Services have been a big part of Apple’s business for the past few years. tens of billions of dollars in revenue Last year I was alone. Now, with the new Apple Creator Studio bundle, the company is further focusing on the professional creative software space.

apple creator studio You can package the company’s bunch of pro apps into one subscription service and pay monthly or yearly. It will be officially available starting January 28th and includes a 1-month free trial. The key change is that even though Apple continues to offer one-time purchases on the Mac, some of these apps are now subscription-only on the iPad, albeit with slightly different features. Here’s everything you need to know about Apple Creator Studio and the programs it includes.

What’s included in Apple Creator Studio

At its core, Apple Creator Studio provides subscribers with access to Apple’s professional video, music, and image apps. of Bundle includes Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, Pixelmator Pro, Motion, Compressor, and MainStage. Pixelmator Pro ( Apple will acquire at the end of 2024) also comes to iPad for the first time, adding a touch-optimized interface and support for Apple Pencil.

A Creator Studio subscription also gives you access to premium content and features within Apple’s productivity apps. Keynote, Pages, and Numbers remain free, but subscribers get access to premium templates and themes, plus a new content hub with Apple-curated photos, graphics, and illustrations. The company says similar paid features will be coming to Freeform later this year.

Apple is also using this bundle to introduce new “intelligence” features to several apps. Final Cut Pro’s new beat detection feature lets you analyze music tracks and display beat grids, so you can line-edit to rhythm. The app also adds tools like transcript search and visual search designed to help you find moments throughout your footage.

Logic Pro adds new AI-assisted session players and workflow features on Mac and iPad. Pixelmator Pro continues to rely heavily on machine learning for tasks like background removal, image restoration, and image upscaling. Please note that some of these features require an Apple Intelligence enabled device.

Supported devices

Apple Creator Studio works on multiple Apple platforms, but not all apps are available everywhere.

On Mac, subscribers have access to all six apps: Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, Pixelmator Pro, Motion, Compressor, and MainStage.

iPad includes Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, and Pixelmator Pro. Motion, Compressor, and MainStage remain Mac-only.

Creator Studio on iPhone does not include full versions of Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, or Pixelmator Pro. In return, you’ll unlock premium features and content within Keynote, Pages, Numbers, and eventually Freeform.

Apple says the best experience is on macOS 26, iPadOS 26, iOS 26 or later, and individual app requirements vary by device and chip.

Pricing and subscription options

apple creator studio It costs $12.99 per month or $129 per year, and new subscribers can try the service for free for one month. Significant discounts are available for college students and educators. Education plans cost $2.99 ​​per month or $29.99 per year and include a 1-month free trial.

Standard subscriptions can be shared with up to 5 other users using Family Sharing for a total of 6 users. Educational subscriptions are for personal use only and cannot be shared. Apple is also offering three months of Creator Studio free to customers who purchase an eligible new Mac or iPad before or after launch.

However, Creator Studio isn’t the only place where you can access most of these apps. According to Apple, all major apps included in Creator Studio will continue to be available as one-time purchases in the Mac App Store.

Final Cut Pro remains priced at $299.99, Logic Pro at $199.99, Pixelmator Pro at $49.99, Motion at $49.99, Compressor at $49.99, and MainStage at $29.99. Users who already own these apps can continue to use them and re-download them from the App Store as usual.

However, things are different on the iPad. Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, and Pixelmator Pro for iPad are available only through a Creator Studio subscription. With iPadOS, there is no option to purchase these apps standalone.

Keynote, Pages, Numbers, and Freeform are still free for everyone to download and use. Apple says these apps will continue to receive updates, including visual design changes related to iOS 26 and iPadOS 26.

You can create, edit, and collaborate in these apps without a Creator Studio subscription. What’s not available are paid templates, Content Hub assets, and certain intelligence features.

What happens to my project if I cancel?

Apple says that projects and content created with an active subscription are still licensed as part of the original work.

Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, and Pixelmator Pro projects remain on your device and can be copied or shared elsewhere. However, you need an active subscription to open and edit projects in these paid apps.

Keynote, Pages, Numbers, and Freeform documents can be edited without a subscription. However, once your subscription ends, you will no longer be able to make new edits that rely on paid features.

More information about the Apple Creator Studio app bundle

Apple Creator Studio also has some immediate tradeoffs. In addition to the bundle, Apple has confirmed that the old Pixelmator app for iPhone and iPad, now called Pixelmator Classic, will not receive updates. Apple says it will still work, but development has moved to Pixelmator Pro, including the new iPad version included in Creator Studio.

However, don’t expect the standalone version of your app to maintain feature parity with its Creator Studio counterpart. around Apple FAQ“The Apple Creator Studio version of Pixelmator Pro includes access to the Warp Tool feature” means this feature is not present in the standalone version.

More broadly, this bundle puts Apple in more direct competition with Adobe and other subscription-centric creative platforms, especially for users looking for a cheaper monthly entry point. At the same time, Apple is considering a one-time purchase for Mac users, even though access to the iPad is moving to a subscription.

Apple Creator Studio will be available on January 28th. Whether it makes sense will probably depend on what device you’ll be working with and whether you’ll be paying upfront for one or more of Apple’s pro apps.