Apple may bring more Mac-exclusive creative apps to iPads soon: Details

Apple is reportedly developing iPad versions of Compressor, Motion, MainStage, and Pixelmator Pro, expanding its lineup of pro-grade creative tools beyond Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro

Apple is reportedly planning to expand the number of “Pro” tier creative apps available for iPads. According to a report from MacRumors, the company is preparing to bring four new professional apps that currently exist only on macOS to the iPad: Pixelmator Pro, Compressor, Motion, and MainStage. If accurate, these new titles would join Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro, which arrived on select iPad models in 2023. 

Mac apps coming to iPad: What to expect

The report states that new App Store identifiers corresponding to these Mac apps have been spotted, suggesting that Apple intends to release iPad versions soon. Here’s what each of these tools offers:

• Compressor: A companion tool for Final Cut Pro, Compressor provides encoding and export controls for customising video and audio output.
• Motion: Apple’s motion graphics application for creating titles, transitions, and visual effects in 2D and 3D, also designed to work alongside Final Cut Pro.
• MainStage: A live performance app tied to Logic Pro, MainStage allows musicians to design and control custom instrument and vocal setups for on-stage use.
• Pixelmator Pro: The professional-grade image editor acquired by Apple last year. While iPads and iPhones already have access to a lighter version of the app, this upcoming version is expected to be a more feature-rich and powerful counterpart, similar to its Mac version.

At present, Apple has not officially confirmed the existence or release timeline of these iPad versions.

Apple bridging the gap between macOS and iPadOS

Over the past few years, Apple has been steadily working to narrow the divide between macOS and iPadOS. The company first brought Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro to certain iPad models, later enhancing them with more desktop-like capabilities. However, the associated companion apps—Compressor, Motion, and MainStage—remained exclusive to Macs. If this report proves accurate, their arrival would mark a major step in expanding Apple’s professional software ecosystem on iPads.

Earlier this year, Apple also introduced several Mac-style features for iPads with iPadOS 26. This includes a new windowing system, a macOS-style menu bar, intelligent Shortcut actions, and even the Preview app.