ColorThink vs Datacolor Spyder
ColorThink
chromix.comDatacolor Spyder
datacolor.comSide by side
| Figure | ColorThink | Datacolor Spyder |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | — | — |
| Free plan | — | — |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 10 | 1 |
| Spec score · Color Management Software | 7.7 (#10) | 7.5 (#12) |
| Audience | CHROMiX says it focuses on color management and image fidelity and serves businesses in content-production industries. | The product is positioned for professional photographers and advanced photo editing for digital sharing or printing. |
| Founded | 1998 | 1970 |
| Headquarters | Seattle, Washington, United States | Rotkreuz, Switzerland |
| Integration | The feature comparison describes integration with Maxwell, including downloading and opening files and selecting and downloading Maxwell objects from within Maxwell. | The comparison table says SpyderPro supports syncing with Datacolor LightColor Meter and other meters that measure Lux values; this feature is marked unavailable for Spyder. |
| Purpose | ColorThink is a color graphing and analytics tool that helps users calibrate printing systems, verify accuracy, and prepare measurements for ICC profiling or use as color references. | Datacolor Spyder uses a hardware sensor and software to calibrate display color for photo editing. |
Plans
ColorThink
- ColorThink 4 Photo$249, paid once
- ColorThink 4 Photo XPlat Bundle$334, paid once
- ColorThink 4 Photo + MeasPack Bundle$448, paid once
- ColorThink 4 Pro$449, paid once
- ColorThink 4 Photo + MeasPack XPlat Bundle$601, paid once
- ColorThink 4 Pro XPlat Bundle$602, paid once
- ColorThink 4 Pro + MeasPack Bundle$628, paid once
- ColorThink 4 Pro + PrePress Bundle$673, paid once
- ColorThink 4 Pro + MeasPack XPlat Bundle$842, paid once
- ColorThink 4 Pro + MeasPack + PrePress Bundle$897, paid once
In their own words
ColorThink
ColorThink is a color graphing and analytics tool for calibrating printing systems, checking accuracy, and preparing measurements for ICC profiling or color references. ColorThink 4 measures directly from connected instruments and sends results to a worksheet or graph. Color Assets organizes installed profiles and other color assets, with metadata filtering and sorting. Pro licensing adds gamut comparison by subtraction or addition and calculates a Gamut Comparison Index. Image animation is available across license levels, showing transitions between normal display and Lab color values in the grapher. PrePressPack adds nColor and color-list handling, device-link and ColorCast profile creation, white-point editing and remapping, and patch tuning. Listed instruments span X-Rite, Barbieri, Konica Minolta, Techkon, and Color Sentinel. The software runs on macOS and Windows; version 4.2 is listed for both. Photo licensing starts at $249, paid once.
Datacolor Spyder
Datacolor Spyder is a paid display-calibration product for professional photographers and advanced photo editing. Its hardware sensor connects through USB-C, with a USB-A adapter included, while software calibrates LCD, mini-LED, OLED and QD-OLED monitors, including Apple XDR and Liquid Retina displays. Room Light Monitoring measures the room’s light and can warn when recalibration is needed or adjust profiles automatically according to the light level. DevicePreview shows how photos may appear on mobile devices while they remain on the calibrated monitor. A full-screen comparison shows the display before and after calibration, with 11 brightness settings. The comparison table lists unlimited supported displays, subject to computer capability. Spyder supports Windows 10 or 11 and macOS 10.14 through macOS 26, and requires internet access for downloading and activating the software. It calibrates monitors only, not phones or tablets. The listed price is $169 as a one-time purchase.