Acorn

How does this compare to Pixelmator Pro?

I kept an eye on Acorn for a very long time, while using GraphicConverter. Then few days what suddenly the price dropped. So I immediately grabbed it. It is sill number two behind GC, but has a different structure, I'd say a different character. And it is quite good.

$20 on sale at half price. $40 when the sale is over. Loads of new features. It's always been one of the easiest image editors to use.

Simple and cute little editor that does the job well.

For $30 I don't see how anyone can go wrong with Acorn. It may not do "everything" but it does way more than the price page reflects. Good stuff.

One of my favourite graphic programs. It is fast, small and has many features (more than I could ever use). I use it since years, never have had any problems and it runs on El Capitan, Sierra, high Sierra and Mojave. And the price is really good, compared with other apps like Adobe PS. The support is great, always get an answer after a few hours and they help me really. In short: a real good and cheap program. Thank you.

Great graphics app. I've been using this since it first came out.

Support is excellent, even when I ask dumb questions. They answer back right away, probably cursing me for asking such dumb questions. Gotta like that!

Acorn was part of a bundle I purchased about 5 years ago. I didn't think I'd use it but installed it to try it out - all these years later it has become my goto image editor. I own Affinity Photo, Pixelmator, and Photoshop (CS6) but I still find myself launching Acorn for quick edits as it has all the tools I need. Its quick, rarely crashes (on me), and just does the job I need done. I rarely reach out to support but the few times I have the turn around was fast and friendly. This, of course, is just my experience with Acorn. I've recommended it to friends - some love it and others have moved on to something else. I highly recommend giving it a try.

Version 6.1.2 was released back in March, yet it's appearing here again with a June release date.

This must be the most underappreciated app for the Mac ever. Acorn doesn't look like much, but when you use it you'll notice how quickly and easily you just get stuff done. All the layer filters for non destructive editing are super handy. The layered screenshot is super cool.
And the developers. Dude. Fling them a bug report and they'll be back to you in no time. I've been put on beta versions just for that so I could test the fixed bug. Flying Meat deserve your money.

The current version is 6.0.4

I tried the new Acorn 6 and for me these features immediately stand out:
- Layered screenshots - great feature where you can make a screenshot of your Desktop and hide any window layer you don't like (including Dock, system clock, etc.)
- Anti-aliasing Text
- The new Path Text Tool

These features are missing from Affinity Photo, so Acorn performs better with text. Of course, it misses a lot of Affinity features (i.e. action history), but for its price tag it does a lot.

Tried this new version and it still isn't my cup of tea. It doesn't look great and things are confusing. Pixelmator is way more easy to use imo.

This app is amazing for on screen graphics; especially in combination with Apple's Pixie( There is also https://www.macupdate.com/app/mac/14390/pygmy ) Acorn does everything I ever did in Photoshop but better. However when I'm to work with larger images for print I do use Affinity Photo.

Tried this several times. It far too basic and has an awkward workflow. It just doesn't work like I want it to. Pixelmator is much better imo

Fantastic new version. The version 5 is extremely reactive on my Mac and the shape operations work great for me :-)

I love this tool .Someone Please provide me a Reg key.

Acorn is fantastic for those who want a graphics editor modeled after Photoshop which does 90% of what a person needs without all the heavy duty features and price that Photoshop gives you. I HATE Pixelmator because Pixelmator has too dark of an interface that makes it harder to use and unappealing to start. I would rather use Photoshop any time than Pixelmator. Sure Pixelmator's interface is "cool" but it isn't as useful nor as easy to use as Acorn's interface. Pixelmator also has some arcane ways of doing things. Acorn is much more straight forward to use. For heavy lifting, I love Photoshop. There simply is no other substitute - particularly with the 3rd party plug-ins that GIMP will never have. But for quick rides around town - like on a sports car - Acorn wins. And its price is about the same or less expensive than Pixelmator's price.

Acorn is on sale only 29.99 right now. I just bought it and am so happy I've solved my Photoshop problem with this simple intuitive software. This is exactly what I've needed for like.....5 yrs

For complex creative work I use Gimp (2.8 Partha build), the free open-source powerhouse image editor that rivals Photoshop. But although I also have Pixelmator & Elements, for most routine jobs I rely on Acorn. Acorn, Pixelmator & Elements have slightly different features, but they all perform similar non-destructive image editing functions, with many tools, layers, effects, blending & opacity controls, editable brushes & file support. Elements is the oldest of the three, as its features show. Pixelmator has a trendy black interface, but Acorn's is simpler & more functional. They both use Apple's Core Image plugins, while Elements uses photoshop filters. Functionally, I find Acorn to have the most useful tools & effects, including Quartz FX, plus the ability to combine them in uniquely different ways to produce an almost infinite variety of different results. Acorn can also use 3rd-party plugins like Java & Python scripts. Acorn's creator, Gus Meuller, often creates new Acorn plugins, and you can even make your own. But a major factor is how they compare in terms of simplicity & speed. Acorn's simpler architecture not only makes it easier to use, it also makes it faster & more efficient; key features in any serious image editor, since imaging operations can involve many steps. While Pixelmator isn't hard to use, Acorn often requires fewer steps. But it's not only faster, it's also more precise, since I've noticed that Pixelmator can blur edges slightly, often requiring extra work to fix. Also, I find Pixelmator's filter palette full of jiggling, animated tools to be silly & amateurish; appealing to children perhaps, but not useful in a serious image editor. Of the three, Elements is the least efficient, hampered mainly by a clunky, antiquated color system, requiring multiple steps to choose colors. Acorn & Pixelmator both use Apple's great Color Picker, which is way simpler & more versatile than the Adobe system. As you might expect, Pixelmator is the cheapest, at $29, making the aging Elements seem rather spendy at $99. But as the simplest, fastest, most useful & professional of the three, Acorn is easily the best deal at $49.