Alternatives to Acorn
A one-time-purchase image editor for macOS covering photo editing, painting, text and graphics. The listings below can replace it for an important use case. Each note says what changes if you switch.
The original
Acorn
A one-time-purchase image editor for macOS covering photo editing, painting, text and graphics.
Replacements
Listings that take over the same core job as Acorn.
Adobe Photoshop
Adobe's raster image editor for photo retouching, compositing, painting and generative AI edits.
Adobe Photoshop replaces Acorn's one-time purchase with a subscription for the full desktop version, adds Windows and browser access, and brings broader retouching, compositing and generative AI tools.
Pixelmator Pro
Apple's image editor for Mac and iPad with nondestructive layers, vector tools and AI features.
Pixelmator Pro stays on Apple devices and also sells the Mac version as a one-time purchase, adding iPad support, nondestructive layers and vector tools, with some AI features relying on Apple Intelligence.
Affinity
Free professional app from Canva that combines vector design, photo editing and page layout.
Affinity is free for individual use on Windows and macOS, combining vector, photo and layout tools, but it requires a Canva account to download.
GIMP
The long-running free image editor for photo retouching, compositing and general pixel work.
GIMP is free and open source under GPL-3.0-or-later, runs on Windows, macOS and Linux, and offers plugins and scripting, though its interface follows its own conventions.
PhotoLine
An all-purpose image editor for Windows and macOS covering photo editing, vector graphics and page layout.
PhotoLine runs on Windows and macOS and adds vector tools, page layout, and CMYK and Lab color management, though its wide feature set takes time to learn.
Photopea
Browser-based image editor that opens Photoshop, XD and Sketch files.
Photopea runs in the browser instead of natively on macOS, opens Photoshop, XD and Sketch files, and is ad-supported unless you pay for a premium plan.
Krita
A free digital painting program built for illustrators, with over a hundred brushes ready to use.
Krita is free and open source on Windows, macOS and Linux, but it focuses on painting and illustration rather than photo editing.
PhotoDemon
A free, portable, open-source photo editor for Windows that runs without installation.
PhotoDemon is a free, portable open-source editor with batch processing and macros, but it runs only on Windows rather than macOS.
Also worth comparing
These listings name Acorn as their own alternative, so the relationship runs both ways.
Adobe Photoshop Elements
Consumer photo editor from Adobe with AI fixes, guided edits and photo organizing.
Acorn is a one-time purchase Mac editor with AI subject selection and Live Text, but it requires macOS 14 or later and has no Windows version.
Affinity Photo 2
Raster photo editor for retouching, compositing and RAW processing.
Acorn is a one-time-purchase Mac editor with AI subject selection and Data Merge, but it runs on macOS 14 or later only.
Similar software
Related functionality, not a direct replacement.
Luminar Neo
A desktop photo editor for Windows and Mac built around AI tools for skies, portraits and relighting.
Pinta
A small painting and image editor modelled on Paint.NET 3, and the closest thing to it on macOS and Linux.
LazPaint
A free cross-platform image editor with raster and vector layers, similar to Paint.NET.
Inkscape
A free vector editor that works natively in SVG, for logos, diagrams and illustration.
ON1 Photo RAW
A raw photo editor and organizer with layers, masks, effects and AI tools, sold without subscription.
