Photo apps for Mac and iPhoneHead to head
Pixelmator Pro vs Photomator
Pixelmator Pro ranks #1 and Photomator ranks #3 in our guide to the best photo apps for Mac and iPhone. Pixelmator Pro is our pick for most people.
Pixelmator ProPick Pixelmator Pro if you edit photos and make graphics on a Mac and refuse to pay for Photoshop.$49.99 once#3 in the guide
PhotomatorPick Photomator if you edit RAW photos in batches and want a lifetime license for Lightroom-style tools.From $7.99What decides it
- Pixelmator Pro costs less over 3 years: $49.99, against $89.97 for Photomator.
- Both run on Mac. Only Photomator runs on iPhone and iPad.
Side by side
Prices are checked every day.
| At a glance | Pixelmator Pro | Photomator |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $49.99 once on the Mac App Store, or $12.99 a month with Apple Creator Studio | Free download. Pro is $7.99 a month, $29.99 a year or $119.99 once |
| How you pay | Pay once | Subscription |
| 3 years of use | $49.99 Cheaper | $89.97 Yearly plan |
| Free trial | Yes | None listed |
| Runs on | Mac | Mac, iPhone, iPad |
| Where to buy | App Store | App Store |
| Rating | Too few ratings | 4.5 3.8K ratings |
| Features | Family Sharing, Free trial | iCloud sync, Family Sharing |
| Made by | Apple | Apple |
| Last updated | 9 Apr 2026 | 27 Aug 2026 |
Who should get which
Get Pixelmator Pro if
You edit photos or make graphics on a Mac and don't want a Photoshop subscription.
Get Photomator if
You edit RAW photos in batches and want pro color tools inside Apple Photos without paying Adobe.
Skip Pixelmator Pro if
You only crop and brighten the occasional photo; Photos on your Mac handles that free.
Skip Photomator if
You crop and brighten a photo now and then, and the editor built into Apple Photos is free.
Our verdicts
Pixelmator Pro
Apple owns this editor now, and for $49.99 once you get photo retouching, RAW editing for 750+ cameras, layered design, vector drawing and painting in a single Mac app. Its AI tools remove backgrounds, erase objects, upscale and denoise, and it opens and exports layered Photoshop files. The iPad version only comes with the $12.99-a-month Apple Creator Studio, and Affinity is the free alternative if you don't mind a Canva account.
Photomator
If you shoot RAW and want Lightroom-style color tools without an Adobe subscription, Photomator edits right inside your Photos library on Mac, iPhone and iPad. It reads over 750 RAW formats, batch edits hundreds of shots and uses AI to select skies, remove objects, cut noise and upscale. The $119.99 lifetime license equals 4 years of the $29.99 plan, so it is the cheaper route if you edit longer than that.
What each one helps you do
Pixelmator Pro
- Remove backgrounds and objects from photos
- Edit RAW photos from over 750 cameras
- Design posters and social posts from templates
- Open and edit layered Photoshop files
Photomator
- Edit RAW photos straight from your Photos library
- Remove a stranger from the background
- Apply one edit to hundreds of photos
- Rescue a noisy low-light shot
Where to get them
Pixelmator Pro
$49.99 once on the Mac App Store, or $12.99 a month with Apple Creator Studio
-
Mac App Store$49.99Mac App Store
Photomator
Free download. Pro is $7.99 a month, $29.99 a year or $119.99 once
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App Store, every deviceWith in-app purchasesFree downloadApp Store
Neither one quite right?
The other picks in our guide to the best photo apps for Mac and iPhone.
DarkroomPick this if you shoot on iPhone and want serious edits on your Photos library without paying up front.Free to start
HalidePick it if your iPhone photos look over-processed and you want manual control over shutter speed and ISO.From $19.99
Read the full guideAll Pixelmator Pro alternativesAll Photomator alternatives