Datacolor Spyder vs QuickGamma
Datacolor Spyder
datacolor.comQuickGamma
quickgamma.deSide by side
| Figure | Datacolor Spyder | QuickGamma |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | — | Free |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Spec score · Display Calibration Software | 7.8 (#7) | 7.1 (#17) |
| Purpose | Datacolor Spyder uses a hardware sensor and software to calibrate display color for photo editing. | QuickGamma is a utility for calibrating a monitor without expensive hardware tools. |
Plans
In their own words
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.
QuickGamma
QuickGamma is a Windows utility for adjusting monitor gamma without expensive calibration hardware. It can correct gamma to 2.2 and create an ICC profile with a VCGT tag containing data used to load a graphics card’s lookup table (LUT). QuickProfileLoader is installed automatically with the utility and can load a monitor’s LUT from that profile data. The listed capabilities also include LUT calibration, ICC profile export and multi-monitor calibration. Version 4.1.0.0 requires Windows 10 or higher; its installation file includes 32-bit and 64-bit versions, help files and no runtime libraries. QuickGamma is free for personal use, while commercial use requires written consent from the author. Private users may distribute the complete, unaltered installer, but not individual components. The author offers no express or implied warranties and invites donations. A SHA-512 checksum is published for checking downloaded file integrity. The maker also lists utilities for reading LUT and VCGT data and creating monitor ICC profiles.