# Page 2 | Affinity Publisher Reviews 2026. Verified Reviews, Pros & Cons | Capterra

> Page 2 - Is Affinity Publisher the right Graphic Design solution for you? Explore 62 verified user reviews from people in industries like yours to make a confident choice.

Source: https://www.capterra.com/p/229592/Affinity-Publisher/reviews

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Affinity Publisher

4.7 (62)

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

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Last updated March 13th, 2026

# Page 2 - Reviews of Affinity Publisher

## Showing most helpful reviews

Showing 26-50 of 62 Reviews

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Rating

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Reviewer's Role

Length of Use

Frequency of Use

Cindy C.  
Junior Software Engineer  
Computer Software  
Used the software for: 1-2 years

### "A good alternative to indesign"

October 13, 2023

4.0

Pros

Affinity publisher is an easy-to-use page-layout program. The interface is simple and intuitive, and the functionalities on offer are designed to meet all page layout production needs.

Cons

Affinity publisher has two main drawbacks similar to those of other Affinity software. Its limited performance on a Windows environment and, of course, its dependence on other Affinity software.Publisher has been developed so that its full potential can be unlocked with the use of Designer and Photo.

Review Source

DB

Debbie B.  
Marketing Consultant  
Marketing and Advertising  
Used the software for: 1-2 years

### "One-Time Payment for Professional Publishing Capabilities"

October 31, 2021

5.0

My overall experience with Affinity Publisher is excellent. I'm very happy with the software and with the video tutorials which ensure that I continue improving my abilities as I explore the various program features. If you're looking for sophisticated publishing and layout software without a monthly subscription, I highly recommend taking a look at Affinity Publisher. It's good for simple projects but also has the power behind it to allow you to work on complex projects with heavy image loads and cutting-edge designs.

Pros

There's much to like about Affinity Publisher. For one thing, it's a one-time payment, and an inexpensive purchase at that. During the COVID lockdowns they even halved the price which was a classy thing to do and helpful for many people. The price is now back up at around $55 at the time of writing which, when compared to the cost of an ongoing subscription for InDesign, is a complete steal. But the pricing wouldn't be enough, on its own, to make me love this product. What I really love is that it's professional-level publishing software with excellent accompanying tutorials and enormously flexibility. I can create everything from simple flyers to complex magazines and brochures and I don't feel that I'm compromising on style or formatting in the least. It's not complicated to figure out, and the ability to use master pages makes everything much faster and easier. It's more complex than Word in terms of output, but definitely not harder to learn. There are two other programs in the Affinity stable - Affinity Photo and Affinity Designer. Both work seamlessly with Affinity Publisher which is just a joy and a huge stress reducer - especially when I'm working to a deadline and I need everything to go without a hitch.

Cons

There aren't too many cons to Affinity Publisher. I do have a minor gripe about the Affinity Publisher book which looks really interesting but which costs almost as much as the software itself. I would have appreciated a PDF manual instead of an expensive, glossy coffee-book.

Review Source

Ronald P.  
Media Director  
Religious Institutions  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Affinity Publisher for the win! 🏆 "

October 22, 2023

5.0

Awesome software! The Affinity series wins!

Pros

Affinity Publisher gives us a platform that will cross connect between iPad and MacOS + easy connectivity to windows based users. Extremely powerful, yet easy to learn.

Cons

Affinity Publisher could use some functions that allow import of a larger format from other platforms.

Review Source

Johnathan D.  
Freelancer  
Design  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Affinity Publisher for the win!"

September 7, 2023

5.0

The overall experience is amazing as it gave me all of the necessary tools for success as well as the right tutorials to transition from the Creative Cloud accordingly.

Pros

I love the usability and the inexpensive nature of the product as it gives me all the right things for cheaper than adobe.

Cons

I kinda wish for a deeper integration with pixabay and pexels with it staying up to date to the latest materials to gather more materials from inside of the application without having to venture out for it.

Switched from

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

It is cheaper for the same quality.

Review Source

VR

Verified Reviewer  
Project Manager  
Publishing  
Used the software for: 1-2 years

### "Said goodbye to expensive monthly fees"

November 4, 2021

5.0

Absolutely love the entire Affinity product suite. Was a bit intidimated at first but quickly ordered their workbooks from their website which are a great way to get up to speed with practical experience.

Pros

Affinity Publisher is packed with all the editing features we need and use in daily workflows and operations, and their studiolink technology really sets it apart as you can quickly switch to leverage the editing power of Affinity Designer or Affinity Photos directly within the app. It's also extremely fast and has a light load on your device, and best of all, you get to buy your license once and use it as long as you wish. No more monthly charges that bundle features we don't use.

Cons

Out of the 3 Affinity software this is the one that took the less getting used to, but there definitely is a small learning curve when switching to this suite. Once you get the hang of it though it gets pretty intuitive with all applications mostly using the same layout and design philosophy.

Switched from

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

Looking for a more affordable solution

Review Source

HB

Herbert B.  
Freelancer  
Media Production  
Used the software for: 1-2 years

### "Desktop-Publishing mit Affinity Publisher"

September 30, 2022

5.0

Ich erstelle unter anderem jede Woche einen 14-seitigen Newsletter und exportiere ihn in eine PDF-Datei zum Onlineversand. Das geht dank der Zusammenarbeit mit den anderen Affinityprogrammen sehr flott von der Hand und macht (man glaubt es kaum) auch Spaß!

Pros

Affinity Publisher (AP) ist die preisgünstige Alternative zu Adobe Indesign. Während Adobe sein Produkt nur noch im Akonnemenzt zur Verfügung stellt, ist AP als sehr, sehr preisgünstige Kaufversion zu erwerben. Aber es ist nicht nur der Preis der Software, sondern auch ihre Funktionalität. Für den Workflow ist von Bedeutung, dass der Anwender ohne die Programm-Oberfläche zu verlassen zu den anderen Programmen von Affinity (die man natürlich auch separat erwerben muss) wechseln kann: Affinity Phote für Bildbearbeitung und Affinity Designer. Es gibt eine ganze Reihe von Features, die die Konkurrenz nicht hat oder die bei der Konkurrenz schlechter und weniger intuitiv zu bedienen sind.

Cons

Es gibt allerdings auch einige wenige Dinge, die der Publisher in der aktuellen Version (1.10.5) noch nicht hat: Zum Beispiel die Zusammenfassung von mehreren Spalten zu einer entsprechen breiten Spalte für die Überschrift. Weniger gut ist auch der Umgang mit den Ressourcen. So sind die erstellten Dokumente sehr "speicherfressend".

Review Source

AM

Andrew M.  
Estimator  
Construction  
Used the software for: 1-2 years

### "Professional, Creative, Impressive"

May 17, 2022

4.0

Our overall experience has been very positive, the software has allowed us to create a lot of our marketing material in house which has saved a lot of money in the long term.

Pros

Affinity publisher is a very intuitive software package that allows the user to create professional, creative and visually impressive documents. The software is really inexpensive which makes it even more attractive.

Cons

The tools and capabilities of the software take a long time to learn and understand if the user isn't using it on a regular basis.

Review Source

Steve K.  
Director  
Information Technology and Services  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Another great Serif product"

April 15, 2022

5.0

Great desktop publishing solution that fits in well with Affinity Designer and Photo.

Pros

The workflow is very similar to that of Affinity Designer and Photo and has many common features, easy to layout pages and design documents and the associated file formats needed to import from external sources and then manipulate within the program

Cons

Nothing really, mostly it just works, there are a few quirks when it comes to layout where you need to be careful.

Reason for choosing Affinity Publisher

I tried other products, but they were much more expensive

Review Source

MM

Michal M.  
Internal Communication Lead  
Telecommunications  
Used the software for: 1-2 years

### "An indispensable all-in-one design shop"

March 8, 2023

5.0

Streamlined and pleasant to use even for communication professionals (as opposed to a creative designers)

Pros

It allows my team to quickly produce both digital and print creative, including company magazine, has a clear no-nonsense interface, is tightly integrated with Affinity Designer and Photo, allowing to use both programs without having to switch to another app window, and is much more affordable than alternatives

Cons

My positive review is based on Affinity Publisher v1. We have already purchased a business version of v2 suite but have not been able to activate it so far due to a software glitch.

Switched from

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

Adobe CC suite felt bloated and we didn't find use for all the apps to justify the annual subscription cost

Review Source

SF

Simon F.  
Designer  
Design  
Used the software for: 1-2 years

### "Affinity Publisher - a real alternative to Adobe InDesign"

November 9, 2021

5.0

Affinity Publisher (and the other Affinity Apps) have replaced all the Adobe products for me. I am incredibly impressed that a team from Nottingham UK have come up with something that can proudly stand toe to toe with Adobe. In many ways they are better than the Adobe alternatives.

Pros

PRICE. Like most users of Affinity products I was initially attracted by the price. Now that Adobe 'rent' you their software I was looking for an alternative. You can't fault the price of any of the Affinity products. They could double the price and they would still be incredibly good value for money. FEATURES. But that doesn't mean that Publisher is a budget product. Far from it. Once you get your head around the slightly different way of working, I have found that Publisher will do everything I ever asked InDesign to do. Yes InDesign has more 'features', but Publisher does everything I need. I designed market-leading magazines for more than 20 years, so I know what I am talking about.

Cons

LEARNING CURVE. As expected with any new software there is a bit of a learning curve. Affinity do things differently to Adobe. But stick with it, because once the penny drops and you 'get it' it all makes sense. I really like the way the Affinity Apps (Publisher, Designer and Photo) all work seamlessly together.

Review Source

BB

Bryant B.  
Aerial Photographer  
Airlines/Aviation  
Used the software for: Less than 6 months

### "One of the best!"

December 16, 2021

5.0

This is probably the best software that I've used where it's advanced but not overly difficult. It's difficult at first, but there really wasn't a huge learning curve for me compared to Photoshop. I like everything streamlined and right where I need it. The menus in Affinity are well organized where other programs I ask myself why they put something here or there and it doesn't make sense.

Pros

I like how easy it is to select what you'd like to do with photos. With drone photography (especially at night), you most likely will be taking photos with the auto exposure bracketing (AEB) setting which takes several photos really fast to allow the most light into the sensor to help the photos appear brighter at night. You'd simply take all of the photos and combine them. With a drone, you have to account for any type of movement like wind and the drone itself adjusting to the gps position where you have it hovering so each photo may be slightly off. Affinity has a photo combining/stacking option. When you combine the photos... it does a great job at stacking without it looking blurry. You can choose 3 settings that will show the difference in any effects used. You have a before/after (side by side is best), the before and after split photo then the regular photo itself that will show you the difference once applied.

Cons

I haven't figured this out yet, but when working with stacked photos I have a hard time seeing the difference in the before and after photo when doing side by sides. Maybe it's just me but I don't really see the difference unless I do a large effect like making the contrast really dark.

Alternatives considered

[AfterShot Pro](https://www.capterra.com/p/229113/AfterShot-Pro/)

Reason for choosing Affinity Publisher

It's easier to use, streamlined and has more editing options for sure. I also think the cost is less which is a huge win.

Review Source

Monika W.  
CEO  
Cosmetics  
Used the software for: 1-2 years

### "I learned Affinity to better understand my graphic designer"

July 13, 2023

5.0

Pros

Once you become familiar with the tools provided, Affinity Publisher offers an abundance of options for editing text in any document. As someone who isn't a designer and doesn't create content from scratch, this cost-effective tool has been incredibly useful for me. It enables me to open documents from my graphic designer without the need to subscribe to Adobe or other expensive software. This is particularly advantageous for small entrepreneurs like myself who work closely with freelancers. I can easily make minor adjustments to the documents directly, saving valuable time that would otherwise be spent explaining these changes to the designer.

Cons

Affinity Publisher is indeed a professional software that requires some effort and understanding to become familiar with its features. I can relate to the experience of accidentally clicking on certain elements and then spending a considerable amount of time figuring out how to undo those actions. It can be particularly challenging when certain tools or options are hidden, leading to a search for solutions online.

Review Source

AS

Alexandra S.  
Software Projektmanagerin  
Information Technology and Services  
Used the software for: 1-2 years

### "Gutes Tool, aber mit Schwächen"

February 6, 2024

4.0

Bei dem Preisleistungsverhältnis kann man nicht meckern. Es ist einfach zu erlernen und das meiste intuitiv bedienbar.

Pros

Es ist einfach zu bedienen, man kann sich verschiedene Vorlagen für die Buchseiten erstellen. Das Setzen der Seiten ist einfach und gut über selbst definierte Absatzformate möglich, so dass man Änderungen einfach im ganzen Dokument weiterreichen kann.

Cons

Die Verwaltung von Buchkapiteln und deren Verlinkung in Inhaltsverzeichnissen führt zum Absturz. Das Arbeiten mit Tabellen wird nur rudimentär unterstützt. Fußnoten und Querverweise wurden erst nachträglich dazu gemacht und sind noch etwas sperrig in der Verwendung.

Switched from

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

Ich fand es gruselig in der Bedienung und zu teuer.

Review Source

Jim H.  
Owner  
Building Materials  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Affinity Publisher Is My Go-To Software"

March 27, 2022

5.0

I found this mush easier to use than other editing software. I bought all three versions of what they had to offer so I have all the tools I need.

Pros

Ease of use and to getting the first project completed. I use this for KDP book covers and interiors. Being able to publish book interiors and have no errors on upload to KDP is a major plus.

Cons

De-selecting the previous tool by selecting outside the work area should default to the arrow or move icon. Constantly having to select away from a text or other tool just to be able to move font or photo windows would be a help by making this change.

Review Source

SJ

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

### "Yet another amazing product from Affinity"

February 17, 2023

5.0

Pros

The integration of Affinity Designer and Affinity Photo is just superb. It provides a 3-in-1-functionality for the whole program and makes the suite just perfect.

Cons

Export for inDesign-Files, which is the industry standard is sadly still missing. Other than that, i am not missing any Features for my use

Switched from

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

Price and previous experience of Affinity products.

Review Source

TH

Troy H.  
Owner  
Design  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Serious InDesign Replacement"

March 11, 2022

5.0

Fantastic! There was one time there was a consistent bug, but it was eventually fixed.

Pros

If you gave me the choice between InDesign or Affinity Publisher, 9/10 times I would pick publisher. Affinity’s UI is similar to InDesign, but easy to learn and it’s UI is intuitive. Also, you can open up designer and photo while working inside their and allows you to do multiple things within one app. It would be like being able to do the same work as Photoshop and Illustrator all within InDesign. Yes, it’s that’s amazing.

Cons

It does not have every feature InDesign has, but for the average designer you wouldn’t even notice.

Alternatives considered

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

Switched from

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

Better price and UI

Review Source

VR

Verified Reviewer  
Student  
Computer Software  
Used the software for: 1-2 years

### "Great for SMB and Amateurs"

August 31, 2021

5.0

Pros

The feature set nearly matches InDesign, but at a fraction of a cost. StudioLink to other Affinity apps make a particularly smooth experience that makes moving away from Creative Cloud feasible for cash-strapped amateurs or SMBs

Cons

There is very little to dislike, but if I had to find something, I would say that the three levels of menu bars, are a little unusual, and the spacing of the middle menu bar looks off.

Review Source

MH

Michael H.  
Graphic Designer  
Design  
Used the software for: 1-2 years

### "Affinity Publisher the best alternative for Layout software"

December 2, 2021

4.0

Like all Affinity software it is really good and does allow for full export to the press we use for commercial printing.

Pros

Affinity Publisher is about as good as you can get for layout software compared to the other big subscription software. It has fully replaced layout for one of my employers since we did not want to move to the subscription model.

Cons

Some features common to Adobe indesign do not exist in this software as well as the learning curve while not difficult was a little time consuming.

Switched from

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

Takes full advantage of the Mac environment. Not a subscription software and very inexpensive for what you get.

Review Source

VR

Verified Reviewer  
ICT Teacher  
Computer & Network Security  
Used the software for: Less than 6 months

### "How easy it is to use Affinity publisher"

June 1, 2022

5.0

Overall, it took me such a small period of time to learn the software. It has lots and lots of features that I am yet to explore.

Pros

I have never used any kind of publisher software until my school asked me to create a yearbook. I wanted lighter software so I went for Affinity publisher. It literally took me one day to master the software. it is very easy to use and intuitive. Its interface is very easy and makes any new user like myself learn the software with ease

Cons

Sometimes when you are working on a bigger project, when you open the project for the first time, most of the linked images are blurry and only become clear after some time. This was a problem when I wanted to show by boss how the project was going.

Review Source

PW

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

### "An easy to use and intuitive publishing tool."

November 27, 2023

5.0

Picking up Affinity Publisher has been relatively easy if you have used any publishing program previously. There are a few quirks to work around, but that is normal with any new program. But I found plenty of advice and workarounds on the net to help me achieve what I was looking for.

Pros

After many years of using QuarkXPress, Publisher and Indesign, this was a natural fit into my workflow and easy to learn.

Cons

It doesnt have all the featires of the big names, but I am assuming that this will come with time. After all, neither did QuarkXPress, Publisher or Indesign in the early days. It would be nice to have auto updates on images and graphics that you import rather than having to re import them again if you do changes outside the program.

Switched from

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

Adobe Creative Cloud was getting too expensive for what I was doing.

Review Source

Victor Conde B.  
Owner  
Graphic Design  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Better than an alternative to inDesign"

May 28, 2022

5.0

Pros

If you have no experience with InDesign, then this is easier to get started with, but if you have Indesign already, this is pretty similar, and give it some months and you will like it also.

Cons

The advanced features from InDesign is still missing, but most people never use those functions anyway.

Switched from

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

money

Review Source

Paul T.  
ESL Teacher  
E-Learning  
Used the software for: 6-12 months

### "A Good Desktop Publishing Editor That's Also Affordable"

November 23, 2022

5.0

Pros

I think that one of the best features of Affinity Publisher is its full integration with its sister applications (Affinity Photo and Affinity Designer). This is very useful because the application allows me to do all types of digital editing without ever leaving it.Another great thing about Affinity Publisher is that you only have to pay for it once. The price is also very affordable, especially considering that it has very similar features to a lot of the other popular premium desktop publishing editors out there.

Cons

I wish there were an easier way to add line numbers. I am an English teacher and use the software to create lessons, so this feature can come in very handy for me. However, there is always a workaround to solve this small problem, so I'm not too fussed about it.

Review Source

VR

Verified Reviewer  
Head of Technology  
Architecture & Planning  
Used the software for: 1-2 years

### "Affinity Publisher review"

January 7, 2022

5.0

Really pleased with this, it saves money against Adobe products and is a high quality software in itself. Is not a monthly payment so easy to control costs.

Pros

Good functionality across the suite of Affinity Photo, Designer and Publisher - easy to switch between the three program from within the interface. Mimics Adobe InDesign in many features which means deploying across our organisation was fairly easy.

Cons

Could be better support from supplier for training but there are more online videos now available.

Reason for choosing Affinity Publisher

n/a

Review Source

VR

Verified Reviewer  
3D Printing Business Owner  
Printing  
Used the software for: 1-2 years

### "An Excellent Alternative to Adobe Illustrator"

January 12, 2023

4.0

Positive - used regularly.

Pros

Affinity Publisher is a great alternative to Adobe Illustrator.There is no monthly subscription needed, just pay once and the software is to be used for life!

Cons

There is no cloud functionality like Creative Cloud.

Switched from

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

Affinity Illustrator is much cheaper!

Review Source

GC

Gino C.  
Creative Adviser  
Graphic Design  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Alternativa a software più costosi"

February 2, 2023

4.0

Pros

Totale compatibilità con formato file dei software più diffusi in commercio

Cons

Forse in certe funzioni non è molto intuitivo

Review Source

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