If you are a photographer, it is essential to carry a photo editing tool on your device. Moreover, it does not matter whether you are a professional or a hobbyist photographer; anyone can use a photo editor for any reason. However, when it comes to choosing a photo editing software for Mac, it becomes a different matter.
Many people find it hard to find a photo editor for Mac as there are hardly any options available in the market. As Apple users cannot run most of the third-party applications, they have to use the ones that the company mainly provides. Nonetheless, even after paying for a subscription, most features still do not satisfy the users.
In this blog, we will highlight the top 10 most reliable photo editing software for Mac and their unique features.
Importance of Choosing The Right Photo‑Editing Software for Mac
Whether you take photos for passion or professional reasons on your Mac device, there are many important reasons for choosing the ideal photo editor. For example, it is ideal for many professions such as content generators, experts, hobbyists, and many more.
Moreover, a reliable photo editor for Mac is ideal for producing high-quality pictures with precision. Nonetheless, here are a few points you can refer to:
Productivity Efficiency
Optimized photo editors mainly for Mac devices can process photos quickly and maintain larger files efficiently. Also, if you are using the editors from native tools, you can integrate them with many facilities such as Finder, iCloud, Photos, and many more.
Facility And Potentials
A lot of users require basic photo editing tools for ordinary photo editing, such as filters, brightness, cropping, etc. Moreover, some users require heavy and advanced features such as AI facilities, RAW picture processing, masks, and many more.
There are also many editing applications you can refer to, such as Affinity Photo, Pixelnator Pro, etc. Furthermore, these editors provide category features for certain editing patterns and expert necessities.
Advantage And Learning Curve
Several Mac users generally prefer photo editing tools like Luminar Neo or Photos that have a user-friendly interface and are easy to navigate. Moreover, you can also refer to some complex or advanced facilities, such as Affinity Photo or Adobe Photoshop, which are mainly operated by professionals and will take a lot of time to master.
Budget And Licensing
You can find many Mac photo editing tools that offer both subscription-based payments and one-time purchases. For a one-time purchase, you can go for photo editors like Affinity Photo, and for subscription-based payments, Adobe Photoshop may be an ideal choice for you.
File Assistance And Compatibility
Photo editors are necessary if you are a professional photographer and need to process raw images. Moreover, a photo editing software for Mac is also necessary for file compatibility, such as HEIF and PSD.
Key Features to Look for in A Photo‑Editing Software for Mac
While choosing the right photo-editing software for macOS, you have to look for several features that are suitable for both professional and personal photography. For instance, you can refer to:
Optimization for MacOS
The photo editor needs to be optimized for Apple silicon chips such as M1, M2, and M3, which ensures efficient performance and battery life. Alongside, the photo-editing software also has to integrate with facilities like iCloud, QuickLook, Touch Bar assistance, and many more.
Unconstructive Editing
The photo needs to allow users to edit their photos without making any permanent changes to them. Moreover, this facility is necessary for experiments and professional editing.
AI Features
The right photo-editing software for macOS needs to have AI features for automatic photo processing by implementing the AI algorithms. Furthermore, you can also refer to several features such as background removal, object detection, and many more.
File Compatibility
The photo-editing software needs to support a variety of formats for editing pictures, such as TIFF, PNG, JPG, HEIC, WebP, RAW, etc, alongside exporting the picture in high-quality and metadata choices.
Types of Photo-Editing Tools on MacOS
There are many photo-editing tools for macOS you can find, for example, you can refer to:
- Subscription-Based Editors: There are many subscription-based photo editing software programs for macOS with powerful layering and mask regulations, and other features. For example, some of them are Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Lightroom, Luminar Pro, Canva Pro, etc.
- Non-Subscription Tools: Non-Subscription photo editing tools for MacOS are mainly for a one-time purchase, and they offer features like expert editing, complete Apple silicon optimization, etc. Nonetheless, some of the photo editors are Affinity Photo, Pixelmator Pro, GIMP and many more.
- Mid-Tier: The mid-tier photo editors for macOS are also one-time purchase-based and feature RAW support, machine learning facilities, etc. And you can refer to some examples such as Affinity Photo, Luminar Neo, PhotoScape X Pro, and more.
- Free & Open-source: Alongside the one-time purchase and subscription-based options, there are also many free and open-source options for macOS with facilities such as advanced tool selection, plugins, and many more. Moreover, some of the examples are Darktable, RawTherapee, Krita, and many more.
Comparison Table
| Name | Best For | Price | Rating |
| Adobe Photoshop | One of the most versatile tools on the market | $22.99 per month | 4.5/5 |
| PhotoWorks | Suitable for photographers of all levels | $9.99 per month | 4.5/5 |
| Pixelmator Pro | Great set of tools for editing and design | $49.99 each month | 4.3/5 |
| PhotoBulk | Saves lots of time thanks to batch processing | $9.99 per month | 4.5/5 |
| GIMP | Completely free and highly customizable image processor | Free for use | 4.3/5 |
| Adobe Lightroom | Best editing workflow for serious enthusiasts | $11.99 each month | 4/5 |
| DxO PhotoLab | An excellent tool for image corrections | $129 for a lifetime purchase | 4/5 |
| Luminar Neo | A unique suite of advanced AI-powered tools | $58.47 per month | 4/5 |
| Apple Preview | Great stock app to organize and edit photos on a Mac | $9.99 per month | 4/5 |
| Apple Photos | One of the best free photo editors on Mac | $0.99 to $59.99 per month | 4/5 |
Also Read: How to Start a Photography Business
Top 10 Photo‑Editing Software for Mac
After highlighting several required features and necessities for macOS, here are the top 10 best photo-editing tools for macOS that you can use:
1. Adobe Photoshop
At the top of our suggestions, we have the Adobe Photoshop tool for your Mac OS. There are hardly any people, especially photographers, who have not heard of the name Adobe. Nonetheless, Adobe Photoshop is one of the most reliable and powerful photo-editing software programs for graphic designers, visual professionals, etc.
Moreover, the photo editor offers several editing facilities such as masks, layers, brushes, RAW image processing, and many more. Also, users get frequent updates that also introduce them to new features.
Key Facilities
- You can edit your pictures on a professional level.
- It supports mask and layer editing.
- It can integrate with Adobe Creative Cloud.
- Users also get a large collection of brushes and filters.
- There is also support for external plugins.
Pros And Cons
Pros
- It has an active community and support system.
- It frequently gets updates.
- The editor has industry-level facilities.
Cons
- This software charges a high fee for a subscription.
- The learning curve is complex for beginners.
Pricing Details
- $22.99 per month.
Rating: 4.5/5.
Website: https://apps.apple.com/ph/app/adobe-photoshop-image-editor/id1457771281
2. PhotoWorks
After Adobe, another Photo‑Editing Software for Mac that comes to mind is PhotoWorks, which offers many efficient features for photographers. Also, photo editing is mainly popular among macOS users for its user-friendly interface, while offering both modern and basic features to users. Furthermore, the photo editor is ideal for any level of all levels, for instance, beginners alongside professionals.
Nonetheless, you can experience a variety of features such as editing facilities that include picture smoothing, colour adaptation, background alternation, and many more. Alongside these are a few automation facilities such as single-click photo enhancement, batch processing, etc.
Key Facilities
- It can offer more than 200 filters, 3D LUTs, effects, and many more.
- You can experience content-driven picture enhancement.
- The edit can process photos in batches.
- It also supports more than 450 RAW formats.
- It also provides a built-in portrait editing component.
Pros And Cons
Pros
- The interface is intuitive and user-friendly.
- It provides users with a variety of editing tools.
- The editor can run on the minimum system requirements.
Cons
- It does not have proper editing facilities.
Pricing Details
- $9.99 per month.
Rating: 4.5/5.
Website: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/photoworks-picture-editor/id1062490200
3. Pixelmator Pro
As there are many advanced Photo‑Editing Software for Mac, the Pixelmator Pro is another noteworthy photo editor we can mention. Moreover, Pixelmator Pro is an efficient picture editing software that offers a variety of advanced features that help photographers generate pictures of high quality, alongside other benefits.
The main popularity of this editing software generally emerges from its user-friendly interface and basic learning curve. And following our previous mention that you can experience a lot of useful facilities. Nonetheless, this software is ideal for digital artists, photographers, and graphic designers.
Key Facilities
- It can provide staple graphic design facilities.
- It can edit pictures without permanent changes.
- The editor provides modern layer assistance.
- It has several AI-driven facilities.
- The software supports presenters such as VHS and light leaks.
Pros And Cons
Pros
- It has a user-friendly interface.
- It can edit pictures with advanced features.
- It can integrate with facilities like iCloud and Photos.
Cons
- A few editing features may seem complex.
- It has restricted extensions and plugins.
- The software provides fewer modern features than its competitors.
Pricing Details
- $49.99 each month.
Rating: 4.3/5.
Website: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/pixelmator-pro/id1289583905?mt=12
4. PhotoBulk
There are many people who prefer to use lightweight Photo‑Editing Software for Mac as they do not want to burden their system. Nonetheless, with these facilities, we can refer to the PhotoBulk photo editor for macOS for its advanced features. As the name suggests, the photo editor is popular for letting users edit their pictures in bulk and resize them.
Moreover, the software is ideal for direct and necessary editing activities. For example, you can refer to resizing images, watermarking pictures, attaching overlays for bigger picture bulk pictures, and many more. Nonetheless, the photo editing software is for those who need modern facilities and advanced editing features.
Key Facilities
- It can resize pictures in batches.
- The editor can give easy watermarking.
- It can compress pictures in high quality.
- You can rename your pictures in bulk or groups.
- The software can add overlays and personalized texts.
Pros And Cons
Pros
- Users can easily navigate through this editing software.
- It is available and affordable for most people.
- It can help to save time and manual efforts through its features.
Cons
- It does not offer many features compared to its competitors.
Pricing Details
- $9.99 per month.
Rating: 4.5/5.
Website: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/photobulk-watermark-in-batch/id537211143?mt=12
5. GIMP
GIMP or you can also refer to it as GNU Image Manipulation Program. It is an open-source Photo‑Editing Software for Mac that provides a variety of advanced features as well as for graphic design. This photo-editing software is popular among users because of its easy accessibility to users.
Moreover, as the photo editor is mainly open-source, it can offer a lot of modern features, and you can also easily alter your images by implementing different extensions and plugins. All these features make it an ideal choice for digital artists and graphic designers.
Key Facilities
- It offers highly personalized workflows.
- It can support a variety of file formats.
- Users can experience several features such as layer assistance, masks, and many more.
- The editor offers several picture filters and effects.
- There is also a built-in script system.
Pros And Cons
Pros
- The editor is free for use.
- You can highly personalize it, and it also receives daily updates.
- You can use the editor for complicated photo editing.
Cons
- Beginners may find the editor difficult to use.
- It is not compatible with Adobe formats.
Pricing Details
- Free for use.
Rating: 4.3/5.
Website: https://www.gimp.org/
6. Lightroom
Another part of Adobe photo editing software that we can refer you to for Photo‑Editing Software for Mac is Adobe Lightroom. According to several users, Adobe Lightroom is an ideal photo-editing software and a management application for photographers. Moreover, it offers users a lot of editing facilities. For example, you can refer to its incorporation facility with Adobe Creative Cloud.
Nonetheless, as the application is available for mobile, it makes it accessible for a broad range of photographers, alongside Mac users. As this photo editor has been highly popular among all kinds of photographers, the editing software has become one of the perfect choices for photo editing.
Key Facilities
- You can conveniently manage your files and process picture batches.
- It provides a broad range of correlation presets and filter arrays.
- It can detect faces in your pictures to give them a smooth retouching.
- The editor also provides lens-driven and camera corrections.
Pros And Cons
Pros
- It uses advanced Adobe technology for photo editing.
- It can integrate with Creative Cloud.
- The editor can also edit your pictures without making permanent changes.
Cons
- The photo editor requires an advanced learning curve.
- It charges you for subscription-based payments.
- The software requires heavy system resources, it turns.
Pricing Details
- $11.99 each month.
Rating: 4/5.
Website: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/adobe-lightroom/id1451544217?mt=12
7. Dx0 PhotoLab
There are many photo-editing software programs you can find for your Mac, but finding a reliable choice might be difficult. Nonetheless, a reliable photo editing software for macOS that you can use is DxO PhotoLab for its various features. By using this photo-editing tool, you can leverage both advanced and basic editing facilities, and this feature welcomes all kinds of photographers.
Also, when you are working on this software, you can notice an interface that seems like Adobe Lightroom. Moreover, users can also get excellent picture processing features, which attract a lot of users to this editing application.
Key Facilities
- You can process RAW pictures with this application.
- The editor supports DCP colour accounting.
- Users can find the U Point local management.
- There is a feature called ClearView haze removal.
- It provides a personalized workspace.
Pros And Cons
Pros
- It has modern image processing algorithms.
- You can conveniently apply to the local management of your pictures.
- There are also Hazmat removal facilities that provide ideal results.
Cons
- It has restricted recognition facilities.
- Users have difficulty using some of the features.
- It charges users a bit heavily compared than its competitors.
Pricing Details
- $129 for a lifetime purchase.
Rating: 4/5.
Website: https://www.dxo.com/dxo-photolab/
8. Luminar Neo
Luminar Neo is one of the most efficient and reliable Photo‑Editing Software for Mac you can use. This editing application is mainly ideal for modern AI-driven facilities. Moreover, this editing software mainly operates by its AI-driven features for precise and fast picture editing. Other than that, you can also experience a highly personalized interface.
By using this software, you will get several features such as many filter varieties alongside masks and layers. You can edit your photo in macOS without making any permanent alterations to it, which makes it more useful for photographers.
Key Facilities
- It features a variety of intuitive AI and efficient facilities.
- It has a personalized and user-friendly interface.
- The editor supports several file formats, which also include RAW.
- Users can have a variety of masks, filters, and layers.
Pros And Cons
Pros
- The editor offers a convenient and user-friendly interface.
- You can edit your photos without causing any permanent damage.
- It has value for money.
Cons
- It does not offer many advanced facilities.
- The editor takes a lot of time to process the images.
- You may have to pay additionally for a few features.
Pricing Details
- $58.47 per month.
Rating: 4/5.
Website: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/luminar-neo-ai-photo-editor/id1584373150?mt=12
9. Apple Preview
Preview is one of the greatest choices when it comes to finding the ideal photo editing software for macOS. Apple Preview is a great stock application for organizing and editing pictures on macOS. Nonetheless, this editor is mainly a picture viewer and general editor that you can find in your Mac device, and it can also serve as a great option for general picture and PDF editing requirements.
Even though it has restricted capabilities as a Macintosh picture application, you can easily navigate through the application and use its features without much problem. Furthermore, despite its basic features, it generally attracts a lot of Mac users.
Key Facilities
- You can both view and edit PDFs and pictures.
- You can use the general tools for colour management, rotation, and cropping.
- There are also annotation tools that you can use to highlight, add text, and underline the images.
- It can integrate with several iOS facilities.
Pros And Cons
Pros
- Users can conveniently navigate through this editing software.
- You can use it for quick touch-ups and edits.
Cons
- You cannot use this application for advanced editing.
- Users have a difficult time finding several features.
- The software does not support over PDF format.
Pricing Details
- $9.99 per month.
Rating: 4/5.
Website: Built-in Application.
10. Apple Photos
At the end of our list, we are going to refer to the Apple Photos, which you can normally find as a built-in application on your Mac device. Also, if you are trying to find free software for editing pictures on your Mac, you can preferably use this application. Moreover, as a default photo application, you can manage most of your basic edits with this app.
With this photo-editing software, you can do several tasks such as organizing, viewing, and editing pictures and videos in a single place. Furthermore, you can effortlessly sync it across your different Apple devices, which makes it an ideal part of its native ecosystem.
Key Facilities
- It can sort out your pictures by location and time automatically.
- You can experience a variety of filters and editing features.
- It can integrate with Apple iCloud.
- It supports facial recognition facilities.
- The editor also supports third-party extension assistance.
Pros And Cons
Pros
- Almost any kind of photographer can use this software.
- It has many automation features.
Cons
- The software offers restricted editing features.
- It does not provide modern file format support.
Pricing Details
- $0.99 to $59.99 per month.
Rating: 4/5.
Website: Built-in Application.
How to Choose The Right Photo-Editing Tool on MacOS?
Choosing the proper photo-editing tool for your Mac will require you to go through several procedures. For example, you can refer to:
Defining Your Editing Requirements
You need to determine the proper macOS photo-editing software depending on your editing requirements. For instance, if you are a beginner, intermediate, or professional, you can choose the right editor accordingly.
Considering Your Mac OS System
You have to check what macOS system you are using. For example, it can be M1, M2, or M3 Apple silicon chips for finding a better optimized photo editor for your macOS system.
Checking System Requirements
System requirements play a crucial part in running photo-editing software for Mac. Moreover, if you are running an old Mac device, you might have difficulty running the advanced photo editors.
Matching Your Budget
You need to choose the proper photo according to your budget. Moreover, some people use free editing software while others use one-time based of subscription-based editors.
In Conclusion
Different Photo‑Editing Software for Mac has different features and facilities; moreover, it is hard to find an overall photo editing software when you have a restricted choice. As Apple mostly does not allow third-party software, getting a photo editor for your Mac device may prove to be troublesome, especially when finding the ideal choice for you.
Furthermore, both free and paid options have unique features for your device. But when it comes to Mac devices, you mainly have to deal with paid editors, especially if you want to edit your photos professionally. Nonetheless, you can also select an editor from our list and use it for your photo editing purposes.
FAQs
1. What is the most efficient photo editing software you can find for your Mac OS?
– There are several efficient photo editing software programs you can find for your macOS, such as Lightroom, Luminar Neo, Photoshop, etc.
2. What is the most effective method to edit your pictures on macOS?
– There are many methods you can apply to edit your pictures, such as through basic and advanced editing features.
3. What do photographers primarily use to edit their photos on Mac devices?
– They use many editing software such as Lightroom, Photoshop, Affinity Photo, and many more.
4. What is the most prominent photo editor for Apple devices?
– Alongside the built-in editors, you can also use editors like GIMP, Dx0 PhotoLab, etc.
