Today I want to share my personal rating of the best photo editing software for Mac OS X.
Many people continue using Adobe programs but as for me, their high subscription fees may be a problem. Photoshop, Lightroom and Camera RAW are great photo editing programs, however, there are awesome alternatives. Years pass, new companies arise and they develop revolutionary, full-functional and efficient photo editing software for Mac. Maybe they will win the 'challenge for the crown' in the nearest future. The most important advantage of all the software I am going to list below is that they cost less and can please you with the same benefits as expensive programs.
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In this article, I have gathered the most interesting software for photo editing on Mac from image editors to image processors. All of them have great sets of qualities. So... It's time to get to the action. Read and choose the one you like the most. Choose the photo editor for Mac you need!
1. Luminar - Best Photo Editing App on Mac
Luminar software created and developed by Skylum for simplifying photo-editing on Mac for both pros and amateurs. Making a photo amazing can take you just a couple of clicks. Luminar 2018 is something between so cool and easy as Instagram filters and complex as Adobe Photoshop. This software is somewhere between those two edges. Everybody will find something in it, from beginners to advanced photographers.
The developer says that the 2018 version of Luminar was enhanced to make the performance faster and more efficient. Great results become visible in less time. The set of functions remained the same as in the previous version.
The controls in this program are the same as it was before and is familiar for photographers who use photo editing platforms (Photoshop or Lightroom). It is handy, easy-to-use and user-friendly, everything can be found quickly.
Of course, Luminar 2018 has essential differences from Adobe programs. It is a powerful platform for processing RAW and ordinary photos and edit photos on Mac using layers and different effects. By the way, the Layers option will be familiar to users who work with Photoshop. You can bring new effects to life, experiment with masks, change layers opacity, and so on. The main advantage of working with layers is the fact that you won't damage your picture if you decide to delete one or two layers. So, if you want to be an expert, I recommend trying how in works in Luminar 2018. Personally, I really enjoy this thing.
The freshest version adds a series of new adjustments and filters. My favorite is the Sunrays filter that brings the additional pleasant glow to your images. Moreover, it looks realistic, unlike similar effects in other Mac photo editors.
Luminar 2018 editor for Mac has customizable workspaces. This gives you a chance to leave only those features that you usually use, and hide away functions you don't need.
For me, it is the best 2018 photo editor for Mac at the moment. You can try Luminar for free.
2. Try Affinity Photo Editing App on Mac
Affinity Photo is the next best software tool for photo editing on Mac OS. It is not connected to Photoshop and other Adobe products in any way, but it may look a bit similar. Maybe it is so, as such interface was developed throughout long years and is the reflection of usability itself. I don't find it bad, as the price for Affinity Photo is much lower comparing to Adobe Photoshop editor.
As Luminar, Affinity is somewhere between professional and amateur software. It supports CMYK and Lab color space, RAW images from all the modern cameras; it shows us that this photo editor for Mac is made for professionals. What's more, it supports .psd files. So, it would be the best choice for those who are used to working in Photoshop but don't want to spend a plenty of money for the subscription.
For comfortable working with Affinity Photo editor for Mac, you'll need to understand the 'Personas' concept. They switch between different modes, toolbars, menus, and panels. For example, you may use the Photo persona for accessing the main set of tools and Develop persona for editing RAW images. There are also other personas such as Liquify and Export, but it seems to me that it's not necessary to explain what are they for.
Similar to other popular photo editors for Mac (Photoshop, Lightroom, Luminar 2018) this software supports the layers feature. So, you can experiment with adding filters on separate layers and removing them without great losses, if something goes wrong.
In general, I like the simple interface of Affinity Photo editor for Mac and its variety of different tools.
3. Pixelmator PRO Another Great Photo Editing Software for Mac OS X
Pixelmator is popular photo editing app among Apple users due to its nice price and a long list of different interesting features.
As in all the previous points, I can't ignore the fact that its interface is influenced by Photoshop greatly. At the same time, it is done along with Mac OS aesthetics and looks pleasantly. If we look deeper at this software, we'll find out that it is integrated with Mac OS even more. It uses OpenGL and Corelmage technologies. They help it to cope with fast applying effects or heavy edits.
As for tools, you won't find here all you used in Photoshop. For instance, here are Heal and Clone brushes, but no History brush or Patch tool. This may be a bit annoying if you need them for your everyday work. However, it wasn't a problem for me when I was testing this software. It is easy-to-use, comfortable and fast.
It will come along with the interests of amateur and semi-pro photographers. You may be wondering why not for professionals, okay, here is the answer: it doesn't process RAW images.
So, it is just a handy Mac photo editor that can make images brighter, good-looking and accurate.
4. Capture One Pro
We've come to the last best photo editor for Mac on my list. This one may be a bit expensive for beginners, and as its name says, it's a pro software. It is made by Phase One, they specialize in high-end camera systems, though the program can process images created with the majority of professional cameras. It is an app between a RAW-converter and an asset manager.
Here you can create image libraries, catalogs. This will be a permanent home for them, though you may also edit pictures too. Now, let's get closer to the details of photo editing with Capture One Pro. The program is created especially for professional photographers, so you should just polish your diamond in it. It means that your compositions, lighting, and focusing are already perfect. Yeah, experts usually spend lots of time thinking of all these things just during the process of shooting. When it comes to editing photos on Mac with Capture One, you won't find healing brushes or clone tools. However, it will help you to remove chromatic aberration and other defective moments captured on photos.
For other purposes, you will need different software, for example, one of the described above apps.
Looking for the best photo editing software for Mac? Then you’ve come to the right place since we’ll be listing the best Apple photo editing software. We know that in this age of social sharing, our photos count as trophies so they have to be edited to perfection before they go on our social media. From the dozens of software options available out there with countless features, which would work best for your project? Check out our recommendations for the best photo editing software for Mac.
Best Photo Editing Apps For Mac
Best Photo Editor Software
1. Acorn 6
If you want your photo to look perfect for posting, then Acorn 6 is the right Mac photo editor for you. This application supports a lot of unique features, like its non-destructive filters that can be applied to your photos for added flair. The best part is you can totally combine filters to get the aesthetic you’re going for. This makes it easier to achieve that thematic Instagram feed you’ve been eyeing for some time.
Best Free Photo Editor Software
This multi-awarded software has been deemed by Apple as one of the best software on the App Store in 2013 and again in 2015. If you’re not convinced yet that this is the right software for you, you can enjoy a 14-day free trial.
2. Pixelmator Pro
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We consider Pixelmator as one of the best photo editing software for Mac, especially because it allows you to touch up your images quickly and efficiently, and even gives you the option to create digital paintings. You can apply different effects and filters to enhance your raw images and achieve the quality you desire. Pixelmator also has functions to adjust exposure, shadow, contrast, saturation, brightness, and hue.
Aside from budding photographers, this application will also cater to budding artists since it gives you the option to draw or paint your images. It has several brush tools on offer that have been created to mimic different brush textures and even paint blending.
3. Photo Pad Photo Editor
If you want something fit for a beginner, then PhotoPad is perfect for you. This application has a simple easy-to-use interface and offers the usual features needed in editing images, such as resizing and crop, as well as more unique features.
One of these unique features is regional effects, which allows you to limit effects and filters to a chosen area on your photo. It’s a simple application, but there’s a lot you can do with it, which will suit all skill levels, whether you’re a noobie just starting out with photo editing or a more experienced user in need of more advanced features.
4. Affinity Photo
Another program I view as very under rated is Affinity Photo. A seriously powerful image editor for less than PS elements. There's even something dam close to a full fat version available for iPad!https://t.co/vjRBNWWofc
Not that easy to use, but plenty of good video tutorials pic.twitter.com/ireg3j8wr5
— NickStevens Graphics (@runnymonkey) July 8, 2018
If you want to expand your knowledge of photo editing and are comfortable tackling more advanced features, then Affinity Photo should be at the top of your list. It offers various retouching tools, like recoloring and inpainting, which gives you more flexibility and control to improve the overall quality of your image.
Although this application is not free, it has a lot to offer for more advanced users. You can get it at $49.99 from the App Store.
5. Simply HDR
From the name itself, Simply HDR can help give an HDR look to your photos to give it that wow factor. It allows you to play with contrasts in your images to bring out the best details of the image. With the smooth brush option, you can get rid of noise and other imperfections in the picture to give it that flawless look.
Social media addicts will rejoice because this offers an easy social sharing feature that allows you to directly post your photos to Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. It’s not free, but you can purchase it from the Apple Store for just $12.99.
6. ColorStrokes
ColorStrokes encourages users to enhance an image by playing with colors. An example would be the selective coloring brush, which features adjustable parameters so users can have more control over what they add color to in the image. With this app, you can create those artistic black and white images with only the subject in color to make it pop.
It is the most affordable photo editing software for Mac on this list, coming in at only $0.99 at the Mac App Store.
7. Snapheal
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Looking for a photo editing tool that’ll allow you to remove the other tourists in your photo from that last trip? Look no more because this is the flagship feature of this software. It allows you to erase unwanted elements from your photo to make it appear as if they weren’t there in the first place.
This app supports basic file formats like JPEG and PNG. You can get it for $49.99 at Skylum’s website.
For more ideas on the best photo editing software for Mac, check out this video from Digital Trends.
There are tons of photo editing tools that claim they’re the “best photo editing software for Mac”, but only you can really determine what the “best” means for you depending on what you kind of project you’ll be doing. If you’re just looking to do basic fixes, like cropping or resizing your image, then you can just stick to the free tools since these features will most probably be included.
On the other hand, for more advanced and specific types of editing work, you should definitely check out what the paid options have on offer since these can give you more powerful features for your needs. We hope this list has helped you learn more about the available photo editing software out there and the unique features and benefits of each.
Which photo editing tool on our list made it to yours? Let us know which software will be perfect for your project in the comments section!
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