Apple reaches deal to acquire Pixelmator

Apple is acquiring the popular photo editing company Pixelmator. The Pixelmator Team announced the news in a blog post on Friday and said there will be “no material changes” to its apps “at this time.” The deal is pending regulatory approval.

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.

Pixelmator, a 17-year-old company, says that the Apple acquisition will let its tools have an even bigger impact on creative people around the world:

We’ve been inspired by Apple since day one, crafting our products with the same razor-sharp focus on design, ease of use, and performance. And looking back, it’s crazy what a small group of dedicated people have been able to achieve over the years from all the way in Vilnius, Lithuania. Now, we’ll have the ability to reach an even wider audience and make an even bigger impact on the lives of creative people around the world.

Pixelmator has become a staple of the Apple ecosystem over the years with its incredibly popular and powerful Pixelmator Pro and Photomator apps. The apps have also added a number of powerful AI and ML features over the years, including background removal tools and Super Resolution.

For those unfamiliar, Pixelmator Pro is described as a “professional image editing [tool] that anyone can use.” Photomator, meanwhile, is the “ultimate photo editor for Mac, iPhone, iPad, and Vision Pro.”

Apple acquires companies on a regular basis, but it’s rare that acquisitions are ever publicly announced like this. One of the more recent examples of a move like this is when Apple acquired Dark Sky in 2020. Apple also acquired Workflow in 2017 ahead of the launch of Shortcuts.