Search "best LUT app for Mac" and the results mix four different kinds of software: photo editors that can load a .cube, video editors with a LUT node, utilities that edit the LUT file itself, and batch tools that push one look across a shoot. They answer different questions, so a ranked list of all of them is mostly noise.
The quicker route is to name the job first. Each one has a clear best fit on a Mac.
What can a "LUT app" mean?
| The job | What you need | Best fit on a Mac |
|---|---|---|
| A look on one photo, with other edits | A photo editor with LUT support | Pixelmator Pro, Photomator, Photoshop |
| A look on a video timeline | A grading tool | DaVinci Resolve, Final Cut Pro |
| Change, convert or repair the LUT file | A LUT utility | Lattice |
| One look across a whole shoot | A batch tool with per-file control | BatchTone |
If you are not sure what a LUT does to an image in the first place, what is a LUT covers the idea in five minutes.
One photo at a time: Pixelmator Pro, Photomator, Photoshop
These are the right answer when the LUT is one step in an edit that also involves retouching or masks.
Pixelmator Pro imports a .cube and applies it as an adjustment you can fade. Pixelmator Pro LUTs walks through applying and exporting one.
Photomator, from the same team, has a LUT switch in its colour adjustments with an intensity slider, and keeps imported .cube files in its menu.
Photoshop applies a LUT through a Color Lookup adjustment layer, so you can swap looks later. It can also run a recorded action over a folder, covered in Photoshop batch edit, though setting that up takes longer than the job usually deserves.
All three think in single images. Applying the same look to four hundred photos means repeating the step or building an action.
A video timeline: DaVinci Resolve and Final Cut Pro
When the clips are going into an edit anyway, grade them where you cut them. DaVinci Resolve puts a LUT on any node and the free version handles most of what a creator needs. Final Cut Pro has a Custom LUT effect with a mix slider and paste attributes to spread it across clips. Colour grading software compared lays out where each fits.
The catch is that a timeline wants an edit. If you only need a card of log clips converted to Rec.709 before anything else happens, opening a project for it is the long way round.
The LUT file itself: Lattice
Lattice is a utility for the file, not the footage. It converts between LUT formats and sizes and fixes files other apps refuse. If a LUT will not load anywhere, Lattice is where you find out why. It does not grade your photos or clips for you.
For simply browsing a big pack, free viewers such as Lutme preview .cube files without an editor.
Which LUT app handles a whole shoot at once?
This is the job the other apps are slow at. You have a folder from a wedding or a drone flight, photos and clips mixed, and every file needs the same look, except the two frames shot into the sun that need less of it.
BatchTone was built for exactly that, on a Mac:
- Drop the folder in, photos and video together.
- Pick a
.cube. Import a pack once and every look is previewed on your own first frame, so you choose by looking, not by filename. - Set a strength on any file that needs less. Hold a key to see the original.
- Export JPEG, PNG or H.264 MP4 to a folder you choose. Originals are never modified.
A clip at 50% lands on the same values as a photo at 50%, so stills and video from one shoot still match. JPEG metadata such as capture date, camera and GPS is carried across. Malformed DJI .cube files are repaired on import. Nothing is uploaded: every file is processed on your Mac.
What it does not do: it does not develop RAW files, and it is not an editor with masks or a timeline. Develop RAW in your usual tool first, then bring the exports. Batch apply a LUT to photos and batch apply a LUT to video list every format it reads.
How do Mac LUT apps compare?
| App | Photos | Video | Many files at once | Strength per file | Edits the LUT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pixelmator Pro | Yes | Limited | Via Shortcuts | One image at a time | No |
| Photomator | Yes | Not its focus | Copy and paste adjustments | One image at a time | No |
| Photoshop | Yes | Limited | Actions | Layer opacity | No |
| DaVinci Resolve | Stills only | Yes | Groups, copied grades | Key output gain | No |
| Final Cut Pro | Stills only | Yes | Paste attributes | Mix slider | No |
| Lattice | No | No | Converts LUT files in bulk | No | Yes |
| BatchTone | Yes | Yes | Yes, mixed folders | Yes, per file | No |
Strength matters more than it looks. Most creative packs are tuned to be loud, and the same look pulled back to part strength is often the version you wanted. LUT intensity explains how each app handles it.
Which one should you get?
- You edit single photos and want a LUT in the mix: Pixelmator Pro or Photomator.
- You cut video and the LUT is part of the grade: DaVinci Resolve or Final Cut Pro.
- Your LUTs are broken, the wrong size or the wrong format: Lattice.
- You have whole shoots that need one look, fast, with control per file: BatchTone.
Many people end up with two: an editor for the hero shots and a batch tool for everything else.
How do you test a LUT app before paying?
The only real test of a LUT app is your own footage and your own pack. BatchTone is a free download on the Mac App Store, and the seven-day trial has everything unlocked: video, unlimited batches, no watermark. After that it is one in-app purchase, no subscription, on every Mac signed in to your Apple ID. It runs on macOS 12 or later on Apple Silicon.
Common questions
Is there a free LUT app for Mac?
Yes. DaVinci Resolve is free and applies LUTs to video, and free viewers such as Lutme preview .cube files. For photos, Apple's Photos app has no LUT import, so you need a third-party editor. Free LUTs covers where good looks come from.
Can Apple Photos apply a LUT?
No. Photos has its own filters and adjustments but no way to load a .cube. Apply the LUT in another app and import the result, or batch it before the photos reach your library.
Which LUT format do Mac apps use?
.cube is the standard almost every Mac app reads. How to install LUTs shows where each app keeps them.
Can one LUT app handle photos and video together?
Most cannot: photo editors are weak on video and video editors treat stills as clips. BatchTone takes both in the same batch and applies the same maths to each.