What is Pixelmator?
Pixelmator Pro is the current Mac application in the Pixelmator line, and it is now an Apple product: it sits alongside Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro in Apple Creator Studio, and it is also sold as a one-time purchase on the Mac App Store. It is a layer-based image editor with non-destructive effects and adjustment layers, and its AI features are built on Apple Intelligence — Super Resolution for upscaling, one-click background removal, automatic enhancement, auto crop and straighten, and intelligent denoise. It supports over 750 RAW formats, video layers, and vector formats including PSD, SVG, PDF and Illustrator, so it covers both photo work and graphic design. An iPad version works with Apple Pencil and syncs edits across devices. It suits Mac users who want a polished native editor with AI assistance.
Verified product facts
- Type
- image editorEditorially reviewed
- Platform
- macOS
- Apple Silicon
- YesDeveloper-stated
- Pricing
- One-time purchaseDeveloper-stated
- Developer
- AppleDeveloper-stated
- Relationship to Nuanyue
- Third-party product — not published by NuanyueEditorially reviewed
- Current version
- 3.8Developer-stated
- Official website
- www.apple.com/pixelmator-pro/
Last updated . Facts marked developer-stated come from the developer and are not independently confirmed; editorially reviewed marks a Nuanyue judgement.
Key features
What Pixelmator does at a glance.
Layer-based, non-destructive editing
With effects, fills, strokes and shadows
Over 60 effects
Including blur, distortion, sharpen, tile and halftone
Adjustment layers
Edit colours by range or selection
Select and Mask detects edges
Including fine detail such as hair or fur
Full RAW support
With RAW photos added as layers rather than converted first
Video layers
So videos can be masked, cropped and colour adjusted like images
Super Resolution upscaling
Preserves sharpness and enhances detail
One-click background removal
With an adjustable mask
Auto Enhance, Auto Crop and Auto Straighten
Repair and clone stamp tools
For removing objects and blemishes
Intelligent Denoise and Deband
For noise and compression artefacts
Warp tool, Smart Guides and automatic layer alignment
Vector support
For PSD, SVG, PDF, Adobe Illustrator and Illustrator EPS
Support for more than 750 RAW formats
An iPad version
With Multi-Touch and Apple Pencil support
What you can use Pixelmator for
- Retouching photos with AI assistance instead of doing the work manually
- Removing a background in one click and refining the mask afterwards
- Upscaling an image while keeping it sharp
- Working on a design that mixes raster images with vector shapes and text
- Moving between a Mac and an iPad and having edits sync
Who is Pixelmator for?
- Mac users who want a native, Apple-integrated image editor
- People who want AI assistance without a subscription, via the one-time purchase
Who is Pixelmator not for?
- Anyone who needs an open-source editor they can inspect — Pixelmator is closed source
- Users on Windows or Linux, since the application is Mac and iPad only
Limitations
- Mac and iPad only; there is no Windows or Linux version
- Closed source, so the application cannot be audited
- The standalone price is not stated in the sources Nuanyue tracks, and the app is also bundled in the Apple Creator Studio subscription
- The minimum macOS version is not stated in the sources Nuanyue tracks
Strengths and trade-offs
What Pixelmator does well, and what to weigh before choosing it. Points marked developer-stated come from the developer’s own material and have not been independently confirmed.
Strengths
- AI features are built on Apple Intelligence, including Super Resolution, background removal and intelligent denoise.Developer-stated
- Supports more than 750 RAW formats, with RAW photos added as layers rather than converted first.Developer-stated
- Handles video layers as well as images, so videos can be masked, cropped and colour adjusted.Developer-stated
- Supports vector formats including PSD, SVG, PDF and Illustrator, and exports keeping vector data.Developer-stated
- Runs on both Mac and iPad with edits synced between them, and works with Apple Pencil.Developer-stated
- Is available as a one-time purchase as well as through the Apple Creator Studio bundle.
Trade-offs
- Mac and iPad only, so it is not an option for Windows or Linux users.Derived
- Closed source, so the application cannot be independently inspected.
- The standalone price is not published in the sources Nuanyue tracks, so the cost has to be checked on the App Store.Editorially reviewed
- It is now an Apple product, so its roadmap follows Apple's rather than an independent developer's.Derived
First-use experience
What the app asks of you when you set it up. Only established facts appear here; anything we could not confirm is left out rather than guessed at.
- Installation
- Purchased and installed from the Mac App Store, or obtained through the Apple Creator Studio bundle.
- First launch Derived
- No account is required beyond the App Store account used to purchase it.
- System integration Developer-stated
- Works with the Photos extension, Universal Control and copy and paste between Mac and iPad.
- Apple Silicon Developer-stated
- Supported
What it does
Pixelmator Pro is a layer-based image editor, with non-destructive effects and adjustment layers so that changes can be revisited rather than committed. The editing toolset is conventional and complete: over sixty effects, colour adjustment by range or selection, layer masks, a repair tool and clone stamp, brush-based retouching, and a warp tool for pushing and pulling part of an image.
Where it differs from a traditional editor is the amount of work handed to machine learning. Super Resolution scales an image up and tries to keep it sharp. Background removal takes one click and leaves an adjustable mask. Select and Mask detects edges, including fine detail such as hair or fur, which is the part of masking that normally takes the longest. Auto Enhance, Auto Crop and Auto Straighten handle the initial pass, and Deband and Intelligent Denoise clean up gradients and camera noise.
Beyond photos
It is not only a photo editor. RAW files are supported in more than 750 formats and can be added as layers rather than converted first. Video files can be used as layers and masked, cropped or colour adjusted the same way images are. Vector formats are supported too — PSD, SVG, PDF, Adobe Illustrator and Illustrator EPS — and shapes and paths can be edited and exported while keeping their vector data, with a Pen tool, Smart Shapes, Path Type and Circular Type for text.
What it is now
Pixelmator Pro is an Apple product. It is published on Apple’s site and listed as part of Apple Creator Studio, the bundle that also contains Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro. It remains available as a one-time purchase on the Mac App Store as well, so the subscription is an option rather than the only route — though the pages Nuanyue checked do not state the standalone price.
An iPad version shares the same editing model, works with Apple Pencil and Multi-Touch, and syncs edits with the Mac through round-trip compatibility, Universal Control and copy and paste.
Questions about Pixelmator
Is Pixelmator Pro a subscription?
Not necessarily. The vendor states that Pixelmator Pro for Mac is available as a one-time purchase on the App Store, and it is also included in the Apple Creator Studio subscription bundle alongside Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro.
Who makes Pixelmator Pro now?
Apple. The product page is published by Apple, and Pixelmator Pro is listed as part of Apple Creator Studio, the collection of Apple creative applications that also includes Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro.
Which AI features does Pixelmator Pro have?
The vendor describes AI features built on Apple Intelligence, including Super Resolution upscaling, one-click background removal, Deband for gradients and compression artefacts, Auto Enhance, Auto Crop, Auto Straighten and Intelligent Denoise.Developer-stated
Does Pixelmator Pro run on Apple silicon?
Yes. The vendor states that you get the performance of Apple silicon, and the application is an Apple product available for Mac and iPad.Developer-stated
Alternatives to Pixelmator
Apps that could replace this one — the same job, a different trade-off.
Acorn
Mac image editor with non-destructive filters, sold outright.
Both are Mac image editors sold as one-time purchases, but Pixelmator Pro is now an Apple product with AI features built on Apple Intelligence while Acorn is an independent app from Flying Meat.
GIMP
Free and open-source image editor for retouching, compositing and artwork.
Both are general-purpose image editors, but GIMP is free, open source and cross-platform while Pixelmator Pro is a paid Mac and iPad application with AI features.
Competitors
Direct competitors: overlapping features aimed at the same users.
Affinity Designer
Vector design studio in Affinity, now free from Canva.
Both are professional creative tools for Mac, but Affinity is now free and cross-platform with a Canva account while Pixelmator Pro is an Apple product sold on the App Store.
Links
Sources
Facts on this page are checked against the sources below. Last updated .
