Photoshop Elements 9 Editor lacks the organizer features of the regular retail edition of the software, and does not bundle the Windows version as well. It's targeted towards amateur photographers who are using iPhoto to import and manage their pictures, but who want more editing power than Apple's application offers. Photoshop Element 9 Editor's image editing capabilities are identical to the regular retail edition.

At US$79.99 (or the rough equivalent in other currencies), Photoshop Elements 9 Editor for Mac is not being offered at much of a discount over the typical going rate for the regular retail edition from reputable online and brick-and-mortar sources. During a briefing on the software, Bob Gager, an Adobe product manager responsible for Photoshop Elements, indicated that the price for Photoshop Elements 9 Editor for Mac reflected, in part, the value that potential customers will place on being able to download and begin using the software right away, rather than having to wait for a shipped package to arrive.