Apple Creator Studio: A Long-Time Pixelmator Pro User’s Take on the New Subscription Era

Apple has announced a new subscription service called “Apple Creator Studio.” Although the news came out of the blue, it is a welcome new option for Apple users.

Apple (Japan)

Apple Creator StudioBy subscribing to Apple Creator Studio, you get access not only to the intelligent tools in Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, and Pixelmator Pro but also to premium productivity content.

A look inside shows that professional apps such as Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro, along with Keynote, Pages, Numbers, Freeform, and even Pixelmator Pro, are bundled into a single package. Apps that were previously paid for individually—or provided free of charge—have all been placed “in one box” at once. The absence of GarageBand may be due to some internal reason.

Apple Support

Final Cut Studio (2009) – Apple Support (Japan)We introduce the applications in Final Cut Studio (2009) and explain how to upgrade to Final Cut Pro.

Speaking of the name “Studio,” there used to be Final Cut Studio for creators, and this new bundle is reminiscent of it. Back then it wasn’t a subscription; instead, it combined the apps needed by video creators into one package. Incidentally, there’s also hardware called Mac Studio, which I use at home (even though I’m not a creator).

Apple (Japan)

Mac StudioThe ultimate pro desktop. M4 Max or M3 Ultra delivers extraordinary power. Plenty of connections. Designed for Apple Intelligence.

This time the system is grander, as it not only targets professionals but also includes iWork—Pages, Numbers, and Keynote. Still, I wonder whether apps like Numbers are really aimed at creators.

Apple (Japan)

iWorkWith Pages, Numbers, and Keynote, your entire team can create documents, spreadsheets, and presentations together—on Mac, iPad, iPhone, and even Windows PCs.

Because iWork has historically been free, only certain add-on features will become paid going forward. The basic functions and traditional usage will remain free. On top of that, Keynote will offer paid options such as premium templates, high-quality photo and illustration assets, AI slide-structuring assistance, and draft text generation.

We may be moving from the era when apps were “extras that came with the OS” to a phase in which the apps themselves are valued and paid for.

Will Keynote also evolve by adopting a freemium model?

Within Apple Creator Studio, the only apps I normally use are the image editor Pixelmator Pro and the presentation tool Keynote.

Lately I’ve been creating more materials with AI, so I use Keynote less. Still, for fine tweaks and adjustments, the Keynote I’ve used for years is better, so I sometimes finish the deck in Keynote.

Upon this announcement, many people’s first question was likely, “Will Keynote no longer be free?” In short, Keynote itself will remain free to use, but not everything will stay exactly the same.

Some new features—such as new templates, high-quality assets, and AI-powered assist tools—will be available only to Apple Creator Studio subscribers. In other words, it has adopted the classic freemium model: the free tier remains, but you pay if you want an even better experience.

Until now, Apple has treated Keynote as “a handy tool that comes preinstalled when you buy a Mac.” It ships with macOS, iOS, and iPadOS, enhancing the added value of Apple’s OS lineup. Putting a price tag on it can be viewed as a healthy mechanism to ensure continued development and improvement in the long run. The era when “free” was taken for granted may be gradually drawing to a close.

Thoughts from someone who has used Pixelmator Pro for years

What struck me most in this announcement is how Pixelmator Pro is being handled. I bought and used this app long before Apple acquired Pixelmator. For my needs, it is lighter than Photoshop yet highly capable, quick to adopt the latest macOS features, and available as a one-time purchase—making it a wonderfully well-balanced app.

In this round of Apple Creator Studio, new features have been added to Pixelmator Pro and even an iPad version is reportedly on the way. However, it appears these will all be wrapped into the subscription. I think it would have been clearer to follow the usual model—let the iPadOS version be free to use and charge only for the extra features you unlock.

The ability to run Pixelmator Pro on an iPad might be highly appealing to creators. Edit images with Apple Pencil and move back and forth seamlessly with a Mac—that kind of experience is exactly what Apple does best. For my own needs, though, I probably won’t end up using it.

Apple’s strategy of adding value to the ecosystem

Apple’s app strategy has long rested on the idea that “if you buy the hardware, the software naturally comes with it.” Apps like iMovie, GarageBand, and Keynote were part of the reason to choose a Mac or iPhone—a value built into the price but never itemized.

You could say that Apple Creator Studio has put a clear price tag on that previously implicit value. By spinning off what was once simply part of the ecosystem and offering it as a service, Apple shows it has matured from being merely a device maker into a service company. Looked at more closely, it also signals a push to improve profitability.

Of course, not everything has been put behind a paywall; keeping the core functions free going forward shows Apple’s sense of balance. Admittedly, that might just be my generous interpretation. Still, maintaining the stance that “only those who feel the value need to pay” instead of forcing users into subscriptions is very Apple. It’s a strength that sets them apart from companies forced to cover development costs and profits solely through app sales.

Worth trying on a yearly basis

When you look at the price of Apple Creator Studio, you can’t help comparing it with Adobe Creative Cloud. At ¥1,780 per month, anyone used to Adobe will find it astonishingly cheap. Compared with Adobe’s nearly ¥10,000 per month for the full suite, it’s a real bargain. That said, I’m not a professional designer or video editor—I only create documents a few times a year and occasionally touch up images. From that standpoint, Apple Creator Studio is overwhelmingly more appealing.

Precisely because of this price point, the best move is to purchase it, enjoy the new features in Keynote and Pixelmator Pro, and “use this as an opportunity to try the other apps as well.” You can now dip your toes into Final Cut Pro or Logic Pro—apps you’ve never used before—without hesitation. Lowering that psychological barrier is exactly what Apple is aiming for.

Since it goes on sale on January 29, I’ll wait for that. I’m willing to pay for value, yet still want to keep things as reasonable as possible, so I’m thinking of signing up for the annual plan.

Paying ¥1,780 per month adds up to ¥21,360 a year, whereas the annual plan is ¥17,800. The ¥3,560 difference effectively gives you about two months free. You won’t really know until you’ve used it for several months, and once I get used to the new features I doubt I’ll want to go back, so I plan to think in yearly terms.

★

A respected elder,MAC Otakara Kanteidan’s Danbo wrote that by turning Apple Creator Studio into a freemium offering, “the development teams will now have an incentive to develop something that actually sells” (especially for iWork and other previously free apps), and I thought that really made sense. If an app is only bundled with the OS, there’s no pressure to improve it. Going forward, I hope to see a steady stream of features that justify the price.