Apple Betraying Final Cut Pro for Ventura Users

Question

Apple Betraying Final Cut Pro for Ventura Users

Purchased Final Cut Pro in 2018 on my Apple ID. Used it on my 2017 iMac 5K Retina 27”

Recently did a fresh reinstall of Ventura.

I discovered to my dismay, that the App Store no longer allows users to Download older iterations of the Pro Apps that are compatible with older machines. (I attempted via my “Purchased Apps” window in my Apple ID)

They force you to use the most recent FCP iteration, the gives you an error that you don’t have a required MacOS, and don’t offer any solution for machines using anything pre MacOS 15.6.

I particularly need FCP 10.8.1

I've been trying to get this resolved with Apple Support for over a week, with calls nearly every day. They just keep sending me down various dead ends.

Why can’t Apple just simply offer the downloads for the older versions? I understand that I’m missing out on new developments, but why cut off my access to the software that I rightfully paid for

I paid for perpetual access, and Apple is forcing me out the door.

Any recommended solutions?

(I’m facing the same predicament for Motion, and Compressor)..... (Logic Pro and MainStage still download fine)

iMac 27″ 5K

Posted on Jan 19, 2026 9:25 PM

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Answer 1

Jan 20, 2026 1:01 AM in response to RedArrowDough

RedArrowDough wrote:

Any recommended solutions?

You might be able to restore Ventura-compatible FCP version from the backup.

I have a habit to zip and archive FCP and Compressor before updating them (and also other mission critical 3rd party installers). For Ventura I would need v10.8.1 and for Mojave v10.4.10.

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Answer 2

fox_m

Level 6

13,282 points

Jan 19, 2026 10:11 PM in response to RedArrowDough

I can't help you other than to reinforce your request.

I'm "stuck" in Mojave (10.14.6) and was considering upgrading to Ventura (13.7.8) recently as this is the highest version of MacOS my machine will take (2017 iMac i5) and I am finally willing to forsake all my former 32-bit applications. I knew about Apple discontinuing the ability to download former versions of Pro Apps, but the people asking about it had newer machines and system software. After considerable research (Google AI got much of the information **wrong**), I found out that the earlier versions had been discontinued for **everybody** regardless... meaning, if I have to rebuild my system for any reason, I still won't be able to get any version of Final Cut (or Motion) that will run on my machine — I will just be flat out of luck!

And yeah:

"Thank you for using Apple Pro Apps for the last 15 years and don't let the door hit you on the way out." [BTW, I also purchased Final Cut Studio before that... at about a grand.]

So I would like to add my voice to yours and beseech Apple to ***restore*** our abilities to download and install versions of Final Cut that will work on our machines. Not everyone is privileged enough to keep buying hardware upgrades, especially when you get older and are stuck on a fixed income... like me.

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Answer 3

Jan 20, 2026 5:47 AM in response to Matti Haveri

The problem is that I never backed up my machine. It was an oversight, and I have learned my lesson.

But now I have no access personally to a Final Cut Pro 10.8.1 file.

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