In case you’ve missed our previous guide on Best Video Editing Software for Mac, here’s a complete list to check out!
WeTheGeek’s Recommendation – Mac Photo Editing Utilities To Use In 2022
So, without further ado, let’s take a look at the most popular & powerful MacBook Photo Editors to use in 2021 with their features, pros, cons, price, compatibility & more.
5 Best Free Photo Editing Apps For Mac
You can also trust Mac built-in utility Preview to perform basic tasks like image resizing, cropping, rotating, adjusting contrast, adding filters, shapes, signatures, fixing saturation, and more. To enjoy more advanced functionalities at zero cost, you can rely on the following free editing tools for Mac.
1. GIMP
Our list of best paid & free photo editing applications for Mac (2022) starts with GIMP. It’s an excellent open-source project that’s been in active development for over two decades. You’ll find dozens of professional features to enhance your photographs, which are mostly included in paid apps like Photoshop. The application is often referred to as the perfect free Mac photo editor, all thanks to its community-based developments. If you’re someone who admires Photoshop (but terrified of the subscription model), then GIMP is a perfect choice for you. GIMP is highly compatible with OS X 10.9 or later.
Download GIMP Now!
Must-Read: GIMP Photo Editor Alternatives For Mac Users Other Than Photoshop
2. Photoscape X
Photoscape X is a simple photo editor with powerful features to edit multiple kinds of snaps (including RAW images), add filters, effects, adjust the color orientation, refine distortions and do much more. Its batch mode works like magic that allows you to resize, rename images, and process multiple actions in just a few clicks. What’s more? You will find a multitude of functionalities apart from photo editing in this tool, such as Collage Maker, GIF creation tools, Screen capturing tool, and so on, which makes it one of the best photo editing apps for Mac. Photoscape X is highly compatible with macOS 10.12 or later.
Download Photoscape X Now!
3. Fotor Photo Editor
Are you hunting for a simple photo editor for your Mac? Well, your search ends right here, because Fotor is what you are looking for. Using this Mac photo editor, you can effortlessly manage brightness, contrast, and other orientations of images. It allows you to refine the washed-out photographs, add borders, create tilt-shift effects, and so much more. Additionally, you can take advantage of unique effects, filters to create masterpieces. The image editor for Mac even allows you to make collages. Fotor Photo Editor is highly compatible with macOS 10.13 or later and one of the best photo editing apps for Mac in 2021.
Download Fotor Photo Editor!
4. Darktable
Darktable is a perfect combination of Lightroom and Photoshop. Unlike other photo editor software for Mac, Darktable supports hundreds of different camera models. It works with most of the file formats, including RAW files. It is one of the best photo editing apps for Mac that brings a sophisticated set of color management tools, features for correcting image orientation, removing unwanted noise, and doing much more. It even offers the ability to crop images, remove unwanted parts, and tools for curves, vibrance, vignetting, and tools to add watermark. Darktable is highly compatible with macOS X 10.7 or later.
Download Darktable Now!
5. Seashore
There’s probably nothing more comprehensive than the Seashore photo editing app for Mac. The utility supports a plethora of professional editing options. You can effortlessly crop, resize, rotate, make color adjustments, add texts, filters, effects, and whatnot. It brings a simple toolbar to access features like a pen, paintbrush, color dropper, clone tool and also brings the ability to add captions, annotate pictures and adjust transparency. The Mac image editor even has a wide selection of effects and filters that can be applied to specific areas of snaps as well. Seashore is highly compatible with macOS X 10.7 or later.
Download Seashore Now!
5 Best Photo editor software for Mac (Paid)
1. Adobe Photoshop Elements
No list of best photo editing apps for Mac is complete without mentioning Photoshop. Its Elements version brings numerous graphic resources to make your photographs look stunning. Using this Mac picture editor, you can create collages, slide shows, calendars, scrapbook pages, and e-cards. Moreover, you can easily organize your huge photograph collection according to your preferences. Also, when you are done editing and refining you can post the final output on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter & more. Adobe Photoshop Elements is highly compatible with macOS 10.14 or later.
2. Affinity Photo
Meet Affinity Photo, one of the best photo editing apps for Mac to use in 2022. With an extensive toolset specifically designed for creative users & professionals, it has everything you need to edit, retouch, adjust colors, add filters, effects & more. The program comprises all the essential features of Photoshop, such as advanced selection tools, versatile brushes & multi-layer support. Moreover, Affinity Photo is lightweight & much faster as compared to Photoshop. Affinity Photo is highly compatible with macOS 10.9 or later.
3. Luminar 4
Need to add a blaze of color and perfection to your pics? Well, you should try Luminar 4 for sure. It is a powerful photo editor with a plethora of functionalities to adjust brightness, add an extensive range of effects, filters, and tons of resources to touch up your snaps. It has a fast, handy & easy-to-use interface to make you a photo editing expert in a few minutes. Just apply a combination of editing tools and get a perfect look without putting in much effort. Luminar 4 is highly compatible with macOS 10.12 or later.
4. Adobe Lightroom
Consider Lightroom to be a default option for editing snaps for professional photographs. It has dozens of tools to skim through RAW files, edit them in a dedicated style, save them as pre-set for later batch editing. Its streamlined workflow is what makes it stand out from the crowd and makes it one of the best photo editing apps for Mac. It features simple yet robust picture organization capabilities that ensure you never waste time looking for a specific picture. This perfectly justifies why Lightroom is every professional’s best friend. Adobe Lightroom is highly compatible with macOS 10.14 or later.
5. Pixelmator Pro
Last but not the least, Pixelmator is a powerful photo editor software for Mac, equipped with all the advanced image manipulation features. It would not be wrong to say that Pixelmator is the perfect blend of Adobe Lightroom, Photoshop & Illustrator. It comprises all the basic features from all these three packages. You can even utilize Pixelmator for editing RAW files, refine distortions and enhance photographs completely. What’s more? Pixelmator assists users in developing gorgeous posters with tools to add text & other elements. Pixelmator Pro is highly compatible with macOS 10.13 or later.
Wrap Up: Choosing The Best Tool To Edit Photos On Mac!
Admit or not, there’s something or everyone in our list of Best Paid & Free Mac Photo Editors (2022). If you ask for our recommendation, we suggest using GIMP for users who are looking for a free image editing tool and Adobe Photoshop Elements, if you are looking for a fast, beautiful, and feature-rich photograph editor. Apart from these, there are several great Mac Apps out there just waiting to be explored. If you have some time, why don’t you take a look at our list of Best Mac Apps & Utilities You Should Have In This 20212?
Q1. What is the best photo editing app for Mac?
If you ask for our recommendation, we suggest using GIMP for users looking for a free Mac Photo editor tool and Adobe Photoshop Elements for users looking for a feature-rich program to edit photos on Mac.
Q2. What’s the best free photo editing app for Mac?
The best set of free image editing & manipulation tools includes GIMP, Photoscape X, Fotor Photo Editor, Darktable & Seashore.
Q3. Is there a built-in photo editor on Mac?
Yes, you can trust Mac built-in utility Preview to perform basic tasks like image resizing, cropping, rotating, adjusting contrast, adding filters, shapes, signatures, fixing saturation, and more.
Q4. Is Photoshop free on Mac?
Yes, a free model with limited functionalities is available with Photoshop for Mac users. The photo editor software for Mac comes with all the essential functions covering all your basic needs.
