Apple acquiring image editing app Pixelmator

Apple is set to acquire Pixelmator, a popular image editing app for Mac and iOS. Pixelmator shared the announcement on its blog on Friday, stating that joining Apple will allow the app to “reach an even wider audience and make an even bigger impact on the lives of creative people around the world.”

Pixelmator released this statement about the acquisition:

Pixelmator has signed an agreement to be acquired by Apple, subject to regulatory approval. There will be no material changes to the Pixelmator Pro, Pixelmator for iOS, and Photomator apps at this time. Stay tuned for exciting updates to come.

Details of the acquisition are scarce, other than its pending regulatory approval. While some high-profile acquisitions, like Microsoft’s purchase of Activision Blizzard, have passed regulatory hurdles, others, such as Nvidia’s attempt to buy Arm and Adobe’s bid for Figma, have encountered regulatory blocks.

Apple’s acquisition history is mixed; after buying the popular weather app Dark Sky in 2020, Apple shut down the app in 2022 and incorporated its technology into its native weather app. However, other software acquisitions, like Final Cut and Logic Pro, have continued to thrive for years.

Pixelmator Pro has built a reputation as an affordable alternative to Adobe Photoshop, offering a powerful suite of photo editing, design, and drawing tools for a one-time purchase of $49.99. Its most recent update introduced AI-driven background removal and a reworked masking process.