Pixelmator Pro

Pixelmator Pro is a complete image editor for photo editing, design, illustration, and digital painting. It is built entirely with native macOS technologies, GPU-accelerated with Metal, and wrapped in a single-window interface that stays out of the way until you need it.

Why it makes the list

It delivers the depth people reach for Photoshop for — layers, masks, curves, a real vector toolset, RAW editing — at a one-time price, with a UI that feels like Apple made it. The machine-learning features are not gimmicks: Super Resolution, subject and background selection, and denoise are genuinely best-in-class. It won an Apple Design Award, and Apple later acquired the team.

Standout features

• ML Super Resolution — upscale images with startling sharpness

• Nondestructive color adjustments with presets and per-layer control

• Full vector tools alongside raster layers in the same document

• Smart deband, denoise, and subject selection powered by on-device ML

• RAW workflow, batch processing, and automation via Shortcuts and AppleScript

• Wide file support: PSD, SVG, PDF, HEIC, and more

Pricing

A one-time $49.99 purchase on the Mac App Store, with free updates.