What Darkroom does

Darkroom, operated by Bergen Co. and headquartered in Los Angeles, is the developer of a single consumer photo and video editing application distributed exclusively through Apple's App Store. The product runs natively on iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Vision Pro and is built around a non-destructive editing architecture that preserves full edit history and original files; it supports RAW and ProRAW from more than 600 digital cameras, Portrait, Slowmotion, 4K, and 8K video, and integrates directly with Apple iCloud Photos so users can edit without importing. The app's differentiators are platform-deep Apple integration (including Siri Shortcuts), an AI-backed masking capability for local adjustments, batch and cross-photo edit propagation, and a synced custom-preset layer that is shareable through a community preset marketplace.

The company monetizes via a freemium model: a free tier covers organization, culling, and core adjustments, while Darkroom+ is a recurring premium subscription unlocking Color Grading, AI Masks, Video Processing, Curves, Selective Color, Premium Presets, Watermark, and Custom App Icon; premium preset collections are additionally sold as one-time purchases. Distribution is purely self-serve and product-led through the App Store, with growth reinforced by a community-led motion anchored on the #darkroomapp Instagram hashtag, plus Threads, X, YouTube, Reddit, an email newsletter, and a blog that publishes comparison content against Apple Photos, Lightroom, Snapseed, VSCO, Photomator, and Capture One.

The firm is privately held, appears bootstrapped (no funding rounds disclosed), and is run by co-founders Majd Taby (CEO) and Jasper Hauser (CDO). It has accumulated 20M+ downloads since a 2015 launch, holds a 4.8 App Store rating across 114k+ ratings, and has been recognized with the Apple Design Award (2020), the App Store Editors Choice (2018), and an App of the Day (2015). The company's strategic posture is that of a small, capital-efficient Apple-platform specialist expanding its surface area across Apple's hardware ecosystem (most recently adding Vision Pro) while layering community and preset-based network effects around a single editor.

Name

Darkroom

Legal name

Bergen Co.

Website

https://usedarkroom.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Darkroom is a privately held, bootstrapped developer of a non-destructive photo and video editing app for Apple devices (iPhone, iPad, Mac, Vision Pro), monetizing through a Darkroom+ subscription and premium presets for individual photographers and content creators.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Darkroom+ Premium Subscription: Freemium model with a free tier providing core editing features and a premium Darkroom+ subscription unlocking advanced features including Color Grading, Masks, Video Processing, Curves Tool, Selective Color, Premium Presets, Watermark, and Custom App Icon. The subscription provides ongoing access to advanced professional tools.
2. Premium Presets: Sale of premium presets - handcrafted preset collections available for purchase to enhance photo editing capabilities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Darkroom is a photo and video editing app for Apple platforms (iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Vision Pro) offering non-destructive editing with full edit history, AI-backed masks, RAW support for 600+ cameras, color grading, curves, and unified photo/video workflows including 4K and 8K video. It operates as a freemium product with a free app tier and a paid Darkroom+ subscription unlocking advanced professional features.

Product overview

Darkroom is a single unified photo and video editing product available across iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Vision Pro. The core Darkroom app provides non-destructive editing with fundamental tools for organizing, culling, editing, and exporting photos and videos. Darkroom+ is the premium subscription add-on that unlocks advanced features including Color Grading, AI-powered Masks, Video Processing, Curves Tool, Selective Color, Premium Presets, Watermark, and Custom App Icon. Together, these form an integrated workflow where users access basic functionality for free and can upgrade to Darkroom+ for professional-grade capabilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Darkroom+: Premium subscription tier offering advanced editing features including color grading, AI-powered masks, video processing, curves tool, selective color, premium presets, watermark, and custom app icon.

Products and services

• Darkroom A photo and video editing app for iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Vision Pro providing non-destructive editing, RAW/ProRAW/Portrait support, Slowmotion, 4K and 8K video, color grading, curves, batch processing, and iCloud Photos integration. Targeted at individual photographers and content creators on Apple devices.
• Premium Presets Handcrafted premium preset collections available for one-time purchase to enhance photo editing capabilities within the Darkroom app.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

AI capability3 records

Feature10 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Afterlight: Independent iOS photo editing app focused on filters, textures, and overlays with one-time purchase plus subscription tiers. Direct indie competitor in the premium mobile editing space with similar target customers.
• Photomator: Apple ecosystem photo editor from the Pixelmator team with RAW support, AI tools, and tight iCloud integration. Explicitly compared against Darkroom on the company's blog; identical target user and platform scope.
• Snapseed: Google-owned free mobile photo editor with RAW support and selective editing. Cited by Darkroom as a direct comparison target; competes for iOS users seeking powerful free editing without subscription.
• Capture One: Professional tethered and iPad-based photo editor with RAW processing and color grading. Competes with Darkroom at the prosumer/pro tier on iPad and Mac, particularly for studio and event workflows.
• VSCO: Subscription-based mobile photo and video editor known for premium presets and a creator community. Operates with a similar freemium-plus-VSCO-Membership model targeting the same amateur-to-pro photographer segment as Darkroom.
• Adobe Lightroom Mobile: Adobe's mobile photo editor subscription offering RAW editing, masking, presets, and cloud sync across iOS/Android. The most direct premium subscription competitor to Darkroom with significantly more brand weight and cross-sell from Creative Cloud.

Emerging players

• Polarr: AI-powered photo editing app and SDK with mobile-first editing and filters. Targets similar creators with AI-assisted adjustments and offers an embedded version into camera OEMs, making it a technology-adjacent competitor.
• Pixelmator Pro: Mac/iPad image editor acquired by Apple in 2024. Now part of Apple's ecosystem strategy and an indirect competitive threat; relevant comparable because of shared Apple-native DNA and the Photomator product line.

Broad incumbents

• Google Photos: Google's cross-platform photo management app with built-in editing and AI features. Competes broadly for user attention on photo editing and storage, though primarily on Android and web rather than the Apple ecosystem where Darkroom concentrates.
• Apple Photos: Apple's first-party Photos app pre-installed on every iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Provides native editing, organization, and iCloud sync — the competitive floor below which Darkroom must continually differentiate, and a strategic risk if Apple expands its editing capabilities.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/usedarkroom
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCbVhN6qKZ4eaW1j1lx199rA
• Instagraminstagram.com/usedarkroom
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/darkroomapp

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Darkroom