I recently switched to a Mac and need creative apps for graphic design, video editing, and music production. I’m looking for reliable recommendations that offer strong features, good performance, and reasonable pricing.
Start with the free trials before buying a full suite. Affinity Photo/Designer are solid for graphics without an Adobe subscription, DaVinci Resolve covers serious video editing for free, and GarageBand is an easy entry into music before paying for Logic Pro. Check plugin and file-format compatibility first, since that can matter more than the app’s feature list.
Don’t spend the whole budget on software and then edit from a nearly full internal drive. Creative apps run well on Mac, but video footage, sample libraries, and cache files eat storage fast. Affinity is a sensible design pick, Final Cut Pro is worth considering if you value a smooth Mac-focused workflow, and Logic Pro is the strongest long-term music option. I agree with @primeguruxedge about compatibility, but I’d check storage needs and hardware support before comparing feature lists.
The hidden cost is getting locked into an app before you know what files your clients or collaborators use. Affinity is affordable, but it does not replace every Photoshop workflow, especially when people expect layered PSD files with perfect compatibility. For design, I’d start with Affinity or Pixelmator Pro, then pay for Adobe only if your work actually requires it.
I wouldn’t buy Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro immediately, either. DaVinci Resolve’s free version covers a surprising amount of serious editing, while GarageBand is enough to learn recording and arranging before moving to Logic. Final Cut and Logic are excellent Mac choices, as @primeguruxedge said, but free trials and starter versions can tell you more than feature comparisons.
A sensible setup is Affinity for graphics, Resolve for video, and GarageBand first for music. Spend money after you hit a real limitation, not because the paid app has the longest feature list.
“Graphic design” is too broad to recommend a single app. Photo editing, logo work, interface design, illustration, and page layout are different jobs. Affinity Photo and Designer cover raster and vector work well, but they are not the obvious choice for interface design. For that, Figma or Sketch makes more sense. If you need client-facing Adobe files, stop trying to avoid Adobe and treat the subscription as a business expense. Fighting file conversions every week is not saving money.
For video, DaVinci Resolve is the best place to start if your Mac can run it comfortably. The free version is unusually capable, especially for color and audio, but the interface is dense and it can feel heavy on lower-memory Macs. Final Cut Pro is the cleaner choice if you mostly want fast editing on Apple hardware and do not need to exchange Premiere timelines with other editors. Premiere Pro belongs in the conversation mainly when your workplace, clients, or After Effects workflow already depends on it. Otherwise, paying monthly does not automatically get you a better editor.
I disagree slightly with treating GarageBand as the default music starting point for everyone. It is fine for songwriting, basic recording, and learning Logic’s general approach. It is less useful as a preview of Ableton Live’s loop-based workflow or Reaper’s more traditional recording and mixing setup. Pick based on what you plan to make. Logic Pro fits musicians who want a large instrument and effects library in one purchase. Ableton Live fits electronic production and performance. Reaper is the practical low-cost option for recording, editing, and mixing audio, though it expects more setup and gives you fewer ready-made instruments.
Do not ignore the boring technical details. Check whether your audio interface, MIDI controller, plugins, fonts, camera codecs, and third-party effects work properly on your exact Mac and macOS version. Rosetta can rescue some older software, but building a new setup around abandoned Intel-only plugins is asking for trouble. For video, test a few clips from your actual camera. For music, open a real project with the plugins you expect to use. Marketing feature lists will not expose compatibility problems.
My blunt shortlist would be Affinity Photo or Designer for general design, Figma for UI work, Resolve for video, and Logic or Reaper for music depending on whether you need built-in instruments. Final Cut is worth paying for when editing speed and a Mac-focused workflow matter more than industry-standard project exchange. Install fewer apps, finish a real project in each trial, and keep the one whose workflow annoys you the least. The “best” creative app is usually the one that matches the work, not the one with the biggest tool list.
A solo hobby setup can be chosen mostly for comfort, while paid client work has to be chosen around delivery, revisions, and reopening projects years later. That distinction matters more than whether an app has the longest feature list. A program may feel great during editing and still become a headache when you need to package fonts, relink missing footage, recover an autosave, or send editable files to someone using different software.
For design, Affinity Photo and Designer are sensible purchases if you control the final output. Pixelmator Pro is quicker for everyday image work, but it is not a full replacement for a broader design suite. Adobe becomes easier to justify when outside agencies routinely send Illustrator, InDesign, or complicated Photoshop documents. I agree with @blueninja8568 about PSD compatibility, though I would test more than whether a file simply opens. Check text formatting, adjustment layers, smart objects, masks, and how the file looks after saving it again.
Final Cut Pro and DaVinci Resolve suit different editing habits. Final Cut is a good fit for fast solo editing on a Mac, particularly when you want fewer technical decisions between import and export. Resolve gives you more room to grow into color, audio post, and structured finishing, but project management and cache settings deserve attention. Before committing, duplicate a test library or database, move the media to another drive, and see whether you can restore the project cleanly. That boring test tells you more about reliability than cutting a polished two-minute sample.
For music, Logic Pro is the straightforward all-in-one Mac choice, while Reaper makes sense when recording and mixing matter more than included instruments. Ableton Live is better considered a different working method rather than a more expensive GarageBand. Whichever DAW you choose, archive finished songs as consolidated audio stems alongside the original session. Plugins get discontinued, authorization systems change, and an old project can open with half its sound missing.
I would trial Affinity or Pixelmator Pro, Final Cut or Resolve, and Logic or Reaper, then complete the entire delivery process in each. Import real material, make revisions, export the required formats, back up the project, and reopen it from the backup. The best app is the one that still behaves properly after the fun editing part is over.
DaVinci Resolve is not automatically the best starting editor just because the free version is capable. If you mainly make short social clips, tutorials, or family videos, iMovie is faster to learn and may cover everything without turning basic edits into a technical project. Move to Final Cut or Resolve when you need better color tools, multicam editing, or more control over audio.
For a practical starter setup, use Affinity Photo or Designer for graphics, iMovie for straightforward video, and GarageBand for music. @dilit25008 is right that the intended work matters, but so does setup time. Install the simplest app that can finish your current project, then upgrade when you can name the feature you are missing.