Pixelmator Pro
Apple-owned image editor: one-time Mac app or Creator Studio subscription
Overview
Pixelmator Pro is Apple's professional image editor with layers, retouching, vector tools and ML features such as Super Resolution and background removal. The 3.x Mac app costs $49.99 one-time; the 4.x version with generative AI, the Warp tool and an iPad app comes with Apple Creator Studio at $12.99 a month or $129 a year.
Pricing
Pricing shown for reference only. These figures reflect RECATOOLS research as of 2 Oct 2026 and may be out of date or incomplete. This is not financial or purchasing advice — always confirm the current price on the provider’s official website before making any decision.
- Mac only, macOS 12+
- Core editing and ML tools
- No Warp tool or generative features
- Pixelmator Pro 4.x on Mac and iPad
- Warp tool and generative features
- Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, Motion and more
- Premium templates and content
- Creator Studio bundle for educators and students
Use cases
What you can produce with Pixelmator Pro
- Layer-based photo editing and retouching
- ML tools: Super Resolution, Deband, background removal
- Vector design with PDF, Illustrator and EPS support
- Generative image creation and editing (Creator Studio)
- Warp tool and Content Hub (Creator Studio)
- iPad app (Creator Studio)
Pixelmator Pro remains one of the best-value professional image editors on the Mac, and Apple's Creator Studio has brought it to iPad with new generative and warping tools. The catch is the split: the one-time $49.99 app is the older line without the newest features, while those now sit behind a subscription and some need an internet connection. A good buy either way for Mac users; pick based on whether you value a perpetual licence or the latest features.
What we found
Pixelmator Pro is a professional image editor for Mac and, in its newer version, iPad, now made by Apple. It combines layer-based photo editing, retouching, painting and vector design with machine-learning tools such as Super Resolution upscaling, Deband, automatic cropping and straightening, background removal, subject selection, a repair tool and intelligent denoising, and it opens and exports PDF, Illustrator and EPS files while keeping vector data. Since January 2026 it exists as two apps. The one-time-purchase Mac app continues the 3.x line, requires macOS 12 or later, and was last updated in April 2026. The Apple Creator Studio version, at 4.x, adds the Warp tool, generative image creation and editing, shape generation, a Content Hub of templates and an iPad edition with Select and Mask, and it requires macOS or iPadOS 26. Apple notes that some features need an internet connection, so not everything now runs on the device.
The Pixelmator Team, a Vilnius company started by brothers Saulius and Aidas Dailidė, launched Pixelmator Pro in November 2017; it was named Mac App of the Year in 2018. Apple announced its purchase of the company in November 2024 and completed it in February 2025, then folded the editor into Apple Creator Studio. The separate Photomator app remains on sale.
There is no free tier. The one-time Mac app costs $49.99 and lacks the newer features. Apple Creator Studio costs $12.99 a month or $129 a year, with a one-month free trial for new subscribers, and bundles Pixelmator Pro for Mac and iPad with Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, Motion, Compressor and MainStage plus premium content for Apple's productivity apps; educators and students pay $2.99 a month or $29.99 a year.
Pixelmator Pro suits Mac and iPad users wanting a polished, affordable alternative to Photoshop; choose Creator Studio for the latest features or the one-time app for a perpetual licence.
Compiled by RECATOOLS from public sources: vendor documentation and pricing, code repositories and published reporting.
Notable facts
- Apple acquired Pixelmator in January 2024, making it the most prominent creative app acquisition by Apple since Final Cut Pro in 1998.
- Pixelmator Pro's ML tools run entirely on-device using the Mac's Neural Engine — all AI processing is done locally with no cloud connectivity required.
- The Remove Tool was one of the first AI inpainting tools available in a desktop photo editor, predating Adobe's Generative Fill by 2 years.
Frequently asked questions
About this listing
This entry was compiled from publicly available data including Pixelmator Pro's official website, press releases, documentation, and reputable third-party publications. RECATOOLS is not affiliated with Pixelmator Pro unless explicitly stated.
Third-party AI tools update their pricing, features, availability, and policies frequently. Information here may be outdated by the time you read this — we make reasonable efforts to keep listings current, but cannot guarantee absolute accuracy.
For the latest details, please refer to Pixelmator Pro directly →
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