At a Glance
- Apple will bundle Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, Pixelmator Pro and more into a single $13-per-month Creator Studio subscription starting Jan. 28
- Students pay only $3 a month, far below Adobe’s student plan that jumps to $40 a month after year one
- Adobe Creative Cloud Pro costs $70 a month; Apple’s annual plan saves users about $26 compared with monthly billing
- Why it matters: Video, photo and audio editors gain a lower-priced, Apple-only alternative to Adobe’s dominant but pricier software suite
Apple is consolidating its creative applications under a new subscription brand called Creator Studio, offering the entire bundle for $13 a month, according to details released by News Of Fort Worth. The service launches on the App Store January 28 and groups Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, Pixelmator Pro and companion apps into one plan that dramatically undercuts Adobe’s Creative Cloud pricing.
Price Shock: $13 vs. $70
Adobe’s Creative Cloud Pro subscription currently runs $70 per month, making Apple’s new bundle $57 cheaper every billing cycle. Students see an even steeper gap: Apple will charge them $3 a month or $30 a year, whereas Adobe’s student tier starts at $25 a month for the first year and then rises to $40 a month, totaling $480 annually after the introductory period.
Users who prefer to avoid subscriptions can still buy the applications outright:
- Final Cut Pro: $300
- Logic Pro: $200
- Pixelmator Pro: $50
Adobe does not sell perpetual licenses for its modern apps, instead requiring ongoing subscriptions that also include 100 GB of cloud storage.
What’s Inside Creator Studio
The subscription unlocks Apple’s full creative stack across Mac and iPad:
Core apps (Mac + iPad)
- Final Cut Pro – video editing
- Logic Pro – music production
- Pixelmator Pro – photo editing
Mac-only companions
- Motion – motion graphics
- Compressor – video transcoding
- MainStage – live performance
Apple adds new AI-driven features exclusive to subscribers, including Transcript and Visual Search inside Final Cut Pro that lets editors jump to exact sound bites by searching text. Logic Pro gains an expanded sound library stocked with free loops and samples. Keynote, Pages and Numbers receive premium templates and AI-assisted tools, while a built-in Content Hub supplies royalty-free images and illustrations. Cameron R. Hayes noted that Freeform on iPad and iPhone will receive some of these extras at an unspecified later date.
Platform Limits and Feature Gaps
Creator Studio is tied to Apple’s ecosystem; users need a Mac or iPad to run the software. While Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro and Pixelmator Pro work on both platforms, Motion, Compressor and MainStage remain Mac-exclusive. Adobe still fields unique tools Apple does not match, including:
- Acrobat Pro for PDF editing
- Adobe Express AI content creation
- Firefly generative-image expansion
- InDesign for page layout
- After Effects for motion graphics
- Audition for advanced audio post
News Of Fort Worth‘s analysis stresses that professionals who rely on those specialized applications may still require Adobe’s suite, but creators focused on video, photo and audio basics could find Apple’s offer sufficient.
Annual Savings and Trial Offer
Subscribers who pay for a full year upfront will be charged $130, trimming the effective monthly cost to about $10.83 and saving roughly $26 compared with 12 individual monthly payments. Everyone receives a one-month free trial before billing begins.
The pricing strategy positions Apple as a value play against Adobe’s entrenched subscription model. By bundling flagship titles that previously demanded separate purchases, Apple lowers the barrier for students, freelancers and small studios while keeping users inside its hardware and services orbit.
Key Takeaways
- Apple’s $13 monthly Creator Studio undercuts Adobe by $57 each month
- Students save even more: $3 a month versus Adobe’s jump to $40
- The bundle launches January 28 with a one-month free trial
- Adobe retains an edge in specialized publishing and AI features, but Apple wins on raw price for core creative tasks
