The team behind Pixelmator Pro today released a major update for the photo editing app, introducing useful new capabilities that make it easier than ever to edit your photos.

There's now a Pixelmator Pro editing extension for the built-in Photos app on the Mac, which includes all of the tools and features from the full Pixelmator Pro app.

pixelmatorproeditingextension
With the extension, you can make edits to your photos using the tools from Pixelmator Pro without having to leave the ‌Photos‌ app. This makes for a more streamlined editing workflow when you're working with images stored within the ‌Photos‌ app.

Pixelmator Pro documents are also now able to be saved to the ‌Photos‌ app, and iCloud sync is supported for Pixelmator Pro documents saved to ‌Photos‌.

Along with an editing extension for ‌Photos‌, today's Pixelmator Pro update adds a new Zoom Tool for zooming into and panning around images more easily. The Crop tool also now features a Delete mode, the ability to crop to custom pixel sizes, and redesigned crop presets.

There are a whole range of other smaller updates and tweaks in Pixelmator Pro, listed on the Pixelmator Pro website.

Pixelmator Pro can be downloaded from the Mac App Store for $39.99. The update is free for existing customers. [Direct Link]

Top Rated Comments

macintoshmac Avatar
85 months ago
Pixelmator is a gift that keeps on giving.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ipedro Avatar
85 months ago
This was the outcome I anticipated ('https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/os-x-photos-app-not-just-an-app-its-a-platform.1840884/')when Aperture was dropped by Apple and they started from scratch with Photos.

The Photos app was a part of an all new platform, not just an app. The Photos app itself was for general users with more advanced editing within the app itself. For professional photo editing, Apple introduced an editing extension API, which Pixelmator is taking advantage of.

This comes close to replacing Aperture for most consumers and prosumers. With the Pixelmator extension you have something approximating Photoshop’s most used editing capabilities and virtually all of Lightroom’s. Well ahead of where Aperture left off.

What’s still missing is a way to manage very large events which can often go beyond 3000 photos for a wedding. An update to Photos to manage separate work and personal libraries would solve this.

What I said in 2015:



The Photos.app isn't just an app, it's a platform at the operating system level. With extensions featuring large in iOS and with devs already taking advantage, it's clear what this will mean for Photos on OSX.

Apple will build a very capable photos organizing and editing tool whose library any external app can access. If you're a semi pro, the native organizing and editing tools might be enough. If you need more, you can get an app or an extension that satisfies your additional needs.
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/os-x-photos-app-not-just-an-app-its-a-platform.1840884/
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheWatchfulOne Avatar
85 months ago
Pixelmator vs Affinity Photo?

Discuss! :)
Neither are made by Adobe. That makes both of them winners.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BWhaler Avatar
85 months ago
Great update to an already outstanding app.

Screw Abode and their thirsty subscriptions and bundling.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone Top Left Hole Punch Face ID Feature Purple

iPhone 18 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 12 New Features

Thursday January 15, 2026 10:56 am PST by
While the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are not expected to launch for another eight months, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we have recapped 12 features rumored for the iPhone 18 Pro models, as of January 2026: The same overall design is expected, with 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch display sizes, and a "plateau" housing three rear cameras Under-screen Face ID...
Apple MacBook Pro M4 hero

These 5 Apple Products Will Reportedly Be Upgraded With OLED Displays

Friday January 16, 2026 7:07 pm PST by
Apple plans to upgrade the iPad mini, MacBook Pro, iPad Air, iMac, and MacBook Air with OLED displays between 2026 and 2028, according to DigiTimes. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman previously reported that the iPad mini and MacBook Pro will receive an OLED display as early as this year, but he does not expect the MacBook Air to adopt the technology until 2028 at the earliest. A new iPad Air is...
2024 iPhone Boxes Feature

Apple Adjusts Trade-In Values for iPhones, Macs, and More

Thursday January 15, 2026 11:19 am PST by
Apple today updated its trade-in values for select iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch models. Trade-ins can be completed on Apple's website, or at an Apple Store. The charts below provide an overview of Apple's current and previous trade-in values in the United States, according to the company's website. Most of the values declined slightly, but some of the Mac values increased. iPhone ...
Apple Wallet ID Illinois

Apple Plans to Expand iPhone Driver's Licenses to These 7 U.S. States

Friday January 16, 2026 12:12 pm PST by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Apple Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, and then use it to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. The feature is currently available in 13 U.S. states and Puerto Rico, and it is expected to launch in at least seven more in the future. To set up the...
iPhone Top Left Hole Punch Face ID Feature Purple

New Leak Reveals iPhone 18 Pro Display Sizes, Under-Screen Face ID, and More

Wednesday January 14, 2026 7:09 am PST by
While the iPhone 18 Pro models are still around eight months away, a leaker has shared some alleged details about the devices. In a post on Chinese social media platform Weibo this week, the account Digital Chat Station said the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max will have the same 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch display sizes as the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. Consistent with previous...