Pixelmator Photo Switches to Subscription Pricing, Launching on Mac by Next Year - MacRumorsOpen MenuShow RoundupsShow Forums menuVisit ForumsOpen Sidebar
Skip to Content

Pixelmator Photo Switches to Subscription Pricing, Launching on Mac by Next Year

The team behind the popular Pixelmator series of image editing apps today announced that the Pixelmator Photo app for the iPhone and iPad is switching to subscription-based pricing with an update rolling out now on the App Store.

Pixelmator Photo iOS
For new users, Pixelmator Photo now costs $4.99 per month or $23.99 per year, while existing users of the app will continue to have "unlimited access" without having to pay again. A lifetime purchase option will remain available for $59.99, which is significantly more expensive than Pixelmator Photo's previous one-time price of $7.99.

In a blog post, the Pixelmator team admitted that the subscription-based pricing model is more expensive, but argued that there are "some pretty big problems" with an upfront pricing model, including slower development and a focus on new users over existing users. Among other reasons, Pixelmator also noted that the App Store does not allow paid apps to offer free trials or upgrade discounts for major new versions.

"The hope is that there are enough users who use the app regularly and feel that the annual or monthly fee is worth it," said Pixelmator. "It looks like this is the best way to ensure Pixelmator Photo can continue to be developed long into the future."

Pixelmator Photo Mac
Pixelmator also provided a sneak peek at its Pixelmator Photo app for Mac, which will be a "completely native app" that is "designed from the ground up just for Mac." Pixelmator plans to release the app late this year or early next year and says those who subscribe to Pixelmator Photo for the iPhone/iPad now will get Pixelmator Photo for Mac for free when it launches. Existing users will be eligible for a discounted subscription.

Pixelmator informed MacRumors that it doesn't have any immediate plans to switch the standard version of Pixelmator for iOS or Pixelmator Pro for macOS to subscription-based pricing and is working on a major update to Pixelmator Pro that will be free as usual.

Popular Stories

Apple MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display family lineup feature

Apple Announces OLED MacBook Pro With Touch Display

Wednesday October 28, 2026 10:11 am PDT by
Apple today announced a new high-end MacBook Pro, which is available in 14-inch and 16-inch sizes. The new device has a PROLED XDR display that supports touch gestures, and a glowing rear Apple logo. Pricing on the MacBook Pro starts at $2,899 for the 14-inch model and $3,399 for the 16-inch model. Apple says the MacBook Pro has the "world's best display in a pro laptop." The PROLED...
iPad mini OLED feature 1

Apple Executive Comments on New iPad Mini Lacking 120Hz Display

Thursday October 29, 2026 1:47 pm PDT by
While the new iPad mini has an OLED display, the device does not support ProMotion, meaning the display's refresh rate is limited to 60Hz instead of 120Hz. ProMotion support would have allowed for the iPad mini's refresh rate to automatically adjust from 10Hz to 120Hz depending on the content being displayed, but evidently Apple has kept the feature exclusive to the iPad Pro among iPad...
iPhone Duo Display Cracking

Apple Alerts Stores to iPhone Duo's Display Cracking Issue

Friday October 30, 2026 3:20 pm PDT by
In a memo shared with Apple Stores and Apple Authorized Service Providers this week, and later obtained by MacRumors, Apple provided technicians with guidance on how to diagnose and address the iPhone Duo's inner display cracking issue. If a customer reports the issue, Apple advised technicians to inspect the iPhone Duo and repair or replace it in accordance with their standard procedures....

Top Rated Comments

tmoerel Avatar
55 months ago
Another app I will stop using!
Score: 53 Votes (Like | Disagree)
m.x Avatar
55 months ago
I get why they switch to a subscription, but why does every app has to raise prices that much? From a $7,99 one-time purchase to $23,99/yr? Why not $9,99/yr?
And what was the business model before the switch to subscription? It was a one-time purchase for $7,99 and now it’s $59,99. No wonder people hate subscriptions.
Score: 48 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Wildkraut Avatar
55 months ago
Go for Affinity Photo and ditch Pixelmator, it’s inferior anyway.
Score: 42 Votes (Like | Disagree)
55 months ago
While it might be understandable from the businesses point of view, for the customer it's just hostile.
There's one ultimate greedy person, and it's Apple's current CEO (or the people he has to answer to).
Unrestrained capitalism always pushes towards the most profitable route, whatever the consequences. It's like electricity or water, always choosing the path of least resistance to get where it can.
It's the responsibility of the architects of the bigger structures to design a platform that doesn't allow such customer exploitation and keep the business healthy on the long run. Here, it's the contrary and it's actively pushing app makers towards the greedy route, leaving no choices to the customer but to either accept, or leave the platform.
How is this any good on the long term except for those reaping the benefits ?

I understand the concerns of app makers, and yes, they have to make a living. But this is NOT the solution. Allowing users to try the apps (not speaking about freemium here), allowing special sales or promoting them (like Steam), allowing true upgrade paths (reduced prices for owners of a previous version), ... this should have been part of the platform from the start. Building a healthy relationship with your customers is what makes them get back to you when you have a new version or a new product, or simply when they can afford it.

Some plans make sense, because the service usage itself is a running cost by nature (insurances, access to a media library like streaming platforms or e-books). Something like a processing software doesn't belong there. If you push it to the limits, maybe having access to an online storage like adobe cloud, or some cloud processing which could not be done on device would be acceptable, as an option.
For the life of me I can't think why I would have to subscribe to an app I have to use, but only seldomly like a Photoshop or a Lightroom alternative. Adobe understood that and kept the lifetime licenses for Photoshop Elements. If you have a pro workflow it would probably need cloud storage anyways so a plan makes sense, and that cost is part of your business expenses.

So to get back to your reaction, there's no need to be sarcastic. Yes people have to make a living, but their options are in the hand of the people who control the platform itself, and these are the people who make them miserable, not the customers. App store developers should unionize and reclaim what their work should get them, and not play the devil's game and offset their issues onto their own customers, it will only end poorly for everyone but the person at the top of the pyramid.
Score: 24 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Wildkraut Avatar
55 months ago

Why, if you already have it?
Because it’s just a matter of time till it stops working, due to incompatibility that Apple introduces with every major macOS update.
Score: 24 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tmoerel Avatar
55 months ago

Why, if you already have it?
Out of principle!
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Latest Stories
Apple Watch Ultra 4 Hits All-Time Low Price With Amazon's $99 Discount
Apple Watch Ultra 4 Hits All-Time Low Price With Amazon's $99 Discount
19 minutes ago
Here's a New Tour of Apple's HomeView Software
Here's a New Tour of Apple's HomeView Software
26 minutes ago
Apple Reveals New iPad Mini's Battery Capacity
Apple Reveals New iPad Mini's Battery Capacity
2 hours ago
Top Stories: Apple's Big MacBook Pro, iPad mini and iMac Updates
Top Stories: Apple's Big MacBook Pro, iPad mini and iMac Updates
3 hours ago
'Pluribus' Season 2 Reportedly Starts Production Today
'Pluribus' Season 2 Reportedly Starts Production Today
10 hours ago
iPhone 18 Pro Sales Surge in China, Offsetting Decline in U.S. and Japan
iPhone 18 Pro Sales Surge in China, Offsetting Decline in U.S. and Japan
10 hours ago
HomeView Software 27.2: Wallpapers, Control Center, and More
HomeView Software 27.2: Wallpapers, Control Center, and More
17 hours ago
Apple Alerts Stores to iPhone Duo's Display Cracking Issue
Apple Alerts Stores to iPhone Duo's Display Cracking Issue
18 hours ago
iOS 27.3 Will Enable These Apple Intelligence Features in China
iOS 27.3 Will Enable These Apple Intelligence Features in China
18 hours ago
Apple Says iOS 27.3 Beta Coming Next Week
Apple Says iOS 27.3 Beta Coming Next Week
18 hours ago
Apple's Flash Storage Suppliers Are Finally 'Getting Their Revenge'
Apple's Flash Storage Suppliers Are Finally 'Getting Their Revenge'
20 hours ago
14 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 27.2
14 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 27.2
21 hours ago
iPhone Duo Review: One Week Later
iPhone Duo Review: One Week Later
21 hours ago
Samsung Mocks iPhone Duo Display Cracks in New Ad Campaign
Samsung Mocks iPhone Duo Display Cracks in New Ad Campaign
23 hours ago
The MacRumors Show: OLED MacBook Pro, iPad Mini 8, and More
The MacRumors Show: OLED MacBook Pro, iPad Mini 8, and More
23 hours ago
MacBook Pro With Touch Display: 15 More Details Revealed
MacBook Pro With Touch Display: 15 More Details Revealed
23 hours ago
Russia Places Apple on State Surveillance Registry
Russia Places Apple on State Surveillance Registry
1 day ago
Halloween Weekend Brings Discounts on Apple Accessories and Pre-Orders
Halloween Weekend Brings Discounts on Apple Accessories and Pre-Orders
1 day ago
Apple Has Released More Than 25 New Products in the Past Two Months
Apple Has Released More Than 25 New Products in the Past Two Months
1 day ago
Local Code Launches as Free, Private AI Assistant Tool for Mac
Local Code Launches as Free, Private AI Assistant Tool for Mac
1 day ago
Apple Acquires Ascend.io
Apple Acquires Ascend.io
1 day ago
HomePod Mini 2 Launches Today: All the New Features
HomePod Mini 2 Launches Today: All the New Features
1 day ago
AirTag 2 4-Pack Drops to New Low Price of $69.99
AirTag 2 4-Pack Drops to New Low Price of $69.99
1 day ago
Rian Johnson's iPhone Camera App Goes Viral
Rian Johnson's iPhone Camera App Goes Viral
1 day ago
Where Did All the iPhone Duos Go? Mostly to Apple's Stores
Where Did All the iPhone Duos Go? Mostly to Apple's Stores
1 day ago
Apple's Touchscreen MacBook Pro Could Ship 1.5M Units in 2027
Apple's Touchscreen MacBook Pro Could Ship 1.5M Units in 2027
1 day ago
New Apple TV 4K and iPad Mini: RAM Amounts Revealed
New Apple TV 4K and iPad Mini: RAM Amounts Revealed
2 days ago
Apple Executive Comments on New iPad Mini Lacking 120Hz Display
Apple Executive Comments on New iPad Mini Lacking 120Hz Display
2 days ago
Here's a Hands-On Look at HomePod Mini 2's New Two-Tone Colors
Here's a Hands-On Look at HomePod Mini 2's New Two-Tone Colors
2 days ago
Apple Lowers App Store Fees in Taiwan Starting October 31
Apple Lowers App Store Fees in Taiwan Starting October 31
2 days ago

🔗 Related Apple News & Rumors

Stay updated with the latest Apple ecosystem news and verified rumors