A full image editor that is 100% native, Metal-accelerated, and packed with machine-learning tools — and an Apple Design Award winner.
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.
