Pixelmator Pro Debuts on iPad with Apple Creator Studio Launch

Apple has formally introduced the iPad version of Pixelmator Pro as part of the debut of Apple Creator Studio, a new subscription service for professional creative applications. This launch marks the first major product evolution for Pixelmator Pro since Apple acquired its development team in February 2025, following an initial announcement in November 2024. The integrated offering is scheduled for official availability on the App Store on Wednesday, January 28, 2026.

The iPad iteration of Pixelmator Pro has undergone significant redesign to optimize the user interface for touch input while maintaining full support for advanced Apple Pencil features, including hover and squeeze gestures. The application retains core capabilities from the Mac version, such as Super Resolution, Deband, and Auto Crop, ensuring workflow continuity for users transitioning between devices. The application requires iPadOS 26 or a newer version, with a minimum hardware specification of an A16, A17 Pro, or M1 chip.

Apple Creator Studio will employ a clear pricing structure: a standard subscription set at $12.99 per month or $129 annually, with a one-month free trial period offered. An academic rate is available for educational users at $2.99 per month or $29.99 per year. This service bundles Pixelmator Pro alongside core applications like Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro on Mac and iPad, and includes Mac-exclusive applications such as Motion, Compressor, and MainStage.

Eddy Cue, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Services, stated that the service provides exceptional value for creators pursuing their craft. This strategic move underscores Apple's commitment to recurring revenue models for professional software, a strategy that has contributed to the company's 6.43% revenue growth over the last twelve months, reaching $416.16 billion. The exclusive distribution of Pixelmator Pro via the Creator Studio subscription on iPad, while the Mac version remains a standalone purchase on the Mac App Store, introduces a differentiation in the licensing models across platforms.

The Pixelmator Team, founded by Saulius Dailide and Aidas Dailide in Babrauninkai, Lithuania, has historically been recognized for its rapid adoption of core platform technologies like CoreML and Metal. This broader launch reinforces Apple's creative ecosystem, as productivity applications like iWork (Keynote, Pages, Numbers) are also slated to receive new premium content and artificial intelligence features, with Freeform integration planned for the second half of 2026. The hardware requirements suggest Apple is targeting advanced functionality toward its newest hardware base, potentially influencing the update cycle for creative professionals.