---
title: "Affinity Photo Software Pricing, Alternatives & More 2026 | Capterra"
description: "With the help of Capterra, learn about Affinity Photo Software - reviews, pricing plans, popular comparisons to other Graphic Design products and more."
source_url: "https://www.capterra.com/p/228748/Affinity-Photo/"
page_type: "product"
language: "en"
---

# 

 Affinity Photo Software Review 2026: Features, Integrations, Pros & Cons

Last updated on August 26, 2026

Provider data verified by our Software Research team, and reviews moderated by our Reviews Verification team.

[Description](#description)[Use cases](#use-cases)[Alternatives](#alternatives)[FAQs](#faqs)[Features](#features)[Pricing](#pricing)[Integrations](#integrations)[Support](#support)[Reviews](#reviews)

Affinity Photo

## What is Affinity Photo?

Affinity Photo is a cloud-based photo editing software for Windows, macOS, and iPadOS. The professional-grade application provides powerful tools for editing, retouching, and compositing images as well as developing RAW photos. Key features include non-destructive adjustments and effects, advanced selections, customizable brushes, and support for unlimited layers.

## What is Affinity Photo used for?

[Graphic Design](https://www.capterra.com/graphic-design-software/)

Overall rating

Based on 99 user reviews

Reviews sentiment

Positive

96%

Neutral

4%

Negative

0%

Starting price

$54.99

Flat Rate, One Time

Free trial  
not available

Free version not included

Capterra Shortlist charts the highest-rated and most popular products...

Our "Best of" badge program showcases products with the highest ratings...

Our "Best of" badge program showcases products with the highest ratings...

Do you work for Affinity Photo?[Manage this product listing](https://digitalmarkets.gartner.com/get-listed/claim-bx?url=https://affinity.serif.com/en-us/&name=Affinity Photo)

Rating Breakdown

4.8

+−

Features4.5

Value for Money4.9

Ease of Use4.4

Customer Service4.5

Rating Breakdown

4.8

Features4.5

Value for Money4.9

Ease of Use4.4

Customer Service4.5

## Affinity Photo Reviewers Verdict

Updated August 2026

AI summary

-   Affinity Photo best suits designers, photographers, freelancers, and small businesses seeking professional image editing without ongoing subscription costs.
-   Users appreciate its full-featured photo editing tools, affordable one-time pricing, and compatibility with common file formats.
-   It delivers day-to-day value by enabling fast retouching, advanced edits, and polished visuals for marketing or creative projects.
-   Some key downsides are occasional stability issues, missing certain advanced features, and a learning curve for those new to the platform.
-   It fits buyers wanting budget-friendly, capable editing for most creative needs, but may fall short for those requiring highly specialized tools or large-scale workflows.

## Compare with a popular alternative

Capterra selects software alternatives based on relevant features, verified user reviews and user interactions. Placement may be influenced by client status.

### Affinity Photo

4.8 (99)

VS.

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

[4.7 (13,422)](https://www.capterra.com/p/168956/Canva/reviews/)

Starting Price

$54.99

Flat Rate, One Time

Starting Price

$15

Per User, Per Month

Free Trial

Free Version

Pricing Options

Free Trial

Free Version

Ease Of Use

4.4 (99)

Ease Of Use

4.7 (13,410)

Value For Money

4.9 (82)

Value For Money

4.6 (10,192)

Customer Service

4.5 (50)

Customer Service

4.4 (8,378)

## Affinity Photo alternatives

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

[4.8 (2,467)](https://www.capterra.com/p/229092/Adobe-Photoshop/reviews/)

Starting price

$22.99

Per User, Per Month

Pricing Options

Free Trial

Free Version

User Rating

98%

of reviewers

rated it above 4 stars

[Learn More](https://www.capterra.com/p/229092/Adobe-Photoshop/)

[GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program)](https://www.capterra.com/p/168960/GIMP/)

[4.4 (3,498)](https://www.capterra.com/p/168960/GIMP/reviews/)

Starting price

Contact vendor for pricing

Pricing Options

Free Trial

Free Version

User Rating

89%

of reviewers

rated it above 4 stars

[Learn More](https://www.capterra.com/p/168960/GIMP/)

Highest Rated

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

[4.8 (8,657)](https://www.capterra.com/p/227125/Adobe-Illustrator/reviews/)

Starting price

$22.99

Per User, Per Month

Pricing Options

Free Trial

Free Version

User Rating

98%

of reviewers

rated it above 4 stars

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

[Fotor](https://www.capterra.com/p/181589/Fotor/)

[4.5 (1,096)](https://www.capterra.com/p/181589/Fotor/reviews/)

Starting price

$8.99

Per User, Per Month

Pricing Options

Free Trial

Free Version

User Rating

92%

of reviewers

rated it above 4 stars

[Learn More](https://www.capterra.com/p/181589/Fotor/)

[View all alternatives](https://www.capterra.com/p/228748/Affinity-Photo/alternatives/)

## FAQs about Affinity Photo

Overview

### What problems does Affinity Photo solve?

Affinity Photo solves expensive subscription-based image editing, slow photo workflows, and reliance on outsourced design by giving designers, photographers, marketers, freelancers, and small businesses fast retouching, RAW editing, masking, compositing, and PSD-compatible tools in one app. It also simplifies Adobe migration and supports print, social media, and publishing workflows.

Answer based on 85 reviews

Overview

### Which roles and teams benefit most from Affinity Photo?

Affinity Photo is most used by designers, photographers, and creative freelancers who need professional image editing, retouching, and compositing. Small business owners, founders, and executives benefit from creating marketing visuals, brand assets, and presentation graphics, while students and content creators use it to build skills and produce polished digital media.

Answer based on 99 reviews

Overview

### What company size and industries is Affinity Photo built for?

Affinity Photo is for photographers, graphic designers, photo editors, creative professionals, and artists, with 90% of reviewers from small businesses and Marketing and Advertising leading at 14%. It also sees use in Design at 12% and Computer Software at 7%, with graphic design as the primary use case.

Answer based on 99 reviews

Features and Usability

### What are the key features of Affinity Photo?

Affinity Photo includes core image editing tools such as photo retouching, layer-based editing, masking, and RAW file development. Differentiating features include custom brushes, HDR editing, panorama and focus stacking, PSD file support, and CMYK/RGB color handling. Reviewers also often mention its Photoshop-like interface and cross-platform desktop and iPad use.

Answer based on 43 reviews

Pricing

### How much does it cost and what fees or limitations are included?

Affinity Photo starts at $54.99 as a one-time flat rate for Windows and Mac, with an iPad version at 21.99. Reviewers consistently highlight the perpetual license and lack of monthly fees, though some note a learning curve, separate Affinity apps sold individually, and occasional paid workbook purchases for support.

Answer based on 36 reviews

Integrations

### Which third-party tools and platforms does Affinity Photo integrate with?

Affinity Photo integrates with Affinity Designer and Affinity Publisher natively, forming the core cross-app workflow most reviewers mention. Users also describe working alongside GIMP and storing or sharing files through Google Drive. The strongest integration pattern centers on design, layout, and image-editing workflows within the Affinity suite.

Answer based on 52 reviews

Getting Started and Support

### How easy is it to onboard and train a team on Affinity Photo?

Affinity Photo is fairly quick to onboard for designers already familiar with Photoshop or layer-based editing, especially with tutorial videos, online support, documentation, and workbooks. Teams new to advanced photo editing usually need more time, since personas and some workflows differ and reviewers describe a clear learning curve.

Answer based on 27 reviews

Getting Started and Support

### What customer support options does Affinity Photo offer?

Affinity Photo provides email/help desk support. Users describe the software as easy to learn, especially for those familiar with layers, and note that it fits a range of design tasks. No detailed support feedback is available, so the support experience is best understood through the listed help desk channel.

Answer based on 1 reviews

Image editing

### How good is Affinity Photo for image editing?

Affinity Photo handles image editing well for photo retouching, RAW development, layers, masking, compositing, and graphic design tasks. Photographers, creators, and small business users like its broad toolset and familiar workflow, though some find smart objects, layer-specific adjustments, and advanced features like actions or AI tools less complete.

Answer based on 41 reviews

## Features

AI summary

Based on 10,422 Graphic Design reviews

Capterra reviewers highlight these as the features buyers value most when choosing graphic design software:

-   **Content Import/Export** (**43%** of reviewers rated this feature as critical)
-   **Drag & Drop Editor** (**35%**)
-   **Image Editing** (**41%**)

Affinity Photo supports **Image Editing**, which makes it a fit for teams that need to retouch visuals, refine assets, and produce polished creative work. However, it does not include **Content Import/Export** or **Drag & Drop Editor**. Instead, it offers **Design Templates** (**33%**), giving users another way to speed up project creation and keep design work consistent. Together, these features can help businesses create and update visual content more efficiently while maintaining brand quality.

Image Editing

4.8 (70)

84.29% of 70 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important

Edit, touch up, and convert images for publishing

Design Templates

4.0 (12)

75.00% of 12 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important

Create designs using pre-built templates or customize them with flowcharts, mindmaps, wireframes, network diagrams and org charts

Text Editing

4.3 (23)

56.52% of 23 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important

Edit text as needed

Content Management

3.9 (16)

56.25% of 16 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important

Handles digital content throughout its lifecycle, from creation and storage to distribution and archiving

Content Library

4.0 (13)

38.46% of 13 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important

Centralized repository to store content and assets

Watermarking

4.5 (11)

27.27% of 11 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important

Add a digital mark to show ownership of an image, video, document, etc.

Affinity Photo 8 features

### All Features
- CAD Tools: Computer aided design to create precision drawings or technical illustrations
- Content Library: Centralized repository to store content and assets
- Content Management: Handles digital content throughout its lifecycle, from creation and storage to distribution and archiving
- Custom Brushes: Import, create, or use custom brushes to add shapes/effects to designs
- Design Templates: Create designs using pre-built templates or customize them with flowcharts, mindmaps, wireframes, network diagrams and org charts
- Image Editing: Edit, touch up, and convert images for publishing
- Text Editing: Edit text as needed
- Watermarking: Add a digital mark to show ownership of an image, video, document, etc.

---

Features

4.5 (99)

4.5

Based on 99 reviews

## Pricing

Value for money

4.9 (82)

[View pricing plan details](https://www.capterra.com/p/228748/Affinity-Photo/pricing/)

Basic

$54.99

Flat Rate,One Time

It includes:

-   360 Image Editing
-   Batch Processing
-   Digital Painting
-   Focus Stacking
-   HDR Merge
-   Panorama Stitching
-   PSD Editing
-   Raw Editing
-   Smart Object Support
-   Unlimited Layers

iPad

$21.99

Flat Rate,One Time

It includes:

-   360 Image Editing
-   Batch Processing
-   Brush Support
-   Customizable Keyboard Shortcuts
-   Digital Painting
-   Focus Stacking
-   Full Suite of Selection Tools
-   HDR Merge
-   Panorama Stitching
-   PSB Import
-   PSD Editing
-   PSD Import/Export
-   PSD Smart Object Import
-   Raw Editing
-   Smart Object Support
-   Unlimited Layers

Value for money

4.9 (82)

4.9

Based on 82 reviews

## Integrations

[

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

Affinity Publisher](https://www.capterra.com/p/229592/Affinity-Publisher/)

## Support, customer service and training options

Customer Service

4.5 (50)

Support

-   Email/Help Desk
-   FAQs/Forum
-   Knowledge Base
-   Phone Support
-   24/7 (Live rep)
-   Chat

Training

-   In Person
-   Live Online
-   Webinars
-   Documentation
-   Videos

Deployment

-   Web
-   Android
-   iPhone/iPad

Typical users

-   Freelancers
-   Small businesses
-   Mid size businesses
-   Enterprises

Customer Service

4.5 (50)

4.5

Based on 50 reviews

## User reviews

Overall rating

4.8

Based on 99 reviews

Filter by rating

5(80)

4(15)

3(4)

2(0)

1(0)

Mentioned topic

Sorted by most recent

GL

Georg L.

Dipl. Designer

Graphic Design

### "Es fehlen wichtige Kleinigkeiten!"

3.0

Overall Rating

3.0

3.0

Ease of Use

1.0

1.0

Features

5.0

5.0

Customer Service

0.0

0.0

Likelihood to Recommend

8/10

December 16, 2025

Das Arbeiten mit Affinity erinnert in Vielem an Photoshop. Das Programm könnte Photoshop definitiv ablösen, wenn die Usability besser wäre.

Pros

Das Preis-Leistungsverhältnis ist unschlagbar: kein Abo. Alle wichtigen Funktionen von Photoshop sind vorhanden.

Cons

Es sind keine Aktionen möglich, keine Shortcuts programmierbar. Viele halbautomatischen Funktionen, die ich aus Photoshop kenne, fehlen – zum Beispiel wiederholt Affinity keine Filter mit Befehl-F wenn man das Dokument wechselt. Man muss viele Funktionen, wie das Zuweisen eines CMYK-Profils sehr umständlich jedes Mal neu auswählen, die man leicht auf einen eigenen Tastenbefehl legen könnte.

Switched from

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

ich bin gewechselt, weil ich kein Abo bezahlen wollte.

Review source

Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication.

AM

Alexander M.

IT Trainer

Health, Wellness and Fitness

### "The best Photoshop alternative "

5.0

Overall Rating

5.0

5.0

Ease of Use

3.0

3.0

Features

4.0

4.0

Customer Service

3.0

3.0

Likelihood to Recommend

9/10

November 8, 2025

Completely replaced Adobe Photoshop for me, and no need for an inflated subscription price. Works brilliantly.

Pros

Fantastic product with everything I need for photo editing for just a one-off cost and no subscription.

Cons

It's a steep learning curve, especially if you are used to some of the other alternatives. But worth it.

Switched from

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

Did not need an expensive subscription to use.

Review source

Incentivized review: software users are invited to submit an honest review and offered a nominal incentive for their time and effort. All incentivized reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication.

AL

Alexandra L.

Customer success manager

Marketing and Advertising

### "It’s photoshop but 100 times cheaper"

5.0

Overall Rating

5.0

5.0

Ease of Use

3.0

3.0

Features

4.0

4.0

Customer Service

3.0

3.0

Likelihood to Recommend

9/10

July 23, 2025

I’ve been using affinity photo for 5 years now, overall it’s great use and very similiar to photoshop.

Pros

Had almost same functionality as adobe photoshop and one-time only liscence purchase so it’s incredibly cheaper than Adobe.

Cons

Smart objects, it’s a bit more difficult to create smart objects in affinity photo. Also the mask layering can be confusing.

Switched from

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

When I was freelance I was not able to afford Adobe photoshop, now 5 years later I don’t see the need to pay monthly subsription when affinity delivers exactly what I need and only had to pay for it once.

Review source

Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication.

JT

Joseph T.

Photo and Videomaker

Events Services

### "Awesome software"

5.0

Overall Rating

5.0

5.0

Ease of Use

4.0

4.0

Features

5.0

5.0

Customer Service

5.0

5.0

Likelihood to Recommend

10/10

June 1, 2025

Very powerful too which can helps many creator to do beautiful visuals. There are also a lot of tool for pictures correction which is nice

Pros

Buy once licence is what made me curious to try and all the tools is what makes me stay. There are a ton of tool which helps you creat great pictures/visuals

Cons

There are many option which makes the learning curves a bit hard but as everything, you have to learn to master it

Review source

Incentivized review: software users are invited to submit an honest review and offered a nominal incentive for their time and effort. All incentivized reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication.

RW

Ray W.

Marketing Manager

Computer Software

### "Excellent Photoshop alternative, no subscription! "

5.0

Overall Rating

5.0

5.0

Ease of Use

5.0

5.0

Features

5.0

5.0

Customer Service

5.0

5.0

Likelihood to Recommend

10/10

March 14, 2025

Easy to use and affordable all around photo editor.

Pros

Love that it's cross platform (though a Linux version would make it even better) and that it's not a subscription. So much more affordable than Adobe and easier to use for someone like me that just dabbles in photo editing, but wants powerful features from time to time.

Cons

Might not have quite all the options that Photoshop does. But it's at least 90% there and does everything I need, so for the price, it's amazing.

Switched from

[GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program)](https://www.capterra.com/p/168960/GIMP/)

[Paint.NET](https://www.capterra.com/p/237986/PaintNET/)

Paint.net was easy to use, but was missing advanced features. GIMP, powerful as it is, and a great open source project, is just very clunky and doesn't have the ease of use I need for a commercial setting. Didn't want to pay a subscription for something I only use a couple times a month, so Affinity Photo was the perfect fit.

Review source

Incentivized review: software users are invited to submit an honest review and offered a nominal incentive for their time and effort. All incentivized reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication.

DB

Dave B.

Photo Editor

Photography

### "99% of the functionality of Photoshop, but as a great value perpetual licence"

5.0

Overall Rating

5.0

5.0

Ease of Use

5.0

5.0

Features

5.0

5.0

Customer Service

5.0

5.0

Likelihood to Recommend

10/10

February 17, 2025

I'm still getting used to Affinity Photo, but it's been a very positive experience thus far, and a refreshing change from Adobe Photoshop.

Pros

The biggest and most important thing to know about Affinity Photo is that it's almost as good as Photoshop, but uses a perpetual licence. Depending on your exact usage scenario, it can cost you about the same to buy Affinity Photo outright, as to 'rent' Adobe Photoshop for 2½ months.

Cons

At time of writing, there are very few AI features built in to Affinity Photo.

Switched from

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

We moved to Affinity Photo from Photoshop because of Adobe's price structure (subscription only). At time of writing, and in our particular circumstance, Affinity Photo cost the same to buy outright (perpertual licence) as Photoshop would have cost for 2½ months of subscription, after which we'd have been left with nothing.

Review source

Incentivized review: software users are invited to submit an honest review and offered a nominal incentive for their time and effort. All incentivized reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication.

Vasilis K.

Web Developer and Designer

Information Technology and Services

### "A powerful photo editor with a great potential"

5.0

Overall Rating

5.0

5.0

Ease of Use

5.0

5.0

Features

5.0

5.0

Customer Service

5.0

5.0

Likelihood to Recommend

10/10

January 15, 2025

My overall experience with Affinity Photo is very positive. I really like the one-off payment option. It's a cheap and powerful photo editor but there's still room for a lot of improvements.

Pros

Affinity Photo has a clean user interface. It's also relatively lightweight and has many powerful features such us raw file editing, multi platform support, customizable interface and many more.

Cons

I wish there was a better tool for handling shadows, vignettes and bokeh effects.

Switched from

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

Mostly because of the better price and the one-off payment option.

Review source

Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication.

AN

Anonymous User

Managing Partner

Photography

### "Powerful software without subscription"

5.0

Overall Rating

5.0

5.0

Ease of Use

5.0

5.0

Features

4.0

4.0

Customer Service

4.0

4.0

Likelihood to Recommend

10/10

January 14, 2025

I use Affinity Photo a lot for developing raw images, creating images and refining images. It is a fast and powerful software that can do almost everything. Only generative AI tools are missing.

Pros

Extremely powerful program for photo editing. Almost everything can be done with Affinity Photo. Real competitor to Adobe Photoshop. One-time payment has big advantages over subscription model.

Cons

Generative AI tools of Adobe Photoshop are very helpful. Sadly, Affinity Photo does not offer any of these. Inpainting brush is slightly worse than Photoshop. Adobe Lightroom capabilities would be nice as well.

Switched from

[Adobe Lightroom](https://www.capterra.com/p/233631/Adobe-Photoshop-Lightroom/)

In-depth photo editing beyond the capabilities of Adobe Lightroom was needed. Unfortunately, Affinity Photo can only be used on top of Lightroom since it does not offer file organization features.

Alternatives considered

[Adobe Lightroom](https://www.capterra.com/p/233631/Adobe-Photoshop-Lightroom/)

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

Reasons for choosing Affinity Photo

One-time payment and a lot of functionality.

Review source

Incentivized review: software users are invited to submit an honest review and offered a nominal incentive for their time and effort. All incentivized reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication.

RQ

Renea Q.

Graphic Design

Graphic Design

### "Powerful and Affordable Photo Editing for Professionals"

5.0

Overall Rating

5.0

5.0

Ease of Use

4.0

4.0

Features

4.0

4.0

Customer Service

4.0

4.0

Likelihood to Recommend

10/10

October 31, 2024

Overall, Affinity Photo is a fantastic, professional-grade photo editor that meets the needs of most designers and photographers. It’s a powerful, budget-friendly alternative for those who want high-quality results without recurring fees.

Pros

Affinity Photo has been an amazing addition to my digital toolkit for creating genealogy templates and family history projects. It offers nearly everything you’d expect from Photoshop but with a much more affordable one-time purchase, which is ideal for small business owners like myself who want professional tools without monthly fees. Affinity Photo excels in handling complex edits and photo manipulations, with tools for retouching, advanced layering, and masking. The interface is intuitive, especially for anyone familiar with Adobe, and it integrates seamlessly with Affinity Publisher, which is a huge plus for my projects. The performance is consistently fast and smooth, even with high-resolution images.

Cons

While Affinity Photo covers most needs, a few niche features like automatic plugins aren’t as extensive as Photoshop’s, so there can be some limitations if you rely heavily on specific plugins.

Switched from

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

Adobe is a great tool, but it's very expensive

Review source

Incentivized review: software users are invited to submit an honest review and offered a nominal incentive for their time and effort. All incentivized reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication.

MC

Maysa C.

Graphic Designer

Design

### "An Attractive Alternative to Photoshop"

4.0

Overall Rating

4.0

4.0

Ease of Use

4.0

4.0

Features

3.0

3.0

Customer Service

0.0

0.0

Likelihood to Recommend

10/10

September 23, 2024

Affinity Photo is an excellent choice for freelance graphic designers seeking a capable and budget-friendly alternative to Photoshop

Pros

Familiar interface, powerful features, and an appealing one-time price

Cons

Some Photoshop-specific tools are missing, and compatibility with certain plugins can be limited

Review source

Incentivized review: software users are invited to submit an honest review and offered a nominal incentive for their time and effort. All incentivized reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication.

[View all Reviews](https://www.capterra.com/p/228748/Affinity-Photo/reviews/)

## Top-rated software of 2026

### Fill out the form and we'll send a list of the top-rated software based on real user reviews directly to your inbox.

Popular comparisons

[Canva vs Affinity Photo](https://www.capterra.com/compare/168956-228748/Canva-vs-Affinity-Photo)[Adobe Photoshop vs Affinity Photo](https://www.capterra.com/compare/228748-229092/Affinity-Photo-vs-Adobe-Photoshop)[CorelDRAW vs Affinity Photo](https://www.capterra.com/compare/124823-228748/CorelDRAW-vs-Affinity-Photo)

[Adobe Creative Cloud vs Affinity Photo](https://www.capterra.com/compare/48969-228748/Adobe-Creative-Cloud-vs-Affinity-Photo)[Affinity Designer vs Affinity Photo](https://www.capterra.com/compare/110533-228748/WebPlus-X4-vs-Affinity-Photo)