Acorn

Acorn is a full-featured image editor for the Mac: layers and layer styles, non-destructive filters, masks, selection tools, shapes, text on a path and a complete brush engine. If you come from the big suites, the essentials are all here — just leaner, faster and without the weight of a monthly licence.

Day to day it covers both ends: a quick fix to a screenshot as readily as serious photo retouching, compositing or web graphics. Built-in gradient, curves and levels tools, batch processing and export to every common format (including ready-made app icon sets) make it a genuine workhorse.

Flying Meat has sold Acorn as a one-time purchase for over fifteen years. You pay once, get updates within the major version and keep the app — whether or not you open it next month.

Why no subscription? Image editing is a craft tool. Owning it should mean keeping it — without your own files becoming hostages to a rental fee.