Acorn evaluate: Highly effective photo-editing software at a remarkably reasonably priced worth

At a look

Skilled’s Score

Professionals

• Discount worth
• No subscriptions required
• Highly effective modifying instruments
• Common app for Intel/Apple Silicon

Cons

• Not a lot assist for freshmen
• Requires macOS 14 or later

Our Verdict

People who find themselves new to photo-editing might favor an app that gives a bit extra assist and steering to get them began, however Acorn gives a wide range of highly effective modifying instruments at a worth that’s onerous to beat. In addition to photo-editing, the app additionally consists of some helpful vector graphics instruments, together with exact typographical controls – and only a sprinkling of AI as nicely.

Worth When Reviewed

This worth will present the geolocated pricing textual content for product undefined

Finest Pricing Right now

Worth When Reviewed

$29.99

Finest Costs Right now: Acorn

With an increasing number of software program instruments requiring month-to-month subscription funds it’s at all times good to see apps similar to Acorn that merely cost a one-time payment that means that you can preserve and use the app for so long as you need. Acorn was already sitting on our checklist of the greatest photo-editors for the Mac, and the newest model, Acorn 8 was not too long ago listed by Apple as a Finalist for the 2025 App Retailer Awards. The worth on the App Retailer is $29.99/£29.99, however you can too obtain Acorn 8 from the builders Flying Meat, and that model affords a 14-day free trial so to take an excellent have a look at the app earlier than shopping for it. 

Acorn 8 is a common binary that runs on Intel Macs or Apple Silicon, however you do want macOS 14 or later to run it correctly. In the event you’re utilizing Tahoe (macOS 26) then Acorn 8 offers you the selection of utilizing its conventional ‘basic’ interface or switching to the brand new Liquid Glass look as an alternative. However if you happen to’re utilizing an older model of the macOS then there’s an archive of earlier variations of Acorn nonetheless out there which you can attempt so as to see how they run in your Mac – though, after all, these gained’t embrace the newest options which might be out there in Acorn 8.

Flying Meat

Acorn 8 definitely affords good worth for cash, because it consists of spectacular vary of photo-editing instruments that may match a lot of its costlier rivals. There’s a easy palette on the left-hand aspect of the principle modifying window – often called the Canvas – which gives fast entry to an ordinary set of modifying instruments, together with rectangular, elliptical and freeform Choice instruments, and a Magic Wand for robotically choosing areas by color. And, in addition to a traditional Crop software, Acorn additionally features a Perspective Repair choice for cropping photographs which have perspective or distortion issues. 

You should utilize the Paint or Pencil instruments to sketch in a number of particulars of your individual, however Acorn additionally consists of some helpful vector graphics instruments for drawing shapes similar to rectangles, ovals and arrows. Model 8 launched a brand new Polygon software that means that you can freely create multi-sided shapes, and there’s a Bezier Pen for extra skilled artists who need to create easy illustrations by hand. Choosing any of those instruments prompts a second palette on the right-hand aspect of the Canvas, which gives extra controls for every software, similar to exact typographic controls for the Textual content instruments, or the power to regulate the scale and magnificence of the Paint brush so as to create completely different brush results. 

Flying Meat

As you’d anticipate, there’s an intensive collection of filters and results that you need to use to enliven your photographs and, after all, there are new AI options as nicely. Acorn 8 doesn’t go overboard with its use of AI, nevertheless it does present a Tremendous Decision upscaling characteristic that may enhance the scale and backbone of smaller photographs with out shedding readability or particulars.

There’s additionally an AI Choose Topic software that robotically selects the foreground topic in a photograph and means that you can raise it away from the background. This works very well, rapidly and simply lifting out detailed parts from a photograph or, alternatively, you need to use the Masks Topic software to reverse this course of and fully take away the background whereas leaving the foreground topic by itself.

Most of those instruments are fast and simple to make use of, however utilizing extra superior options, similar to masks and layers, does reveal the one weak spot of Acorn 8. The app does appear to be aimed toward extra skilled customers, and there’s not a lot assist inside the program for people who find themselves new to photo-editing work. There are intensive Assist recordsdata on the Acorn web site, in addition to some video tutorials, however these usually simply bombard you with lengthy lists of options with out explaining how they work – so if you happen to don’t already understand how the brand new LUT characteristic works (Look Up Tables) then Acorn’s Assist recordsdata gained’t enlighten you very a lot.

Rivals similar to Photoshop Parts do a greater job of serving to new customers with its step-by-step Guided Edits. However, after all, Photoshop Parts is much more costly – and now requires a subscription as nicely – so Acorn 8 remains to be glorious worth for cash, particularly for knowledgeable customers who can dive straight in and profit from its highly effective instruments.

Ought to You Purchase Acorn 8?

We’d prefer to see Acorn present extra assist for freshmen, nevertheless it’s onerous to criticise an app that gives so many highly effective photo-editing instruments at such a aggressive worth. Acorn 8 will significantly attraction to individuals who have already got some expertise of photo-editing work and wish highly effective instruments with out the endless value of Adobe’s Artistic Cloud subscriptions.