Color.io, the boutique color-grading app will go dark at the end of next year. Founder and CEO Jonathan Ochmann announced that the online service will officially shut down on Dec. 31, 2025, ending a decade-long run for one of the creator-tool space’s most respected one-man operations.
In a message to users, Ochmann emphasized that the closure isn’t the result of financial pressure or declining demand. Instead, he’s stepping away to join an unnamed company whose creative tools, he says, “have shaped and inspired me.” The move, he added, will allow him to work “at a scale I could never reach on my own” after ten years of single-handedly building, coding, designing and maintaining the platform.
A Uniquely Powerful Indie Tool Bows Out
Color.io’s reputation has long rested on its surprisingly deep technical underpinnings. Ochmann, who previously worked in VFX and soundtrack composition before moving into color science, built the entire platform solo.
Color.io grew into a favorite among more than 200,000 creators, known for its analog-inspired color science, volumetric film-grain engine and “Cinema RAW” log-encoded color space that gave users unusually filmic flexibility inside a web browser.
That small-tech ethos became part of Color.io’s identity, and ultimately part of the reason for its sunset. “After 10+ years of running everything alone, I’ve reached a point where I need to grow in ways that aren’t possible as a solo builder,” Ochmann wrote.
Service Sunset, Subscriptions and the Offline Future
The platform will continue operating normally through Dec. 31, 2025, after which the web app and all online services will go offline permanently. User accounts, stored projects and cloud-based data will be deleted shortly after the shutdown.
All active subscriptions are being canceled ahead of the sunset. Users are advised to export any images, LUTs, presets or packs they want to keep as nothing will be retrievable after the platform goes offline.
That said, it’s not the end of the program. Pro users will be able to use a downloadable, fully offline “legacy” desktop version for macOS, Windows and Linux that includes the complete Pro toolset. The app requires no login, will run indefinitely and supports importing exported presets from the web version. It will not, however, receive any updates, fixes or new features. Existing projects cannot be migrated either, since Color.io never implemented a full project-export system.
End of an Era for a One-Man Staple
In his closing remarks, Ochmann thanked the thousands of users who supported and challenged the project over the years. “Your interest is what allowed this project to exist and evolve,” he wrote. “I’m grateful for the years I got to spend building this, and I’m looking forward to carrying what I learned here into what comes next.”
The lights go out for good on Dec. 31, 2025.