January 25, 2011

Pixelmator Grosses $1 Million on the Mac App Store

I am ecstatic to announce that Pixelmator grossed a gigantic $1 million on the Mac App Store. And that happened in only 20 short days.

What is even better is that the app is getting rave reviews on the Mac App Store (4.5 stars with over 275 ratings on the US store, 5 stars with over 128 ratings in the UK, and 4.5 stars with over 129 ratings in Germany). And, thanks to the Mac App Store, more people than ever are choosing to download Pixelmator.

Such an amazing success feels fantastic. Thank you so much for your enthusiastic support.

We can’t wait to hit your Macs and the Mac App Store shelves with the hot new updates (1.6.5, 1.7 Geneva and the outstanding Pixelmator 2.0) that are currently in the works.

Comments

Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.

  • Jonas

    Wow, that’s awesome! Congrats! Should give you some spare change for a bottle of champagne to celebrate. πŸ˜‰ I hope this solidifies some great forthcoming releases to strengthen your position as THE lightweight graphics & photo editor for Mac. πŸ™‚

    13 years ago
  • Manny

    I’m interested to know what Pixelmator grossed prior to the Mac store.

    13 years ago
  • James

    I agree w/Jonas: 1) congtrats and 2) I hope this solidifies some great forthcoming releases and greater app stability. You can probably now afford to hire on a few developers to help πŸ™‚ congrats again!

    13 years ago
  • William Allbrook

    Just brilliant! Well done you guys….but don’t let it go to your heads! It is quite an achievement to take on Adobe and others and make progress and a real name for yourselves.

    13 years ago
  • StuFF mc

    Holly molly! Amazing. Congratulations guys. You so much deserves it!

    13 years ago
  • Roman Degtyarev

    You deserve it! Congratulations! And thank you for such an amazing work. Cannot wait to Pixelmator 2.0.

    13 years ago
  • Leon

    Well done Pixelmator people, this is richly deserved for making such an excellent piece of software. πŸ™‚

    13 years ago
  • Dan Engel

    Congratulations. What awesome results!

    13 years ago
  • Steponas Dauginis

    Congratulations! You should be proud of yourselves – not only you created a great product but you also are a role-model for a lot of young and enthusiastic people all over the world. I’m one of them.

    Hope this will help you get more pleasure out of everyday great work you do.

    13 years ago
  • racy_rick

    Kudos, you have a great product, and although you’ve *ahem* taken a little bit of creative license over the features of *ahem* that other program that is horridly expensive.

    The first program I recommended to anyone on the mac app store was Pixelator! (it was to my father)

    13 years ago
  • martin

    Wow! Well done, looks like this app store may catch on then.

    13 years ago
  • Dave

    I bought it because you promised 2.0 for free! Keep up the good work!

    13 years ago
  • Sloan

    I have to say you’ve had a great product for some time now, but I’m sure marketing and other factors caused issues. At $29.99 now, how can anyone resist? I think products like yours really benefit from the Mac App Store while others, maybe not as much. You may have found that sweet spot for price and volume of sales. Best of luck!

    13 years ago
  • jim

    I wonder what percentage of that was just from existing customers feeling compelled to re-purchase the app.

    13 years ago
  • Jason

    Congrats for making such a great piece of software. Hope you guys focus on adding new features without making it bloated like Adobe’s products.

    13 years ago
  • Gordon

    Now make an Illustrator killer! πŸ˜‰

    13 years ago
  • Paul Neave

    Wow, now that’s amazing. Well deserved.

    13 years ago
  • Paul

    Wow, congrats guys that is awesome!

    13 years ago
  • Jim

    Take note independent software publishers, there is a significant market that is simply tired of the continuous slaps in the face of a certain mainstream software publisher that is the current leader in graphics software. There are significant opportunities to provide simpler, cheaper but powerful solutions that make use of the power of Mac OS X and the AppStore is a perfect conduit. Get creative without the suite….

    13 years ago
  • RaycerX

    Hopefully, this success will give you the extra dough you need to keep on developing the product and further put a dent into Photoshop’s hull.

    In many ways you’re competing on two levels; for the consumer market against Photoshop Elements and for the pro market with Photoshop. You guys are straddling the fence on both right now and have features missing on both counts. Hopefully, you guys can plug those holes in the future.

    As it stands now, despite some missing features, Pixelmator is a killer product whose price point can’t be beat. Keep up the good work.

    13 years ago
  • MySchizoBuddy

    Would love to hear comments from people who pissed all over Mac App store and wanted to burn down their houses in protest over Pixelmator moving to Mac App store.

    13 years ago
  • Waldo

    Congratulations from a long-standing fan and customer of many years. (No, I didn’t buy it again through the App Store, but I paid full price in Oct ’07)

    13 years ago
  • Rafael Masoni

    Wow! That’s amazing! Congratulations!

    13 years ago
  • Eddy

    Congrats! Looking forward to new releases.
    I have been pointing Pixelmator out to friends and colleagues, but the app store is way better.

    13 years ago
  • Steve

    Congratulations! I’ve watch Pixelmator grow since its initial introduction and it has been one of the most well-maintained and updated independent applications around. Keep up the great work and the sky’s the limit!

    A wish item for me (and perhaps many others?) is to finally find a replacement application for Denaba/ACD’s venerable “Canvas” application. Though not supported or updated for the Mac platform in many years, it continues to be my first go-to app for graphic work. I’ve not found another application that as effectively and expansively allows creation of artwork with both bitmap and vector elements. If you by chance haven’t used this application before, I strongly encourage you to find a copy and see what it can do. Its UI has quirks and has become a bit outdated, but the power to inter-mingle content and apply effects/filters to both is without equal. In my opinion, pushing Pixelmator towards this level of functionality (with a refreshed and updated approach to the UI) would take it to another level and leave it without serious competition!!!!

    13 years ago
  • iPimp

    Congratulations! Keep the updates coming.

    13 years ago
  • Mike May

    I second Steve’s (7:10pm) remarks regarding Canvas. Been waiting for a replacement to emerge for years. There are a few candidates, but development is at a plodding pace. Time for someone to jump out and grab the lightweight vector-raster editing market.

    13 years ago
  • harald

    awesome! pixelmator rocks!

    13 years ago
  • John

    That is great news. We love Pixelmator because it gives us amazing results at a fraction of the cost of Photoshop. Keep up the good work!

    13 years ago
  • Sunflowerapps

    What to say, congratulations. Great software deserves the good return. Thanks Mac App Store, I feel more confident to buy softwares for my MAC.

    13 years ago
  • Chris

    Kudos to you from a longtime Pixelmator lover. I agree with Gordon – how about an Illustrator equivalent? Intaglio and VectorDesigner just aren’t cutting it for me.

    13 years ago
  • David

    Support opening Photoshop .psd files and you would have many more customers.

    13 years ago
  • ikir

    Congratulations, you deserve this success. Best software i’ve ever bought on any platform. I’m also supporting you on Mac App Store, now get back to work on PixelMator 2.x ;-P

    Some things I’ve done with Pixelmator: http://ikir.ikirsector.it/art.php

    13 years ago
  • Henrik

    You deserve this success guys!
    A great app replacing my core photoshop usage. Feature wise there is room for more (Like “Layer styles”) but already doing 80% of what I do use photoshop for.
    Promise to hang in there developing and avoid some product buyout that drowns your pioneer attitude. (Only acceptable if Apple themselves buy you guys for a bizillion πŸ™‚ )
    I recommend your app 1.6.4 to all I know. And they are starting to take real notice.

    13 years ago
  • David

    Congratulations!!! So well deserved.
    I’ve been a happy customer since 1st version, great software, very polished and regular updates over the years.

    13 years ago
  • Chris

    Curious.. As we are a Mac/iOS app developer. I’m sure you’re not wanting to publish private data – but can you tell us generally how that compares to “before Mac App Store”?

    13 years ago
  • StΓ©phane

    Looking forward to the great 2.0 update as I just re-bought Pixelmator on the App Store today.

    13 years ago
  • iRolf

    wow!!!

    this is such good news.

    1. congrats you smart ass brits. i always found you the most creative minds worldwide. with so much originality. i have not seen such advanced, fun, different, beguiling GUI since Kai Krause’s MetaCreations that died in 1998.

    2. how much did you turn over before the MacAppStore? just to see how effective the store is for small developers.

    3. you have enough funds now for the Next Big Thing. what are some beguiling features in P2.0? what category of software are you touching next, besides P?!

    4. since Adobe has become the stale Microsoft of the creative apps, and i long lost respect, as Adobe is just a monopolizer with its hostile takeovers i.e. Macromedia Freehand, GoLive etc. and it spoilt Flash + adds the industry’s most complex, hernia-prone price structures to boot, not to mention is paranoid or encourages piracy, as it does not understand its user base…since Adobe has no more mojo, i do wish Pixelmator to keep growing exponentially and though it might not be your goal, dear Saulius & Aidas Dailide, we users do wish it upon a star for Adobe to rot, for you to take over, despite published claims that Photoshop will never be beaten. the point is small businesses or developers are the ones that innovate & are the “crazy ones” that dare to think different, to change the world for a better place!

    5. where did you study coding, how old are you? you have amazing talent. you inspire us. thank you!

    13 years ago
  • Erik

    Hi,

    Keep up the good work, stay on your track and only work on pixelmator. Don’t start to develop new programs like the guys from rapidweaver did. They lost there focus, and deliver now buggy software with too little progress. I re-bought also the software and but I don’t use it. I just want to see if you can deliver a photoshop competitor. For my workflow i still have to rely on photoshop but i’m looking forward to the day to replace it.

    13 years ago
  • rolf

    by the way, i’ve long been seeking honest & talented programmers. do you know of any with free time in your surroundings? cheers!

    13 years ago
  • Ben Rosengart

    Congratulations. I contributed to that figure, and I’m glad I did.

    13 years ago
  • FE

    I like your app very much and am using it everyday. I hope and suggest you integrate the function of an iPhone app called ‘Photoshake’ into Pixelmator. And that integration will be benefit to the social network users who often need put multiple photos into one and update them to Twitter and Facebook. Please have a considerion of my suggestion, thanks and congratulation for the $1M achievement.

    13 years ago
  • Ivar Vasara

    Hey, just another comment to congratulate you guys. I don’t do much image editing, but when I do I like using capable tools. I bought Pixelmator through an early MacHeist and when you noted that the best way to get an upgrade to 2.0 was through the AppStore, I didn’t hesitate to make Pixelmator my first purchase. The tool you guys have built reallly hits a sweet spot.

    13 years ago
  • Des Traynor

    I’m here purely to say this: Well Deserved.

    You delivered a brilliant solution, I paid for it when it first came out and I’ve been singing its praises ever since.

    Well done.

    13 years ago
  • jackson

    This is freakin’ awesome. Sadly Pixelmator is refusing to sell their app anywhere else, so for early adopters it’s “buy an early 2.0 upgrade, or get left behind”.

    But this really is cool.

    13 years ago
  • Paul Watson

    You made awesome software and you found the right channel to sell it in. Thank you for a design tool that is better than Photoshop. Finally happened.

    13 years ago
  • David Chin

    This is super well-deserved – congrats!

    13 years ago
  • Tom Ward

    Congratulations on finally raking in the money you deserve … Just one question:

    How do we get major upgrades from the app store? Will we have to essentially pay for the app over again as currently the store offers no upgrade pricing structure? ie. no way for you to charge an existing user $X for an upgrade while charging a new user full price …

    13 years ago
  • Jeromy Evans

    Congratulations guys!
    It’s fantastic too see your great app and team get more exposure.

    13 years ago
  • Gyiyg

    ?(????)
    ?(????)
    ?(????)
    holy shit

    13 years ago
  • jm

    Brace yourselves for the C&D from Adobe over their UI patents.

    13 years ago
  • TJ

    Hopefully this will show other software publishers the power of an appropriate price point. Also, I hope Pixelmator stays at the same *appropriate* price point.

    13 years ago
  • Remis

    Super vyrai! Jau pirm? dien?, kai pama?iau kaip App Store pirmam puslapyje sukasi Pixelmatorius, supratau, kad App Store bus superinis dalykas j?s? kompanijai. S?km?s! Super!

    13 years ago
  • alian

    Awesome πŸ˜‰ Congrats!

    13 years ago
  • hamsta

    Here is my obligatory congrats post to the Pixelmator team…. CONGRATS! ^_^

    13 years ago
  • drumblius

    Saunuoliai chebra, taip ir toliau

    13 years ago
  • AfterMac

    Congrats! Awesome work will be rewarded πŸ™‚ Keep things going!

    13 years ago
  • John

    Great to hear of your success! Now add a dodge/burn tool, please! I know you can use levels and masking to accomplish a similar effect – but why use 10 steps to cover what you can do with one step with a good dodge/burn tool?

    13 years ago
  • Ex2bot

    Tom Ward:

    Updates on th Mac App store should be like the iOS App store in that updates are free.

    Bot

    13 years ago
  • TominTulsa

    Share some of that cash with Sebastian and Fabio…those guys are AMAZING – Just love their tutorials and podcasts. They are the reason I have stuck with Pixelmator, they have taught me so much and always come up with ways to stretch the capabilities of Pixelmator. If anyone hasn’t looked at the “learn” section of the web site or watched Sebastian’s Pixelmator Tutorials (iTunes) then you’re only cheating yourselves!

    Grats guys!

    13 years ago
  • Chris

    Ditto to what John (91) said – dodge / burn would make a big difference for processing!

    13 years ago
  • Ullrich SchΓ€fer

    I’m really looking forward to the day when people stop seeing Photoshop as the de-facto Pixel editor. + I’m super glad that the Mac AppStore finally gives developers like you the audience they deserve! Hope this little crowd based funding helps to secure the future of the app!

    13 years ago
  • PsykX

    1.7 Geneva? This is a font, I believe the efforts in this update are going to be concentrated in the “typing tools”. πŸ˜‰

    13 years ago
  • JohnZWZ

    Congrats! I am one of the users bought from App Store. I use Aperture and this app together.

    13 years ago
  • Josephiklein

    just learnt about your guys thanks to mac rumors and your 1 million hit i am poor web searcher or i would have found you sooner great product makes me feel i been in slow agony for most of my life smooth as silk love the passion.

    13 years ago
  • Anj

    Better late than never πŸ™‚ Congratulations! (just added myself towards the $2M milestone)

    13 years ago
  • Riccardo

    Yeah, great!
    I’m an user since version 1.0 and I’m very happy for this.
    Well done!
    I’ve bought this app from here, the first time, and from App Store now to support the dev team.
    I hope in an amazing new version.

    Great job team!

    13 years ago
  • x

    They’re Lithuanians, not brits.

    13 years ago
  • Zujus

    Congratulations!

    13 years ago
  • ou jee

    ot ne px, milijonas πŸ™‚ deka dievo susikurete tokia dovana πŸ™‚

    13 years ago
  • Sam

    That’s great news and as others have mentioned proof that you have every reason to develop.
    Anything that will stop me from having to buy future Photoshop upgrades and even just stop using the over bloated software Adobe has created.

    13 years ago
  • Trent

    I was considering purchasing pixelmator AGAIN from the App store, even though it was against my better judgment. Personally, I found the app store a pain to work with. That, together with the apparently massive delay between submissions for Pixelmator update approvals and the approval being made. (No more quick bug fix releases), I made the decision to completely remove the app store from my Mac. At least I will be getting updates until version 2 comes out (Even though they will only be released to coincide with the updates appearing on the App store) πŸ™

    13 years ago
  • Kristof Polleunis

    Well done. I have told that to other developers to follow your example but they are too stubborn to listen. It takes intelligence to develop an app but it takes a different kind of intelligence to market one. You seem to have both.

    One point however is how are you gonna handle the support, because I bet due to the pricing lots of buyers are end-consumers, not graphics designers. Will they follow once the price goes up?

    You will have to hire good support people and make some intelligent decisions regarding pricing for the future. I would go for a light version at the current price aimed at regular users and a pro version at 2, 3 or 4 times that price.

    13 years ago
  • Durf

    Great-looking app, but is there any reason it costs the equivalent of $42 when you buy it in yen from Japan? Just exchange rates screwing non-US customers once again?

    13 years ago
  • Brad

    Congratulations guys well earnt.

    I am, however, still dissapointed that quartz filters are not in the app store version and more importantly that you dont tell people that when they choose to download it. I know your probably working on it but it certainly leaves you vunerable to people taking legal action against false advertising (You do make a mention the filters in particular). I know you guys will come through with an update but think its just a little unfair to not let people know there is a downside to downloading from the app store at this moment in time.

    All the best.

    13 years ago
  • Aidas

    The update is coming on Tuesday

    13 years ago
  • Xander

    I must admit, I share Brad’s disappointment over the missing quartz filters, and lack of information regarding status of the update.

    I am, otherwise, very pleased with the program.

    13 years ago
  • Russ

    Hi Guys, I read you were holding the half price special until 28th February. I went to download from the App Store but unfortunately it has already gone up to the normal pice. Really disappointed. On a budget so will miss out now. Why did the price go up a day early? Does look fantastic!

    13 years ago
  • Mika

    The same happened to me as to Russ (28th, 2011). I was not able to find the 29$ price, there was only 59$ price license available. I allready own one older license to pixelmator and would have transitioned to the Mac App Store with my license. I am wondering if there is any chance on extending the transitioning period so I could try again with this?

    13 years ago
  • Jonas

    Hello

    We migrated all our workstations to Pixelmator and it’s perfect!

    But the Text-Layer support for PSD files is missing, and that is a little blockage for getting away from the “ther products” completely.

    Best regards
    JD

    13 years ago
  • Arthur

    LIETUVA! LIETUVA! LIETUVA!

    13 years ago
  • K.Koerbling

    Bought Pixelmator from Amazon. Updated from your website. Doesn’t show up as purchased on the App Store. This is also true of some other apps I own.

    13 years ago
  • Cikub

    Awesome news, only just read this blog entry. VERY well deserved Pixelmator Team. Have been using Pixelmator since v1.0 and it is quite simply the most beautiful and easy to use graphics app I have ever used.
    =C

    13 years ago
  • Dan

    Congratulations, thats great news. My new Macbook Pro comes this week, and I have read so many rave reviews about Pixelmator it is going to be one of the first apps I download.

    13 years ago
  • Hesham

    Pixelmator is a fantastic program – I just bought it, and I can’t even imagine using a very prominent (expensive) competitor’s offering.

    Pixelmator has a beautiful interface, and reaches the majority of the graphic design audience by being on the Mac OS, and with the Mac App Store, is much more visible than before.
    Thank you for such an amazing product. The success is well-deserved!

    13 years ago
  • Donna

    Now it won’t let me post I’m very nice honestly!

    I am very confused maybe you can help. I am brand new to MAC and I need some apps what I called programs on the old windows garbage machine I had LOL
    I want to get Pixelmator and whle browsing I find a Pixelmator that says ts made by Smith Micro and boxed sets for MAC are on sale and still for sale. Help! Which one is this and would a boxed version be the same program with upgrades? Thanks! Donna

    13 years ago
  • duckduckgo

    ?hanks f?r t?e auspicious writeup. It iin f?ct wa? once a enjoyment account
    it. Glance complicated to far introduced agreeable f?om ?o?!
    By the wa?, ho? ?an we communicate?

    8 years ago