When it comes to choosing the best photo editing apps for Macs, there are plenty of software available in the market that gives you the best bang for your buck. However, if you don’t want to wade into the waters of paid tools or just looking for the best free picture editors, there are a few great options to consider. No matter if you’re a computer novice who needs an editing program to enhance vacation snaps or a pro user working on deadlines, there are a plethora of Mac Image Editors to suit your needs.
In case you’ve missed our previous guide on Best Video Editing Software for Mac, here’s a complete list to check out!
WeTheGeek’s Recommendation – Mac Photo Editing Utilities To Use In 2023
GIMP
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Best choice |
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Photoscape X
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Best choice |
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Adobe Photoshop Elements
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Best choice |
So, without further ado, let’s take a look at the most popular & powerful MacBook Photo Editors to use in 2021 with their features, pros, cons, price, compatibility & more.
5 Best Free Photo Editing Apps For Mac
You can also trust Mac built-in utility Preview to perform basic tasks like image resizing, cropping, rotating, adjusting contrast, adding filters, shapes, signatures, fixing saturation, and more. To enjoy more advanced functionalities at zero cost, you can rely on the following free editing tools for Mac.
1. GIMP
Our list of best paid & free photo editing applications for Mac (2023) starts with GIMP. It’s an excellent open-source project that’s been in active development for over two decades. You’ll find dozens of professional features to enhance your photographs, which are mostly included in paid apps like Photoshop. The application is often referred to as the perfect free Mac photo editor, all thanks to its community-based developments. If you’re someone who admires Photoshop (but terrified of the subscription model), then GIMP is a perfect choice for you. GIMP is highly compatible with OS X 10.9 or later.
Pros
- Fully featured and versatile graphics manipulation package.
- Tools to repair digital photo imperfections, color aberrations, and distortions.
- Advanced photo retouching tools.
- Suitable for amateur & experienced users.
- Supports file formats such as JPEG, PNG, TIFF, TGA & more.
Cons
- The program is starting to get old, and we can see it through the UI.
- Lack of integration with other programs.
Must-Read: GIMP Photo Editor Alternatives For Mac Users Other Than Photoshop
2. Photoscape X
Photoscape X is a simple photo editor with powerful features to edit multiple kinds of snaps (including RAW images), add filters, effects, adjust the color orientation, refine distortions and do much more. Its batch mode works like magic that allows you to resize, rename images, and process multiple actions in just a few clicks. What’s more? You will find a multitude of functionalities apart from photo editing in this tool, such as Collage Maker, GIF creation tools, Screen capturing tool, and so on, which makes it one of the best photo editing apps for Mac. Photoscape X is highly compatible with macOS 10.12 or later.
Pros
- Straightforward photo viewer and image editor.
- Combine tools to stitch pictures together.
- Create a GIF option to generate animated GIFs in a few clicks.
- Tools to rotate, straighten, resize, crop your pictures & more.
- Multilingual support, making it the best photo editor software for Mac.
Cons
- Lack of support.
- Dashboard can be improved.
3. Fotor Photo Editor
Are you hunting for a simple photo editor for your Mac? Well, your search ends right here, because Fotor is what you are looking for. Using this Mac photo editor, you can effortlessly manage brightness, contrast, and other orientations of images. It allows you to refine the washed-out photographs, add borders, create tilt-shift effects, and so much more. Additionally, you can take advantage of unique effects, filters to create masterpieces. The image editor for Mac even allows you to make collages. Fotor Photo Editor is highly compatible with macOS 10.13 or later and one of the best photo editing apps for Mac in 2021.
Pros
- Powerful, flexible, and intuitive image processing application.
- Suitable options for both novices & experienced users.
- Try different combinations of filters and effects to create something marvelous.
- Fastest batch processing capabilities.
- The collage function enables you to make outstanding photo collages.
Cons
- Sometimes it does not save the state of the sessions.
- Takes a significant amount of space.
4. Darktable
Darktable is a perfect combination of Lightroom and Photoshop. Unlike other photo editor software for Mac, Darktable supports hundreds of different camera models. It works with most of the file formats, including RAW files. It is one of the best photo editing apps for Mac that brings a sophisticated set of color management tools, features for correcting image orientation, removing unwanted noise, and doing much more. It even offers the ability to crop images, remove unwanted parts, and tools for curves, vibrance, vignetting, and tools to add watermark. Darktable is highly compatible with macOS X 10.7 or later.
Pros
- Open-source photo editor software for Mac.
- Export images via hotkeys.
- Supports drag & drop functionality for a streamlined workflow.
- Multiple selection tools (color, texture, brush, rectangular, elliptical & more)
- Adjust the image size and position, to change its resolution.
Cons
- Dashboard may seem overwhelming at times.
5. Seashore
There’s probably nothing more comprehensive than the Seashore photo editing app for Mac. The utility supports a plethora of professional editing options. You can effortlessly crop, resize, rotate, make color adjustments, add texts, filters, effects, and whatnot. It brings a simple toolbar to access features like a pen, paintbrush, color dropper, clone tool and also brings the ability to add captions, annotate pictures and adjust transparency. The Mac image editor even has a wide selection of effects and filters that can be applied to specific areas of snaps as well. Seashore is highly compatible with macOS X 10.7 or later.
Pros
- Wide collection of effects & filters.
- Advanced tools for color adjustment, managing brightness, contrast & so on.
- Supports multi-layering capability for creating composite pictures.
- Variety of options for cropping, resizing, painting, cloning & so on.
- Suitable for newbies & amateur artists who want to get started with editing.
Cons
- The app’s interface is a little eccentric.
- Doesn’t offer the same level of editing power as GIMP.
5 Best Photo editor software for Mac (Paid)
1. Adobe Photoshop Elements
No list of best photo editing apps for Mac is complete without mentioning Photoshop. Its Elements version brings numerous graphic resources to make your photographs look stunning. Using this Mac picture editor, you can create collages, slide shows, calendars, scrapbook pages, and e-cards. Moreover, you can easily organize your huge photograph collection according to your preferences. Also, when you are done editing and refining you can post the final output on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter & more. Adobe Photoshop Elements is highly compatible with macOS 10.14 or later.
Pros
- Browse and preview your photo collection.
- Start slideshow presentations within the app.
- Streamlined photograph organizer.
- A long list of features and tools to produce incredible pictures.
- A toolbar to tag people, add places, add events or open the editor in a few clicks.
Cons
- Few social sharing options.
- No local help system.
| Pricing Models: Adobe Photoshop Elements | ||
| $99 | Download Adobe Photoshop Elements Now! | |
2. Affinity Photo
Meet Affinity Photo, one of the best photo editing apps for Mac to use in 2023. With an extensive toolset specifically designed for creative users & professionals, it has everything you need to edit, retouch, adjust colors, add filters, effects & more. The program comprises all the essential features of Photoshop, such as advanced selection tools, versatile brushes & multi-layer support. Moreover, Affinity Photo is lightweight & much faster as compared to Photoshop. Affinity Photo is highly compatible with macOS 10.9 or later.
Pros
- Well-designed user interface with all the editing tools in one place.
- Bundles a couple of special warping effects.
- Perform complex layer-related operations, making it the best photo editor software for Mac.
- Edit your large collection with the help of adjustment tools & versatile brushes.
- Effective retouching tools to transform photos into something incredible.
Cons
- Nonstandard, sometimes obtuse interface.
3. Luminar 4
Need to add a blaze of color and perfection to your pics? Well, you should try Luminar 4 for sure. It is a powerful photo editor with a plethora of functionalities to adjust brightness, add an extensive range of effects, filters, and tons of resources to touch up your snaps. It has a fast, handy & easy-to-use interface to make you a photo editing expert in a few minutes. Just apply a combination of editing tools and get a perfect look without putting in much effort. Luminar 4 is highly compatible with macOS 10.12 or later.
Pros
- Provides advanced batch mode for faster editing to bulk images.
- Provides a useful preview for both the original & the output.
- Gives you the possibility to work with multiple layers.
- Extensive collection of presets, filters, and adjustment tools.
- Capability to share 500px in just a few seconds.
Cons
- Library features pale in comparison to Lightroom.
| Pricing Models: Luminar 4 | ||
| $89 | Download Luminar 4 Now! | |
4. Adobe Lightroom
Consider Lightroom to be a default option for editing snaps for professional photographs. It has dozens of tools to skim through RAW files, edit them in a dedicated style, save them as pre-set for later batch editing. Its streamlined workflow is what makes it stand out from the crowd and makes it one of the best photo editing apps for Mac. It features simple yet robust picture organization capabilities that ensure you never waste time looking for a specific picture. This perfectly justifies why Lightroom is every professional’s best friend. Adobe Lightroom is highly compatible with macOS 10.14 or later.
Pros
- Enjoy 1 TB of cloud storage to save your incredible photos in a secured place.
- Organize all your photographs smartly, all thanks to Machine Learning capabilities.
- Post final images directly to social media sites or showcase them on Adobe Portfolio.
- Photo editor software for Mac offers affordable monthly/yearly subscriptions are available.
- Compatible with more than 10 languages, including French, Italian, German, etc.
Cons
- Falls short for creating raster images or creating vector shapes.
| Pricing Models: Adobe Lightroom | ||
| $9.99 | Download Adobe Lightroom Now! | |
5. Pixelmator Pro
Last but not the least, Pixelmator is a powerful photo editor software for Mac, equipped with all the advanced image manipulation features. It would not be wrong to say that Pixelmator is the perfect blend of Adobe Lightroom, Photoshop & Illustrator. It comprises all the basic features from all these three packages. You can even utilize Pixelmator for editing RAW files, refine distortions and enhance photographs completely. What’s more? Pixelmator assists users in developing gorgeous posters with tools to add text & other elements. Pixelmator Pro is highly compatible with macOS 10.13 or later.
Pros
- Intuitive interface with easy-to-navigate editing tools.
- Save the final image at iCloud or send via Email, Facebook, Messages, or Twitter.
- Extensive collection of pixel-accurate selection tools.
- Comes with customized state-of-the-art painting tools.
- Supports numerous file formats such as PSD, PDF, TIFF, PNG & more.
Cons
- Consumes a significant number of resources.
| Pricing Models: Pixelmator Pro | ||
| $19.99 | Download Pixelmator Pro Now! | |
Wrap Up: Choosing The Best Tool To Edit Photos On Mac!
Admit or not, there’s something or everyone in our list of Best Paid & Free Mac Photo Editors (2023). If you ask for our recommendation, we suggest using GIMP for users who are looking for a free image editing tool and Adobe Photoshop Elements, if you are looking for a fast, beautiful, and feature-rich photograph editor. Apart from these, there are several great Mac Apps out there just waiting to be explored. If you have some time, why don’t you take a look at our list of Best Mac Apps & Utilities You Should Have In This 20212?
Frequently Asked Questions: How Do You Prefer To Edit Your Pics?
Q1. What is the best photo editing app for Mac?
If you ask for our recommendation, we suggest using GIMP for users looking for a free Mac Photo editor tool and Adobe Photoshop Elements for users looking for a feature-rich program to edit photos on Mac.
Q2. What’s the best free photo editing app for Mac?
The best set of free image editing & manipulation tools includes GIMP, Photoscape X, Fotor Photo Editor, Darktable & Seashore.
Q3. Is there a built-in photo editor on Mac?
Yes, you can trust Mac built-in utility Preview to perform basic tasks like image resizing, cropping, rotating, adjusting contrast, adding filters, shapes, signatures, fixing saturation, and more.
Q4. Is Photoshop free on Mac?
Yes, a free model with limited functionalities is available with Photoshop for Mac users. The photo editor software for Mac comes with all the essential functions covering all your basic needs.