Pixlr vs Polarr (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Pixlr grades higher than Polarr: 3.2 against 2.6 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Pixlr grades higher on the free plan and features. They get the same grade on value for money, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Pixlr
Browser photo editors with AI image, video and audio tools
Polarr
AI photo editor and filter community across phone, desktop and web
Which one is for you
Pick Pixlr if
- Fits if you want a free browser editor
- Works for quick edits on a phone
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want ad-free for free, since Plus is the first ad-free tier
- Tight if you use AI heavily, as Plus gives 80 credits
- Watch out: unlimited fast generation is Ultra with fair use
- Watch out: unused monthly credits expire after a month
Pick Polarr if
- Fits if you edit photos on an iPhone or Mac and want filters from other creators
- Works for people who want masks and fine adjustments for a few dollars a month
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want to generate images from a prompt, as Polarr only edits
- Watch out: the vendor's site has no pricing page, so prices come from App Store listings
- Watch out: the free trial's length isn't stated
- Tight if you want the browser RAW workflow: Polarr Next is a beta
- Watch out: App Store prices vary by country
How we grade them
| 3.2GPAPixlrVery good | 2.6GPAPolarrGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | APlus is $1.99 a month billed yearly and the editors are free, under 60% of the category's cheapest quarter. | ALite is $1.99 a month and Pro is $47.99 a year, about $4 a month, below the $4.80 mark that is 60% of the cheaper quarter of AI image tools. Prices come from App Store listings. |
| Free plan and trial | BThe editors are free in the browser with ads, and paid plans add credits and remove ads. | DA free trial on the in-app subscriptions, length not stated. Nothing else is listed as free. |
| Features | BTwo editors, generative edits, AI image and video, and credits. Nothing in the core job is missing. | CAI-assisted editing, creator filters, a browser RAW workflow in beta and a video effects app. It edits photos but doesn't generate images. |
| Ease of use | BOpen a browser editor and start. Nothing to set up. | BNo rating on record, but it's an editor you install and start on; the pro tools take learning. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, iOS and Android. No desktop app or integrations. | BiPhone, iPad, Mac, Windows, Android and the web, with no API or integrations listed. |
| Best for | free browser photo editors with AI add-ons | photo editing on iPhone, iPad and Mac |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Pixlr and Polarr. How we grade
Price against what you get
Pixlr starts at $1.99 a month and scores 3.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Polarr starts at $1.99 a month and scores 2.7.
Pixlr scores higher for the same starting price. Of the other AI image and video generators on the chart, none scores higher than Pixlr for less, and none scores higher than Polarr for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Pixlr also covers image generation and video generation.
- Polarr also covers video editing.
At a glance
| Pixlr | Polarr | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free trial |
| Starts at | $1.99 per month for 80 AI credits, billed yearly ($2.49 billed monthly) | $1.99 per month (Polarr Lite, in-app subscription) |
| Free plan | The editors are free in the browser, with ads; the paid Plus plan is the first ad-free tier. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | Free trial offered on the in-app subscriptions; length not stated in the listing. |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Pixlr | Polarrcan Software Inc |
| Price read from | pixlr.com | apps.apple.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Pixlr
- Unused monthly credits expire after one month on monthly billing; yearly credits last a year.
- Unlimited fast image generation is tied to Ultra and subject to fair use.
- The FAQ names Plus and Premium as the plans sold in the mobile apps; it does not mention Ultra there.
- The models for video and some image tools are third-party and may vary with demand.
Polarr
- Prices come from the App Store listings; the vendor's site has no pricing page, and web and desktop plan prices were not read.
- Polarr is an editor: it enhances photos and does not generate images from text prompts.
- The listings say pricing in other countries may vary and charges may be converted to local currency.
- Polarr Next, the browser RAW workflow, is labelled a beta.
Key features
Pixlr
- Two editors
- Pixlr Express handles quick edits, templates and collages; Pixlr Editor is the layered editor for detailed work.
- Generative editing
- Generative fill, an image extender, an instruction-based editor and a background remover change a photo from a description.
- AI image and video generation
- Generate images and short video in the browser; the site says it uses models from Flux, Kling and Recraft among others.
- AI credits
- Monthly credits cover generation and edits; yearly plans grant 12 months of credits upfront, and a credit pack can top up.
- One account everywhere
- A paid plan works on the web, desktop and mobile apps through the same Pixlr account.
Polarr
- AI-assisted photo editing
- The homepage describes dozens of AI-enabled tools for editing, alongside manual coloring, masking and fine-tuning in Polarr Pro.
- Creator-made filters
- Users can discover, create and share filters, scan or produce them as QR codes, and sync them across devices with a Polarr account.
- Batch RAW editing in the browser
- Polarr Next is described as a browser-based batch RAW editing workflow, currently available as a beta.
- Video effects app
- 24FPS is a separate iOS and Android app that applies aesthetic effects and video LUTs to clips.
- Wide platform coverage
- The download page lists web, Windows, Mac, iOS and Android versions of the photo editor.
Plans
Pixlr
Plus$1.99
per month for 80 AI credits, billed yearly ($2.49 billed monthly)
Ad-free, unlimited saves, 1 concurrent AI generation; about 80 fast AI images a month.
Premium$7.99
per month for 1,000 AI credits, billed yearly ($9.99 billed monthly)
All image, video and audio models, 4 concurrent generations, private mode, fonts and templates.
Ultra$19.99
per month from 5,000 AI credits, billed yearly ($24.99 billed monthly)
Unlimited fast image generations, 8 concurrent ones, priority queue and extended high-res exports.
Ultra Max$39.99
per month for 10,000 AI credits, billed yearly ($49.99 billed monthly)
Ultra with double the monthly credits: 10,000 instead of 5,000.
Polarr
Polarr Lite$1.99
per month, billed monthly ($11.99 billed yearly)
In-app subscription in the Polarr Photo Filters & Editor app on iPhone and iPad.
Polarr Studio$3.99
per month, billed monthly ($23.99 billed yearly)
Higher in-app subscription in the same app; the listing says both unlock the same features monthly or yearly.
Polarr Pro$7.99
per month, billed monthly ($47.99 billed yearly)
Unlocks all filters and pro tools in the Polarr Pro Photo Editor app on iPhone, iPad and Mac.
Ways to pay less
Pixlr
- Annual discount
Save 20% with yearly billing
Pixlr's pricing page shows every paid plan about 20% cheaper per month when billed yearly.
Polarr
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Pixlr or Polarr?
As of Nov 13, 2026, they start at the same price. Pixlr starts at $1.99 per month for 80 AI credits, billed yearly ($2.49 billed monthly), and Polarr starts at $1.99 per month (Polarr Lite, in-app subscription).
Which has a free plan, Pixlr or Polarr?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Pixlr has a free plan. Polarr does not, though it has a free trial.
Which platforms do Pixlr and Polarr run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Polarr lists macOS and Windows apps. Both list a web app and iOS and Android apps. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.