# Alternatives to Pixelmator Pro ML-assisted Mac image editing (now Apple). Pixelmator Pro ranks #5 of 10 in Image editing, with an Alt Score of 70. It is proprietary, sold as a one-time purchase from $49.99 and available on macOS. 10 of 12 checklist rows are verified against a public source. Source: https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/pixelmator-pro/ Category: Image editing ## Overview - **Who it's for**: Mac users who want professional-grade photo editing and graphic design tools without the complexity or subscription cost of apps like Photoshop — from photographers and designers to everyday users editing personal images. - **What you get**: Layer-based, nondestructive editing with 60+ effects, RAW photo support, vector and typography tools, and a Repair tool with clone stamp for retouching. Machine-learning features handle tasks like background removal, Super Resolution upscaling, Auto Enhance, Auto Crop, and Intelligent Denoise automatically. It's a native Apple silicon app built specifically for macOS, with an iPad companion version and Apple Pencil support. - **How it works**: You import or shoot photos, then build up edits using nondestructive layers, brushes, and ML-assisted tools that automate common fixes. Pixelmator Pro is a Mac app (historically a one-time purchase) now owned by Apple. ## Profile - **License**: Proprietary (verified 2026-07-11) - **Pricing model**: One-time (verified 2026-07-11) - **Starts at**: $49.99 (verified 2026-07-11) - **Platforms**: macOS - **Status**: active (verified 2026-07-11) ## Ranked alternatives | # | App | Alt Score | Licence | Platforms | |---|-----|-----------|---------|-----------| | 1 | [Photopea](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/photopea.md) | 96 | Proprietary | Web | | 2 | [Photoshop](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/photoshop.md) | 96 | Proprietary | Windows, macOS, iOS, Web | | 3 | [GIMP](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/gimp.md) | 74 | GPL-3.0 | Windows, macOS, Linux | | 4 | [Krita](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/krita.md) | 70 | GPL-3.0 | Windows, macOS, Linux, Android | | 5 | [Affinity Photo](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/affinity-photo.md) | 62 | Proprietary | Windows, macOS, iOS | | 6 | [Luminar Neo](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/luminar-neo.md) | 62 | Proprietary | Windows, macOS | | 7 | [Polarr](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/polarr.md) | 51 | Proprietary | Web, iOS, Android, Windows | | 8 | [Paint.NET](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/paintnet.md) | 48 | Proprietary | Windows | | 9 | [PhotoScape X](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/photoscape-x.md) | 40 | Proprietary | macOS | Alt Score = Verified coverage (90%) + Visibility (10%). See https://altcatalog.com/how-alt-score-works/ ## Feature comparison Legend: Yes / No / Partial / ? (not verified). | Image editing checklist | Pixelmator Pro | Photopea | Photoshop | GIMP | Krita | Affinity Photo | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | Pricing model | One-time | Freemium | Subscription | Free | Free | Freemium | | Starts at | $49.99 | $5/month | $22.99/month | ? | ? | ? | | License | Proprietary | Proprietary | Proprietary | GPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 | Proprietary | | Platforms | macOS | Web | Windows, macOS, iOS, Web | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows, macOS, Linux, Android | Windows, macOS, iOS | | Layers | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | | Non-destructive editing | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Partial | Yes | | RAW support | Yes | Yes | Yes | Partial | Partial | Yes | | CMYK support | ? | Yes | Yes | Partial | Partial | Yes | | PSD compatibility (open / save) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | | Content-aware / AI fill | Partial | Partial | Yes | Partial | Partial | Partial | | Vector tools included | Yes | Yes | Yes | Partial | Yes | Partial | | Batch processing | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Partial | Yes | | Plugins ecosystem | ? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Partial | ? | | Runs in browser | No | Yes | Partial | No | ? | No | | GPU acceleration | Yes | Yes | Yes | Partial | Yes | ? | | Scripting / macros | Partial | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ? | ## Sources Sources for Pixelmator Pro. Each alternative is sourced on its own page. - **Pricing model**: One-time — (verified 2026-07-11) - Quote: “$49.99” - **Platforms**: macOS — (verified 2026-07-11) - Quote: “Requires macOS 12.0 or later.” - **Status**: active — (verified 2026-07-11) - Quote: “© 2025 Apple Inc. All rights reserved.” - **License**: Proprietary — (verified 2026-07-11) - Quote: “© 2025 Apple Inc. All rights reserved.” - **Starts at**: $49.99 — (verified 2026-07-11) - Quote: “$49.99” - **Layers**: Yes — (verified 2026-07-11) - Quote: “Harness the full power of layer-based editing to design posters, webpages, or apps from scratch” - **Non-destructive editing**: Yes — (verified 2026-07-11) - Quote: “Non-destructive adjustments, like Exposure, are lossless. They preserve the original image data, so you can undo or modify the adjustment without losing any information.” - **RAW support**: Yes — (verified 2026-07-11) - Quote: “Enjoy full support for RAW photos from over 750 most popular digital cameras” - **PSD compatibility (open / save)**: Yes — (verified 2026-07-11) - Quote: “Open and export Adobe Photoshop images with layers” - **Content-aware / AI fill**: Partial — (verified 2026-07-11) - Quote: “Use Repair to remove small imperfections or entire objects from images.” - **Vector tools included**: Yes — (verified 2026-07-11) - Quote: “Create vector designs using a full set of vector tools, including Pen and Freeform Pen tools” - **Batch processing**: Yes — (verified 2026-07-11) - Quote: “if you attempt to do batch processing, the HDR data may be stripped from of the images.” - **Runs in browser**: No — (verified 2026-07-11) - Quote: “Requires macOS 12.0 or later.” - **GPU acceleration**: Yes — (verified 2026-07-11) - Quote: “Enjoy incredibly fast and responsive painting thanks to a cutting-edge painting engine powered by Metal graphics technology” - **Scripting / macros**: Partial — (verified 2026-07-11) - Quote: “You'll also be able to customise the Shortcut to better fit your use case, just make sure that any actions that you add are placed in-between the 1st and 2nd Convert actions.” --- Ranked by verified data, never by who paid. https://altcatalog.com/trust/