Adobe Lightroom vs Pixelmator:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Adobe Lightroom had more branded searches than Pixelmator among image editing software worldwide. Adobe Lightroom had about 1.2 million branded searches, while Pixelmator had 37,900. Adobe Lightroom made up 10% of all image editing software searches we track, and Pixelmator accounted for 0.33%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about image editing software, Adobe Lightroom appeared in four of the five answers and Pixelmator in none.
Who do people search for more?
Adobe Lightroom, about 31 searches for every 1 for Pixelmator
Who does AI mention more?
Adobe Lightroom, mentioned in 4 of 5 answers, Pixelmator in 0
Who does AI recommend more?
Adobe Lightroom, the only one of the two named
Follow Adobe Lightroom vs Pixelmator and get free monthly updates on what changed
By continuing you'll get index updates and occasional product news from Brandwave. Unsubscribe any time. Privacy
Top image editing software in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Adobe Lightroom was mentioned in four out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in both Google AI Overviews. Pixelmator did not appear in any of the five answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Adobe Photoshop5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Affinity5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers- Adobe Lightroom4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
GIMP4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Luminar Neo4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Photopea3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Pixlr1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Picsart0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Fotor0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Pixelmator0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about image editing software
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which image editor should I use?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best image editing software?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best image editor for photo retouching?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“image editing software”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“photo editing software”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 19, 2026.
Is Adobe Lightroom or Pixelmator more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Adobe Lightroom and Pixelmator by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all 15 image editing software we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Adobe Lightroom, Pixelmator. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Photopea | Adobe Photoshop | Picsart | Adobe Lightroom | Pixlr | GIMP | Fotor | Affinity | Paint.NET | PhotoScape | Luminar Neo | Pixelmator | PaintShop Pro | Xara | Acorn |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 27.2% | 23% | 13.9% | 8.2% | 10.7% | 7.4% | 4% | 2.4% | 1.2% | 0.93% | 0.72% | 0.27% | 0.14% | <0.01% | <0.01% |
| Nov 2025 | 22.4% | 22.9% | 14.3% | 7.9% | 11% | 7.5% | 3.3% | 7.4% | 1.2% | 0.81% | 0.89% | 0.27% | 0.15% | <0.01% | <0.01% |
| Dec 2025 | 25.3% | 22.9% | 16% | 8.8% | 9.7% | 6.9% | 4.5% | 2.5% | 1.3% | 0.78% | 0.81% | 0.25% | 0.14% | <0.01% | <0.01% |
| Jan 2026 | 25.5% | 21.7% | 15.9% | 9.1% | 9.8% | 8.2% | 3% | 2.3% | 1.4% | 0.92% | 0.82% | 1.3% | 0.14% | <0.01% | <0.01% |
| Feb 2026 | 27.1% | 22.8% | 16.2% | 9.3% | 9.1% | 7.3% | 3% | 1.8% | 1.2% | 0.84% | 0.72% | 0.56% | 0.13% | <0.01% | <0.01% |
| Mar 2026 | 26.7% | 22% | 16.3% | 9.5% | 9.9% | 7.1% | 3.4% | 1.6% | 1.4% | 0.86% | 0.69% | 0.53% | 0.13% | <0.01% | <0.01% |
| Apr 2026 | 26.4% | 21.9% | 19% | 9.5% | 8.4% | 6.9% | 3.1% | 1.4% | 1.2% | 0.86% | 0.85% | 0.37% | 0.12% | <0.01% | <0.01% |
| May 2026 | 27.7% | 21.6% | 19.3% | 9.5% | 9% | 6% | 2.3% | 1.3% | 1.3% | 0.86% | 0.73% | 0.38% | 0.11% | <0.01% | <0.01% |
| Jun 2026 | 29.5% | 20% | 19.6% | 9.9% | 8% | 6.4% | 2.3% | 1.6% | 0.87% | 0.75% | 0.64% | 0.33% | 0.11% | <0.01% | <0.01% |
| Jul 2026 | 30.2% | 20.3% | 19.5% | 8.6% | 8.4% | 6.5% | 2.4% | 1.4% | 0.88% | 0.76% | 0.64% | 0.33% | 0.1% | <0.01% | <0.01% |
| Aug 2026 | 29.7% | 20% | 19% | 9.9% | 7.6% | 6.3% | 3.6% | 1.3% | 0.86% | 0.74% | 0.52% | 0.33% | 0.11% | <0.01% | <0.01% |
| Sep 2026 | 29.5% | 21% | 15.3% | 10% | 9% | 7.6% | 3.3% | 1.7% | 0.88% | 0.79% | 0.43% | 0.33% | 0.11% | <0.01% | <0.01% |
How has the Adobe Lightroom and Pixelmator comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Adobe Lightroom was ahead of Pixelmator in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Adobe Lightroom’s share of searches among image editing software worldwide moved from 8.2% to 10%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 1.2M.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Pixelmator’s share of searches among image editing software worldwide moved from 0.27% to 0.33%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 41.3K to 37.9K.
How did search popularity change for image editing software worldwide in September 2026?
0 changes
Neither Adobe Lightroom nor Pixelmator moved beyond provider rounding among image editing software in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
30 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Adobe Lightroom’s and Pixelmator’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Adobe Lightroom
6 branded search terms
- adobe lightroom
- lightroom
- lightroom app
- lightroom classic
- lightroom mobile
- lightroom presets
Pixelmator
24 branded search terms
- apple pixelmator
- apple pixelmator pro
- pixelmator
- pixelmator 2
- pixelmator ai
- pixelmator android
- pixelmator app
- pixelmator classic
- pixelmator image editor
- pixelmator ipad
- pixelmator iphone
- pixelmator linux
- pixelmator mac
- pixelmator photo editor
- pixelmator pro
- pixelmator pro ai
- pixelmator pro android
- pixelmator pro app
- pixelmator pro ipad
- pixelmator pro iphone
- pixelmator pro mac
- pixelmator pro windows
- pixelmator vector graphics
- pixelmator windows
Other head-to-heads among image editing software
Put your own brand in this comparison
Brandwave tracks your branded demand next to the rival you actually watch, with your campaigns, spend and outcomes on the same timeline.