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Affinity Photo 2 vs Pixelmator Pro

Which is the better Photo editors for Mac in 2026?

PublishedUpdated
Affinity Photo 2 icon

Affinity Photo 2

Professional photo editing software with a one-time purchase model, no subscription required.

Full review
Pixelmator Pro icon

Pixelmator Pro

Professional image editor for Mac with machine learning-powered tools and a native macOS design.

Full review

Our verdict

How we compare apps

For most Mac users in 2026, Affinity Photo 2 is the better choice for Photo editors because it scored higher on the price, license, and catalog ordering fields we store. Both install with a single Homebrew command, so the switching cost is low. Choose Pixelmator Pro instead if you want photo editing.

Read the quick answer

Which is better: Affinity Photo 2 or Pixelmator Pro?

Affinity Photo 2 is the top pick for most Mac users looking at Photo editors. It has a free tier and installs in one Homebrew command. Pixelmator Pro is the stronger choice if you want photo editing. As of October 2026, both install with brew install --cask affinity-photo-2 and brew install --cask pixelmator-pro.

TL;DR

Affinity Photo 2 vs Pixelmator Pro: For most Mac users in 2026, Affinity Photo 2 is the better choice for Photo editors because it scored higher on the price, license, and catalog ordering fields we store. Both install with a single Homebrew command, so the switching cost is low. Choose Pixelmator Pro instead if you want photo editing.

Feature Comparison

Feature comparison between Affinity Photo 2 and Pixelmator Pro
FeatureAffinity Photo 2Pixelmator Pro
PriceOne-time purchaseSee developer pricing
Open SourceNoNo
Replaces——
Best forphoto editing, design, rasterphoto editing, design, mac
Installbrew install --cask affinity-photo-2brew install --cask pixelmator-pro
CategoryDesign & CreativeDesign & Creative

Quick Install

Affinity Photo 2
brew install --cask affinity-photo-2
Pixelmator Pro
brew install --cask pixelmator-pro

Learn More

Affinity Photo 2
Affinity Photo 2 Details
Full review, features, and FAQs
Pixelmator Pro
Pixelmator Pro Details
Full review, features, and FAQs

In-Depth Overview

What is Affinity Photo 2?

Affinity Photo tools now live inside Canva’s unified Affinity app launched October 2025: vector, photo, and layout workspaces in one free Mac/Windows studio. The former Affinity Photo 2 persona — non-destructive editing, live filter layers, RAW development, focus stacking, HDR merge, panorama stitching, and strong PSD/PSB/PDF/TIFF/HEIF support — remains, now at $0 for the core professional feature set. Canva AI tools inside Affinity (generative fill, background removal, expand, and AI studio features) require a Canva premium subscription; all traditional photo editing does not. On Mac, Affinity is fully native Apple Silicon with Metal acceleration, customisable studio panels, and excellent large-document performance. Since 3 November 2024 Affinity owner Serif is a Canva subsidiary, and Canva’s newsroom frames the free release as permanent. For Mac photographers on Tahoe 26.x who want pro depth without Adobe billing, this is the headline change since May 2026.

What is Pixelmator Pro?

Pixelmator Pro is a Mac-only, Mac-native photo editor built for Apple Silicon and macOS, now owned by Apple since the completed Pixelmator acquisition announced 1 November 2024 and closed early 2025. Version 3.7.x in 2026 continues the team’s cadence under Apple, with native Metal and Core ML acceleration, machine-learning Super Resolution, AI background removal, ML Enhance, and a clean single-window interface that feels like a first-party macOS app. It is sold as a $49.99 one-time purchase on the Mac App Store with free updates; no subscription. Pixelmator distributes via the Mac App Store with notarization and full Tahoe 26.x support. Strengths on Mac: approachable yet powerful editing, superb Apple integration (Photos extension, Shortcuts, iCloud), and fast ML features that run on-device. Trade-offs versus Affinity: less depth for CMYK print prepress, fewer advanced compositing conveniences for high-end studio work, and no Windows/Linux version.

Detailed Feature Comparison

RAW Development

Critical importance

Affinity Photo 2

Excellent

Dedicated Develop persona with lens corrections, chromatic aberration removal, noise reduction, and tonal mapping across CR3, NEF, ARW, RAF and other major formats. GPU-accelerated previews and non-destructive RAW workflow.

Pixelmator Pro

Good

Built-in RAW support via Apple RAW and ML Enhance with automatic adjustments and color matching. Simpler than Affinity’s persona workflow but fast and effective for most mirrorless files. Relies on system RAW support for newest cameras.

Verdict: Affinity gives finer control for demanding RAW work; Pixelmator Pro is quicker for casual to prosumer RAW edits.

Non-Destructive Editing

Critical importance

Affinity Photo 2

Excellent

Full non-destructive stack: adjustment layers, live filter layers, snapshots, and history. Edits remain re-editable indefinitely.

Pixelmator Pro

Good

Non-destructive layers, styles, and ML-powered adjustments with layer-based editing. Lacks Affinity’s live filter layer concept but keeps most edits reversible via layer history.

Verdict: Affinity leads on explicit non-destructive filter layers; Pixelmator Pro covers everyday non-destructive needs.

Performance on Apple Silicon

High importance

Affinity Photo 2

Excellent

Native Apple Silicon with Metal acceleration. Near-instant live filter previews on M3/M4 and smooth handling of 500MB+ layered files.

Pixelmator Pro

Excellent

Native Apple Silicon with Metal and Core ML on-device. Fast ML Super Resolution and background removal, excellent battery efficiency, and <2s launch on M4.

Verdict: Tie on raw speed; both are top-tier Tahoe citizens, with Affinity edging heavy composites and Pixelmator Pro edging ML tasks.

AI and ML Tools

High importance

Affinity Photo 2

Good

Canva AI inside Affinity (generative fill, expand, background removal) requires Canva premium. Core Affinity has no on-device ML Super Resolution of its own.

Pixelmator Pro

Excellent

On-device Core ML: Super Resolution, ML Enhance, ML Denoise, background removal, and deband. No extra subscription for AI features; all included in the $49.99 license.

Verdict: Pixelmator Pro wins for built-in, no-extra-cost ML features; Affinity AI costs extra via Canva premium.

File Format and PSD Interchange

High importance

Affinity Photo 2

Excellent

Strong PSD/PSB round-tripping with layer preservation, plus PDF, SVG, TIFF, HEIF, JPEG XL. Best Adobe interchange among non-Adobe Mac editors.

Pixelmator Pro

Good

Good PSD import/export and full support for TIFF, PNG, JPEG, HEIF, and Pixelmator-native PXD. Complex smart objects and some adjustment layers may flatten on round-trip.

Verdict: Affinity edges PSD compatibility for Adobe handoffs; Pixelmator Pro handles common interchange well.

Price and Licensing

High importance

Affinity Photo 2

Excellent

Unified Affinity core: $0. Canva account required to download. Optional Canva Pro/premium for generative AI studio features. No subscription for core editing.

Pixelmator Pro

Excellent

$49.99 one-time on the Mac App Store, free updates to 3.x under Apple/Pixelmator Team. No subscription, no account wall beyond Apple ID. Family Sharing supported.

Verdict: Affinity is cheaper at $0; Pixelmator Pro is excellent one-time value for users who prefer outright purchase over free-plus-account.

UI and Approachability

Medium importance

Affinity Photo 2

Good

Persona-based pro UI (Photo, Liquify, Tone Mapping, Export). Powerful but busier than consumer editors; gentle for Photoshop migrants.

Pixelmator Pro

Excellent

Clean single-window Mac design, contextual tool bar, and ML tools that are one-click simple. Feels like a native Apple app with drag-and-drop and Photos integration.

Verdict: Pixelmator Pro is more approachable for most Mac users; Affinity rewards learners with deeper control.

Print and CMYK Output

Medium importance

Affinity Photo 2

Excellent

Full CMYK workflow with ICC profiles, spot colours, overprint preview, and PDF/X export in the Publisher/Designer personas of the unified suite.

Pixelmator Pro

Fair

Primarily RGB workflow with soft-proofing and CMYK export via ColorSync, but no true CMYK editing mode; print shops may require PDF conversion elsewhere.

Verdict: Affinity decisively better for CMYK commercial print; Pixelmator Pro suits sRGB/web output.

Who Should Choose Which?

1Pro retoucher

Affinity Photo 2

Non-destructive live filters and stronger PSD round-tripping outweigh Pixelmator ML convenience.

2Everyday Mac photographer

Pixelmator Pro

One-click ML Enhance and background removal with Photos extension shaves minutes off each edit.

3Mac purist avoiding accounts

Pixelmator Pro

One-time App Store purchase with no activation account matches the ownership preference.

4Students and labs

Affinity Photo 2

Free unified Affinity with education-friendly deployment beats $49.99 per Mac when budgets are zero.

Migration Guide

From_affinity_photo_2 → Pixelmator_pro

Export Affinity layers to PSD or TIFF to preserve structure; live filter layers will rasterize. Recreate RAW workflow in Pixelmator Pro using Apple RAW + ML Enhance. Rebuild brush presets manually.

From_pixelmator_pro → Affinity_photo_2

Export PXD to PSD or TIFF for Affinity import. Vector overlays export as SVG. Shift RAW work to Affinity Develop persona. Recreate ML Super Resolution steps with Affinity resize plus Canva AI if subscribed.

Final Verdict

Overall Winner

Affinity Photo

8.9/10

Winner

8.6/10

Runner-up

Scores are Bundl.run editorial ratings out of 10 across 8 criteria (the feature comparison above), last reviewed August 2026.

Free Affinity changes the value equation on Mac photo editing. It wins on depth and price parity; Pixelmator Pro wins on included ML and Mac-native ease. Most Mac creatives who want Photoshop depth without subscription now default to Affinity, but Pixelmator Pro remains the tidier single-purchase choice for users who prize native polish.

Bottom Line: Studio depth and free pricing → Affinity Photo. Mac-native simplicity and included ML → Pixelmator Pro at $49.99.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Affinity Photo really free in 2026?
Yes. Unified Affinity including the former Affinity Photo 2 feature set is $0 to download and use. A Canva account is required to activate, and generative AI studio features inside Affinity require Canva premium.
How much does Pixelmator Pro cost?
$49.99 one-time on the Mac App Store as of August 2026, with free updates within the 3.x series. Photomator is separate. Family Sharing is supported.
Did Apple buy Pixelmator?
Yes. Apple announced the acquisition on 1 November 2024; the Pixelmator Team continues development under Apple with the same product lineup.
Which is faster on M3/M4 Macs?
Both are fast and Tahoe 26.x native. Affinity edges heavy multi-layer composites; Pixelmator Pro edges on-device ML operations like Super Resolution that run via Core ML.
Which handles PSD files better?
Affinity generally preserves more PSD layer structure for Adobe handoffs. Pixelmator Pro imports and exports PSD well but some adjustment layers and smart objects flatten.
Do I need a subscription for AI features?
Pixelmator Pro includes ML features at no extra cost. Affinity’s traditional tools are free; its generative AI features require a Canva Pro or Teams subscription.
Can Pixelmator Pro do CMYK print work?
Not natively as a full CMYK editor. It handles RGB with soft-proofing and CMYK export via ColorSync, but Affinity’s unified suite is stronger for true CMYK prepress.
Which is better for everyday Mac users?
Pixelmator Pro — its single-window native design and Photos/Shortcuts integration make daily edits faster. Affinity rewards users who need HDR merge, focus stacking, panorama stitching, and deeper compositing.

About the Author

Alex Chen

Senior Developer Tools Specialist

Code Editors & IDEsTerminal EmulatorsVersion Control Tools
12+ years in software development · Former senior engineer at tech startups
TwitterGitHub

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Sources & References

Key Verified Facts

  • Canva’s unified Affinity including photo tools is free since October 2025, with AI features requiring Canva premium.[1]
  • Pixelmator Pro is sold as a $49.99 one-time purchase on the Mac App Store.[4][5]
  • Apple announced intent to acquire Pixelmator in November 2024.[3]
  • Both apps run natively on Apple Silicon with Metal acceleration on macOS Tahoe 26.x.[2][4][7]
  1. 1
    canva.comIntroducing the all-new Affinity — free for everyone

    Accessed Aug 9, 2026

  2. 2
    affinity.studioAffinity product site

    Accessed Aug 9, 2026

  3. 3
    apple.comApple to acquire Pixelmator

    Accessed Aug 9, 2026

  4. 4
    pixelmator.comPixelmator Pro

    Accessed Aug 9, 2026

  5. 5
    apps.apple.comPixelmator Pro on the Mac App Store

    Accessed Aug 9, 2026

  6. 6
    pixelmator.comPixelmator Blog

    Accessed Aug 9, 2026

  7. 7
    apple.commacOS Tahoe

    Accessed Aug 9, 2026

Related Technologies & Concepts

Affinity PhotoPixelmator ProCanvaAppleMetalCore MLPSD
Affinity Photo (Professional raster editor now inside free unified Affinity from Canva.), Pixelmator Pro (Mac-native photo editor sold on the Mac App Store, now Apple-owned.), Canva (Owner of Serif/Affinity; made Affinity free in October 2025.), Apple (Owner of Pixelmator since acquisition; distributes Pixelmator Pro via Mac App Store.), Metal (Apple graphics API powering acceleration in both editors on Apple Silicon.), Core ML (On-device ML framework powering Pixelmator Pro Super Resolution and background removal.), PSD (Adobe Photoshop file format used for interchange between editors.)

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