Retouching software Pixelmator Photo announces move to subscription model, price spikes for new iPhone / iPad version

The team behind the Pixelmator family of image editing apps recently announced that the Pixelmator Photo app for iPhone and iPad is moving to subscription-based pricing, and an update has been rolled out on the App Store.

For new users, Pixelmator Photo will now cost $4.99 per month (about $34.13) or $23.99 per year (about $164.09), while existing users of the app will continue to have "unlimited access" without having to pay again. The lifetime purchase option will remain at $59.99 (about $410.33), which is significantly more expensive than Pixelmator Photo's previous one-time price of $7.99 (about $54.65).

In a blog post, the Pixelmator team acknowledged that the subscription-based pricing model was more expensive, but argued that there were "some pretty big issues" with the upfront pricing model, including slower development and a focus on new users rather than existing ones. Among other reasons, Pixelmator also noted that the App Store does not allow paid apps to offer free trials or upgrade discounts for major new releases.

Pixelmator said, "Hopefully, enough users will use the app regularly and feel that adopting an annual or monthly fee is worthwhile." This seems like the best way to ensure that Pixelmator Photo can continue to grow for a long time to come.

IT House has learned that Pixelmator is also offering a preview of the Pixelmator Photo app for Mac, which will be "a fully native app designed entirely for the Mac." Pixelmator plans to release the app late this year or early next year, and says that subscribing now to Pixelmator Photo for iPhone / iPad users will get Pixelmator Photo for Mac for free when it's released. Existing users will be eligible for a discounted subscription.

Pixelmator said it has no immediate plans to switch to subscription-based pricing for the standard versions of Pixelmator for iOS or Pixelmator Pro for macOS, and is working on a major update to Pixelmator Pro that will continue to be free.