In this blog, we discuss the best photo editor apps for Mac, exploring a curated selection that goes beyond the basics to elevate your editing game.
In today’s world, everyone’s a photographer and every moment is a potential masterpiece. So, what’s going to set you apart in a sea of visuals? We’re not talking about adding a generic filter and calling it a day. What you need is a good photo editor. Let’s break it down—why should you bother with these apps?
A good photo editing app lets you add just the right amount of magic to your pictures – enhancing colors, fixing lighting, and smoothing out rough edges. Then there’s the creativity factor – and let’s not forget about the social media game. Plus, time is money, right? Quick fixes, snappy adjustments, you’ve got it all at your fingertips.
So, why use photo editing apps for Mac? Because in this visually-driven world, they’re the tools that help you shine.
Edit Like a Pro: Exploring the Ultimate macOS Photo Editors
Ready to turn those ordinary pics into extraordinary moments? Let’s dive in to explore the seven best photo editor apps for Mac and make those pixels pop.
1. Adobe Photoshop Elements 2024
Adobe Photoshop Elements 2024, the ever-reliable Mac photo editor known for its user-friendly interface and powerful features, is a go-to for both beginners and seasoned editors. By far, the best feature of this app is the ability to match color and tone with just one click. Whether you opt for built-in presets or use your own photo, fine-tune the hue, saturation, and brightness to create a fresh, new vibe. Moreover, you can effortlessly select skies or backgrounds, and make enhancements or replacements a simple one-click task.
Powered by Adobe Sensei, you can grow your editing skills with 62 step-by-step Guided Edits. You can also create eye-catching effects, stylized text for share-worthy posts, and spruce up scenes with contemporary backgrounds. The update introduces fast-moving Photo Reels, where each shot is imbued with its own text, effects, and graphics which is perfect for easy sharing as MP4s or GIFs. What makes it one of the best photo editor apps for Mac? You can access a treasure trove of free Adobe Stock photos right within Photoshop Elements, expanding your creative horizons.
Download Adobe Photoshop Elements 2024 now.
2. Photomator – Photo Editor
Photomator doesn’t just tweak your photos, it transforms them into visual masterpieces – that is if you know what you’re doing. But the best part is that this gem boasts an intuitive design without compromising on advanced editing capabilities. With AI magic, you can automatically enhance your shots, intelligently crop photos, and even match colors effortlessly.
Okay, with this photo editing app for Mac, dive into a realm of cutting-edge color adjustments that let you play with temperature, exposure, and more, ensuring your photos radiate the perfect vibe. And for those tricky edits, its nondestructive tools, including Repair and Clone, make unwanted objects vanish seamlessly. In all honesty, it has all the features that one can expect from the very best – thus marking it as one of the best photo editor apps for Mac. However, if you still need more, listen to this. You can batch-edit entire photoshoots effortlessly, sync changes seamlessly with iCloud Drive, and experience rapid performance. How? It’s all thanks to its integration with Mac technologies like Metal and Core Image.
Download Photomator – Photo Editor now.
3. Darkroom: Photo & Video Editor
For those who love a sleek and modern interface, Darkroom Mac photo editing app is a groundbreaker. You can elevate your editing game with the marvel of AI-enhanced depth editing, a feature that allows you to sculpt a 3D visual map of your photo’s landscape. And dive deep into precision with object detection, refining elements like the sky, hair, and skin with unmatched accuracy.
Okay, here’s what sets Darkroom apart among the best photo editor apps for Mac: its robust toolkit that seamlessly aligns with industry giants like Adobe Lightroom and Canva. And yes, let’s not forget about the best part: Darkroom’s touch-responsive curves and selective color tools. These features not only streamline your editing process but also foster the creation of unique presets. For photography enthusiasts, revel in the glory of full-resolution editing and 16-bit color depth, capturing every nuanced detail, shadow, and highlight in your RAW photos. Moreover, you can also seamlessly shift to video processing with real-time playback and 4K video color grading at your fingertips.
Download Darkroom: Photo & Video Editor now.
4. Polarr Pro Photo Editor
Step into the future with Polarr Pro Photo Editor, one of the best photo editing apps for Mac in 2024. What sets Polarr apart is its commitment to simplicity without sacrificing power. You see, no matter your photography expertise, from novice to seasoned pro, Polarr seamlessly welcomes you with a suite of comprehensive essential coloring tools. Thus marking it as one of the best photo editor apps for Mac. Plus, its array of over 100 global adjustment tools helps keep the title stronger than ever.
Whether you’re tweaking exposure, contrast, or color temperature, Polarr gives you the reins to make your photos truly yours. What’s more, you’re not just confined to presets as Polarr empowers you to create and share your personalized presets. Now, let’s get selective. Polarr takes it up a notch with brush, radial, gradient, and color masks for precise adjustments. And here’s the game-changer: let AI do the heavy lifting, identifying subjects, faces, and even skies for effortless, selective adjustments.
Download Polarr Pro Photo Editor now.
5. Affinity Photo 2
Affinity Photo 2 earns its spot as the best photo editor app for Mac with a perfect blend of power and simplicity. More importantly, the one-time in-app purchase for lifetime access (after the trial, of course) sets it apart, eliminating the subscription model that can burden your pockets. Now, as for the features, the user interface, tools, and button icons have undergone a significant facelift, presenting a refined and redesigned look. Plus, the Layers Panel has been completely revamped, offering a seamless experience in managing your creative elements.
However, a standout feature is the non-destructive RAW development capability. This means you can tweak and refine your raw images without compromising the original data. And if masks are your game, this Mac photo editor 2024 introduces Luminosity, hue range, band pass live masks, and even Compound masks, allowing for precise and sophisticated edits.
Download Affinity Photo 2 now.
6. PhotoScape X – Photo Editor
If variety is what you seek, PhotoScape X is an all-in-one photo editor for Mac that delivers just that and more. Packed with a plethora of features, from basic edits to advanced filters, it’s a playground for the imaginative. However, the Photos Extension feature is its winning feature as it seamlessly integrates with your Mac, ensuring you can enhance your visuals without breaking a sweat. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg, we have to dig deep to understand what makes it one of the best photo editor apps for Mac.
Look, it’s in the Editor feature where the magic truly unfolds. You can rotate, straighten, and resize as it’s your one-stop shop for basic edits. And, yep, there’s more. From color adjustments, film effects, and overlays, to a plethora of advanced tools like HDR, Vignetting, and Dehaze. Therefore, whether you’re a novice or a seasoned pro, the Editor caters to all your creative whims.
Download PhotoScape X – Photo Editor now.
7. Fotor AI: Photo Editor, Design
Fotor AI is a versatile app that goes beyond photo editing. From Facebook Covers to Resumes, Fotor’s design tools cover it all, offering a whopping 100,000 designs with diverse scenes, styles, and themes. Plus, you can batch edit photos on Mac, making the entire process completely effortless. However, it’s the abundance of design resources that makes it one of the best photo editor apps for Mac. You get over 200,000 elements carefully curated, including fonts, icons, backgrounds, and more.
Now, let’s talk about the two best features: Portrait Touch-Up and Batch Processing. With the first one, you can smooth skin, reshape your face, or add that lifelike touch, all done effortlessly and quickly. And with the latter, use a one-click application of Scenes, Effects, and Borders, along with speedy resizing, renaming, and format conversion. When it comes to Photo Editing, Fotor’s state-of-the-art processing engine is your best friend. You can adjust exposure, brightness, contrast, and more with ease. Plus, the flexible text editing tool allows you to add the perfect text, adjusting font, size, and color until it’s just right.
Download Fotor AI: Photo Editor, Design now.
The Editing Revolution
Whether you’re a social media guru curating the perfect feed or a casual photographer wanting to add a dash of flair to your pics, these apps are your go-to pals. The best part is that these apps are designed to make the creative process enjoyable, not a chore.
With the above-mentioned best photo editors with effects, your Mac transforms into a hub of artistic exploration, where every click and tweak brings you closer to perfection.
Which one of the seven best photo editor apps for Mac are you downloading today? Any pro tips or favorite features? Comment down below, we’d love to hear from you.
