KALMUS
KALMUS: A focused toolkit for turning sampled film frames into color visualizations and measurements. Ranked #89 of 98 in Data Visualization Software by our editors (3.0/10); pricing: Free plan; best for researchers visualizing film color data.
At a glance
- Editor score3.0 / 10
- PricingFree plan
- Best forResearchers visualizing film color data
- Free planYes
- Paid fromFree
- Facts checked24 Sep 2026

Where it wins
- Creates color and brightness barcodes from sampled film frames.
- Offers configurable frame sampling and regions of interest.
- Includes a GUI, command-line tools, and a Python API.
Where it doesn't
- Focused on film color analysis rather than general-purpose visualization.
- Runs locally as desktop software, not as a hosted dashboard.
- Its source material is video files sampled into film frames.
Our verdict on KALMUS
For film researchers and practitioners studying screen color, KALMUS provides a focused set of tools for measuring, comparing, and visualizing colors in films. It generates movie barcodes from sampled frames and can display color and brightness patterns, hue-versus-light scatter plots, and 3D bar plots. The project also targets filmmakers, cinematographers, production designers, colorists, and students. Its emphasis is specific: visual analysis of film, rather than broad data visualization across unrelated sources.
KALMUS offers three ways to work with the toolkit: a graphical interface for generating and inspecting barcodes, command-line barcode generation, and a Python programming API. Configurable frame sampling and regions of interest give users control over which parts of a film inform the analysis, while color measurement and comparison utilities support work beyond viewing a barcode alone. This combination makes it relevant both to users who want a visual interface and to researchers incorporating film color analysis into code-based workflows.
KALMUS is open source under the MIT license and distributed as a Python package through PyPI, with local installation via pip. It is desktop software for Windows, macOS, and Linux, and support channels include email, community, and documentation. The published product details identify it as free and open source, rather than a hosted dashboard service. Choose KALMUS when the work centers on film frames, color patterns, and analysis; teams seeking a general-purpose visualization platform or a hosted dashboard should look elsewhere.
Your product? Our editors can test KALMUS in depth and publish a review, labelled as paid · from $149/mo →
KALMUS pricing
KALMUS fact sheet
| Free plan | Yes |
|---|---|
| Paid from | Free |
| Dashboard type | Not verified |
| Scheduled refresh | Not verified |
| Embedded dashboards | Not verified |
| Data sources | video files (sampled film frames) |
| Viewer limit | Not verified |
| Platform | Desktop |
| Deployment | Desktop |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Support | Email, Community, Docs |
| Built for | Solo, Small business (editorial estimate) |
| Pricing | Free plan |
| Website | kalmus-color-toolkit.github.io |
| Facts checked | 24 Sep 2026 |
Alternatives to KALMUS
- TableauA broad BI platform for governed analytics, visualization, and embedded insights.9.4
- Data StudioA low-cost cloud dashboard tool with broad connectors and useful sharing controls.9.2
- LookerA governed analytics platform for teams that need consistent metrics and embedded insights.9.1
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Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
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