Adobe Photoshop, despite coming under heavy scrutiny for its subscription practices, is still the premier software for photographers and editors. It's easily the most feature-rich photo editor on the planet, and that's why so many professionals use it. However, if you're an owner of one of the best Macs and have moderate photo editing needs, Pixelmator Pro should absolutely be on your radar. It's a powerful and simple macOS photo editor that was recently acquired by Apple itself in a preliminary deal — that's how good it is.

There are three reasons I stick with Pixelmator Pro, and cost is just one of them. Moreover, even though I have access to Photoshop for work, Pixelmator Pro is still my go-to photo editor. Again, it's just that good, and I'll tell you why.

3 Pixelmator Pro is affordable with a one-time purchase

Cheaper than Affinity, Photoshop, and pretty much every other paid tool

Of course, every conversation about Pixelmator Pro starts with the app's pricing. It's available for a one-time fee of $50, and if you're a clever shopper, you can find the app on sale and pay significantly under MSRP. Since the app is a Mac exclusive, you buy it through the app store. There's also a free trial available on Pixelmator's website. Compared to Photoshop's $23 monthly subscription fee, the Pixelmator Pro price is much easier to stomach.

More importantly, Pixelmator Pro is close in feature set to Photoshop competitors, such as Affinity Photo 2. Meanwhile, it's available at a cheaper price. We know that Photoshop is expensive — it's arguably more crucial than Pixelmator Pro undercuts the lifetime license fee of Affinity Photo than the subscription price of Photoshop. However, I will note that this only rings true if you're a Mac-only photo editor. Once you throw iPads and PCs into the mix, Photoshop and/or Affinity Photo start to sound like a better deal. When looking beyond just Photoshop, the Affinity suite might be a better Creative Cloud alternative.

As an aside, it's worth acknowledging that there is some degree of uncertainty regarding Pixelmator Pro now that the Pixelmator team plans to join Apple. I'm hopeful that Apple might assimilate Pixelmator into its free software suite, kind of like it did with Dark Sky and Apple Weather. However, the exact future of Pixelmator Pro and its pricing is unknown, even if Pixelmator says nothing is immediately changing. With that being said, the Affinity suite was recently acquired by Canva, so I can't say Affinity Photo's future is a sure thing, either.

2 Pixelmator Pro is really like Photoshop, Illustrator, and Acrobat all-in-one

It may not have every Photoshop feature, but it's a versatility champion

In terms of raw feature set, Photoshop is unmatched when it comes to photo editing. However, Pixelmator Pro is certainly the more versatile option, as it includes features found across Creative Cloud apps like Photoshop, Illustrator, and Acrobat. It's a PDF viewer and editor, like Acrobat, and even includes simple templates for document types, such as resumes. Additionally, it has typeface customization options and formatting tools that will make you reminiscent of Adobe Illustrator. On top of that, there are all the Photoshop-esque features that Pixelmator Pro is typically known for.

While Photoshop is for the experienced photo editor, Pixelmator Pro is for people who need to quickly and easily create things without bloat and learning curve. The app has a simple user-interface that anyone can use, and it's fantastic for those who don't have hours to spend learning advanced and clunky photo editing software.

1 Pixelmator Pro includes fantastic AI and ML features

These aren't a gimmick — you'll actually want to use Pixelmator Pro's AI and ML tools

Part of the reason Pixelmator Pro is so easy to use is that the app leverages artificial intelligence and machine learning tech in a way that's actually useful. While only a handful of Photoshop's AI features are worth using, the script is flipped with Pixelmator Pro. The app's AI and ML features, from basic ML color adjustments and enhancements to ML Super Resolution, are good enough that not using them would be a mistake. While they are not perfect, I find it's easier to use Pixelmator Pro's ML Enhance suggestions and make color adjustments from there rather than start from scratch.

ML Enhance and ML Super Resolution are really just the tip of the iceberg. There's an ML Crop feature that uses an algorithm to automatically find the perfect frame and composition of a shot. You also get AI masking and subject detection, plus features like ML Denoise and Color Match. Now that I've used the full suite of AI and ML tools within Pixelmator Pro, I can't go back to making fully-manual adjustments. It's wild to think that an app full of advanced features — and one that has been doing ML since before it was cool — is available without a subscription.

Which photo editor is right for you?

I suspect that the people who need Photoshop for work are absolutely certain they need it. However, it's possible that many beginners and people with moderate photo editing needs think they need Photoshop, when that really isn't the case. If all you need is basic photo editing tools, AI and ML features, vector masking support, and more, Pixelmator Pro is a great and affordable option. More people should consider it, and I think they will — now that Apple itself is literally buying in.

• Adobe Photoshop

  Adobe Photoshop is the leading photo editing software with tons of powerful features to get your images looking their best.

  See at Adobe

• Pixelmator Pro

  Pixelmator Pro is a photo editing tool exclusive to macOS that features an easy-to-use interface and machine learning tools.

  $50 at Apple Apps