Mextures

Mextures is a photo-effects toolkit that combines an iOS editor with film presets, textures and shareable editing recipes. It best suits photographers and visual creators building layered, film-like images; it is less suited to workflows that need RAW or LOG conversion before applying looks.

Overview

Mextures centers on stacking textures and effects rather than serving as an all-purpose photo editor. Its adjustable iOS layers give users room to revise a look element by element, and Formula sharing makes those treatments easier to reuse. Desktop use is less straightforward: Console is free but in beta, and its maker warns that the current version crashes with the latest Photoshop and macOS Sonoma.

Key features

• Layer-based editing: The iOS app supports unlimited layers that can be moved, hidden, rotated and adjusted for opacity. That flexibility is useful when a single preset is too blunt, though it is specifically an effects workflow rather than a complete editing suite.
• Texture and preset collection: The iOS product includes more than 200 stackable textures, including grain, dust, light leaks and color gradients, along with 30 film presets and more than 300 professionally created Formulas. The range supports stylized images, but its emphasis is on texture and film character.
• Formula Manager: Users can import Formulas from other Mextures users and export their own. That makes it easier to share or reuse an effect recipe instead of rebuilding the same layered treatment from scratch.
• Desktop and video use: Console is a free Photoshop plugin, compatible with Photoshop CC 2016–2023 on Windows 10 or newer and macOS 11 or newer. Film Presets also work with Console, Lightroom CC 2021/2022, Final Cut Pro and Adobe Premiere, with software-specific versions requiring separate purchases. These presets are not conversion LUTs, so RAW or LOG footage must be normalized first; the current Console beta crash warning also makes it a cautious choice for desktop reliance.
• Usage rights: The terms allow texture use in personal projects and work for commercial or paid clients, but resale or redistribution requires written consent.

Pricing

Mextures is paid overall, with a free Console plugin and a paid iOS app. The app costs $1.99, paid once, with in-app purchases also offered. It is the lowest-cost route into the editor, but desktop purchases do not unlock iOS in-app purchases.

• X-Film Overlay Pack: $10 a month for 11 overlays at 4000 x 4000 pixels. It suits someone seeking a specific overlay pack rather than the full product collection.
• Mextures Yearly Membership: $89 a year, billed Per Year. It includes all products during the subscription, packs released during that subscription and beta Console access. The subscription framing means its all-product access is tied to the membership period.
• Mextures Lifetime Membership: $139 a month, billed Pay Once. It includes lifetime access to all Mextures products, future overlay and color-grade packs, with no yearly subscription. Its stated billing term is Pay Once, unlike the yearly plan.
• Console: free for the Photoshop plugin. It is the no-cost desktop option, but remains in beta and carries the current crash warning.

Film Presets require versions for the relevant software, which are separate purchases. No free trial is offered.

Platforms

Mextures lists iOS, macOS and Windows. The iOS editor is the layer-based app; Console is for Photoshop on supported Windows and macOS systems. The maker also names Lightroom CC 2021/2022, Final Cut Pro and Adobe Premiere as compatible with Film Presets, with separate software-specific versions required.

Who it's for

Mextures is a strong fit for photographers, filmmakers and designers making work where texture and film-like effects are part of the intended look. The maker’s use cases include landscape, portrait and macro photography, album art, matte painting, social media and blogs. It is less appropriate when the central need is broad image correction or direct RAW/LOG conversion.

Pros and cons

Pros

• Unlimited adjustable iOS layers allow individual effects to be revised instead of accepting a preset as a fixed result.
• More than 200 textures, 30 film presets and 300-plus Formulas provide a varied effects palette.
• Formula import and export support sharing and reusing custom looks.
• Commercial client use is permitted for the textures, while the free Console plugin offers a desktop entry point.

Cons

• Console is in beta and the current version crashes with the latest Photoshop and macOS Sonoma, limiting confidence in a desktop-first setup.
• Film Presets are not conversion LUTs; RAW and LOG footage needs normalization before their use.
• Software-specific Film Preset versions require separate purchases, and desktop purchases do not unlock iOS in-app purchases.
• Textures cannot be resold or redistributed without written consent.

Alternatives

Choose VSCO if a freemium option across web, iOS and Android with a 15-preset free Starter plan or a 200-plus preset Plus plan better fits your platform and preset needs.

Greater Than Gatsby is a better match for buyers seeking a large Lightroom preset bundle: its Complete Presets Bundle includes 641 presets for Lightroom CC and Classic CC, Camera Raw, Mac and PC.

Consider RNI Films for a freemium alternative available on Android, iOS, macOS and Windows.

Signature Edits may suit buyers who prefer one-time Lightroom preset collections, including a Clean & Classic collection at $59, paid once.

For a photographer-led preset toolkit, Visual Flow offers its B&W Mixer at $110, paid once.

Goodlight Presets is another paid alternative across Windows, macOS, iOS and Android.

Lumina Lightroom Presets offers a freemium option across Windows, macOS, iOS and Android.

PresetLove is a freemium alternative spanning web, Windows, macOS, iOS and Android.

For broader discovery, browse Photo Preset Libraries, Texture Libraries or Photo Editing Software.

Verdict

Choose Mextures if your priority is building distinctive, layered film-like effects in an iOS editor and sharing reusable Formula recipes. The breadth of textures and presets gives it a clear creative niche, but RAW/LOG normalization needs and Console’s beta crash issue are good reasons to look elsewhere for a dependable conversion or desktop-first workflow.