Macs are excellent machines for creative work, including professional photo editing. Thanks to macOS Sonoma and Apple silicon, users can apply advanced edits to their photos without waiting too long or consuming significant energy. However, you may need to download additional software to edit photos on macOS. To help you with the hunt, we've listed some of the best photo editors for the Mac below.
1 Best overall: Affinity Photo 2
Cross-platform, layer support, one-time fee
For those who despise reoccurring fees, Affinity Photo 2 is arguably the best photo editor for Mac. It offers a plethora of features through a one-time payment. These include real-time editing, instant loading speeds, precise retouching, RAW image support, a wide range of brushes, and much, much more. With support for layers, you can easily separate different elements and undo your work hassle-free. Affinity Photo 2 is also available on iPadOS and Windows, so if you rely on other platforms, you can use the same app across them all.
2 Best web app: Photopea
Packed, online, free to use
If you're not a fan of native apps and want a full-fledged photo editor that works on the web, then Photopea is the one to go for. Like other advanced photo editors, it offers a full set of tools, including brushes, a magic wand, smudging, text insertion, layers, and more. It also supports a decent number of professionally-used formats, including PSD, AI, XD, FID, PDF, and more. Photopea is free to use but offers a paid version that removes ads and unlocks more features.
3 Best for color filtering: Darkroom
Freemium, community presets, universal app
Darkroom is my personal favorite Mac photo editor, particularly when it comes to color filtering. The app offers a wide range of filters and a dedicated section for presets submitted by community members. Darkroom is available as a freemium, universal app on iOS, iPadOS, and macOS. As a result, if you opt for the optional in-app purchase, premium features are reflected on all of your devices. The free version offers limited color filters, and you can unlock all functionalities, including video color grading, through a recurring subscription or a one-time fee for a lifetime license.
4 Best cross-platform: Adobe Photoshop
AI edits, widely adopted, student discount
Adobe Photoshop is possibly the most popular photo editor ever released. It offers pretty much every feature you'd expect from a photo editor, including the main sets found in Affinity Photo 2 and Photopea, and more. As a bonus, you can also access a wide range of AI-powered features to enhance your photos. So you can have it generate backgrounds based on a description you submit, fix someone's facial expressions, edit out an unwanted element, and more. Photoshop is available on desktop, the web, and iPadOS, making it another solid option for those who rely on different platforms. To access it, you will have to pay a monthly fee. Notably, eligible students can save by opting for the education discount.
5 AI-powered: Luminar Neo
Flexible pricing, works with other apps, actively developed
Skylum's Luminar Neo is another excellent photo editor for Mac users that often gets updated to add new features. Notably, it offers several paid plans, which makes it suitable for a wider range of customers. These include a one-time payment for those who dislike recurring fees. In terms of features, Luminar Neo doesn't disappoint either. It offers several AI-powered features, allowing you to enhance dull backgrounds, add more interesting elements to your shots, and improve your overall output.
This photo editor doesn't stop there, though. It also supports some neat tools, including stitching, upscaling, noise reduction, background removal, HDR enhancements, etc. And you can even use its plugin in other apps, such as Photoshop. This makes Luminar Neo an ideal editor for all sorts of different photos. Whether you're editing portraits, landscape shots, or sky images, this app should serve you well.
6 Best for beginners: Apple Photos
Built-in, free, easy to use
Lastly, every new Mac comes with a built-in Apple Photos app. While this app may be too lackluster for professionals, it's a great starting point for beginners applying relatively basic edits. Its features include color filtering, cloning, red-eye removal, noise reduction, white balance adjustment, and more.
More importantly, though, Apple Photos supports the latest iPhone photography and videography shooting modes. So, if you take a portrait shot on your iPhone 15 Pro Max, you can tweak the lighting effects and subject directly in Photos on macOS. You can similarly control Live Photo effects through it. That's not to mention that it also supports third-party extensions, allowing you to make more out of it based on your specific needs.
Plenty of macOS photo editors to pick from
Many photo editors are available for the Mac, and we've picked some of the best. As our list reflects, each photo editor has its own strengths and weaknesses and a unique price. Which editor is right for you depends on your personal expectations and use cases. Many premium photo editors on the Mac offer free trials, so you could claim those to test the waters and see which one you like best.