# Photomator – Photo Editor — user reviews > 1,585 indexed App Store user reviews of Photomator by Apple Inc., rated 4.50/5 from 3,742 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/photomator-photo-editor/id1444636541/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/photomator-photo-editor/id1444636541.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 3,008 · 4★ 303 · 3★ 131 · 2★ 69 · 1★ 231 ## What do users think of Photomator? Overall sentiment: positive **Pros** - 👍 Intuitive and easy to use - 🚀 Fast and responsive - 🎨 Powerful editing tools - 💡 Great integration with Apple Photos - 🎨 Excellent machine learning features - 🔒 Seamless sync across devices **Cons** - 🐛 Occasional crashes and bugs - 🔍 Limited file management options - 🔍 Lack of selective editing tools - 🔍 Missing advanced features like layers, masking, and video editing - 💰 Subscription model concerns **Commonly reported bugs** - Pixelated images after editing - Crashes when trying to edit large RAW files - Issues with saving and exporting edited photos **Most requested features** - Add selective editing tools like brushes, gradients, and luminosity masks - Improve file management and integration with external storage - Implement more advanced editing features like layers, text, and frames - Add noise reduction and lens correction tools - Provide better batch processing and export options ## Newest reviews (15 of 1,585) ### 2/5 — Files view *2026-09-01, version 3.4.15* I keep my pictures in files not pictures and the file view is not great. We can only see a very small icon. Why not having the option to show the pictures in that folder as it is in picture folder? ### 2/5 — Could be good *2026-08-31, version 3.4.15* If Apple actually did something with it then it could be good, but I have owned this for a year now and not one serious update. If you don’t want Lightroom then just get Dark Table. This isn’t it, maybe one day it will be. ### 4/5 — Fujifilm Profiles *2026-08-22, version 3.4.14* Please Add Fujifilm Camera Profiles and Simulations ### 4/5 — Just about the perfect development tool for the iPhone *2026-08-05, version 3.4.14* I just want to talk about one thing, and that’s image saving. If I process a PNG file, and then hit Done, my original is overwritten as a JPEG. Why not save the changes to the original format? If I process a RAW file and hit Done, once again, I get a JPEG. Why can’t I set a default save format? I know I can just use Export and the problem is solved, except I have to hit Cancel and throw away my edits or put up with my image being converted to a JPEG again. That’s what I call a clumsy workflow. Anyway, it’s coming up on the annual renewal time, so I’m trying to decide on what to do. ### 3/5 — Buy to kill *2026-08-04, version 3.4.14* Another Apple acquisition. Bought to kill. In the past 1.5 years, the major update (few and very far between) headline: “bug fixes and performance improvements!” Don’t take my word for it. Please read the update history. If Apple still charges for a subscription, then they should really tell people if this thing has any future or not. Most of their productivity and creativity apps were recently updated for OS27, including the integration of AI. Crickets on Photometer. Shame. ### 2/5 — Photomator *2026-08-04, version 3.4.14* This app is hardly a photo editing powerhouse, can’t imagine why Apple thought it was a good idea to buy it!?! I’m currently looking for something to replace it! ### 4/5 — mr *2026-07-27, version 3.4.14* Its great, the only problem I seem to have is to be able to save them to a file on my desktop. The only way is to export. It would be easier if I could just click save and have a choice. ### 4/5 — Gut aber noch unvollständig *2026-07-19, version 3.4.14* Insgesamt eine tolle App die eine wirklich vielversprechende Alternative zu Lightroom bietet. Essenzielle Dinge die hier aber Fehlen: 1. Profilkorrekturen für verschiedene Kameras. 2. Flaggen / Bewertungssystem von Fotos. 3. eine transformationsmöglichkeit zu JPGs. 4. Anwendung von Foto- /Druckprofilen. ### 4/5 — Please Apple *2026-07-17, version 3.4.14* The app is great but not great enough to beat LRC, it has so much potential ### 1/5 — Broken *2026-07-15, version 3.4.14* Bought this subscription recently and it was running fine-all of a sudden it won’t acknowledge the subscription (would be good if you could actually get help or assistance from apple for the products they sell). The active subscription is listed in my apple account. Still not working. Not impressed. ### 2/5 — Export is damaged *2026-07-15, version 3.4.14* When I bought it its very good, but a while back every exported photo has lower quality being quite pixelated and stuff. ### 1/5 — Very disappointing for several reasons (getting yelled at for returning c *2026-07-13, version 3.4.14* And so confused why it’s not included in this new “amazing” creator studio package. What’s the point. I never post bad reviews unless they really do deserve them. ### 2/5 — Could be good *2026-07-11, version 3.4.14* It has good features, the removal tools and workflows are nice. However it’s odd we can’t set kelvin values for the temperature, just relatively moving the slider per photo. It would be nice as that one time license alternative to LR, but it’s not quite there. ### 1/5 — no vale la pena *2026-07-10, version 3.4.14* te quiere cobrar cuando antes era gratis ### 2/5 — Falta recursos de IA *2026-07-10* O aplicativo é fantástico, faz sinto falta de recursos de IA, principalmente na borracha. Também não vejo sentido o aplicativo não estar incluso no Apple Studio. ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — Good Tools, Bad Owner *2026-08-28, version 3.4.15* Do not but this software. It was headed in a wonderful direction and the Apple chose to purchase and put it to pasture. It’s what they do. ### 1/5 — Batch Export Not Supported *2026-08-27, version 3.4.15* Not being able to batch export photos makes this app pretty useless. Hard to figure it out the hard way. ### 1/5 — Was an interesting product *2026-08-21, version 3.4.14* This seemed to have real potential but no news is well, no news, not included in latest fund raiser package so assume no interest from Apple in investing in their purchase so assume EOL it’s a dead duck ### 1/5 — Something has changed *2026-08-09, version 3.4.14* I loved this app, then al of a sudden its stopped working. It’s taking hours to apply workflows, it then doesn’t apply changes. I have been using the same camera since installing the app (Canon). On a side note it doesn’t work with Nikon raw. I was on a shoot with a friend recommended the app to find their camera wasn’t supported. I think I need to go back to Adobe (which pains me). This app just isn’t a viable competitor at present. I really hope apple get this sorted as it has so much promise. ### 1/5 — THIS IS NOT FREE *2026-08-08, version 3.4.14* PLEASE REMOVE FROM FREE TIER ### 1/5 — This app destroys HDR images. *2026-08-05, version 3.4.14* I bought this app specifically to edit HDR images taken with my iPhone 17 Pro. What I have discovered is a major flaw that makes it impossible to share any images that have been processed in the app. If I share a HDR image, directly and without any editing, through a platform such as WhatsApp, then the conversion to SDR is done correctly and the image looks fine on any SDR device receiving the image. If I edit the image in Photomator, making even the tiniest adjustment, and then either share or export it, no matter which file type I pick, HDR or SDR, and then try and share it in the same manner, the resulting image has tone mapping and saturation mapping that is completely wrong. I can see no way to fix this. ### 1/5 — NOT GOOD *2026-08-03, version 3.4.14* Trash. I was expecting much better performance, especially running on an M2 Max, but this software struggles with RAW files larger than 50MP. Browsing, loading, and editing high-resolution images feels sluggish, making it frustrating to use for professional workflows. The biggest issue, though, is a really annoying bug in the Curves tool. Every time I make an adjustment, the panel or slider scrolls back up on its own. This constantly interrupts the editing process, forcing me to keep scrolling back to where I was instead of focusing on the image. It completely breaks the workflow and makes precise adjustments far more difficult than they should be. Devs make sure the scroll bars don’t interfere with the tools… For software that's supposed to handle professional photo editing, these kinds of performance issues and UI bugs are unacceptable. Until these problems are fixed, I can't recommend it. ### 1/5 — So sick of endless subscriptions *2026-07-22, version 3.4.14* Had Pixelmator and Photomator on my iPad for years and now they are either discontinued or now cost a fortune..so sad that overpriced hardware and Apple One subscriptions mean absolutely nothing when you want to simply edit an image on an Apple device anymore. ### 1/5 — Nothing special *2026-07-21, version 3.4.14* I wanted to use a tool to stitch photos and wanted to test it but I failed to unsubscribe so was charged with one year subscription for a too I did not need. All it can do you can do with GIMP as well. Lessons learned no to test apps which require payment before even evaluating it if it gives any value. ### 1/5 — Exceptionally annoying. Scam style subscription model. *2026-07-15, version 3.4.14* 1. Be careful with the subscription. I signed up for a free trial to test the app and ended up getting charged $30 for a program I used exactly once. 2. For some strange reason, you cannot swipe to the next photo while in editing mode. On top of that, I constantly find myself accidentally applying an awful preset, and undoing it is so clunky that it's actually easier to exit the photo and open it again. This completely ruins the workflow and is highly frustrating. 3. If you take multiple photos with different exposures, the app can't merge them into an HDR image. It simply doesn't have this capability. ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — The ease of use is wonderful *2026-08-17, version 3.4.14* I’ve been looking for an alternative to Lightroom for a while… simply because I’m new at editing and the learning curve for Lightroom can be pretty intense. Photomator does everything I need and more, in a much less complicated way. This is definitely beginner friendly and very powerful ### 5/5 — Just what I need for an iPad workflow *2026-08-15, version 3.4.14* I used to use Lightroom but the catalogues libraries are just way too messy and as a iPad primary user Photomator really does work in my workflow. I use it for photographing products and also editing my 35 mm. scans. There are some things that I wish the iPad version did which the desktop version can do unfortunately I don’t have a personal laptop to better use those features but saying that even iPad photometer just does everything you need if you’re wanting to make adjustments and that it’s still photos and the fact that it works with Apple photos in terms of having a single source of truth of a photo rather than lots of different versions everywhere that you would have with Lightroom is it just works well for me? I would recommend this. Get the trial version. ### 5/5 — THIS APP SAVED MY CAREER *2026-08-07, version 3.4.14* THANKYOU ### 5/5 — Escaped the mainstream *2026-07-23, version 3.4.14* Finally made the jump from Adobe. Photomator has all of the tools I used in LrC. Greatly appreciate that the AI (or ML) is not thrust upon us but is available as a tool if we so choose. Couple that with the lower price point and ability to purchase lifetime, I’ve found a match made in heaven. ### 5/5 — Good Bye Lightroom *2026-07-16, version 3.4.14* Great tool no longer need Lightroom ### 5/5 — 好用的照片调整工具 *2026-07-07* 使用逻辑很自然，作为手机上的照片处理软件很不错了 ### 5/5 — Outstanding Performance *2026-06-24, version 3.4.14* outstanding photo editing App of the market. ### 5/5 — Lightroom for Apple *2026-06-19, version 3.4.14* Been looking for a Lightroom replacement for a good while now, apps like Luminar neo showed promise, but lacked editing consistency, most photos turned out the same due to there overly simplified editing and colour options. Photomator gives you all the sliders you’ll need to professionally colour grade your photos. Why move away from Lightroom? A Monthly subscription to Lightroom will give you a year access to this platform. Kinda a no brainer. Mind you the masking options Lightroom offers are critical, but for casual photographers, snapping adventure photos on there phone, this is perfect ### 5/5 — It feels intuitive *2026-06-16, version 3.4.14* As a new photo editor, I was so pleased to be able to jump in and just start editing. I found it to be very easy to get some amazing results. The price, yearly, is great at $30. ### 5/5 — 자르기 탭이 계속 닫혀요 *2026-06-15, version 3.4.14* 2~5초있다가 반복해서 닫힙니다 --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-09-08.*