# Page 5 | Affinity Designer Reviews 2026. Verified Reviews, Pros & Cons | Capterra

> Page 5 - 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

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Affinity Designer

4.7 (454)

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

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Last updated March 13th, 2026

# Page 5 - Reviews of Affinity Designer

## Showing most helpful reviews

Showing 101-125 of 454 Reviews

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Rating

Company Size

Reviewer's Role

Length of Use

Frequency of Use

JC

Jigar C.  
Proprietor  
Arts and Crafts  
Used the software for: 1-2 years

### "Affinity Designer best for designing "

January 16, 2023

5.0

Pros

It has lot of amazing features but few features like text editing, Preview really helps and save lot of time to make the artwork more creative.

Cons

The software has mostly all the features which is needed to the Graphic designer and I could not find anything which is needed.

Review Source

PW

Phil W.  
Manager  
Leisure, Travel & Tourism  
Used the software for: 6-12 months

### "Best value vector design software"

November 12, 2023

5.0

Pros

After using Illustrator since it first came out in the late 80's I have found Affinity Designer to be a very good experience and the best alternative I have ever found. I like the on-off price rather than the subscription model, and the option to upgrade if I find value in that.

Cons

Some features that I have been used to in Adobe Illustrator are missing. I am hoping that they add them future updates. It took awhile to get used to the different way of using vector tools but got the hang of it and in some instances are much easier now.

Switched from

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

Subscription price of Adobe Creative cloud became undaffordable.

Review Source

VR

Verified Reviewer  
Marketing Director/Front-End Web Developer  
Building Materials  
Used the software for: 6-12 months

### "Illustrator Alternative, Almost Perfect"

January 26, 2021

5.0

I love that I am able to open all of my old Adobe files seamlessly, for the most part. Yes, there are some minor things missing from the software but, for someone who does web and graphic design on a daily basis, this is a phenomenal software solution. Not to mention the normal $50 one-time purchase cost (currently only $25 due to COVID-19).

Pros

They are constantly improving this software and making it the perfect 1:1 replacement for Adobe Illustrator, without the paywall. It's easy to use and understand while having advanced enough features for even the most technical users.

Cons

I wish I had the potential to seamlessly switch between the affinity app suite, like their Publisher software allows. It would be convenient for small changes using tools from my other Affinity products.

Switched from

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

I was tired of Adobe's paywall and stranglehold on the design software market. For my needs and workflow, the Affinity Suite has been perfect.

Review Source

SC

Silvia C.  
Dirección  
Marketing and Advertising  
Used the software for: 1-2 years

### "Muy buena alternativa a Adobe"

February 9, 2024

5.0

Muy buena, lo recomiendo por el precio que tiene.

Pros

Que simplifica mucho los espacios de trabajo y si creación.

Cons

No tiene todas las funciones del Paquete Adobe. Si eres un diseñador gráfico de alta potencia quizás se quede corto.

Switched from

[Adobe InDesign](https://www.capterra.com/p/233314/Adobe-InDesign/)[Adobe Photoshop](https://www.capterra.com/p/229092/Adobe-Photoshop/)[Adobe Illustrator](https://www.capterra.com/p/227125/Adobe-Illustrator/)

Precio principalmente y porque me resultaba más ágil.

Review Source

VR

Verified Reviewer  
soporte  
Industrial Automation  
Used the software for: 6-12 months

### "Exelente alternativa a Illustrator"

January 16, 2023

5.0

Mi experiencia con la herramienta es muy buena. Puedo hacer mis logos y portadas de podcast rapidamente y con buena calidad.

Pros

Lo que más me gusta de Affinity Designer es la interface y que el pago de la licencia es de pago único de por vida. Además de que me facilita mucho el trabajo y puedo hacer cosas complejas.

Cons

Lo que no me gusto es que fue necesario pagar nuevamente la licencia cuando se actualizó de la versión 1 a la 2. Pero es un precio bajo en comparación con Adobe Illustrator

Alternatives considered

[Canva](https://www.capterra.com/p/168956/Canva/)[Figma](https://www.capterra.com/p/175027/Figma/)

Review Source

AF

Anthony F.  
Photographer/Online Merchandiser  
Automotive  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "For those looking to switch"

May 6, 2022

5.0

Pros

The things I like most about Affinity Designer is that if you're familiar with Adobe's line of products then the transition between the two isn't that steep of a learning curve. While Adobe may have set the standard in design spaces - Affinity is a great alternative. They also make it easy to learn by providing tutorials on their website. Menus and items you might be familiar with can also be hidden, but with any program it's always best to read over what their specific hot keys are to speed up your workflow. I also enjoy that there are different personas that you can utilize within the software itself, especially the vector aspect. It's pretty much a one stop shop instead of either dragging and dropping between programs and/or importing different documents that can become distorted.

Cons

There's nothing that I dislike about the software in general, it's a great alternative to Adobe products. There's a slight learning curve, but nothing considerably over the top that would make it difficult to use.

Review Source

KF

Kevin F.  
Director  
Health, Wellness and Fitness  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Affinity Designer -small price great functionality"

October 18, 2022

5.0

It has been easy to switch and the functionality is virtually the same in a slicker cheaper package

Pros

I love the value point, its got a ton of functionality and two sister programs for less than two months Adobe cloud

Cons

There's very little, sure it doesn't have animation but that's used rarely and I use rive for that but I create the assets in Affinity

Alternatives considered

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

Reason for choosing Affinity Designer

cost and functionality

Switched from

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

Cost was the biggest factor coupled with virtually the same functionality

Review Source

Trevor R.  
Coder / Owner  
Internet  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Better than the big name alternatives"

February 16, 2021

5.0

I was able to replace the annual subscription for Adobe products with Affinity Designer (as well as Affinity Photo). As such, I got a much better value since I didn't need to use my Adobe products very often. Also I was easily able learn how to use Designer because of the learning resources they have and the community / forums are large so most questions are already out there and answered.

Pros

Affiniity Designer easily and immediately replaced my existing vector graphics program I was using before it (Illustrator). As such there was no major learning curve or wasted time switching over. Further, even though there is no subscription required, the software only continues to improve!

Cons

Even though it's not a major change from Illustrator, you do have to get used to a few things that are different. Not a big deal.

Switched from

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

I didn't want to pay the annual subscription anymore for a product I only used once every so often.

Review Source

EG

Elden G.  
Artist  
Fine Art  
Used the software for: 1-2 years

### "Afiinity Designer, picking up where adobe left off."

April 25, 2023

5.0

Affinity Designer, is a one time purchase product that works just as well as it's adobe counter part (who has a subscription plan). It has a lot of bells and whistles, one of which being its own app store. In the app store you can find and get helpful assets that others have created, to make life easier when trying to create your own product.

Pros

•One time payment•Ease of use•Text Editing is on point•Fully Custom Brushes•Overall robust software

Cons

•Fairly heavy software. You are getting a lot when you utilize this program but that comes at the cost of needing better computer specs to work with larger files, or your program will begin to jitter.

Review Source

SB

Sean B.  
Owner  
Marketing and Advertising  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Superior to Adobe Illustrator in just about every way"

February 9, 2021

5.0

Affinity Designer is not just an alternative to Adobe Illustrator. In my opinion it is a superior competitor and does so without the onerous subscription model forced on Adobe users.

Pros

I've been using Affinity Photo, Designer and now Publisher for years. I have consistently found their products to be far superior to the alternatives from Adobe in terms of performance, UI and the tools available. Given that they were originally designed specifically for the Mac, their performance and usability has always outstripped Adobe.

Cons

There aren't any real cons to Designer. The only criticism I have of the overall creative suite from Affinity is that there is, as of now, no solution similar to Lightroom. The main focus of my business is photography, so being able to organize and make basic adjustments would be wonderful.

Alternatives considered

[Sketch](https://www.capterra.com/p/171364/Sketch/)

Reason for choosing Affinity Designer

Better tool set and polish.

Review Source

Sasha-Shae W.  
CEO and Visual Design Strategist  
Design  
Used the software for: 1-2 years

### "Vector meets Pixel in one simple app!"

September 4, 2018

5.0

Overall I've used Affinity Designer to create logos, website layout wireframes and mockups, pdf documents, and a bunch of other things. It's really fast and doesn't lag at all

Pros

First and foremost, the cost of this app is stellar! You can't beat the price for what you're getting. AD is a vector and pixel based program and it's simplified workflows for those of us who wanted something different to the new subscriptions introduced by Adobe. I find AD really easy to jump into and use, and their tutorials out there are genuinely helpful, plus there are many 3rd party resources to help you learn more.

Cons

Since it's still a fairly new product, some features we may be used to in for example Illustrator, are not present. For one, I miss being able to do live traces and also I find the pathfinder functions work a little differently than they do in Illustrator.

Review Source

MM

Matteo M.  
Ingegnere  
Information Technology and Services  
Used the software for: 6-12 months

### "Grafica vettoriale per le tasche di tutti"

August 5, 2023

5.0

Ad un prezzo decisamente inferiore è possibile fare ciò che prima facevo con Adobe Illustrator.

Pros

Affinity Designer è un ottimo programma per la produzione di grafica vettoriale. Ha tutti gli strumenti per svolgere questo lavoro ed è al passo con il suo diretto concorrente, Adobe Illustrator. Dalla sua ha anche il fattore prezzo: mentre Adobe Illustrator ha un costo mensile sotto forma di abbonamento, con Affinity Designer è possibile acquistare ad un prezzo accessibile la licenza valida a vita. In più il team di sviluppo aggiorna costantemente il programma implementando nuove funzionalità.

Cons

Il programma non ha molti difetti, soprattutto se si considera il prezzo rispetto al prodotto di Adobe, ma per quanto sia completo, Affinity Designer non ha strumenti molto specifici come Adobe Illustrator. Punta all'essenziale, cosa che per la maggior parte delle persone può andare bene, ma non per chi vuole spremere il programma al massimo no.

Switched from

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

Posso lavora in vettoriale con un programma che pago solo una volta ed è mio per sempre

Review Source

VR

Verified Reviewer  
Instructional Designer  
E-Learning  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Versatile, Affordable Graphic Design Tool"

October 22, 2019

4.0

Overall experience has been extremely positive since first purchasing about 5 years ago. Cost effective, feature-rich, easy to use, and produces high quality results.

Pros

I started using this with an employer about 5 years ago and loved it immediately. An additional Creative Cloud license for me was not an option at the time, so I did research and found Affinity Designer. The features were comparable to what I'd have used with Illustrator and InDesign, and most of the shortcuts were the same, which helped me get started even faster with Affinity Designer. Exceptional price point, great features, and a dedicated development team that listens to feedback from users and builds needs into their roadmap. I continue to use this regularly for personal use and also occasionally for professional use.

Cons

Some of the features are still slightly behind where Adobe features are at, but the updates are ongoing and this works great for anybody that needs graphic design software at a more affordable cost. A team/cloud sharing option would a bonus for those collaborating on design frequently.

Review Source

Rick P.  
Director  
  
Used the software for: 1-2 years

### "Not really an Illustrator replacement, it still might be all many designers need"

June 26, 2018

5.0

Pros

Adobe isn't exactly the most loved software company in the world right now, not even among designers who depend and even like its products. So if you dislike Adobe as much as I do, Serif's Affinity Designer has at least these things going for it: No subscriptions! Great, personal support! Engaged-with-the-community developers! Not built by a boring, unresponsive, impassive corporation that ignores its customers! But thankfully it's also a powerful and incredibly inexpensive piece of software. Stuff I really like: 1. Doesn't crash. I'm guessing that's because of good memory management, something I'm not sure Adobe has ever cared about. 2. Unlimited artboards! Yup, unlimited. 3. Split-screen and outline views with a keyboard shortcut. Nice! 4. Much, MUCH easier to work with pixels and vectors at the same time. 5. Did I mention that it's not Adobe?

Cons

Not as power-packed as Illustrator so some task still need Adobe, particularly for prepress. (For prototyping, you probably want Sketch.) Not as impressive as its sister application Affinity Photo. Proprietary format is obviously not an industry-standard like Adobe. No iPad app yet.

Review Source

Gede Ananda A.  
Chief Executive Officer  
Apparel & Fashion  
Used the software for: 1-2 years

### "Great Value comes with Low Price "

May 25, 2021

5.0

As Student and Small Owner Bussiness, this is helping me a lot, with a one-time payment of $25, I can have reliable Graphic Design software. Has a lot of tools and features similar to Photoshop, I definitely recommend this for great value of money and functionality

Pros

The one-time purchase rather than year/monthly subscriptions is a big win for me, only with $25 you can have this app until you die or forgot your account. Very affordable to students and small business owners like me. I can import Photoshop (.psd) format into affinity and it just works. Affinity Designer also doing updates regularly to polished the app more further and removing some bugs.

Cons

Although affinity and Photoshop have similar tools, it just feels different if you using Photoshop for long time before switching to Affinity Designer. Beside that I don't find any cons or downside

Review Source

Chuck W.  
Graphic Designer  
Computer Networking  
Used the software for: 1-2 years

### "Affinity Designer vs. Other Design Software"

April 2, 2022

5.0

I use Affinity Designer to produce video slides and graphics for videos and websites. It's not difficult to learn and is easy to use.

Pros

It's easy to use and has a user-friendly help section that explains how the different tools work.

Cons

Reordering page order is not easy and requires dragging each page into the proper spot.

Review Source

JD

Jonathan D.  
Marketing  
Information Technology and Services  
Used the software for: 1-2 years

### "Really good tools - and much less expensive than Adobe"

May 21, 2020

5.0

Very happy with the Affinity tools on the whole, and I can recommend them especially For iPad work and for working in small teams.

Pros

I use Affinity for my own creations, mostly drawing and cartooning, and I really like it. It has most of the same tools as the Adobe tools I used but it’s way better thought out when I use it on my iPad. Same goes for the Affinity Photo app. They both work very well on my iPad. I have used the Affinity tools on my iMac and they are responsive there too. They aLso have some really good filters and a good ecosystem for lenses and other tools as well as for tutorials and sharing artwork in the community. But maybe it’s biggest plus is the price compared to Adobe. The fact that I don’t have to pay monthly for it, and it’s a great product are key factors. I think it’s a great alternative to Adobe products.

Cons

The tool icons themselves are small and make it difficult to locate them sometimes and the UI isn’t as polished as Adobe. Also I haven’t been able to really take advantage of the personas they have for designer and photo apps. Also the fact that when you open an non-Affinity image you are pushed to save it their proprietary format as opposed to the format you opened it in.

Switched from

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

partially price and not being trapped by Adobe but also because I get great results and the software has been rock solid.

Review Source

Souleymane D.  
Training assistant  
Mining & Metals  
Used the software for: 6-12 months

### "The graphic design software for professionals."

August 19, 2023

4.0

Affinity Design is a powerful and comprehensive graphic design software that offers multiple advanced features for professional designers.

Pros

What I really like about Affinity Design is that it offers advanced vector drawing tools such as geometric shapes and Bézier curves. It also supports layer styles.

Cons

What I may like the least is the photo editing tool for correcting imperfections, as it can sometimes hinder the editing process of photos.

Switched from

[Canva](https://www.capterra.com/p/168956/Canva/)

I switched to Canva and Gravit Design Pro for more functionality and flexibility in photo editing work.

Review Source

Christian K.  
CEO & Founder  
Internet  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Not a real Illustrator competitor yet, but easy to use"

November 28, 2018

4.0

I prefer Affinity Designer over Adobe Illustrator because of the fast start up and the interface. You will easily find what you need and can if it's not there you can easily add it. So user experience is really good. Because I am not working on digital art like other people but create simpler art Designer is okay for me as I don't need all the features missing from Illustrator. And the price - you really buy the software, you don't rent a cloud package - this is super and affordable for not so deep pockets.

Pros

Affinity Designer is easy to use and makes navigating easy to find what you are looking for. Features are okay and not too much at the beginning. If you were using Illustrator before you will understand the User Interface. It's also easy to export your designs, easier to create designs. It also loads faster than AI.

Cons

Illustrator is missing some features from Illustrator which you may like to use, it's the problem if you wanted a better overview. Less features means a better interaction, shorter ways and fewer shortcuts, but also fewer ways to create masterpieces of art.

Review Source

JB

João B.  
Creative director  
Design  
Used the software for: 1-2 years

### "More compatível with Photoshop than ilustrator"

May 23, 2024

5.0

Great, very very fast comparing with illustrator, fast redraw on complex documentos. Less RAM requirement to work and very good export options and compatiliby with Adobe friends

Pros

Pasta inside mutch better than illustrator with thouse cliping paths from last Century. Speed, and opening PSD in layeres and exporting in PSD format among other features and easy to learn and work.

Cons

The mini Photoshop inside, the perna stuff

Switched from

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

Illustrator is a dinosaur, its a software with 30 years, its só heavy by now that some tasks or even paninga documents with several Pages/boards makes the computer to Freeza showing the spinning weel.

Review Source

Kendra Q.  
Web Designer  
  
Used the software for: 6-12 months

### "It is one of the best companies in terms of web design"

March 30, 2018

5.0

Pros

It is one of the best companies in terms of web design, not only because it tries to help in all possible ways to its customers but also because it presents a wide variety of services and is extremely effective in each and every one of them, I recommend it 100%, currently it is very difficult to find a company as effective and fast as Affinity Designer. If you are thinking about working with this company let me tell you that you have nothing to think about and you should start doing it now, I recommend it 100% effective, fast, attentive, versatile .. it has everything a customer needs and knows how to use it ..

Cons

I really do not have any complaints about this company, I go alone with nice and good comments, because it is everything that the company left me, I am 100% satisfied and very happy to have worked with Affinity Designer without a doubt I will do it again a future .. Very good company and very good way of working, really admirable and recommended, I'm not disappointed even for a second. There should be more companies that do everything as simple as Affinity Designer does and treat clients' doubts and concerns in the same way that they do. It does not compare with anything, its treatment and attention to details are very good. Highly recommended

Review Source

VR

Verified Reviewer  
Co-Propietario  
  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "The Must-Have App for Graphic Designers!"

April 24, 2018

5.0

The fastest proffesional graphic design software, with great results and amazing speed using symbols.

Pros

It's an incredible app that has everything you need for designing, sketching, drawing and more! I't one of my favorite apps of the decade! All the features are amazing: the infinite zoom gives you precision, the smart guides are really smart, the layers panel, the tools, the view modes and more. Serif really have achieved a masterpiece that competes directly with other vector graphics platforms.

Cons

It's a little limited on typography tools, and object effects as blending between shapes, gradient mesh and others are on my wishlist.

Review Source

Matthew B.  
Operations Manager  
Design  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Illustrator, watch out!"

August 30, 2019

5.0

I started with Designer and have since adopted the entire Affinity Suite.

Pros

Affinity has really outdone themselves with Designer. For a fraction (literally) the cost of Adobe Illustrator, Designer is a full featured, professional alternative - with a one time license fee (you own it, forever).

Cons

I wish Affinity could add support for Adobe file extensions. Within the Affinity/Serif world, you're fine. If a client requests an Adobe specific format, you will have trouble.

Review Source

C.J. B.  
Owner  
Financial Services  
Used the software for: 6-12 months

### "You pay for what you get"

August 5, 2021

5.0

It is good for what it is, but I felt as paid software they could have had more functionally

Pros

Well cost was a factor, ease of use, simple UI

Cons

Lack of needed features. The layers functionality was confusing No auto trace which was the huge disappointment for us

Alternatives considered

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

Reason for choosing Affinity Designer

AD was the middle of the road. Inkskape was free but a hassle and adobe cost much more

Switched from

[Inkscape](https://www.capterra.com/p/178240/Inkscape/)

Need more from the software

Review Source

AH

Andréas H.  
Owner/Developer  
Computer Software  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "A great Vector Design Application"

March 15, 2020

5.0

I love this software! I use it every day as a tool for vector design.

Pros

Affinity Designer (and it's sister applications) is application you really must love! The pricetag, the functionality, the support - it's all excellent.

Cons

The progress of making new functionality is slow and on Windows 10 the application is sometimes a bit buggy.

Alternatives considered

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

Reason for choosing Affinity Designer

The price tag and the ownership. Adobe subscription is expensive for a small company.

Switched from

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

The price tag is much more suitable for a Small Company. And the ability to own your bought product instead of renting it should be a reason for anyone to switch.

Review Source

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