Adobe PhotoshopvsPixelmator Pro

App

Score Comparison

Overall

Pricing

Usability

Performance

Support

Reliability

Onboarding

Mobile

Security

Integrations

Adobe PhotoshopPixelmator Pro

Signals Comparison

Pricing

Adobe Photoshop

50% early termination fee buried in fine print(10/10)
Subscription model eliminates software ownership(9/10)
AI features limited by generative credits system(7/10)
Free trial secretly activates annual subscription(9/10)

Pixelmator Pro

Apple Creator Studio subscription concerns(6/10)

Usability

Adobe Photoshop

Cancellation process designed to be intentionally difficult(9/10)
Constant updates break established workflows(6/10)
No real-time collaboration features(5/10)

Pixelmator Pro

Text cannot retain editability after transforms(7/10)
Brush tapering issue with pressure sensitivity(7/10)
Feather tool requires mask workaround(5/10)
No native highlighted text feature(5/10)
Subject selection not always precise(4/10)
Missing panorama stitching(5/10)

Support

Adobe Photoshop

Customer support wait times exceed 2 hours(8/10)

Pixelmator Pro

No signals

Performance

Adobe Photoshop

Severe lag with large files and many layers(7/10)
High system requirements exclude older hardware(6/10)

Pixelmator Pro

No signals

Mobile

Adobe Photoshop

iPad app missing crucial desktop features(7/10)

Pixelmator Pro

iPad version has buggy UI and save issues(8/10)

Security

Adobe Photoshop

Pixelmator Pro

No signals

Onboarding

Adobe Photoshop

Steep learning curve intimidates beginners(6/10)

Pixelmator Pro

Some features hard to find or use(4/10)

Reliability

Adobe Photoshop

Frequent crashes and bugs after updates(7/10)

Pixelmator Pro

Warp reverts rotated objects(5/10)

Integrations

Adobe Photoshop

Plugin ecosystem requires additional purchases(5/10)

Pixelmator Pro

Cannot edit or import vector files (EPS/AI)(7/10)
Very limited plugin ecosystem(6/10)

Pricing Comparison

Adobe Photoshop

Photoshop Single App

Popular

$22.99/mo

Users: 1 user

Storage: 100GB cloud storage

Limits: Annual commitment required for advertised price. Monthly plan costs more. No Lightroom included. iPad version has limited features compared to desktop.

50% early termination fee if cancelled within first year on annual plan. Generative AI credits are limited and don't roll over - unlimited requires separate Firefly plan at $9.99/month extra.

Photography Plan (20GB)

$9.99/mo

Users: 1 user

Storage: 20GB cloud storage

Limits: Only 20GB storage is inadequate for serious photographers. Cannot be purchased without annual commitment. No iPad Photoshop included in base plan.

Early termination fee applies on annual plan. Very limited 20GB storage fills up quickly with RAW files. Generative credits still limited.

Photography Plan (1TB)

Popular

$19.99/mo

Users: 1 user

Storage: 1TB cloud storage

Limits: Annual commitment required. No true monthly option available. iPad Photoshop has feature limitations.

Annual commitment with 50% early termination fee. Price doubles vs basic Photography plan for 1TB storage. Still has generative credit limits.

Creative Cloud All Apps

$59.99/mo

Users: 1 user

Storage: 100GB cloud storage

Limits: Annual commitment required. Standard tier (cheaper) excludes iPad/mobile apps and has very limited Firefly credits. Pro tier required for full access.

50% early termination fee on annual plan. Only 100GB storage included despite paying for entire suite. Extra storage costs more. Standard tier excludes iPad and mobile apps.

Creative Cloud for Teams

$89.99/mo

Users: Per user

Storage: 1TB per user

Limits: Expensive for small teams. Still lacks real-time collaboration. SSO/Enterprise features require Enterprise tier (custom pricing).

Requires minimum annual commitment. No real-time collaboration features despite 'Teams' naming. Each seat is billed separately.

Pixelmator Pro

One-Time Purchase

Popular

$49.99/mo

Users: Up to 6 Macs (same Apple ID/Family Sharing)

Storage: Local storage only

Limits: Mac-only (macOS 13.0+), iPad version sold separately or via Apple Creator Studio

None - all features included

Apple Creator Studio

$29.99/mo

Users: 1 user

Storage: iCloud integration

Limits: Subscription model - stops working if cancelled

Annual commitment may be required for discounts

iPad Version

Free

Users: Unlimited

Storage: Device storage + iCloud

Limits: iPad only, some stability issues reported

May require Apple Creator Studio subscription for full features

Feature Comparison

Feature	Adobe Photoshop	Pixelmator Pro
Editing
Non-destructive editing Via smart objects and adjustment layers
RAW file processing Via Camera Raw integration
Core Features
RAW editing Non-destructive
Layer-based editing Full layer support
Panorama stitching Not available
Focus stacking Not available
HDR merge Not available
AI Features
ML-powered enhancements ML Enhance, Denoise, Super Resolution
AI-powered selection Select Subject, Sky, Hair refinement
Generative Fill (AI) Limited by monthly credits
Neural Filters Some require cloud processing
Content-Aware Fill
File Formats
Vector file editing Cannot edit EPS/AI
PSD compatibility Basic support
Collaboration
Real-time collaboration Not available - major gap vs Figma
Storage
Cloud storage Limited by plan (20GB-1TB)
Platforms
Windows version Mac-only
Mobile
iPad version Limited features vs desktop
Usability
Offline mode Some AI features require internet
Performance
Apple Silicon optimization Excellent M-chip support
Integrations
Plugin support Extensive ecosystem, many paid
File Support
PSD file format Industry standard
Advanced
3D capabilities Being phased out in newer versions
Video editing Basic timeline editing
Productivity
Actions/automation Powerful batch processing

Signals Comparison

Pricing

Adobe Photoshop

50% early termination fee buried in fine print(10/10)
Subscription model eliminates software ownership(9/10)
AI features limited by generative credits system(7/10)
Free trial secretly activates annual subscription(9/10)

Pixelmator Pro

Apple Creator Studio subscription concerns(6/10)

Usability

Adobe Photoshop

Cancellation process designed to be intentionally difficult(9/10)
Constant updates break established workflows(6/10)
No real-time collaboration features(5/10)

Pixelmator Pro

Text cannot retain editability after transforms(7/10)
Brush tapering issue with pressure sensitivity(7/10)
Feather tool requires mask workaround(5/10)
No native highlighted text feature(5/10)
Subject selection not always precise(4/10)
Missing panorama stitching(5/10)

Support

Adobe Photoshop

Customer support wait times exceed 2 hours(8/10)

Pixelmator Pro

No signals

Performance

Adobe Photoshop

Severe lag with large files and many layers(7/10)
High system requirements exclude older hardware(6/10)

Pixelmator Pro

No signals

Mobile

Adobe Photoshop

iPad app missing crucial desktop features(7/10)

Pixelmator Pro

iPad version has buggy UI and save issues(8/10)

Security

Adobe Photoshop

Pixelmator Pro

No signals

Onboarding

Adobe Photoshop

Steep learning curve intimidates beginners(6/10)

Pixelmator Pro

Some features hard to find or use(4/10)

Reliability

Adobe Photoshop

Frequent crashes and bugs after updates(7/10)

Pixelmator Pro

Warp reverts rotated objects(5/10)

Integrations

Adobe Photoshop

Plugin ecosystem requires additional purchases(5/10)

Pixelmator Pro

Cannot edit or import vector files (EPS/AI)(7/10)
Very limited plugin ecosystem(6/10)

Pricing Comparison

Adobe Photoshop

Photoshop Single App

Popular

$22.99/mo

Users: 1 user

Storage: 100GB cloud storage

Limits: Annual commitment required for advertised price. Monthly plan costs more. No Lightroom included. iPad version has limited features compared to desktop.

50% early termination fee if cancelled within first year on annual plan. Generative AI credits are limited and don't roll over - unlimited requires separate Firefly plan at $9.99/month extra.

Photography Plan (20GB)

$9.99/mo

Users: 1 user

Storage: 20GB cloud storage

Limits: Only 20GB storage is inadequate for serious photographers. Cannot be purchased without annual commitment. No iPad Photoshop included in base plan.

Early termination fee applies on annual plan. Very limited 20GB storage fills up quickly with RAW files. Generative credits still limited.

Photography Plan (1TB)

Popular

$19.99/mo

Users: 1 user

Storage: 1TB cloud storage

Limits: Annual commitment required. No true monthly option available. iPad Photoshop has feature limitations.

Annual commitment with 50% early termination fee. Price doubles vs basic Photography plan for 1TB storage. Still has generative credit limits.

Creative Cloud All Apps

$59.99/mo

Users: 1 user

Storage: 100GB cloud storage

Limits: Annual commitment required. Standard tier (cheaper) excludes iPad/mobile apps and has very limited Firefly credits. Pro tier required for full access.

50% early termination fee on annual plan. Only 100GB storage included despite paying for entire suite. Extra storage costs more. Standard tier excludes iPad and mobile apps.

Creative Cloud for Teams

$89.99/mo

Users: Per user

Storage: 1TB per user

Limits: Expensive for small teams. Still lacks real-time collaboration. SSO/Enterprise features require Enterprise tier (custom pricing).

Requires minimum annual commitment. No real-time collaboration features despite 'Teams' naming. Each seat is billed separately.

Pixelmator Pro

One-Time Purchase

Popular

$49.99/mo

Users: Up to 6 Macs (same Apple ID/Family Sharing)

Storage: Local storage only

Limits: Mac-only (macOS 13.0+), iPad version sold separately or via Apple Creator Studio

None - all features included

Apple Creator Studio

$29.99/mo

Users: 1 user

Storage: iCloud integration

Limits: Subscription model - stops working if cancelled

Annual commitment may be required for discounts

iPad Version

Free

Users: Unlimited

Storage: Device storage + iCloud

Limits: iPad only, some stability issues reported

May require Apple Creator Studio subscription for full features

Feature Comparison

Feature	Adobe Photoshop	Pixelmator Pro
Editing
Non-destructive editing Via smart objects and adjustment layers
RAW file processing Via Camera Raw integration
Core Features
RAW editing Non-destructive
Layer-based editing Full layer support
Panorama stitching Not available
Focus stacking Not available
HDR merge Not available
AI Features
ML-powered enhancements ML Enhance, Denoise, Super Resolution
AI-powered selection Select Subject, Sky, Hair refinement
Generative Fill (AI) Limited by monthly credits
Neural Filters Some require cloud processing
Content-Aware Fill
File Formats
Vector file editing Cannot edit EPS/AI
PSD compatibility Basic support
Collaboration
Real-time collaboration Not available - major gap vs Figma
Storage
Cloud storage Limited by plan (20GB-1TB)
Platforms
Windows version Mac-only
Mobile
iPad version Limited features vs desktop
Usability
Offline mode Some AI features require internet
Performance
Apple Silicon optimization Excellent M-chip support
Integrations
Plugin support Extensive ecosystem, many paid
File Support
PSD file format Industry standard
Advanced
3D capabilities Being phased out in newer versions
Video editing Basic timeline editing
Productivity
Actions/automation Powerful batch processing