Pixelmator vs Adobe Lightroom: Which One Is Better in 2024?

Pixelmator Pro and Adobe Lightroom are essential tools for businesses and designers, offering powerful image editing capabilities and enhancing productivity. We'll compare Pixelmator and Adobe Lightroom to determine which one best meets professional needs.

A Quick Overview of Pixelmator and Adobe Lightroom

What is Pixelmator?

Pixelmator develops professional image editing software designed exclusively for macOS. Their flagship product, Pixelmator Pro, offers powerful tools and a user-friendly interface.

Pixelmator Pro includes AI-powered features like background masks and ML Enhance. Its deep integration with Mac technologies, such as iCloud and Apple Pencil, sets it apart from competitors.

What is Adobe Lightroom?

Adobe Lightroom is a product of Adobe Inc., a multinational computer software company known for its creative and multimedia software products. Adobe offers a suite of tools for graphic design, video editing, web development, and photography, with Lightroom being a key component for photographers and photo editors.

Lightroom's non-destructive editing allows users to make changes to photos without altering the original image. Its integration with Adobe Creative Cloud enables seamless synchronization across multiple devices, providing access to a comprehensive suite of Adobe tools.

Features of Pixelmator and Adobe Lightroom

Similarities

Pixelmator Pro and Adobe Lightroom share several key features that make them both powerful tools for photo editing and enhancement. Here are the most significant similarities:

• Non-destructive Editing: Both applications allow users to make changes without permanently altering the original image.
• RAW Photo Support: They support RAW photo editing, enabling photographers to work with high-quality image files.
• Color Adjustments: Extensive color adjustment tools, including brightness, contrast, exposure, and advanced color correction features, are available in both.
• Machine Learning Enhancements: Both utilize machine learning to enhance photos automatically and perform tasks like noise reduction and object removal.
• Cloud Integration: Both tools integrate with cloud services for easy access and storage of photos.

Differences

Pixelmator Pro and Adobe Lightroom each offer unique features that cater to different user needs. Here are the most significant differences between the two:

• Pixelmator Pro: Includes AI-powered background masks and vector masks, which are not available in Lightroom.
• Adobe Lightroom: Offers advanced photo organization and cataloging features, which Pixelmator lacks.
• Pixelmator Pro: Provides extensive painting and vector drawing tools, unlike Lightroom.
• Adobe Lightroom: Integrates seamlessly with Adobe Creative Cloud, offering a more comprehensive suite of tools.
• Pixelmator Pro: Is built exclusively for macOS, leveraging technologies like Metal and Core ML, while Lightroom is cross-platform.

User Interface and Usability

Pixelmator Pro's user interface is designed to be intuitive and customizable, featuring a workspace that can be tailored to individual needs. It includes movable sidebars for tools and layers, layer-based editing, and smart spacing guides. The user experience is enhanced by the software's accessibility and powerful features, making it suitable for both beginners and professionals. The integration of machine learning features simplifies complex tasks, while the customizable workspace ensures a smooth editing process.

Adobe Lightroom offers a streamlined interface with a focus on photo organization and editing. Its non-destructive editing allows users to make changes without altering the original image, and the integration with Adobe Creative Cloud provides seamless synchronization across devices. The user experience is geared towards photographers, with advanced photo organization and cataloging features. Lightroom's cross-platform availability enhances its usability, making it accessible on various devices.

Pixelmator Pro has a more customizable user interface, while Adobe Lightroom excels in photo organization and cross-platform usability.

Collaboration

Pixelmator Pro does not emphasize collaboration features, focusing instead on individual editing capabilities. While it supports iCloud Drive for file sharing and offers export options for various formats, it lacks real-time co-editing or shared project functionalities. Users can share layer styles and presets, but these features do not facilitate direct teamwork.

Adobe Lightroom, on the other hand, integrates collaborative tools more seamlessly. It offers shared albums, cloud storage, and real-time editing, allowing multiple users to work on the same project simultaneously. Additionally, Lightroom's integration with Adobe Creative Cloud enhances teamwork by providing shared libraries and version control.

Overall, Adobe Lightroom is better suited for collaboration than Pixelmator Pro.

Pixelmator and Adobe Lightroom Pricing

Pixelmator Pro is available for a one-time purchase of $49.99. This pricing model is straightforward, with no recurring subscription fees, making it a cost-effective option for users who prefer a single payment.

Adobe Lightroom offers various subscription plans, starting at NIS 35.00 per month for individuals. The Photography Plan, which includes Lightroom, Lightroom Classic, and Photoshop, also costs NIS 35.00 per month. For more comprehensive access, the Creative Cloud All Apps plan is NIS 205.00 per month.

Pixelmator Pro's one-time purchase model is more affordable in the long run compared to Adobe Lightroom's subscription-based pricing.

Comparing Pixelmator and Adobe Lightroom to Piktochart

Piktochart transforms complex ideas into captivating visuals that inform and engage your audience. With Piktochart AI, you can create stunning infographics, reports, and presentations in seconds, perfectly aligned with your brand. No design experience required.

Pros of Piktochart

• Ease of Use: Piktochart's intuitive drag-and-drop interface makes it accessible for users of all skill levels, eliminating the need for extensive design experience.
• Variety of Templates: The platform offers a wide range of professionally designed templates for infographics, presentations, flyers, posters, and reports, allowing users to create visually appealing content quickly.
• Content Repurposing: Piktochart's video editing tool enables users to transform long videos into customized bite-sized clips, complete with automatic subtitles and social media customization options.
• Customization Options: Users can easily change text properties, background colors, and aspect ratios, providing flexibility to tailor visuals to specific needs and branding guidelines.
• Continuous Improvement: Piktochart actively incorporates user feedback into its development process, ensuring that the platform evolves to meet the needs of its users.

Piktochart's Pricing

• Free: $0 (Free forever)
• Pro: $29 per member/month (billed monthly) or $14 per member/month (billed annually, save 52%)
• Business: $49 per member/month (billed monthly) or $24 per member/month (billed annually, save 52%)
• Enterprise: Custom Pricing (Contact for details)
• Campus: Custom Pricing (Minimum 3000 seats, contact for details)

What Are Others Saying?

Pixelmator Reviews

Overall, users have given Pixelmator a rating of 4.4 out of 5. While many appreciate its ease of use and cost-effectiveness, some find its design limitations and inadequate AI capabilities frustrating.

• "The app is good but lacks some advanced features found in other software." - John D., 3.5 out of 5
• "Expensive for what it offers, especially with limited font options." - Sarah M., 3.0 out of 5
• "AI tools are not as powerful as advertised." - Alex P., 3.8 out of 5

Find more of Pixelmator reviews on G2!

Adobe Lightroom Reviews

Adobe Lightroom has received mixed reviews, with users appreciating its features but finding the learning curve and subscription model frustrating. Overall, it has a rating of 4.6 out of 5.

• "My dislike about Adobe Photoshop Lightroom is it has very complicated names and titles which is very hard to understand for a beginner. Ease of use is not very good." - Vinit R., 3.5 out of 5
• "The major issue is its subscription model. It is needed to be paid on a monthly basis which becomes very costly. It would be very good if there would be a lifetime subscription. One more thing I have seen is that like Photoshop, we can't add unlimited layers. The layers here we can add are limited." - Kiran S., 3.0 out of 5
• "Some users are unhappy with Lightroom's subscription-based pricing and find the software resource-intensive, leading to performance issues with large catalogs or high-resolution images. The extensive features can be overwhelming for beginners, and while Lightroom offers selective editing tools, they may not be as powerful as those in Adobe Photoshop." - Nishant K., 3.8 out of 5

Find more of Adobe Lightroom reviews on G2!

Piktochart Reviews

Our users have given Piktochart an overall rating of 4.4 out of 5. They find the platform particularly useful for its ease of use, variety of templates, and customization options.

• "Piktochart is very easy and simple to use online graphics creation tool." - ASHESHWAR Y.
• "Piktochart offers good looking pre-built templates for creating graphics." - Jakub J.
• "Easily Create Social Images and Infographics to Boost Business Services." - Rachel L.

Find more of our reviews on G2!

Why choose one over the other?

Why a consumer might want to use Pixelmator over Adobe Lightroom:

• Pixelmator Pro is ideal for Mac users who want a cost-effective, one-time purchase solution with a comprehensive toolset for photo editing, graphic design, and painting. It's perfect for budget-conscious users and those who prefer software deeply integrated with macOS technologies.

Why a consumer might want to use Adobe Lightroom over Pixelmator:

• Adobe Lightroom is suited for professional photographers and photography enthusiasts who need advanced editing capabilities, cloud storage, and seamless integration with other Adobe Creative Cloud applications. It's ideal for those managing large photo libraries and requiring professional-grade presets and filters.

Why a consumer might want to use Piktochart over Adobe Lightroom and Pixelmator:

• Piktochart is perfect for communications professionals, educators, and marketers who need to create engaging visual content quickly and easily. Its user-friendly interface and variety of templates make it accessible for non-professional users who require effective visual storytelling tools.

Pixelmator, Adobe Lightroom, or Piktochart: Which is the best platform for you?

Whether you're a professional photographer, a graphic designer, or someone who needs to create stunning visuals effortlessly, there's a tool for you. While Pixelmator Pro and Adobe Lightroom offer powerful features for specific needs, we at Piktochart believe our platform's ease of use and versatility make it the best choice for anyone looking to transform complex ideas into captivating visuals. Give Piktochart a try and see how it can elevate your visual storytelling.