Pixelmator vs Gimp: Comparison and Review – Guide
Which is the best GIMP or Pixelmator Pro? To find the perfect graphic design software product, you need to compare a large number of solutions and identify the best software for your specific needs. Our unique algorithm offers a quick look at the overall ratings of GIMP and Pixelmator Pro. For overall quality and performance, GIMP had a score of 9.3, while Pixelmator Pro had a score of 8.6. On the other hand, for user satisfaction, GIMP scored 96%, while Pixelmator Pro scored 95%.
Pixelmator gives a much better first impression
First impressions are not everything, but they can offer some valuable insights. In the case of Pixelmator vs. Gimp, it’s not even an issue: Pixelmator makes a much better first impression for several reasons. Pixelmator loads in seconds like any other application should, while Gimp has an archaic loading screen and, as a result, takes a long time to load into a modern Mac application. However, if you are already used to using Photoshop, you may not see this as a problem, as Photoshop itself is not exactly winning any race either. It doesn’t just speed up: Pixelmator’s design is nothing short of beautiful. If you have no experience in the graphic design or photography departments, Gimp is extremely intimidating. It looks like someone threw up a series of photography and design tools on their computer screen in 2004 and never cleaned them up. Gimp offers many options at the same time and allows you to play in the sandbox, while Pixelmator is much cleaner, modern and sophisticated, and presents a great contrast in design approaches. Pixelmator elegantly presents the tools you are most likely to need and allows you to search for others if you need them. Another sensitive point: the performance of Gimp. Something as simple as making a magic wand selection on my MacBook Air takes seconds to load. In Pixelmator with the same photo loaded, it’s instant. The same situation occurs with tools that consume a lot of energy, such as heal, which is very slow in Gimp.
Gimp is Feature-Packed, but Pixelmator tends to outperform
Previously, I mentioned that Gimp looks like a random mashup of tools on your screen. Believe it or not, for some people, especially the most demanding perfectionists among us, this can be useful. Gimp doesn’t just have a blur tool, it has six different types of blur. It has not only Gaussian blur, it has a blur radius, horizontal and vertical, and a blur method. This is the case across the board. Even something as simple as the bucket / fill tool has fill types, affected area options, transparency options, modes, colors, patterns and limits to play with. It’s easy to see how advanced photo editors and designers would have a field day. In Pixelmator, the Gaussian blur is the Gaussian blur. That’s it. Finished. You can adjust the intensity, but that’s it. Yes, there are other types of blur, but in addition to one or two sliders, this is all the adjustment you can use. The bucket / filler tool does exactly as advertised. Drag outside the clicked point to adjust the tolerance for the surrounding area, but that is all you will get. Pixelmator is less than a pleasant experience for users who want complete control, instead of letting the application do the work. Here’s the problem: Pixelmator has a tendency to outperform Gimp in almost every area anyway. Yes, Gimp can have 20 different ways to blur all or part of an image, but Pixelmator still manages to produce a better result. Gimp’s smudge tool is a pixelated mess, no matter what option I set, but his opponent was silky smooth. Good rendering is especially important if you want to share or upload photos, as compression can distort an image even more. I know these are small examples in two very capable applications, but the experience in various tools and filters is very consistent. For a long time, the iPhone camera was widely regarded as the best on a smartphone, despite having virtually no customization options. Android had settings for brightness, exposure, digital zoom, filters and more, and still couldn’t compete. In this scenario, Gimp is Android camera and Pixelmator is the iPhone camera. Of course, the two apps share many similarities. Both feature all needs like layers, selection tools, text tools, filters, channels, brushes, window alternators, etc. Of the two, Gimp has more to offer, but Pixelmator is generally better at what it does. It is not that Gimp is a terrible photo editor; with a lot of effort, your tools can produce desirable results. It even offers and encourages plugins, which Pixelmator does not offer. It is simply that a task that takes a click or two to complete in Pixelmator usually takes two or three times as much work in Gimp.
Both offer excellent value based on price
It’s hard to go wrong with Pixelmator or Gimp, especially when it comes to price. If prices were the same, the winner would be Pixelmator for a very large gap. You may not be able to display the extensive list of features that Gimp can, but it can certainly boast of its crucial performance advantage and better overall graphics rendering. However, the Pixelmator costs $ 29.99. I usually see it on sale on the Mac App Store for just $ 14.99, but for all intents and purposes, it costs $ 30. The Gimp costs $ 30 less than that – so it’s free. Photoshop has a lot of everything and it works very well, but Pixelmator has an adequate amount of everything and it still works well. In addition, Pixelmator is extremely cheaper. Gimp, like Photoshop, has a lot of everything – however, Gimp doesn’t work well often. If you have $ 29.99, spend on Pixelmator. It is worth your money. Of course, you can save up to get a professional photo editor, but spend it and you’ll have a fantastic one in almost every way. It all comes down to your priorities and how much you depend on a solid photo editor. Whether it’s a fanfare or a focused investment, you won’t regret buying Pixelmator.
Final note
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