Pixelmator Pro compared: image editing for Mac and iPad

Pixelmator Pro works with layers, masks and colour adjustment layers. According to Apple, edits are non-destructive: its own PXD file format saves adjustments, effects and styles, so you can change or reset them after reopening the file. A colour adjustment layer affects all layers below it and can be moved, masked and switched on or off. Bitmap, vector and clipping masks are available.

For retouching there are the Repair and Clone tools. According to the help pages, Repair uses intelligent image analysis to remove unwanted details and even entire objects. For cut-outs you can have the main subject selected automatically or remove the background with one click; Pixelmator Pro can add a layer mask instead of deleting pixels. More than 70 effects can be combined non-destructively.

Apple does not mention smart objects in the Photoshop sense. The redesigned Warp tool, which lets you deform layers using a grid, is only available in the subscription version.

Pixelmator Pro opens PSD, TIFF, PNG, JPEG, HEIC, WebP, SVG, PDF and raw files, among others, plus videos as MP4 and QuickTime. You add raw photos as dedicated raw layers and edit them directly; according to Apple, more than 750 raw formats are supported. Export formats include JPEG, HEIC, AVIF, PNG, WebP, TIFF, PDF, OpenEXR and Photoshop document.

According to the App Store, you open and export PSD files with their layers. Apple does not document which Photoshop elements stay editable – such as smart objects, adjustment layers or layer effects. If you exchange files with agencies, check this beforehand with a typical client file.

Important for print: Pixelmator Pro works in the RGB colour space. You convert to CMYK or greyscale only on export, using an installed colour profile; a soft proof shows beforehand how the image looks in another colour space. You can choose 8 or 16 bits per channel. According to the App Store, you can open and export HDR images.

Pixelmator Pro uses machine learning to remove backgrounds, increase resolution (Super Resolution), remove noise and compression artefacts and enhance colours automatically, among other things. These tools are included in the one-off purchase as well. Apple's product and help pages do not say whether they run entirely on your Mac.

Generative AI is only available with Apple Creator Studio: you create images from a text description, edit images by description and generate vector shapes. According to Apple, these features use third-party models; image and shape generation run on Google Cloud and therefore need an internet connection. They are subject to monthly usage limits and require Apple Intelligence on a Mac with Apple silicon and macOS 26.

On privacy, Apple states: the providers may not use your data to train their models, only store it where required by law, and your IP address is not shared. Since version 3.7, the one-off purchase also supports Apple Intelligence with Image Playground and Writing Tools. Image Playground creates images via Apple's Private Cloud Compute; according to Apple, data processed there is neither stored nor made accessible to Apple.

Pixelmator Pro is available for Mac and iPad, not for Windows or Linux. The interface and the user guide are available in German. There are two ways to buy it:

• One-off purchase in the Mac App Store: according to the App Store it requires macOS 12 or later, is Mac-only and can be used by up to six family members via Family Sharing. It is still maintained, most recently with version 3.8 for new raw cameras and mockups. So far it does not get the new version 4 features.
• Apple Creator Studio subscription: it includes Pixelmator Pro version 4 for Mac and iPad, the Warp tool, premium content from the Content Hub and generative AI, plus Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, Motion, Compressor and MainStage. You pay monthly or yearly and can share the subscription with up to five other family members. According to Apple, without an active subscription you can no longer make new changes with the paid features.

The subscription version requires macOS 26; on iPad you need iPadOS 26 and an iPad with M1 chip or later, an iPad (A16) or an iPad mini (A17 Pro). Mac and iPad sync projects when both are signed in with the same Apple Account. The one-off purchase and the subscription version can be installed side by side on one Mac.

In our view, Pixelmator Pro suits anyone who wants to retouch photos, cut out subjects and turn images into graphics on the Mac without committing to a subscription. The German interface, the automatic features and templates and mockups make getting started easier. Photographers get raw layers, 16 bits per channel and an extension for the Photos app. For social media graphics, text and vector tools, templates and export for the web help.

It is less suitable if you work on Windows, need to edit print files in CMYK mode or regularly exchange complex PSD files with agencies. If you need generative AI, the iPad or the Warp tool, there is no way around the Apple Creator Studio subscription. The subscription makes most sense if you also use Final Cut Pro or Logic Pro.