Pixelmator Pro May Be Coming to the iPad
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It’s been nearly a year since Apple acquired Pixelmator, the team behind one of the best photo editing suites for the Mac. Now, we might be seeing one of the biggest fruits from the new deal: Pixelmator Pro for iPad.
Pixelmator was a small, Mac-focused development studio founded about 18 years ago, and quickly rose to prominence for its eponymous photo editing app, a powerful yet accessible way for iPhone, iPad, and Mac users to do Photoshop-style editing on images.
In 2017, it branched out into the Mac-exclusive Pixelmator Pro, a more sophisticated version that could hold its own against the much pricier Photoshop for most users. Even in the early days, the Pixelmator team was always on the cutting edge of Apple’s latest iOS and macOS technologies, and Pixelmator Pro 2.0 added support for Apple’s M1 chip almost as soon as it launched, beating out Adobe’s Photoshop by nearly six months. It also had its iPhone and iPad apps available for the Vision Pro on day one.
Needless to say, the Pixelmator Team seemed like a natural fit, so it wasn’t entirely surprising when Apple acquired them in November 2024, bringing the entire team under its corporate umbrella, along with Pixelmator for iOS, Pixelmator Pro for Mac, and Photomator — the award-winning photography-focused tool it introduced as Pixelmator Photo in 2019.
Four months after the acquisition was announced, Apple officially rebranded the Pixelmator apps, but left them unchanged beyond a new splash screen to announce their new place in the Apple pantheon.
Then, shortly before its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June, Apple released an Apple Intelligence update for Pixelmator Pro, adding direct support for Image Playground and Writing Tools.
These have all been arguably minor improvements, with Apple Intelligence simply integrating existing macOS system-level tools into the app, adding those to the existing sophisticated AI features like background removal and Super Resolution. However, a new discovery suggests Apple may be preparing for a bigger chapter in Pixelmator Pro’s development.
The iPad Gets More ‘Pro’
Apple, as always, has been quiet about its plans for Pixelmator Pro, but a new App Store ID uncovered by MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris reveals that an iPad version of Pixelmator Pro may be in the works — and could arrive soon.
To be clear, this isn’t the Pixelmator that’s been around for the iPad (and iPhone) for over a decade. This would be Pixelmator Pro — presumably the same experience that Mac users already enjoy, optimized for the iPad.
Little else is known beyond the existence of what is essentially an App Store placeholder for it, but Perris also found three others that hint at Apple also bringing the companion tools for its flagship pro apps — Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro — over to the iPad.
Specifically, Compressor and Motion for Final Cut Pro and MainStage for Logic Pro all appear to be on deck. These have been part of the Mac suites for these apps for years, but were conspicuously missing when Apple introduced Final Cut Pro for iPad and Logic Pro for iPad two years ago.
For those unfamiliar with the tools, Compressor handles advanced video encoding and batch exports; Motion creates titles and transitions for Final Cut; and MainStage turns Logic into a live-performance rig.
There’s no word on how Apple plans to charge for these new apps. When Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro were introduced for the iPad, the company opted for a subscription model — even for those who had already paid for the macOS version. It’s likely that Compressor and Motion will be included in the Final Cut Pro for iPad subscription, and MainStage will accompany Logic Pro, but it’s also possible Apple could charge a premium.
The real wildcard is Pixelmator Pro. It’s Apple’s first pro-level photo editing app, arguably intended to be related to Final Cut Pro in the same way as Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Premiere. If Apple sees it as a logical extension of Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro into the world of photo editing, it could take the same approach and charge for it as a separate subscription, making Pixelmator for Mac users pay again to use it.
However, Pixelmator Pro doesn’t have quite the same historical significance as Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro, which are used by folks ranging from hobbyists to professional video and audio producers. This could make it harder for Apple to justify charging separately for the iPad version. Alternatively, it could also follow Photomator’s lead and move Pixelmator Pro entirely over to a subscription model, putting it in the same camp as Adobe’s tools.
At this point, we can only speculate, as there’s no word from Apple on when — or even if — these apps will be released. The placeholders on the App Store strongly suggest they’re coming, and the annual Final Cut Pro Creative Summit would normally be just around the corner. This fall’s has been postponed until next year, but that doesn’t mean Apple can’t slip out a press release in the next couple of weeks to commemorate its normal fall schedule — a surprise announcement that could give iPad users another tool in their creative arsenal.
[The information provided in this article has NOT been confirmed by Apple and may be speculation. Provided details may not be factual. Take all rumors, tech or otherwise, with a grain of salt.]
