ArgyllCMS vs OpenColorIO
ArgyllCMS
argyllcms.comOpenColorIO
opencolorio.orgSide by side
| Figure | ArgyllCMS | OpenColorIO |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 3 | 3 |
| Spec score · Color Management Software | 9.1 (#1) | 8.3 (#5) |
| Build requirements | Compiling requires Jam or a compatible tool, a C compiler, and platform development libraries such as X11 libraries on Linux. | Source builds require a supported C++17–23 compiler, CMake 3.14 or newer, and an internet connection for dependency retrieval. |
| Founded | 2000 | 2003 |
| Installation | There is no installer or installation script; users manually place executables, configure PATH, and set up USB instruments. | The current documentation says prebuilt libraries are not provided as downloadable artifacts apart from package managers; Python bindings and command-line tools can be installed from PyPI. |
| Integrations | The maker lists DisplayCAL, The Little Argyll GUI, and CoCa as GUI front ends that use ArgyllCMS. | The supported-application list includes Blender, Nuke, Maya, Houdini, Katana, Mari, Silhouette, Substance Designer, Unreal Engine, V-Ray, and many other tools. |
| Licence | Most source and executables are under the Affero GNU Version 3 licence, with source-sharing obligations including network use. | OpenColorIO is distributed under the permissive BSD-3-Clause license. |
| License | The package is licensed under AGPLv3, with commercial licensing available for code copyrighted by Graeme Gill through ArgyllPRO. | OpenColorIO is licensed under the BSD-3-Clause license. |
| Purpose | ArgyllCMS is an open-source ICC-compatible color management system for creating profiles and calibrating devices. | OpenColorIO is a color management solution geared toward motion picture production, especially visual effects and computer animation. |
| Support | The maker directs support and bug reports to the ArgyllCMS mailing list and offers direct email contact with Graeme Gill. | The project directs users to its Slack channel, user and developer mailing lists, or GitHub issues for help and contact. |
| What it does | ArgyllCMS creates ICC profiles and calibrates scanners, cameras, film recorders, displays, and RGB, CMY, and CMYK printers. | OpenColorIO is a color-management framework for motion-picture, visual-effects, and computer-animation production. |
Plans
ArgyllCMS
- ArgyllCMSFree
- ArgyllCMSFree
- Commercial/non-AGPL licensingPriced on request
In their own words
ArgyllCMS
ArgyllCMS is a free, open-source ICC-compatible color management system for creating profiles and calibrating devices. Its command-line tools support scanners, cameras, film recorders, displays, and RGB, CMY and CMYK printers. It can create device-link profiles with options such as video calibration standards and 3D LUTs, and work with spectral samples, selectable illuminants and observer types, and paper fluorescent-whitener compensation. Color conversion tools handle 8-bit raster data and fully accurate 16-bit conversion. Documentation lists direct support for measurement instruments from JETI, Klein, X-Rite and Calibrite, DataColor and other manufacturers; some chart results can be converted into Argyll CGATS format. ArgyllCMS runs on Windows, macOS and Linux, but does not include a graphical interface. DisplayCAL, The Little Argyll GUI and CoCa are listed as front ends that use it. The package is licensed under AGPLv3; commercial licensing is available for code copyrighted by Graeme Gill through ArgyllPRO. On Linux, native display calibration and profiling under Wayland are not currently supported; the maker recommends X11 for color-managed displays.
OpenColorIO
OpenColorIO is a free color management solution for motion picture production, particularly visual effects and computer animation. It supports artists managing color, studios integrating color management into pipelines, and developers building or upgrading color management frameworks. Its Python API can connect a studio pipeline or modify a configuration. Config merging is in preview, with controls for name and alias conflicts and duplicate color spaces. The GPU renderer supports the Khronos Vulkan graphics API, and the project describes ACES 2.0 support as feature complete, including ACES 2.0 Output Transforms as OCIO views. OpenColorIO also supports Color Interop ID and attributes for ICC and AMF. Listed integrations include Blender, Autodesk Maya, Houdini, Nuke, Photoshop, and Unreal Engine, with some version requirements, including Blender 2.64 and up, Maya 2016 and up, and Unreal Engine 4.22 and up. It is available as an API and for Linux, macOS, and Windows under the BSD-3-Clause license. Prebuilt libraries are available through package managers; Python bindings and command-line tools can be installed from PyPI.