The Best Photoshop Alternatives for Mac in 2026

Adobe Photoshop has long been the industry standard for photo editing and digital art. Over the decades, Photoshop has built an incredibly powerful feature set and an extensive ecosystem of plugins, presets, and learning resources. For many creative professionals, Photoshop is an indispensable daily tool.

However, in recent years, a growing number of challengers have emerged to take on Photoshop‘s image editing crown. Spurred by Adobe‘s switch to a subscription-only pricing model, many users are seeking out alternatives that offer professional-grade capabilities without the recurring fees.

Fortunately for us Mac users, some of the very best Photoshop alternatives are made for macOS. Whether you‘re looking for a full-featured Photoshop replacement or just a simple editor for occasional use, there are some fantastic Mac-friendly options to choose from. Let‘s take a look at the top contenders.

The Best Paid Photoshop Alternatives for Mac

If you rely on Photoshop for professional work, you‘ll likely want a paid alternative that offers a similar level of functionality and polish. These are our top picks:

1. Affinity Photo

Affinity Photo, from UK-based developer Serif, has quickly become one of the most popular Photoshop alternatives since its launch in 2015. Available for a very reasonable one-time price of $54.99, Affinity Photo offers an extensive toolset that will feel very familiar to Photoshop users.

Some of Affinity Photo‘s key features include:

• Non-destructive editing with adjustment layers
• RAW editing with lens correction and noise reduction
• Advanced selection tools including a magnetic lasso and a selection brush
• 32-bit HDR editing
• Focus stacking and stitching for panoramas
• Frequency separation editing for skin retouching
• Batch processing

While Affinity Photo can‘t quite match Photoshop‘s array of features (especially in terms of AI-powered tools like content-aware fill), it handles all of the core photo editing tasks impressively well. The UI is well-designed and will feel intuitive to Photoshop users, with nondestructive editing, layer styles, advanced controls, and customizable keyboard shortcuts.

If you‘re looking for a true Photoshop replacement for professional use, Affinity Photo is definitely worth considering – especially given its very affordable price point compared to a Photoshop subscription. The main downside is the lack of a plugin ecosystem, but the built-in tools are more than capable of handling most editing needs.

2. Pixelmator Pro

Pixelmator Pro is another popular Mac-only Photoshop alternative. Priced at $39.99, it‘s one of the most affordable fully-featured editors.

Some notable features of Pixelmator Pro include:

• Native Mac technologies like Metal, Core Image, and Machine Learning
• Intuitive single-window interface
• Wide range of professional-grade editing tools
• Nondestructive editing with live blending mode previews
• Machine learning features like automatic layer naming and tagging
• Over 40 RAW and lossy image formats supported
• iCloud integration to sync edits across devices
• Optimized for Apple Silicon

As a Mac exclusive app, Pixelmator Pro is tightly integrated with macOS technologies and features. This allows it to feel fast and fluid even on lower-end Macs. The UI is sleek and streamlined compared to Photoshop‘s, but still provides a full array of advanced editing tools.

While not quite as feature-rich as Affinity Photo overall, Pixelmator Pro really shines in terms of native Mac integration and usability. If you want a powerful editor that feels like it truly belongs on macOS, Pixelmator Pro is an excellent choice.

3. Acorn

Acorn is a Mac image editor that focuses on providing an intuitive, beginner-friendly experience without compromising on capability. It‘s available for $29.99 from Flying Meat.

Notable features of Acorn include:

• Smudging, cloning, gradients, vector shapes, and text on a path
• Nondestructive editing with live filters
• Customizable brushes with extensive settings
• Compatible with Photoshop PSD files including layer styles
• Automation tools like batch image processing and exportable macros
• SVG vector image support
• Built-in tutorials to help new users get started

Compared to Photoshop, Affinity, and Pixelmator, Acorn has a simpler, more approachable interface. Everything is contained in a single window with collapsible floating palettes similar to older versions of Photoshop.

While Acorn can‘t match the most advanced features of its pricier competitors, it‘s more than capable enough for most users‘ needs – from simple edits to fairly complex compositions. If you‘re looking for an affordable, easy to learn Photoshop alternative, Acorn is definitely worth a look.

The Best Free Photoshop Alternatives for Mac

If your image editing needs are fairly basic, or if you‘re just getting started with creative software, a free Photoshop alternative may be all you need. Here are our recommendations for the best zero-cost options on Mac:

1. GIMP

GIMP, short for GNU Image Manipulation Program, is the granddaddy of free Photoshop alternatives. Now over 25 years old, GIMP has evolved into an incredibly capable editor – especially considering it costs nothing to use.

Some key features of GIMP include:

• Highly customizable UI with dockable palettes
• Full suite of advanced editing tools like layers, masks, filters, etc.
• Extensive brush dynamics settings
• Rich plugin ecosystem with many free plugins available
• Handles high-bit-depth images for use in professional scenarios
• Runs on Mac, Windows, and Linux
• Completely free and open source under the GPL license

In terms of features and interface, GIMP is the free alternative that comes closest to replicating the Photoshop experience. All the core tools are there, from precise selection utilities to advanced brush dynamics and a healing tool.

The main downside of GIMP is that the UI still feels a bit clunky and out-of-date compared to commercial editors. It also lacks some of Photoshop‘s most advanced features like content-aware tools, 3D modeling, and AI-enhanced filters.

However, for the price of free, GIMP is a shockingly capable editor that can meet the needs of many users. It has a steeper learning curve than some, but the extensive documentation and tutorials make it approachable for determined beginners. If you‘re willing to invest some time in climbing the learning curve, GIMP can be a great Photoshop substitute.

2. Seashore

Seashore is an open source image editor designed to serve as a free, Mac-native replacement for older versions of Photoshop. Originally based on GIMP, Seashore has an interface designed to be more familiar and approachable for Mac users.

Some of Seashore‘s notable features include:

• Mac-like single window interface with palettes and layers
• Core image editing tools like selection, cropping, text, gradients, etc.
• Support for transparency and layers
• Gradients, textures and patterns
• Plugin support to extend capabilities
• Completely free and open source

Compared to GIMP, Seashore has a much more limited set of features. However, it still covers all the basics and will feel more intuitive for Mac users. Seashore is a good choice if you‘re looking for a simple, free editor to do occasional basic edits in a Mac-native interface.

3. Pinta

Pinta is a free, open source painting and image editing program modeled after Paint.NET. It provides a simplified interface and feature set compared to GIMP while still enabling a wide variety of editing tasks.

Pinta‘s feature set includes:

• Multiple layers and layer blending modes
• Unlimited undo/redo
• Over 35 adjustments and effects
• Editable text layers
• Extensible with downloadable plugins
• Available for Mac, Windows and Linux

With an interface reminiscent of older versions of Photoshop, Pinta will feel familiar to many users. It doesn‘t offer the advanced tools of GIMP, but covers the basics of layers, selection tools, adjustments, and effects.

Pinta is another good option for novice editors or those with basic needs. It‘s completely free and more approachable than GIMP while still being quite capable. Once you‘ve mastered Pinta, you‘ll be well-prepared to graduate to more advanced editors down the line.

Online Photoshop Alternatives

If you‘d rather not download and install any software, there are capable in-browser Photoshop alternatives as well. These can be a great choice for quick edits, but keep in mind that they generally don‘t offer advanced tools like Photoshop or the best offline editors.

Our top online Photoshop alternative is Photopea. This impressive web app replicates much of the basic Photoshop experience right in your browser. It‘s compatible with Photoshop PSD files along with most other common formats.

The interface is very reminiscent of Photoshop and includes common tools like selection utilities, paintbrushes, layers, blend modes, filters, and more. While not as fully-featured as offline editors, Photopea is surprisingly powerful for a web app.

Basic use of Photopea is free (with ads), while a Premium tier removes ads and unlocks additional tools for $9/month. If you don‘t need to edit photos frequently enough to justify downloading a dedicated app, Photopea is a capable solution you can access anywhere.

Photoshop Alternatives for iPad

Most of the apps we‘ve discussed so far also offer iPad versions, including Affinity Photo, Pixelmator, and even Photoshop itself. However, keep in mind that many features don‘t carry over from the desktop apps.

For example, the mobile version of Photoshop is more limited than the desktop one, lacking various selection tools, effects, and settings. That said, the iPad version still covers all the key bases and takes advantage of touch and Apple Pencil capabilities.

Affinity Photo for iPad is one of the most fully-featured options, with support for unlimited layers, advanced selection tools, brush stabilization, and RAW editing. Pixelmator for iOS is another capable choice with nondestructive color adjustments, retouching tools, and Apple Pencil compatibility.

Conclusion

As you can see, there are some truly excellent Photoshop alternatives available for Mac users in particular. Whether you‘re looking for a budget-friendly option, a free solution, or just a Mac-specific experience, one of the apps covered here should fit the bill nicely.

For professional users and serious enthusiasts, Affinity Photo offers the most comprehensive Photoshop alternative at an affordable price. Pixelmator Pro is another great choice, especially for those who want a sleek Mac-native editor.

Hobbyists and those with simpler needs may prefer the streamlined experience of an app like Acorn or Pixelmator‘s original version. Meanwhile, GIMP is the most feature-rich free option for those willing to spend time learning it.

Ultimately, the right Photoshop alternative for you will depend on your specific needs and preferences. Factors to consider include your budget, the tools you rely on, and the type of editing you do most.

Whichever app you choose, you can rest assured that there are some phenomenal Mac-friendly image editors available today. While Photoshop might still be the gold standard, these alternatives prove that it‘s far from the only option for producing brilliant images and designs.