Side by side

ArgyllCMS vs OpenColorIO

Both stand on color management software. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.

ArgyllCMS

Free plan Open source APILinuxMac+2

ArgyllCMS offers broad device profiling and color-conversion capabilities through command-line tools. Its lack of a built-in GUI and Wayland limitation matter when choosing a workflow.

Visit ArgyllCMS

OpenColorIO brings color management, configuration tools, and application integrations to motion-picture workflows. Check integration version requirements and package-manager availability when planning an installation.

Visit OpenColorIO

The facts

	ArgyllCMS	OpenColorIO
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Open source	Yes	Yes
Runs on	API, Linux, Mac, Self-hosted, Windows	API, Linux, Mac, Self-hosted, Windows
Lowest paid plan	Free or on request	Free or on request
Plans published	2	2
Maker	Not published	Not published
Website	argyllcms.com	opencolorio.org
On color management software	#1 of 23	#2 of 23

ArgyllCMS: what it does well

Free, open-source software for Linux, macOS, and Windows
Profiles scanners, cameras, displays, and printers
Supports 3D LUTs and spectral sample data
Includes 8-bit and fully accurate 16-bit conversion tools
Documentation covers individual tools and common tasks

What to know first

No graphical interface is included
Native Linux display calibration and profiling under Wayland is unsupported
Commercial and non-GPL use requires a separate license

OpenColorIO: what it does well

Python API supports pipeline integration and configuration changes
GPU renderer supports Vulkan
Supports ACES 2.0 Output Transforms as OCIO views
Integrations include Blender, Maya, Houdini, and Nuke

What to know first

Config merging is still in preview
Prebuilt libraries are not offered as downloadable artifacts outside package managers
Some integrations have application version requirements

Alternatives to ArgyllCMS Alternatives to OpenColorIO The whole list