Freedom251 › Photo Editing Software
Acorn
by Acorn
What Acorn is
Acorn is a paid image editor for macOS, made by Acorn, a maker founded in 2003 and based north of Seattle, Washington. It supports RAW photos, layers, masks, batch editing, and AI retouching, along with non-destructive curves, levels, filters, selections, vector shapes, and photo tools. Machine-learning features provide subject selection, background removal, and Super Resolution resizing. Acorn says image operations stay on the Mac rather than going to the cloud or across the network. It imports formats including JPEG, PNG, HEIF, WebP, GIF, TIFF, PSD, PDF, RAW, SVG, and JPEG-XL, and exports many of these formats. Automation works through Apple Shortcuts, Automator, AppleScript, JavaScript, and custom plugins. Data Merge can use CSV data for text and image fields. Acorn 8 costs 29.99 USD as a one-time purchase, includes updates within version 8, and requires macOS 14 or later. A 14-day trial requires no payment or information and adds a watermark afterward.
Who it suits
Acorn suits Mac users needing layered, RAW-capable editing with masking, batch tools, and local processing. It also fits workflows that use Apple automation or custom plugins.
What it does well
- RAW photo support
- Layer editing and masking tools
- Batch editing included
- AI subject selection and background removal
- One-time purchase
What to know first
- Mac-only software
- Requires macOS 14 or later
- No cloud sync
- Trial adds a watermark afterward
Plans
| Plan | Billed and limits | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Acorn 8 | One-time purchase; updates within version 8 are included. · For Mac only · macOS 14 or later | $29.99, paid once |
As secure.flyingmeat.net lists them, read 11 Oct 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.
Verdict
Acorn offers broad desktop editing, automation, and local image processing in a Mac-only package. The one-time license and trial provide clear purchase paths, while cloud sync is not included.
Facts from Acorn's own pages
- AI features
- Acorn offers machine-learning subject selection, background removal, and Super Resolution image resizing. · secure.flyingmeat.net, 11 Oct 2026
- AI retouching
- Yes · secure.flyingmeat.net, 20 Sept 2026
- Automation
- Acorn supports Apple Shortcuts, Automator, AppleScript, and JavaScript automation, and can run custom plugins. · secure.flyingmeat.net, 11 Oct 2026
- Batch editing
- Yes · secure.flyingmeat.net, 20 Sept 2026
- Cloud sync
- No · secure.flyingmeat.net, 20 Sept 2026
- Data merge
- Its Data Merge feature imports a CSV file to populate text and image fields across a project. · secure.flyingmeat.net, 11 Oct 2026
- Editing tools
- It supports non-destructive curves, levels, filters, layer masks, selections, vector shapes, and photo retouching tools. · secure.flyingmeat.net, 11 Oct 2026
- File formats
- Acorn can import formats including JPEG, PNG, HEIF, WebP, GIF, TIFF, PSD, PDF, RAW, SVG, and JPEG-XL, and export formats including JPEG, PNG, GIF, TIFF, WebP, PSD, PDF, SVG, and JPEG-XL. · secure.flyingmeat.net, 11 Oct 2026
- Founded
- 2003 · secure.flyingmeat.net, 28 Sept 2026
- Free plan
- No · secure.flyingmeat.net, 20 Sept 2026
- Headquarters
- North of Seattle, Washington, USA · secure.flyingmeat.net, 28 Sept 2026
- Image privacy
- Acorn states that it does not transmit images to the cloud or over the network and performs operations locally on the Mac. · secure.flyingmeat.net, 11 Oct 2026
- Layer editing
- Yes · secure.flyingmeat.net, 20 Sept 2026
- Maker
- Flying Meat Inc. is a privately held independent software company just north of Seattle, founded in 2003 by Gus Mueller. · secure.flyingmeat.net, 11 Oct 2026
- Masking tools
- Yes · secure.flyingmeat.net, 20 Sept 2026
- Photoshop compatibility
- Acorn can open PSD images and preserve layers when possible, but Photoshop styles and editable text are not supported. · secure.flyingmeat.net, 11 Oct 2026
- Platform
- desktop · secure.flyingmeat.net, 20 Sept 2026
- Platform requirement
- Acorn 8 requires macOS 14 or later and is a universal binary for Apple Silicon Macs. · secure.flyingmeat.net, 11 Oct 2026
- Product
- Acorn is an image editor for macOS. · secure.flyingmeat.net, 11 Oct 2026
- Purchase model
- Acorn is sold as a one-time license, with updates within the purchased major version included; major version upgrades have historically been paid and optional. · secure.flyingmeat.net, 11 Oct 2026
- RAW photo support
- Yes · secure.flyingmeat.net, 20 Sept 2026
- Support
- The maker directs Acorn bug reports to its in-app bug reporter and offers email support and user forums. · secure.flyingmeat.net, 11 Oct 2026
- Trial
- The free trial lasts 14 days, requires no payment or information, and adds a watermark after the trial ends. · secure.flyingmeat.net, 11 Oct 2026
Where Acorn stands on Freedom251
- Photo Editing Software#140 of 160