Long ago in our galaxy, Apple offered iLife (a suite of creative apps) and iWork (a trio of productivity tools). As with much nostalgia-driven technology (and the current rise of bundling), what’s old is new again.
Apple Creator Studio bundles core creative apps like Logic Pro, Motion, Compressor, MainStage, Pixelmator Pro (for the first time!), and Final Cut Pro, along with Pages, Keynote, and Numbers, into a single, platform-spanning subscription. For $12.99 / £12.99 / AU$19.99 a month or $129 / £129 / AU$199 a year, you get access on Mac, iPad and iPhone.
It’s clearly a value play. Many of these apps were previously purchased directly or through separate platform-specific subscriptions. But beyond the savings, Apple is betting that the package will encourage more people to integrate these tools into their workflows or try them for the first time.
In a shared statement, Apple’s senior vice president of Internet Software and Services Eddy Cue said, “Apple Creator Studio is a great value that allows creators of all kinds to pursue their craft and develop their skills.”
Cue also points to “advanced smart tools” designed to speed up workflows, building on AI features already present in apps like Logic Pro for iPad. In particular, Creator Studio officially adds Pixelmator Pro to Apple’s own creative lineup. The popular photo editing app was acquired by Apple in 2024 and has a loyal fan base, myself included, and this package finally brings it to the iPad.
When Creator Studio launches on January 28, 2026, subscribers will have access to the following apps:
- Waterproof: Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, Pixelmator Pro, Pages, Keynote, Numbers, Freeform, Motion, Compressor and MainStage
- iPad: Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, Pixelmator Pro, Pages, Keynote, Numbers and Freeform
- iPhone: Pages, Keynote, numbers and free form
Eligible students and educators can subscribe at a deep discount: $2.99 / £2.99 / AU$4.99 per month or $29.99 / £29.99 / AU$49.99 per year. Apple is also offering a one-month free trial to eligible customers on both plans, but if you purchase a select Mac or iPad, you can get a three-month free trial.
iMovie and GarageBand will remain free, entry-level creative apps on Mac, iPad, and iPhone. And for those who prefer to pay once, Pixelmator Pro, Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, Motion, Compressor, and MainStage will continue to be sold individually on Mac. Beyond the bundle, there are some significant platform expansions and new features, so let’s look at them.
Pixelmator Pro finally comes to iPad
Pixelmator Pro has long been a Mac favorite, but we’ve been waiting for a major update, or a new platform, since Apple acquired it in November 2024. That wait ends on January 28, 2026, when Pixelmator Pro launches on iPad.
Built from the ground up for iPadOS, the app is optimized for touchscreen, Apple Pencil, and Apple Pencil Pro. Apple says workflows will run seamlessly between Mac and iPad, with many of the same editing tools available on both. Features like super resolution remain, and Apple Pencil gestures, including mousing, squeezing, and double-tapping, let you preview and adjust effects more seamlessly.
A new Warp tool is also coming to Pixelmator Pro on both Mac and iPad, allowing users to warp and reshape layers, another push toward a more premium set of creative tools. You’ll also find that on the iPad, many of the time-saving features, such as ML Enhance or Super Resolution, are also retained.
Logic Pro adds more AI-powered features
Logic Pro was one of Apple’s first displays of artificial intelligence, thanks to features like Stem Splitter, which separates a recording into individual sound layers. Now, as part of Creator Studio (or as a standalone Mac purchase), Logic Pro gets new tools.
AI Session Player is expanding with a new Synth Player designed for EDM-style performances, adding elements of synth bass and dynamic styling. You can modify the complexity in real time, effectively treating it like an always-on session musician. Apple is also adding more royalty-free sounds via a new sound pack, along with natural language search in Sound Browser, a welcome quality of life improvement.
Final Cut Pro on iPad gets Montage Maker, while Mac gets new AI features
Final Cut Pro on iPad gets a new feature called Montage Maker. Think of it as a more powerful version of automated editing, not for vertical social clips, but for traditional video projects.
Select a group of clips and Final Cut Pro will automatically stitch together a sequence based on what it identifies as key moments. You can re-crop your footage to the aspect ratio you choose and deliver the result in a full timeline, where you can reorder clips, adjust speed, swap music, and add more media.
If it’s a larger selection of clips, you’ll now be able to search the video ‘transcript’ or visually, allowing you to easily track a specific moment within the clips in both Final Cut Pro for iPad and Mac.
Pages, Keynote, and Numbers get new templates and AI functionality, but core versions will remain free
Apple has made it clear: Pages, Keynote and Numbers will remain free on iOS, iPadOS and macOS, with regular updates. However, Creator Studio subscribers unlock more advanced features. These include early access to smart tools, such as generating a first draft of a Keynote presentation from a simple outline, plus a new Content Center with higher-quality illustrations and photos.
Subscribers also get premium templates in all three apps. Image Playground is still available, but Apple is adding on-device AI tools to enhance images (it uses the same engine as Super Resolution in Pixelmator Pro) and automatically crop them for documents or presentations directly in Pages, Keynote, and Numbers.
Overall, Creator Studio Pro serves as a unified home for Apple’s creative and productivity apps, while also shedding light on how Apple is using AI — not as a replacement for the long-promised new Siri or the broader Apple Intelligence umbrella, but for practical and quality-of-life improvements within the apps people already use. Between updates to Logic Pro, Final Cut Pro, and Pixelmator Pro, Apple isn’t trying to replace human creativity but rather offer tools that speed up workflows and encourage experimentation with new effects.
With the first steps toward premium content in Pages, Numbers, and Keynote, Apple also offers high-end templates and graphics designed to enhance documents and presentations. Image Playground, along with other AI models, can be used to customize images and put your own touch on clipart.
Apple Creator Studio launches on January 28, 2026 as a bundled subscription that includes new features in apps like Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro. We’ll get to work ASAP and share our first impressions closer to launch, but in the meantime, let us know what you think in the comments below. Is this the return of iLife and iWork, reinvented with new branding and a more premium edge?
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