If you're a professional photographer or designer you need editing software that provides precision and control over your images, as well as support for editing RAW files and multi-layer editing tools.
The popularity of selfies and smartphone photography in recent years has given rise to dozens of affordable photo-editing programs aimed at amateur photographers. While these free (or low cost) apps are great for people who simply want to smarten up their selfies or holiday snaps, they may not offer the features pro photographers need to edit photos.
If you want to edit your photos like a pro - or you are a pro photographer, designer, web developer, graphic artist or other creative professional, then you may wish to consider one of these pro photo editors.
If you don't quite consider yourself a pro, or you are just looking for a free or really cheap Photoshop alternative then check out our round up of free photo editing software for Mac.
That's not to say we won't be considering some excellent alternatives to Photoshop here.
Photoshop has always been the king of the photo-editing market - a position reinforced once more by Adobe's release of a native version of Photoshop designed for the new generation of Macs with Apple's own processor in March 2021 (see Apps that work on M1 Macs).
The sheer depth and range of Photoshop's editing tools is still unrivalled, with the latest version boasting a new artificial intelligence features that can actually change the expression on a person's face, or even make them look older (and balder).
However, Adobe's decision to move its professional software products to a subscription payment system a few years ago antagonized many users, and opened the door to rival photo-editors that still just require a simple one-off payment, without committing you to a long-term subscription.
Rivals such as Pixelmator Pro and Affinity Photo can provide impressive editing tools for less than £50, and while they may not match the sheer scope of Photoshop they will be more than adequate for many professional users and more serious amateur photographers. And don't forget that most of these professional-level editing programs also provide a free trial - ranging from one week to a whole 90 days in some cases - so you can take your time deciding which program best suits your needs and your budget.
If you are also considering buying a new Mac read our guide to the best Mac for photo editing.
Read on for our guide to the best pro photo editors for Mac, including some excellent Photoshop alternatives.
