profiles: With a supported measurement instrument, it measures displays and creates calibrations and ICC profiles. Profile export and LUT calibration suit workflows that need measured results rather than visual adjustments alone.
• Multi-display calibration: It supports multi-display setups, useful for users who need to calibrate more than one screen.
• Verification and uniformity: It can verify and report on ICC profiles and display devices, and measure display uniformity. These checks make it useful beyond an initial calibration.
• Video LUTs: It creates video 3D LUTs and offers optional CIECAM02 gamut mapping, giving video users a further reason to consider it.
• Colorimeter corrections: Corrections can be imported from vendor software or created from measurements when a spectrometer is available. That flexibility depends on access to the relevant instruments or correction data.
• Test charts and pattern generators: The chart editor creates patch charts and accepts pasted data from CGATS, tab-delimited CSV and spreadsheets. The site documents madVR and DaVinci Resolve 10.1 or newer as pattern generators; Chromecast support has an optional dependency.

Pricing

DisplayCAL costs 0.00 USD per free. The free plan is the software itself, licensed under GNU GPL version 3 or later, and financial contributions are optional. There is no free trial because the software is free.

There are no paid tiers to weigh against a lower-cost plan. The important cost is practical rather than monetary: users need ArgyllCMS 1.0 or newer and a supported measurement instrument. DisplayCAL is supplied without warranty.

Platforms

DisplayCAL supports Linux, macOS and Windows, making it an option across the three major desktop platforms. Its downloads include SHA-256 checksums, which let users verify file integrity.

Who it's for

DisplayCAL is best suited to photographers, video users and other display-focused workers who already have a compatible measurement instrument and are willing to use ArgyllCMS. Multi-screen users and those who need verification, uniformity measurement or video LUT creation get more from its broad toolset.

It is a poor fit for someone seeking calibration without extra hardware or software setup. Support resources include forums, a wiki, documentation, help and an issue tracker; DisplayCAL is maintained by Florian Höch, while Graeme W. Gill maintains ArgyllCMS. Voluntary contributions help support development and technical assistance.

Pros and cons

• Pro: Calibration, ICC profile creation and export, verification, uniformity checks and multi-monitor support are available in one free application.
• Pro: Video 3D LUT creation and optional CIECAM02 gamut mapping extend its usefulness beyond standard display profiling.
• Con: The workflow requires both ArgyllCMS and a supported measurement instrument, so the zero software price does not eliminate setup or hardware costs.
• Con: The software comes without warranty, a trade-off to consider for users who need a commercial support commitment.

Alternatives

ArgyllCMS is the direct free, cross-platform alternative for users who prefer command-line tools; commercial and non-GPL use requires a separate license.

EIZO ColorNavigator 7 is a free download to consider if you use a compatible EIZO ColorEdge monitor. OpenColorIO is another free, cross-platform color-management option.

ASUS ProArt Calibration is a free choice for owners calibrating ProArt displays on macOS or Windows. Color Grabber offers a Windows free tier that lets users choose one premium feature or feature set, with the selection changeable once every 24 hours.

Bodoni pressSIGN, ColorThink and Datacolor Spyder are other options to compare.

Verdict

Choose DisplayCAL if you want a broad, free calibration and profiling toolkit and already have the required instrument and ArgyllCMS. Its strongest case is the combination of calibration, verification, uniformity checks and video LUTs without a software charge. Look elsewhere if you need a turnkey setup, lack compatible measurement hardware or require software supplied with a warranty.