These buttons open the developer's own site, repository or store listing in a new tab. wares.gg does not host downloads.
1 more ways to get Acorn
Package managers
- Homebrew
brew install --cask acorn
About Acorn
Acorn is an image editor for the Mac. It covers photo editing, filters, retouching, painting, cropping, adding text and making new images from scratch. Recent versions add AI subject selection to isolate the subject of a photo, a Live Text tool that finds text in an image and copies it to the clipboard, and a Data Merge feature that fills text boxes and images from a CSV file for bulk graphics such as name tags.
It requires macOS 14 Sonoma or later and runs natively on Apple Silicon. It is sold as a one-time purchase with no subscription.
Strengths
- No subscription, paid once
- AI subject selection and Live Text tool built in
- Data Merge builds bulk graphics from a CSV file
- Native Apple Silicon build
Limitations
- macOS only
- Requires macOS 14 Sonoma or later
- Closed source
Details
- Pricing
- PaidOne-time purchase with no subscription, after a 14-day free trial.
- License
- Proprietary
- Developer
- Flying Meat
- Platforms
- macOS
- How it runs
- Downloadable app
- Best suited for
- Mac users who want a capable photo editor without a subscription
- Categories
- Image editors, Photo tools
- Last verified
- Added
- Provenance
- Facts checked against the developer's own pages and store listings, 1 sources on file.
Alternatives to Acorn
Compare allSoftware that can replace Acorn for an important use case, and what changes if you switch.
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.
Acorn as an alternative
Listings that name Acorn as an alternative.
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 necessarily 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.
