Traditionally, professional Mac-based photographers would probably not be using Apple Photos as their main image-editing app. Apple Photos is great for organizing images, syncing them between devices via iCloud, and sharing them with friends and family. However, the photo-fixing tools in Apple Photos are relatively basic. For example, you can’t make mask-based selections in Apple Photos, which limits its use as a serious photo fixer. Mac-based photographers (such as myself) would need to rely on third-party apps such as Adobe Lightroom or Photoshop, among the best photo-editing software, to perform more complex or creative edits.
With the acquisition of third-party apps Pixelmator Pro and Photomator in 2025, Apple dramatically boosted its in-house photo-fixing powers. Photomator is the little sister app to Pixelmator Pro. Think of Pixelmator Pro as an Adobe Photoshop alternative, providing the ability to composite images in layers and use vector-based text to create designs for posters and flyers, for example.
