An image processing apparatus includes multiple image processing units and multiple execution controllers. The multiple image processing units respectively perform different types of image processing operations executable on image data. The multiple execution controllers each perform control to select and run grouped image processing units of the multiple image processing units. Each of the multiple execution controllers selects and runs the grouped image processing units in accordance with a corresponding one of rules that are specified for the respective execution controllers, and one of the multiple execution controllers is used in a series of image processing operations performed on the image data.