It feels like everything's "for rent" in 2026. Subscription fees are increasingly part of tech's present and future, from streaming to AI, to cloud storage and even app access. Apple's been shifting to a more subscription-focused approach, and its new Creator Studio Suite is just another facet of it. But I'm not the right customer.
Apple introduced subscriptions for its Pro-tier creative apps when Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro launched on the iPad in 2023. Back then, I saw some appeal in those paid apps over the free iMovie and GarageBand apps. The $5 per month each seemed like a good way to rent extra power if you needed it.
Now, Apple offers a $ 13-a-month suite of creative apps in a single subscription. These apps work on both Mac and iPad and add extra AI features to existing free apps like Keynote.
I'm not a fan of any of this, in part because I already pay too many subscription fees, but then again, I'm also not the target audience.
I don't edit videos, currently. I don't make music. I rarely do complex photo editing. And if I did, would I want to spend endless money on an entire suite of apps to do so?
I think I'd prefer the option to pick and choose the apps I wanted to buy.
Pixelmator Pro is finally on iPad, but to rent, not buy. Apple
Apps for rent
The price, at $13 a month or $130 a year, isn't trivial. It does allow family sharing, and an educator and student discount pushes the price down to $3 a month or $30 a year, which is extremely reasonable. You also get three months of the service free when you buy a new Mac or iPad.
But this is clearly where the whole software landscape has been creeping, especially with AI. It also seems to be where Google, Adobe, Microsoft and maybe even Meta are going.
... continue reading