January 13, 2026
Rent Your Creativity? Apple Says Hi
Apple Creator Studio
Apple Creator Studio drops: creators cry 'Adobe-ification'
TLDR: Apple launched Creator Studio, a $12.99/month bundle of Final Cut, Logic, Pixelmator Pro and more, with a cheaper student plan and a free trial. Comments exploded over subscriptions, accusing Apple of copying Adobe, while others asked if one-time purchases remain and cheered new iPad features.
Apple rolled out Apple Creator Studio — a $12.99/month or $129/year bundle of Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, Pixelmator Pro, Motion, Compressor, MainStage, plus new AI-powered goodies in Keynote, Pages, and Numbers. There’s a free trial and a student deal at $2.99/month. Apple says you can still buy the Mac apps outright, but the community didn’t hear the violins — they heard a subscription drumroll.
The loudest chorus: “Not you too, Apple.” Top comments accused Apple of copying Adobe’s rent-everything model, dubbing it the latest chapter in tech’s “Adobe-ification.” One snarky legend rewrote the headline as “Apple slaps subscription model on existing apps,” and another begged for Xcode on iPad instead. Confusion bubbled: is the one-time purchase sticking around or getting quietly sunsetted?
Under the outrage, some folks noticed the upsides: Pixelmator Pro finally hitting iPad, AI helpers for faster edits and music nerds drooling over fresh Logic toys. But memes ruled: “Rent your paintbrush,” “Paywall your creativity,” and “Press release bingo: ‘privacy’ + ‘intelligent.’” It’s classic Apple launch drama — powerful tools, polished pitch, and a comment section set to Motion. Full press release is here: Apple Newsroom
Key Points
- •Apple launched Apple Creator Studio, a subscription bundle of creative apps across Mac, iPad, and iPhone.
- •Included apps: Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, Pixelmator Pro, Motion, Compressor, and MainStage, plus new intelligent features and premium content in Keynote, Pages, Numbers, with Freeform later.
- •Availability starts January 28 on the App Store at $12.99/month or $129/year, with a one-month free trial.
- •Education pricing is $2.99/month or $29.99/year for college students and educators.
- •Mac versions of included apps remain available for one-time purchase on the Mac App Store.