# Affinity Designer Reviews 2026. Verified Reviews, Pros & Cons | Capterra

> Is Affinity Designer the right Graphic Design solution for you? Explore 454 verified user reviews from people in industries like yours to make a confident choice.

Source: https://www.capterra.com/p/110533/WebPlus-X4/reviews

---

Affinity Designer

4.7 (454)

[View alternatives](https://www.capterra.com/p/110533/WebPlus-X4/alternatives/)

Provider data verified by our Software Research team, and reviews moderated by our Reviews Verification team. [Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/our-story/)

* * *

Last updated March 13th, 2026

# Reviews of Affinity Designer

Ease of use

4.4

Customer Service

4.5

## Pros and Cons in Reviews

Susan M

AuthorWriting and Editing, Self-employedUsed the software for: More than 2 years.

“The image editing is fantastic and on par with photoshop at a much reduced cost.“

December 11, 2025

Cindy C

Junior Software Engineer Computer Software, 51 - 200 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years.

“On the other hand, what I don't like is the performance, which is really low on Windows, even with a good configuration.“

September 17, 2023

Vasilis K

Web Developer and DesignerInformation Technology and Services, Self-employedUsed the software for: More than 2 years.

“It has a nice user interface and plenty of powerful features such as seamlessly switching between vector and raster graphics.“

January 14, 2025

SB

Skyler B

Content CreatorWriting and Editing, Self-employedUsed the software for: 1-2 years.

“Minor annoyances include not being able to trace a PNG into a vector, and not being able to merge vectors into one layer.“

May 10, 2022

RB

Robert B

PastorNon-Profit Organization Management, 2 - 10 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years.

“I used Adobe Illustrator for years. When they moved to a subscription model I looked for an alternative and found Affinity Designer. After I got use to their user interface I wouldn't go back to Adobe.“

April 25, 2025

DN

Debbie N

ManagerHealth, Wellness and Fitness, Self-employedUsed the software for: 6-12 months.

“The learning curve can be a bit steep for those who are new to vector design.-It lacks some of the advanced features found in other vector design software.-It does not have a built-in library of templates and shapes.“

February 2, 2023

NK

Nikolas K

Graphic DesignerGraphic Design, Self-employedUsed the software for: More than 2 years.

“Affinity designer is a very feature complete alternative to adobe illustrator, I feel that some tools are even better, and it is also much faster than illustrator.“

November 11, 2024

SB

Skyler B

Content CreatorWriting and Editing, Self-employedUsed the software for: 1-2 years.

“Some features are frustratingly similar to Adobe Illustrator, but slightly different, which can take time to figure them out, and slow down your workflow.“

May 10, 2022

## Showing most helpful reviews

Showing 1-25 of 454 Reviews

Sort by:

Most Helpful

Rating

Company Size

Reviewer's Role

Length of Use

Frequency of Use

Vasilis K.  
Web Developer and Designer  
Information Technology and Services  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Great software especially if we consider its price"

January 14, 2025

5.0

My overall experience is great so far. It's a very capable software and I really love the one-off payment that gives you access to the entire suite.

Pros

It has a nice user interface and plenty of powerful features such as seamlessly switching between vector and raster graphics.

Cons

I wish there was an Image Trace feature for converting png images to vector.

Switched from

[Adobe Illustrator](https://www.capterra.com/p/227125/Adobe-Illustrator/)

Mostly because of the one-off payment option.

Review Source

AL

Alexandra L.  
Customer success manager  
Marketing and Advertising  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Great alternative to Adobe illustrator "

April 29, 2025

4.0

I like affinity designer, I used it a lot for logo and branding creation. It’s very similar to adobe illustrator, overall is a great tool with a much lower price than its competitor.

Pros

The price. It was way cheaper than adobe and had most of the same functionalities.

Cons

That you are not able to vectorize images - this has been lacking for so long, is the only ready I miss having adobe.

Switched from

[Adobe Illustrator](https://www.capterra.com/p/227125/Adobe-Illustrator/)

Adobe illustrator is too expensive. I started using affinity 5 years ago when I was a freelancer and I needed to keep low budget, I kept it since then as I got used to it. I have also recommended this tool to others in my industry.

Review Source

KW

Kristen W.  
Owner  
Fine Art  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "User friendly"

September 3, 2024

3.0

I think that losing quality when sizing images needs to be improved as it is a significant issue

Pros

It’s very easy to figure out how to use, and it’s user friendlt

Cons

Image sizing loses quality of the image for vectors

Review Source

RR

Rafia R.  
Graphic Designer - Visual Branding  
Information Technology and Services  
Used the software for: 6-12 months

### "Affinity Designer is a great alternative"

January 16, 2026

5.0

Affinity Designer is a great alternative for vector and branding work, especially for designers who prefer a one-time license.

Pros

It’s fast, responsive, and capable of handling both vector and raster work in one environment. The pricing model is very appealing for small teams, and the quality is strong enough for professional branding.

Cons

Some advanced features found in industry-standard tools are missing. File compatibility with Adobe formats can occasionally require extra adjustments.

Review Source

AJ

Amy J.  
Designer and Business Owner  
Design  
Used the software for: 1-2 years

### "Affinity Designer is an amazing alternative for the designers of all kinds!"

May 9, 2025

5.0

Overall, as a Designer, I use Affinity Designer on a daily basis in my business. I could not run my business without it.

Pros

I love the robust capabilities that Affinity Designer has. It is a great alternative for other Design apps and softwares, for a fraction of the cost.

Cons

There really isn't anything that I don't like about Affinity Designer. It meets all of my needs as a professional Designer.

Switched from

[Adobe InDesign](https://www.capterra.com/p/233314/Adobe-InDesign/)

I wanted an alternative that was less expensive, but still could handle my needs.

Review Source

RB

Robert B.  
Pastor  
Non-Profit Organization Management  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Amazing Alternative to Illustrator"

April 25, 2025

5.0

I used Adobe Illustrator for years. When they moved to a subscription model I looked for an alternative and found Affinity Designer. After I got use to their user interface I wouldn't go back to Adobe.

Pros

Ease of use and very powerful in terms of graphic design including vector art.

Cons

There is not much to not like about this software! The price is amazing too.

Switched from

[Adobe Illustrator](https://www.capterra.com/p/227125/Adobe-Illustrator/)

Mainly pricing. When Adobe switched to subscription.

Review Source

NK

Nikolas K.  
Graphic Designer  
Graphic Design  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "The best alternative to illustrator"

November 11, 2024

5.0

Affinity designer is a very feature complete alternative to adobe illustrator, I feel that some tools are even better, and it is also much faster than illustrator. Unlike illustrator, designer is made from scratch and as for that utilize modern hardware much better and everything works much faster. I use is as a freelance graphic designer since v.1 and the compatibility with adobe apps is pretty good, but even if you have trouble you can simple share PDF files that work fine. For example if I need to outsource some printing I send a PDF that can be saved in a PDF standard (like PDF X-1a:2003) and nobody have ever complained about incompatibilities or anything. Devs are improving the app all the time adding new tools and features. Personally I do miss from illustrator the image trace tool and the newer AI tools, although since affinity is bought by Canva maybe the AI gap in tools will soon be eliminated. Also you buy once in a very reasonable price and you can have it for ever. The newer universal license is pure gold value as you can have all 3 affinity apps for all available platforms for the cost of few months of adobe subscription (although yeah adobe suite give you a wider arrange of apps, me as a graphic designer simple need the 3 basics illustrator/photoshop/indesign, why to pay every year for apps that I don't use?). All in all it have a 60 days trial, so you can try for yourself for free. Just arrange the workspace the same way you had it in illustrator and the transition will be very smooth. The only thing that works completely differently is the clipping mask, but it is not a big deal.

Pros

Simple put, it is a very good and fast alternative to adobe illustrator with very competitive pricing and one off buy.

Cons

Technically speaking it is still on it's infancy, while it covers a lot of functions for a program that new, there are still things that are not yet implemented that I would love to have (although I have faith on the dev team that eventually will add everything that you may ever need).

Switched from

[Adobe Illustrator](https://www.capterra.com/p/227125/Adobe-Illustrator/)

Illustrator is slow, doesn't use my hardware and it cost a lot of money with the subscription, not to mention that I have to pay all the time or I lose access to the app.

Review Source

VR

Verified Reviewer  
Managing Partner  
Photography  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Powerful software for graphic design and illustration"

January 14, 2025

5.0

Fast and powerful software with everything needed for graphic design and illustration.

Pros

Extremely good software for graphic design and illustration. Offers all needed tools. One-time payment instead of subscription model.

Cons

Everything I need is included, but generative AI tools like in Adobe products would be nice to have.

Alternatives considered

[Adobe InDesign](https://www.capterra.com/p/233314/Adobe-InDesign/)[Adobe Illustrator](https://www.capterra.com/p/227125/Adobe-Illustrator/)

Reason for choosing Affinity Designer

I prefer one-time payments over subscription models.

Review Source

Susan M.  
Author  
Writing and Editing  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Affinity Design is Great!"

December 11, 2025

5.0

Always being able to handle everything that I have asked it to do. The layout is easy to navigate and follow.

Pros

Affinity design is an all-in-one complete designer package. Great value for money, brilliant graphic designs, help tutorials are easy to understand and follow. The security is good and data seems to be well protected. Design creation has regular updates and easy to use software. The image editing is fantastic and on par with photoshop at a much reduced cost. I love it!

Cons

Have not found any negative aspects what-so-ever with this software. If I have to find one thing it would be, that if you have never used this type of software before, it has a quite in-depth learning curve. You need to watch all the tutorials.

Review Source

CS

Christian S.  
Web Producer  
Translation and Localization  
Used the software for: Less than 6 months

### "Great cheap alternative "

December 14, 2025

5.0

Pros

I had some experience with affinity before it's canva's. I love the several images editing features it's offering. Compared to big mane, it's easier.

Cons

I feel many lacks using Affinity Designer. Maybe some options aren't where I had habits to find on other tools.

Review Source

TO

TERI O.  
Designer  
Graphic Design  
Used the software for: 1-2 years

### "Affinity Designer is more bang for your buck "

November 17, 2024

5.0

Pros

Great alternative to Adobe products for an affordable price.

Cons

The UI is a little different than Adobe so there was a learning curve

Switched from

[Adobe Creative Cloud](https://www.capterra.com/p/48969/Adobe-Creative-Cloud/)

We could not afford Adobe anymore and needed another option

Review Source

GF

Gabriel F.  
Business Owner  
Consumer Services  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Why Affinity Earns My Loyalty: A Review of Their Customer-Centric Approach"

July 9, 2024

5.0

Pros

Affinity has always been a value-centered brand that genuinely cares about both the quality of its products and the satisfaction of its users. While many brands focus on maximizing profits and squeezing out every penny, Affinity chooses to do right by its customers with straightforward and simple purchase models. That's why their apps remain indispensable in my toolkit, and I feel a deep sense of loyalty toward their brand. Great job, team, and I think your 6-month model is brilliant. I wish you every success with it.

Cons

Learning curve takes time and help files could be better.

Switched from

[Adobe Creative Cloud](https://www.capterra.com/p/48969/Adobe-Creative-Cloud/)

Initially, price. Later, simply because they do everything Adobe does for a much better price.

Review Source

JG

John G.  
Owner  
Consumer Services  
Used the software for: 1-2 years

### "Capable "Owned" Replacements for Adobe Creative Cloud "Leased" Software"

January 11, 2020

5.0

I'm very pleased with my Affinity products. I have used Affinity Designer (Illustrator replacement) since shortly after it was released and was also an early adopter of Affinity Photo (Photoshop replacement). As of about four weeks ago, I relegated the Adobe CS6 apps to a legacy machine and in that time, I have found no reason to go back to them. (Note: I have never used Adobe CC, since it is leased. The apps that I moved to a legacy Mac was CS6.) The only feature that I wish Affinity would add is "background texture" in "effects". It would speed up my uses of effects. The only feature that I wish Affinity would improve is their "live" view of effects changes. There is a learning curve. Some things are more difficult that with comparable Adobe apps, but others are much easier. I'm a Photoshop guru and have not found anything I can do in Photoshop that I can't do in Affinity Photo. The same applies to Affinity Designer, but I'm not an Illustrator guru. All in all, I'm "extremely pleased" with the Affinity apps. They are respectable "owned" replacements for the comparable Adobe "leased" apps. I have bid adieu to Adobe and after more than a month, I've found no reason to look back.

Pros

Both Affinity Photo & Affinity Designer are excellent and capable replacements for the Adobe CC packages they replace. But most of all, unlike the Adobe apps they replace, I "OWN" the Affinity apps. Although I don't use Affinity software every day, when I need it, I need it immediately. I cannot afford to be denied access to leased software, simply because some black hat hacked a license server that I have no control over. As a former white hat hacker and IT Director, I know the risks all too well. That's why I only use software that I "own". Big companies spend tons of money on security. But despite all the high-end security software and procedures, we've all heard about numerous Fortune 500 companies and even the US government getting hacked. Not only is there no guarantee that a license server won't be hacked, but such servers are major targets. By contrast, my computer is a minor target. Sure, I can still be hacked. But if that happens, I can restore everything from an on-site backup in an hour. OTOH, if a hacker gets into a license server and sets all licenses to "expired", it could take days or even weeks for a company with 100K+ licenses to correct the problem, during which time, the license holders are down. I "OWN" my Affinity software. It cannot be turned off. Also, Affinity does not force you to update to the latest version, as do certain leased apps. I typically delay updating any app till I've had a chance to read the blogs about the update.

Cons

The way effects handles background textures is quite different from Photoshop and Illustrator and there is a resultant learning curve. That said, you can, with just a little more effort, achieve an output that is almost identical to what came from the comparable Adobe app. In fact, once you learn how to manipulate the effects, you can some times create a better looking output than what can be produced with an Adobe app. There are some shortcut keys that are in Adobe apps, for which I have not yet found a comparable shortcut in the Affinity apps. OTOH, there are some shortcuts in the Affinity apps that are no available at all in the comparable Adobe products. The negatives with Affinity apps are very minor, compared to the positives of being an "owned" product.

Alternatives considered

[Pixelmator Pro](https://www.capterra.com/p/185948/Pixelmator-Pro-1-3-3-Prism/)[GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program)](https://www.capterra.com/p/168960/GIMP/)[CorelDRAW](https://www.capterra.com/p/124823/CorelDRAW/)

Reason for choosing Affinity Designer

Affinity Photo is easier to use than GIMP and has better support. Pixelmator Pro is not as capable as Affinity Photo. Corel has finally re-released Corel Draw on Mac, but it is far more expensive than Affinity Designer and offers nothing that Designer does not offer.

Review Source

AA

Asfak A.  
UX-UI Designer  
Design  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Best Vector Design software in a Cheaper price"

December 21, 2021

4.0

Overall, I am happy with this product. It comes with a perceptual purchase plan. I can do my 80% of design in affinity designer. I wish they add features like shape builder tool, Image tracer soon. Then, It will be the best Adobe Illustrator Competitor.

Pros

The interface is less complicated. Layer management is awesome. It supports non-destructive editing for both vector & pixel editing. It supports live preview while changing any properties like colour, font & effects of the design.

Cons

There is no image tracing option. Lacking of Shape builder tool, pattern tool, real vector brush tool made this software hard to recommend to others.

Alternatives considered

[Amadine](https://www.capterra.com/p/187774/Amadine/)[Xara Designer Pro X](https://www.capterra.com/p/133736/Xara-Designer-Pro/)[Linearity Curve](https://www.capterra.com/p/178239/Linearity-Curve/)

Reason for choosing Affinity Designer

These alternatives were nearly prefect for me. But they weren't a prefect fit for my purpose. Although, affinity designer is not fully feature packed but is ticks all the boxes I want.

Switched from

[Adobe Illustrator](https://www.capterra.com/p/227125/Adobe-Illustrator/)[Inkscape](https://www.capterra.com/p/178240/Inkscape/)

The affordability was the main reason to switch. Moreover, I never need the extra options provided by Adobe Illustrator. Inkscape was not capable of CMYK colour print. On the other hand, Affinity was the prefect match for me considering these issues.

Review Source

MH

Martin H.  
Owner Engineering Consultant  
Electrical/Electronic Manufacturing  
Used the software for: 1-2 years

### "Affinity Designer - a great, cost-efficient alternative to Adobe Illustrator"

October 4, 2022

5.0

Everyday I use Affinity Designer to create social media artwork for my charity project. I used Affinity Designer each day to import clip-art from my Alibre Design Expert CAD software to create engineering and sales presentations. I have used Affinity Designer to import, edit PDF's and then output new PDFs. This software is a fantastic, low-cost, high-value tool that everyone should have in their toolbox.

Pros

For many years I worked with the Adobe Suite tools, including Illustrator. Each year I had paid over $600 to rent these tools in a subscription. One day I discovered Affinity Designer. I put it through all the tests of art design functions I normally used Illustrator for. I was absolutely blown away that I could literally do everything I once did in Illustrator. The best part is, not only the price of Affinity Designer 1/12 that of Adobe Illustrator subscription, but I actually own Affinity Designer. I love this software. In fact, I went back and purchased all of their art tool lines: Affinity Photo, Publisher, and art-tool add-ons. I own all of these Affinity art tools at a fraction of the cost of one Adobe Suite subscription.

Cons

I have no negative comments about Affinity Designer.

Reason for choosing Affinity Designer

Once I discovered Affinity Designer could do all my required tasks that I once performed in a much, more expensive Adobe Illustrator, I was immediately sold and purchased the software.

Switched from

[Adobe Photoshop](https://www.capterra.com/p/229092/Adobe-Photoshop/)[Adobe Illustrator](https://www.capterra.com/p/227125/Adobe-Illustrator/)[Adobe Creative Cloud](https://www.capterra.com/p/48969/Adobe-Creative-Cloud/)

Once I discovered I could perform all the tasks I used to do in Adobe Illustrator, the price to own this softare was a no-brainer. Anyone who uses Adobe Illustrator should look closely at Affinity Designer.

Review Source

SJ

Sebastian J.  
Designer  
Design  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Best value for price in the industry"

January 4, 2023

5.0

Overall a very good experience and after using it for a while i cannot go back to Adobe Illustrator.

Pros

It has a very competetive pricing for what it can do. It does not have a subscription model, which is very incommon nowadays. While it is still lacking behind on some features compared to others like Adobe Illustrator, it is catching up fast.

Cons

Some features that one is used to from Adobe Illustrator are missing. Hoping for the addition in a future update.

Alternatives considered

[Linearity Curve](https://www.capterra.com/p/178239/Linearity-Curve/)

Reason for choosing Affinity Designer

The overall suite and functionality. The concept of "personas" is very unique and potent.

Switched from

[Adobe Illustrator](https://www.capterra.com/p/227125/Adobe-Illustrator/)

Pricing, Compability with modern systems (MacOS, M1)

Review Source

VJ

Viktoria J.  
Owner  
Information Technology and Services  
Used the software for: 1-2 years

### "The powerhouse of vector design"

February 10, 2021

5.0

We use Affinity Designer for a myriad of things - from designing logos and graphics for websites, to making merch design for our web comic. The great UI and amazing performance are an upgrade from our previous vector design software.

Pros

Affinity designer is the software I was waiting for as long as I remember. It has all the options of the mainstream competition, but for the fraction of the price. The best part of it is that Affinity Designer does what it does perfectly. But, the thing that attracted me to the Serif software, Affinity Designer and it's sister products Affinity Photo and Affinity Publisher, is not only that. They offered their software for absolutely free for three entire months when the COVID pandemic started, and then for another three months later on. All the time, their price was down to 50% as well. They were not only the best, but the most human and kind. And that is the kind of company I want to give my money to.

Cons

A solid bitmap tracing option would be nice.

Alternatives considered

[Adobe Illustrator](https://www.capterra.com/p/227125/Adobe-Illustrator/)[Inkscape](https://www.capterra.com/p/178240/Inkscape/)

Reason for choosing Affinity Designer

The affordable price and the completeness of the package were the middle ground between the expensive and the free option we were looking at.

Switched from

[Adobe Illustrator](https://www.capterra.com/p/227125/Adobe-Illustrator/)

We switched to Affinity software because we fell in love with the companies spirit. They offered their product for free to those who needed it the most. Needless to say, we bought the full suite after just a few days of use. Discovering Affinity was, to me, as exciting as making my first steps in vector design years ago.

Review Source

VR

Verified Reviewer  
Owner  
Information Technology and Services  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Budget alternative to Adobe's increasingly expensive product line.."

September 14, 2020

5.0

The pricepoint and feature set make this a steal when you compare it to Adobe's competitor Illustrator. We bought a single license and had our most experienced designer test drive it. He ultimately recommended it and we've enjoyed a huge cost savings for software, while not missing a beat in terms of workload and output.

Pros

This is a fantastic alternative to Adobe's Illustrator, especially at Affinity's pricepoint. To be fair, we're not a design agency first, we make websites and do marketing primarily. However, when we do want to work with vector graphics, Affinity Designer matches up almost 1:1 with Adobe Illustrator. The real pro is the one-time fee of $50 instead of a full adobe suite subscription. This allows our small team to effectively open, edit, and export vector graphics, without having a several hundred dollars per month bill to foot. For small teams, this is a huge win. I'd imagine some experienced designers will scoff that a few of their old shortcuts don't work, but all in all, the interface and function almost mirrors Adobe's for a fraction of the cost. We also use their photo editing software too, which replaces Photoshop.

Cons

Some of the terminology and keyboard shortcuts made the onboarding slightly more difficult for our long-time Adobe Illustrator users, but they've adopted nicely over time. There's always growing pains when you switch tools, but there are many more features that do match up 1:1 that this was a no brainer for our company.

Switched from

[Adobe Illustrator](https://www.capterra.com/p/227125/Adobe-Illustrator/)

Pricing. Adobe's product suite is expensive for a small team like ours who may not need as robust of a software suite as other design/marketing firms. For our needs and budget, this was a perfect fit. I can't tell enough people about this!

Review Source

SM

Stefania M.  
CEO and founder  
Marketing and Advertising  
Used the software for: 1-2 years

### "Great app for creating nice designs"

February 9, 2024

5.0

It’s very economic and it does everything that a design needs so I really recommend it, especially to small businesses

Pros

I like the fact that it’s not a subscription but you pay it once and then have access forever. Also it has a lot of tools so you can create and personalize your design!

Cons

It a professional app so it’s not that intuitive, you have to look to a lot of tutorials and guides to fully use it

Switched from

[Adobe Illustrator](https://www.capterra.com/p/227125/Adobe-Illustrator/)

Adobe costs too much while Affinity is a one time payment

Review Source

SP

Srdan P.  
Operations Manager  
Apparel & Fashion  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "My essential UX, Vector Creating tool"

June 3, 2022

5.0

I am very satisfied with the performance the look, style and usability of Affinity Designer I am also using the Affinity Photo and Publisher.

Pros

It's built for Mac OS, an it works flawlessly with my M1 MacBook and my Dell 27" external screen. It has all the features and tools as Adobe Illustrator and then some more. I absolutely love it!

Cons

Nothing that I can think of at the moment, all is rainbows and smiles after few years of using it.

Alternatives considered

[Adobe Illustrator](https://www.capterra.com/p/227125/Adobe-Illustrator/)

Reason for choosing Affinity Designer

Pricing and plus I know the product for several years.

Switched from

[Adobe Illustrator](https://www.capterra.com/p/227125/Adobe-Illustrator/)

Seamless and without any regrets, wouldn't go back to Adobe in a million years.

Review Source

JT

Joshua T.  
Musician | Online Tutor  
Arts and Crafts  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Brilliant Application - Incredible Brand!"

November 21, 2019

5.0

My overall experience with the whole Affinity brand is supremely positive. Every aspect of their service: from the products they provide to the support, tutorials and workbooks they offer is of a supremely high standard. I'm incredibly excited to see how this brand evolves and will definitely be purchasing any product they add to their catalogue in the future.

Pros

Designer is an incredibly deep application that can satisfy just about everyone's demands for digital illustration. It has a phenomenal feature set and works on multiple devices, thus enabling the user to maximize their output and enhance their workflow. The accompanying Workbook is a brilliant way to familiarize the user to the capabilities of the software, and as the only viable alternative to Adobe Illustrator, anyone making the transition will feel right at home - you can even open up your Illustrator projects in Designer! Another great function is the seamless integration with Affinity's other applications - Publisher and Photo. I have only scratched the surface of this application but am astonished at what can be achieved. I can't recommend it highly enough and think that there is nothing on the market than can compete at this price range. Five stars! 🏆

Cons

Since making the transition from Illustrator, I've honestly not looked back once. There is nothing in my workflow that Designer isn't capable of performing. As such, I have no cons and can't think of any reason not explore Designer and its capabilities.

Switched from

[Adobe Illustrator](https://www.capterra.com/p/227125/Adobe-Illustrator/)

I couldn't justify the exorbitant fees that Adobe charge and was desperate to find a feature-packed and affordable solution.

Review Source

TJ

Tossoukpe J.  
Photo and Videomaker  
Events Services  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Great tool"

June 1, 2025

5.0

Great tool, price is excellent and very competitive regarding the market and everything the software can do

Pros

This is a powerful tool. I wa sinterested abut it because there was an offer for the entire Affinity Suite, and i really like this tool. I don't create that much design with edit but i edit a lot of them with it and it'es an excelelnt tool

Cons

Pretty hard to assimilate but as it shares a lot in common with Affinity Photo which is great when learning.

Review Source

VR

Verified Reviewer  
Senior Brand Designer  
Arts and Crafts  
Used the software for: 6-12 months

### "Great alternative to Adobe Illustrator"

May 11, 2023

5.0

I love using Affinity Designer. It is intuitive and works well in my workflow. The design and user interface are made with the actual user in mind which helps the transition from other similar apps.

Pros

One of the best things about Affinity Designer is its price. Unlike Adobe Illustrator, which requires a monthly subscription, Affinity Designer can be purchased for a one-time fee. This makes it a great option for budget-minded designers.

Cons

There is a bit of a learning curve when using the app for the first time (and not having experience with other similar apps). But the software website and other online resources are easy enough to access and gets you familiar with the app right away.

Review Source

FH

Friedman H.  
Musician  
Entertainment  
Used the software for: 1-2 years

### "Affinity Design all the way "

November 27, 2022

5.0

I have been drawing clients towards the business as they gets attracted by brilliant graphics and the benefits of all this are way enjoyable as the business tend to boom, brands grow and the products advertised gets to outstand. Affinity Design helped me a lot in reaching out to new clients and I will always put it forth .

Pros

The vector tools are amazing and easy to use which gives one so much accuracy and all this leads to a clean piece of artwork.You can move from illustrations to poster design or art covers for movies and music in just one app, this is so amazing. I love Affinity Design .

Cons

To be honest I haven't been having any dislikes, I have enjoyed every moment working with it.

Review Source

Nathan B.  
Product Manager  
Financial Services  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "The best design tool to beat Adobe"

June 17, 2023

5.0

Pros

I love that this is a smaller competitively-priced design tool for the masses. Ad-hoc charge vs monthly recurring. Features are 80% matching of their largest rival

Cons

The learning curve coming from their main competitor can be a little jarring, but you get over it quick with the money savings

Review Source

Similar Products

Featured