Apple's Creator Studio creates a subscription where free apps used to live
- Reference: 1770814049
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2026/02/11/apple_ads_creator_studio/
- Source link:
On January 13, Apple [1]introduced the Apple Creator Studio, which it called (with typical Apple modesty) "an inspiring collection of the most powerful creative apps."
From January 28, the faithful could spend $12.99 (£12.99 in the UK) per month (or $129/ £129 per year) on a suite of applications that included "intelligent features and premium content for Keynote, Pages, Numbers, and later Freeform for iPhone, iPad, and Mac."
[2]
"[With] Keynote, Pages, Numbers, and Freeform, Apple Creator Studio subscribers can be more expressive and productive with new premium content and intelligent features across Mac, iPad, and iPhone," Apple enthused.
[3]
[4]
Except that Keynote, Pages, and Numbers have traditionally been free with macOS. That's not changing - but users wanting premium features, many powered by Apple Intelligence or OpenAI, will need to subscribe.
Apple is now pushing upgrade ads at users, prompting complaints in the company's own forums.
[5]
One [6]put it bluntly : "Apple apps are not supposed to be an ad-laden experience. We aren't here for that."
While there is nothing new about products urging users to pay for a subscription or to upgrade ( [7]see Microsoft ), it is jarring for Apple users who likely hoped the company was above such things in its productivity apps.
[8]Apple, Google agree to loosen grip on UK app stores
[9]Nudify app proliferation shows naked ambition of Apple and Google
[10]Apple, Google pulled into Grok controversy as campaigners demand app store takedown
[11]Apple hopes to save Siri from laughingstock status with infusion of Google Gemini
In 2024, when questioned about charging for AI-enhanced services [12]in an interview with WIRED , Apple boss Tim Cook said: "We never talked about charging for it. We view it sort of like multitouch, which enabled the smartphone revolution and the modern tablet."
Clearly, Apple has talked about it since then.
[13]
What's New screen in Pages asking for an upgrade
Users were also not warned that an upgrade would include nagging about a premium subscription, which has stuck in their craw.
For context, users aren't required to subscribe, but pop-ups frequently suggest they should for various features.
Still, ads in Apple's productivity suite, even for its own services, feel like a slippery slope. As one user put it: "makes me worry this is a creeping approach to a macOS bloatware strategy. ®
Get our [14]Tech Resources
[1] https://www.apple.com/uk/newsroom/2026/01/introducing-apple-creator-studio-an-inspiring-collection-of-creative-apps/
[2] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offprem/saas&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2aYy1tjTVGpasd3I8Rgi91gAAAso&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offprem/saas&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44aYy1tjTVGpasd3I8Rgi91gAAAso&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offprem/saas&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33aYy1tjTVGpasd3I8Rgi91gAAAso&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[5] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offprem/saas&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44aYy1tjTVGpasd3I8Rgi91gAAAso&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[6] https://discussions.apple.com/thread/256235494?answerId=261811698022#261811698022
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2024/11/21/windows_11_fs_ad/
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2026/02/10/apple_google_uk_app_stores/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2026/01/27/nudify_app_proliferation_shows_naked/
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2026/01/15/apple_google_pulled_into_grok/
[11] https://www.theregister.com/2026/01/12/apple_taps_google_gemini_siri/
[12] https://www.wired.com/story/big-interview-tim-cook-wants-apple-to-literally-save-your-life/
[13] https://regmedia.co.uk/2026/02/11/pages.jpg
[14] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Re: Came for the premium experience
Winblows and MacOS, yes. Linux - not in my experience. My Linux Mint install just sits there quietly and never nags me about anything. Even updates. It just lights up the updates icon. That's it. No nagging, no adverts, no AI agentic bullshit. Just... peace.
Re: Came for the premium experience
Me Sir! Me Sir! Me Sir! Me Sir!
I'm pretty sure that's what Dan meant by "commercial", but you just couldn't wait to mention Linux, could you?
users wanting premium features, many powered by Apple Intelligence or OpenAI.
User s ? You mean there's more than one who wants the infestation?
Judging by the amount of AI slop I see swilling around the Internet, there’s a lot more than one whether we’re talking about Macs, PCs or even Linux users.
If we ever get to the stage of building the three arks, it’s looking like the B ark will need a lot of bunks…
Who uses Pages & Numbers anyway?
Nobody sane.
LibreOffice does everything I need.
As mentioned in the article, Number and Pages are also available for iPad.
Libreoffice isn't.
In fact Libreoffice is available for iPad in the form of Collabora Office... but honestly it's unusable.
Might be worth giving OnlyOffice a spin.
Keynote is, in my experience, the best presentation authoring software and what you should use if you have a Mac, because it allows you to concentrate on what you want to show and say.
For the same price you can get MS Office 365, which includes license for 5 additional people and 1 TB Onedrive storage for each.
I haven't used Pages and Number, is the software better than MS equivalents?
But Pages, Numbers, Keynote etc are free with MacOS and IOS. And although they only come with 5GB of free storage, it's free whether it's 5 additional users or 5 million.
Despite this article attempting to rage-bait or sneer-bait by glossing over it, Pages, Numbers, Keynote and Freeform remain free in the form that they have always been (i.e. devoid of AI features).
They'll probably switch around soon! Make annoying AI slop agentic crap the free version, and force people to pay for the peace and quiet version! :-)
Was thinking that - even free they were overpriced - I spend more on Parallels to run MSO (and linux to be fair) than I do on MSO.
Numbers is great and free. Well, it is for now. LibreOffice is very obviously a Windows wannabe app and use Apple fans don’t like that.
Dunno about Pages as I never write newsletters or letters.
Intelligent
So if it is really intelligent, surely user could tell Notes, hey Notes write me a Notes application that I can use for free. Use XCode etc. Go go go!
Good while it lasted
Ah, well. Currently in the process of getting out of iCloud, iCloud Mail, iCloud Photos, Apple Music, Apple Pay … And the first time I see an ad in Apple Maps'll be when I stop volunteering corrections.
Ivana kowtowing and Creator Studio helped to overcame my inertia.
Came for the premium experience
Stayed for the rentier capitalism.
All major modern-day commercial OSes are now just money extraction vehicles, be it advertising, subscriptions, or your data.