Datacolor Reviews 

As a Datacolor customer, I just received an official email that is an absolute commercial and environmental scandal. Datacolor casually announced that after July 19, 2026, it will be completely impossible to install or activate the Spyder software on a new computer or after a fresh Windows reinstallation.

Why? Because they are deliberately shutting down their activation servers for Spyder 5 and older models. My physical device works flawlessly, yet Datacolor is choosing to create an artificial software kill-switch solely to force customers into buying their latest model (with a miserable 50% discount offered as bait).

This is a textbook case of disgusting planned obsolescence. In 2026, when everyone is pushing for sustainability and the right to repair, bricking a legitimately purchased tool just to hit sales targets is unacceptable.

A piece of advice to photographers and creators: stay away from this brand. If you already own a Spyder, don't throw it away—boycott their official software and switch to the free, open-source alternative DisplayCAL. It breathes life back into your hardware without asking for permission from Datacolor's servers. For your next purchases, look at the competition (like Calibrite), where customers aren't treated like disposable cash cows.

Datacolor, your business practices are disgraceful. Never again.

Absolute scam. Do NOT buy Datacolor Spyder or any products of Datacolor.

This product should honestly be banned from being sold to professionals.

The device gets blacklisted without warning, simply for being used on multiple systems, something every photographer/editor naturally does.

This critical limitation is intentionally hidden and never communicated clearly before purchase.

You only discover the truth after your device is locked and rendered useless.

Once blacklisted, you are done:
No warning
No explanation
No recovery
You’re left holding an expensive piece of electronic garbage.

Customer support is beyond useless:
They do not reply
They do not help
They do not care

Reaching out feels like talking to a wall. A company that takes your money and disappears.

Calibration quality is a joke:
Inaccurate colors
Unstable results
Completely unreliable for professional work
The so-called sample size of 70 is laughable and unacceptable.

I wasted ₹30,000 on this trash.
This product has cost me time, money, and client confidence.

Final warning:
If you value your work, your sanity, and your money, stay far away from Datacolor.

X-Rite is the only sane alternative.

I wish there was a 0-star or negative rating option.
One of the worst tech purchases I’ve ever made.

Absolutely terrible customer service - weeks of emailing back and forth because their software has a problem. Different people reply to the same help email thread days apart with repetitive instructions that have already been done and failed - often with contradicting information. Staff obviously not communicating with each other - such utter unprofessionalism. It's been weeks, and still no help for a basic thing. DO NOT RECOMMEND.

I bought my Spyder X Pro 4 years ago as a monitor calibration tool because I was editing photos as a side hobby. I switched my desktop recently after it broke down and unfortunately, I lost my activation code when I threw out the box. I send the costumer support an e-mail and they were able to retrieve it, without any trouble.

I have been writing the service department for 3 weeks regarding a recent Datacolor SpyderX Pro software update to no avail. I had been using their device for a year or more without a hitch. I initially purchased Datacolor as monitor calibration system since I expected them to be a professional company who stood by their product and offered support and service if needed.

Several weeks ago there was a 6.1 software update that refuses to load on my machine, WIN11 PC.
I have followed their instructions to remove the old program which was more than familiar to me, so there's not even the older .exe file remaining resident. I have not been able to obtain the older version from their department during this time after 3 requests (counting today). Nothing is on their website to help in this process.

I even used our professional IT Service company to thoroughly go through my PC remotely. They also built my PC and upgraded it to WIN11 last year. They found nothing, except to say there is no proper Windows protocol in the software delivery. I have never had such a bad experience in loading software since prior to WIN7 without at least a workaround or alternate upload process.

At the moment, I am just left with an expensive paperweight! There has been no offer to repay me for this useless device, or replace it with something that works. I am just looking for a working solution so I can get on with my photographic editing. I'd be happy to retract this posting once something satisfactory can be done.

Bought this product that is absolutely unusable on my fairly standard configuration. Contacting support is a joke! The person either doesn't speak English or actually enjoys taking paying customers for a ride! Wasn't helpful at all, and takes a week in between each message. Do NOT spend your money with this "company" and their joke of a product.

Trying to get solved a problem with the delivery address and no response :(
Really worried because I need the item I bought for my job. Order confirmation 59238

1, customer support cannot understand your issues. 2, the website is a joke. 3, the customer support CANNOT UNDERSTAND YOUR ISSUES.

i was a loyal customer since ages, but recent email exchange with boris bergmann (from late september to mid november) showed the total impossibility to have a clear response about basic issues, and the impossibility to have them to admit that the spyder x2 cannot work with the studio display or any xdr display on macbooks. maybe language barriers, maybe they cannot understand, maybe i am the stupid, or maybe they are not admitting a basic flaw that is not goin to be addressed. after 2 months of inconclusive copy-paste and very unuseful hints, they boldly asked me about my experience: HOW WOULD YOU RATE THE SUPPORT YOU RECEIVED?

are you a joke?

Datacolor is creating e-waste for its own commercial reasons. The Spyder 5 Elite is working perfectly fine. So why is it that you won’t support this device any longer in the future?
You are forcing me to purchase a new device to replace a good working device.
Please update your older versions, and take responsibility towards your customers and the environment, and certainly avoid e-waste.

Spoke to a man on the phone who was extremely rude, did not answer my question or transfer me to a person who could, and hung up on me

I have been using Datacolor for calibration my monitors. I'm spending a lot of time in Photoshop and Lightroom, and the security of having the correct colors on my monitors is important for delivering images with correct colors.
When I have been in contact with their sales team, it has always been a great experience with fast and precise communication.

This is a company whose approach to business is to, by failing to update their software, force you to buy new hardware every two years. Their software is poorly designed at the best of times, but to retain a business model that drives obsolescence rather than sustainability is utterly unacceptable.