10 Best Photo Editing Apps for Mac Owners in 2021

Macs are popular with photographers for many reasons, including their high-definition displays and excellent color reproduction. They also come with the more than capable Photos app. Apple used to sell the powerful Aperture app too, but it discontinued that a few years ago. This is in stark contrast to its pro video suite, Final Cut Pro, which continues to be popular among professionals. 

Thankfully, companies such as Cyberlink and Adobe offer Mac users some great alternatives. But which Mac photo editing software is right for you? Should you just stick with Apple Photos?

The best photo editing apps provide complete control over the appearance of images. They’re also intuitive for novice users. These programs have the power to transform average photos into works of art you’ll be proud to share everywhere. 

In this guide, we pick out ten of the best Mac photo editing apps available right now. 

Top picks for best photo editing software:

 

• Adobe Photoshop Elements 2021 for all-round photo editing
• Adobe Photoshop Lightroom CC for quick touch-ups
• Adobe Photoshop CC for seasoned professionals
• Affinity Photo for low-budget but high-quality photo editing
• Apple Photos for Mac users who need a free and reliable app
• GIMP for open-source enthusiasts who don’t mind a steeper learning curve
• Pixelmator Pro for a bargain photo-editing app experience
• DxO PhotoLab for best noise reduction
• Cyberlink PhotoDirector 365 for full photo workflow, correction, and editing that’s affordable
• Skylum Luminar 4 for ease of use

Adobe Photoshop Element

Adobe Photoshop Elements 2021 is a premium photo editing app for photo hobbyists who don’t want the hassle of complex Photoshop techniques and would rather avoid paying a subscription. Adobe’s experience shines through with this suite of robust but accessible editing tools. With an easy learning curve for beginners, there are numerous features in this software to make your photos pop. The best part is that Photoshop Elements 2021 for macOS grows with the user. As you gain more experience, you’ll gain full control over all its features.

Photoshop Elements features artificial intelligence to analyze images, apply automatic effects, and create collages. There’s also a useful organizer you can use to label and find photos by keyword, tags, and star ratings.

The latest version of Photoshop Elements includes nifty features that allow you to layer motion graphics on static images, move and resize objects, and adjust facial features with great detail.

There aren’t too many changes in Photoshop Elements 2021 compared with the previous version, but the overall ease of use and fun creativity make it really hard for us not to include it in our list.

It’s great for all levels of users, as it provides three interfaces: Guided Edits, Quick Edits, and Expert Mode. And when you’d like to analyze and tweak your images, you can rely on Adobe’s Sense AI to do this quickly. Finally, the new subject selection tool enables you to do fast cut-outs of individuals and pets. 

Adobe Photoshop Elements 2021 at a glance:

 

• Pros: Excellent on Macs, handles batch portraits, automatic backups
• Cons: Hidden features, few excellent effects 
• Additional features: Improvements in Adobe Sense AI, Face Tilt, and Move and Scale
• Prices: Available for $69.99
• Download: available here

Adobe Lightroom

There’s probably no better tool to touch up multiple photos at once than Adobe Lightroom CC. Besides being a Mac app, it’s also available for iOS, and photographers can edit pictures anywhere because Lightroom CC runs in the cloud.

Lightroom CC is a significant upgrade to Lightroom Classic. It’s way cleaner, faster, and much nicer to work with than its desktop-based cousin. Transitioning from Lightroom Classic to Lightroom CC might not be as easy for existing users, especially considering the cost of online storage.

Adobe Lightroom CC edges out Adobe Photoshop in providing tools for organizing your photos. We like how it puts our photos in one large, searchable catalog, offering premium-quality image enhancements, adjustments, and one-click presets.
If you’re a busy photographer, you may not have time to wrap your head around Photoshop’s in-depth image manipulation tools. Photoshop is also built for designers, illustrators, and artists, so its complexity is understandable. But if you appreciate simplicity and ease of use, Lightroom CC is a lifeline you’ll always be grateful for.
Finally, Lightroom CC shares the same raw processing engine as Adobe Camera Raw, the default for most photographers. However, you should be prepared for decent but not excellent detail rendition or noise control. 

Adobe Lightroom CC at a glance:

 

• Pros: Sleeky interface, creative editing tools
• Cons: No concurrent zooming, storage costs
• Additional features: No new features
• Prices: Available for $9.99 per month
• Download: available here

Adobe Photoshop CC

Adobe Photoshop is the current king of photo editing software. This design and editing software suite actually began the modern image revolution, introducing us to the world of layered image editing and a slew of breathtaking visual effects.

Today’s Photoshop features some of the most advanced tools you’ll find in photo editing software for Mac. They include AI-powered neural filters, live shapes, sky replacement, and pattern preview features. And you get even more control over photos you keep in the cloud.

There are a number of new capabilities seasoned photographers will really enjoy. Like the Super Resolution raw enlargement tool, support for Apple Silicon-based Macs, and 70 shiny new Camera Raw presets.

Adobe Photoshop CC at a glance:

 

• Pros: Excellent interface for beginners, synced libraries and Cloud Documents
• Cons: Subscription-only option, unwieldy interface
• Additional features: Neural AI filters, Colorize tool, Camera Raw presets, 
• Prices: Available for $9.99 per month
• Download: Available here

Affinity Photo

Affinity Photo is a cross-platform photo-editing app, which works really well on Macs. It doesn't have too many advanced capabilities, but offers robust tools for editing no matter the resolution of the photo. Affinity Photo’s tools also make RAW processing possible within the interface. There’s no better way to describe this software than to say it packs a punch for the excellent price of $50. As a pro photographer, you can score a bargain, getting it for as little as $25.
The learning curve for this photo editing software is steeper than for most others, but you’ll be more than happy with the feature set. Besides, if you’re familiar with Photoshop and enjoy its unique controls, Affinity replicates many of those, including layers and paintbrushes. You can even read and edit Adobe Photoshop PSD files, so you’ll find it easy to switch between both programs.

​​Affinity features HR, focus stack merging tools, and panorama. If you have to work with both raster and vector images, you’re in good hands; Affinity has layer editing to give you the Photoshop feel you’re probably used to. Plus it offers a good selection of brushes, which can be customized as necessary.

The Affinity Photo editor has a few drawbacks, including its non-typical and sometimes confusing interface, and an absence of import tools, photo management tools, or design templates. The dealbreaker, though, might be the photo adjustment tools, which don’t really compete with Photoshop.

There’s plenty of room for this image editing software to become awesome. And the company is reviewing many third-party Photoshop-compatible plugins to determine which fit into the Affinity ecosystem.

Affinity Photo at a glance:

 

• Pros: Great price, RAW processing, accepts PSDs
• Cons: Steep learning curve
• Additional features: Smart Objects support, anon R3 RAW files, third-party plugins
• Prices: Available for $25
• Download: available here

Apple Photo

Billed as the best free photo editor for your Mac, Apple Photos is a simple, free editor that’s excellent for making your pictures top-notch. Granted, it’s not as comprehensive as many paid programs. Yet, it offers a plethora of tools to touch up, tweak, and share your photos.

As well as support for the ProRAW format, better retouching features, and a vibrance slider, Photos offers a slick and understandable interface that has great plugin support under the hood. It also has face recognition and auto-correction.

Apple Photos syncs in the cloud, so you can connect your photo library across multiple devices. If you ever feel like you need more room, iCloud storage is quite affordable.
The program supports batch operations and macros, which we found to be especially useful when we converted multiple files, rotated them, or removed their metadata. As soon as you connect a memory card to your Mac, Photos will pop up an Import screen. It can also handle camera files from digital cameras such as Nikon’s NEF and Canon’s CR3. 
Syncing allows you to edit Live Photos with the editing tools in Photos, and once you import your photos, the software offers automatic organization. You can apply ratings, keyword tags, and locations to any photo.

Apple Photos at a glance:

 

• Pros: Free, easy to use, iCloud photo sync
• Cons: Only desktop print, Apple products only
• Additional features: ProRAW format support, superior retouching tools, vibrance slider
• Prices: Free
• Download: available here

GIMP

Another open- photo editing software, GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) allows you to read the computer source code and change things to suit your needs. Many GIMP features are attempts to mirror Adobe Photoshop and other paid apps as much as possible.

Some of GIMP’s most useful features include the ability to create layers, edit layers, filters, exposure controls, and so on.

GIMP’s power lies in its highly active community of users who are continuously improving the quality and functionality of the software. Recent versions of GIMP are more user-friendly, but overall, there’s still little guidance compared to other photo editing applications for Mac.

GIMP at a glance:

 

• Pros: Free, open-source, basic and advanced editing
• Cons: Cluttered interface, steep learning curve
• Additional features: Highly improved user interface
• Price: Free
• Download: available here

Pixelmator ProPixelmator Pro is an advanced photo editing tool. This pro version picks up where the original Pixelmator for Mac left off, with a brand new interface.
The new design displays the image more than the tools. However, every tool you need to create the perfect photo is present. Though there are no floating tools overlaying your image, you have a full view of your photo with the tools nestled in the sides. You can hide them when you need to.
 
Keeping the image front and center allows the tools to blend in with the black border. Sub-tools are see-through until you click on one to access all customizations. In case you need to quickly view the photo without the tools, click the photo edit icon in the top-right of the screen until it completely disappears.

You can hide all your tools and the interface by choosing “Hide Interface” from the View section of the App Menu. The Pixelmator Pro’s tools include excellent photo adjustment tweaks and various brush styles, sizes, and textures. Your washed-out photos will pop with vibrance using the non-destructive color adjustments. The mosaic and wave effects are impressive too. 

Pixelmator Pro at a glance:

 

• Pros: Affordable software, image-first philosophy, intuitive toolset
• Cons: Expensive preset filters, for experienced photographers
• Additional features: Highly improved user interface
• Price: $59
• Download: available here

PhotoDirector

Cyberlink PhotoDirector 365 is a photo workflow and editing program with a smooth interface and powerful tools. Beginning life as an alternative to Adobe Lightroom, it’s since grown to include more advanced features, similar to Adobe Photoshop.

Cyberlink is always adding new and essential features including guided edits, layers, masks, painterly AI filters, and text kerning. AI sky replacement, GIF animation, and people masking are some of the newer effects.

If you opt for a PhotoDirector subscription instead of the one-time purchase, you qualify for Shutterstock content. It doesn’t offer RAW camera profiles and geotagged maps, but it more than makes up for this with its non-destructive workflow and collection organization.

Cyberlink PhotoDirector at a glance:

 

• Pros: AI sky replacement, painterly AI filters, text kerning
• Cons: No geotagged maps
• Additional features: People selection, sky replacement, stock photos
• Price: $99.99 one-off or $40.99/year
• Download: available here

DxO PhotoLab

This photo editing software is a comprehensive photo workflow solution, which can deliver excellent results.
The maker of this software has an excellent pedigree in the photo editing software market. The current iteration of PhotoLab, PhotoLab 4, is cast from the same mould as previous DxO products. You can expect automatic lens and camera body-based image correction, bleeding-edge image tools, and unparalleled noise reduction.

One unique feature we found impressive in the PhotoLab 4 is that it incorporates Nik U Point local selection technology for awesome local adjustment tools.
The secret sauce for the DxO PhotoLab’s resounding noise reduction is a blend of DeepPrime. On top of this, there are other new features such as batch file renaming, an edit history panel, a workspace you can customize, and a watermarking tool.

DxO PhotoLab 4 at a glance:

 

• Pros: Nik U Point local selection, noise reduction
• Cons: Minimal workflow tools
• Additional features: DeepPrime
• Price: $129.00
• Download: available here

Skylum Luminar 

Luminar 4 offers a rich set of tools for organizing and managing your workflow from a decent, modern interface. The unique retouching tools present within the software are unavailable elsewhere and allow for extensive and unrecognizable revamping of your favorite photos.

The most exciting feature of Luminar 4 is its ability to produce realistic, non-destructive edits to JPG and RAW format photos from your computer. So you can quickly do portrait enhancement, AI sky replacement, one-click Looks, and so on without the kind of hassle you might get with other editors.

With Luminar 4, feature upgrades are quite numerous; you can either use it as a standalone photo editing app or as a plugin for Adobe Photoshop CC or Elements. It also plays well with Apple Photos.

One of the better parts of Luminar 4 is that it’s available as a one-time purchase. Besides feature and performance updates, the cost covers bug fixes and support.

Skylum Luminar 4 at a glance:

 

• Pros: One-time purchase, unique retouching tools
• Cons: Non-intuitive organization, no search bar for tools, few options for photo exports
• Additional features: Content-aware edits, face recognition, GIF animations, glitch effects, people selection, sky replacement, stock photos, and more
• Price: $99.99 one-off or $40.99/year
• Download: available here
   

What makes a good photo editing app?

Photo editors have so many features, it’s not practical to list all the potential things that could sway your decision. But here are a few key things to look out for.

• File format compatibility. If you work with a particular file type a lot, check to see if your chosen software supports it. That includes RAW images, which professional cameras and high-end phones can capture. 
• Pricing model. Software like Adobe Photoshop is funded by subscriptions. If you’d rather not be paying for photo editing software forever, look for an app that can be bought with a one-off payment. 
• Ease of use. Some apps let you get great results with just one click. Others are more powerful but require more work from you. If you don’t have a lot of time, don’t choose an app with a steep learning curve.
• Cloud support. Not all photo editing software has this feature, but it’s handy if you can get it. By saving your files in the cloud, you can work on them using any computer that’s connected to the internet. 

Conclusion

Every Mac owner looking to select the right photo editor needs to consider a few things and make a few trade-offs.
Key considerations should include your level of expertise, budget, and preferred storage. There’s no point investing in a photo editing program such as DxO PhotoLab 4 if you’re on a lean budget; the free and open-source GIMP might be a better fit, especially if you want to get your hands dirty with code. If you don’t, macOS ships with the tidy Apple Photos app, which is also free but has plenty of options for many photographers.