Affinity Photo

Review of Affinity Photo Software: system overview, features, price and cost information. Get free demos and compare to similar programs.

Overview

About Affinity Photo

Affinity Photo is a graphic design tool that helps creative professionals edit images on a centralized platform. Artists can perform image rendering, add copyright information in pictures, edit metadata and merge high dynamic range (HDR) images. Affinity Photo allows professionals to correct color casts, apply filters in single layers/multiple stacks and edit photoshop document (PSD) files. Designers can utilize the magical inpainting brush or patch removal tools to remove blemishes or unwanted objects from pictures. It also lets users view the preview of edited images and combine multiple pictures using the focus stacking functionality. Affinity Photo enables photographers to adjust exposure/white balance and erase specific parts of images according to requirements. Pricing is available on a one-time license basis and support is extended via documentation, phone, email and other online measures.

Affinity Photo Screenshots

Affinity Photo Features

Features of Affinity Photo
Collaboration Tools
Content Library
Custom Fonts
Design Management
Pattern, Color & Art Storage
CAD Tools
Content Management
Custom Brushes
Design Templates
Image Editing

Affinity Photo Integrations

Affinity Designer logo
Affinity Designer
Affinity Publisher logo
Affinity Publisher

Customer Reviews

See why people love Affinity Photo

5 Star
90%
4 Star
10%
3 Star
0%
2 Star
0%
1 Star
0%
Jeremy B.

Jeremy B.

Verified User

Writing and Editing · Self-Employed

Used weekly for less than 2 years
Dec 22, 2025

Gotta Get Them All, Part Two

I’ve already said plenty in my review for Affinity Designer that I’d repeat here, and to clarify, I have many good things to say. But to expand on my glowification of this software and this brand, I love having access to a competent photo design tool that gives me unlimited use of layers, effects, fancy brushes, useful warping tools, filters, filters, and more filters, connections to free stock photo sites (even if they did end integration with Unsplash to save on costs), and even smart images for mock-up designs, all without having to pay for it twice, three times, four times, or whatever the going price is for other premium design tools made by companies that start with the letter A. I’m a writer, not a graphic designer. But with as much as I use Affinity Photo these days, I’m starting to wonder if that statement is still true. Love this app, love this brand, and I happily support any product they make, including and especially Affinity Photo.

What they liked
  • To echo what I wrote in the pros section of my review for Affinity Designer, the main reason I bought this was for its integration with Affinity Publisher
  • I’m a writer, and I develop my own books, and I wanted a tool that could help me make them without a costly subscription
  • In my search for an alternative to Adobe InDesign, I found Affinity Publisher, and that search also led me to its two siblings, Photo and Designer
  • Having the ability to use Photo’s tools within an app for designing publishing interiors seemed like a no-brainer for me
  • But that only mattered if I’d actually bought Photo
  • So I did
  • And now I use it more than any other tool in my development library
  • It’s so easy to use, yet has so many tutorials available that even those who find it difficult at first can figure it out soon enough
  • It has also effectively replaced Corel’s PaintShop Pro as my go-to for inexpensive photo compositing
  • It’s become the primary reason my book covers look any good now
  • And the website I’ve been working on since November of last year: all page images come from composites made with Affinity Photo, and my site couldn’t look any better
  • Affinity Photo makes me look good, and I have no hair
  • If that’s not enough reason to get it, then the low one-time cost should seal the deal
Room for improvement
  • Again, to reiterate my cons from Affinity Designer (and this is fair because they both use the same architecture and share many of the same interface tools), I’m not experienced enough with even higher-end products (like Adobe Photoshop, for example) to make claims about the features they offer that Affinity Photo doesn’t
  • That said, I do know what I want Photo to do that it can’t do, and what I want it to do is to import Photoshop “actions,” which I think are just macros, so that I can buy the good ones off Design Cuts or some other online design resource and use them in my photos
  • In other words, I want it to do what Adobe Photoshop can do, but so far it can only do about 80%
  • That’s plenty, but it’s not everything
  • I want everything
  • I also want a pizza
  • We can’t have everything
  • (But I can have a pizza
  • )
Switched From

As much as I like PaintShop Pro, it's always felt like it's a few years behind everyone else, and when I realized that Affinity Photo does everything and more that PaintShop Pro can do (without having to buy annual updates to get the "latest" features), not switching seemed stupid.

Abraham C.

Abraham C.

Verified User

Mining & Metals · 2-10 employees

Used weekly for more than 2 years
Dec 22, 2025

Best Alternative for Adobe Photoshop

I am very happy and satisfied with Affinity Photo. I will recommend it to everyone I know who needs and uses photo editing software. The price is so cheap and the product is so great!

What they liked
  • What I like the most about Affinity Photo is the price
  • It is so cheap and works perfectly for my photo editing needs
  • I am a graphic designer and also a photographer
  • The first-ever software I used was Adobe Photoshop but as time goes by I feel like I'm paying too much for the software
  • I looked for an alternative then here comes Affinity Photo
  • I bought it without hesitation and fell in love instantly
  • The price is hard to beat and works really well like Photoshop
  • That's when I decided to ditch Photoshop and learn how to use Affinity Photo
  • It's really easy to use if you are already familiar with Photoshop
  • Everything is pretty much the same
  • You just need to watch a few tutorial videos then you will be confident enough to play with the tools available
  • It's also not resource-hungry
  • It loads very fast on my mid-end laptop
  • I also like that they have a mobile app where you can use a stylus pen to brush or paint, but I am more used to using the mouse so I just use it on mobile for fun
  • All future updates are also free so you don't have to be worried about getting left behind
  • Even if they release a new separate version, I will still support and purchase this gem
  • It can open PSD files so you can import (and also export) your Photoshop files
  • It was a no-brainer switch for me
Room for improvement
  • I wish it supports smart objects
  • I think this is the only thing missing from this app
  • I'm not sure about the other features but this is what I noticed when I needed it
  • I search through the internet and it was indeed not supported
  • Other than that, everything is excellent
Switched From

I switched because of the price and everything works really well. The functions and features are almost the same but I find Affinity Photo to be more beginner-friendly.

Youssef B.

Youssef B.

Verified User

Photography · 2-10 employees

Used daily for less than 6 months
Dec 22, 2025

Easy, plenty of tools and great result.

As a photographer, this software is packed with all the tools needed for editing my images. especially if you're coming from adobe's PS/Lightroom. took a while to get used to the interface and shortcut but the overall result was quite satisfying.

What they liked
  • Affinity Photo has all the tools I needed without any additional plugins
  • the ease of use and access to tools with a rich interface was helpful to quickly understand it after switching from lightroom/photoshop
Room for improvement
  • Layers management is a bit behind compared to photoshop
Switched From

Adobe subscription plan was a bit expansive.

Jeremy D.

Jeremy D.

Verified User

Media Production · 2-10 employees

Used daily for more than 2 years
Dec 22, 2025

Stunning Value for Money

Affinity Photo is a breeze to learn and use. I've been long-frustrated with Adobe's pricey subscription model and bloated Creative Cloud software that runs in the background. Affinity Photo released me from this yolk; it launches quickly, and I got it on sale with Affinity Designer (vector editor) for only $79 CANADIAN. Wow.

What they liked
  • Affinity Photo gives Adobe Photoshop a real run for its money
  • It can do everything that PS can do, and the interface is almost identical, so longtime users won't find it difficult to switch
  • And there's no expensive subscription
  • A perpetual license costs the same as 1-2 months of Adobe CC
Room for improvement

There are some crucial keyboard/mouse differences that will cause confusion for most Adobe users, and the default text is just too small on Retina monitors

Switched From

Adobe is expensive and bloated. Affinity Photo is quick and light.

Why they chose it

"I found Pixelmator slightly more confusing."

Mike K.

Mike K.

Verified User

Marketing and Advertising · 2-10 employees

Used daily for less than 12 months
Dec 22, 2025

Affinity Photo: The Best Photo Editing Software You'll Ever Use

I really enjoyed using Affinity Photo. The interface was easy to learn and the features were very versatile. I was able to easily improve the quality of my photos and add personal touches with ease. I would definitely recommend this software to anyone looking for an easy-to-use photo editor.

What they liked
  • Affinity Photo is a powerful photo editing software that has everything you need to get the most out of your photos
  • Whether you're a beginner or a pro, you'll love the easy-to-use interface and the wide range of features
  • And the low price, you just buy it once
Room for improvement
  • While I really like the wide range of features and easy-to-use interface, I didn't like that there wasn't a built-in way to create photo collages
  • It would be great if there was an easier way to combine several photos into one cohesive image
  • But with some easy tutorials you can make these really fast
Switched From

I made the switch from Adobe Photoshop because Affinity Photo is much more affordable and has a wide range of features that are equally as powerful as Photoshop. Affinity Photo is also much more user-friendly, making it a great choice for beginners or pros alike.

Verified Professional

Arts and Crafts · 2-10 employees

Used weekly for less than 12 months
May 28, 2026

Professional Quality, Budget Friendly Alternative to Photoshop

I can edit photos, create and manipulate graphic designs, as well as create SVG files for custom cut files.

What they liked
  • As a long time Photoshop user I was looking for a replacement which would offer me a product with comparable features
  • Affinity exceeded my expectations and is offered at an amazing price point
  • Instead of paying a monthly fee I was able to purchase a lifetime license for all the functionality I needed plus some
Room for improvement
  • I wish there was a more active support after purchase
  • While there are videos on youtube, I ended up purchasing the Affinity Photo Workbook (hardcover) to use as a reference
  • Well worth it and still substantially less expensive than Photoshop
Switched From

I had an old version of Photoshop and was going to have to switch to the monthly subscription. I didn't want to get stuck with a monthly expense so I began looking for an alternative. Affinity came highly recommended by a colleague.

Why they chose it

"All the features I needed for a one time price rather than an unending monthly expense."

Tony C.

Tony C.

Verified User

Marketing and Advertising · 11-50 employees

Used daily for less than 2 years
May 28, 2026

A Dream Come True

I love how each of the Affinity applications work together. I seamlessly move from Designer to Photo and back.

What they liked
  • Affinity Photo offers tremendous value
  • It is on par with Photoshop in all essential features, and surpasses Photoshop in many features
  • I love that it has a simple help feature that assists in using each tool
  • The absolute best feature
  • The wide assortment of export options
Room for improvement
  • Affinity could do a better job in promoting add-ons and feature extensions
  • I use Photo for work and hobby and I didn't realize it could be used masterfully for astrophotography until I saw a video online
Switched From

Price, features, and licensing. And of course, price.

Verified Professional

Health, Wellness and Fitness · Self-Employed

Used weekly for more than 2 years
May 28, 2026

Give up that monthly subscription

I switched to Affinity after trying numerous image editing software options that would get me away from the monthly subscription model. Affinity best met 95% of the requirements I was looking for and over time I've discovered other ways to get it to do what I want. It's great for creating flyers, ads, and graphics to use on FB, Twitter, and Instagram

What they liked
  • It's so easy to use once you get over the learning curve
  • Even after 2 years I am still discovering more and more things that I thought were not possible with this software
Room for improvement
  • There is a bit of a learning curve and some features do not work as I'd expect
  • I would also like other things implemented (adjustiblity per layer,etc) but I also understand that for the price point that's not something they are in a hurry to implement
Switched From

I was tired of paying a monthly subscription for a product.

Warren B.

Warren B.

Verified User

Computer Software · 51-200 employees

Used weekly for less than 12 months
May 28, 2026

Ditch the Adobe Creative Cloud subscription

Verified reviewer

What they liked
  • As I occasionally use photo editing software in my field of work, for some of additional edits
  • Opening existing photoshop PSD files was a great WIN for me, and having a one off fairly priced piece of software was more appealing to me than getting sucked into the monthly subscription with Adobe Creative cloud
  • I have tried the accompanying iPad app and find it’s also nice to work with as well from desktop and iPad
  • Give it a go I don’t think you will be disappointed
Room for improvement

Some of the habits and keyboard shortcuts from Adobe Photoshop are hard to forget and learning a few different approaches to some things takes time to learn

Switched From

The cost. A monthly subscription in Adobe Creative Cloud was costly considering how much I used the software. So a reasonably low cost one off fee to use Affinity Photo was just the perfect switch for me. Give it a go, I think you will be pleasantly surprised.

Antonia C.

Antonia C.

Verified User

Marketing and Advertising · Self-Employed

Used monthly for more than 2 years
May 28, 2026

Starting now with editing photos? Start with Affinity

I'm not a professional graphic designer but with Affinity I am now able to do simple yet professional works. First of all it has a super affordable price: I hate this trend of subscriptions everywhere, for literally anything, it's expensive - especcialy if you dont' know exactly what you'll do with a software. Then it comes with a great collection of video tutorial, easy to understand even for me that I'm not english mothertongue; this allowed me to learn lots of stuff about photo editing and now I can manage every aspect of my job without evere asking to professional designer.

What they liked
  • It's a real, reliable, professional software at a fixed (low) price
Room for improvement
  • My only quibble is that it takes a while to load itself
  • I have a Macbook Pro 2015 and it was once super quick, so recently I reset the entire Mac, on order to have it clean and fast: disappointedly Affinity still take long time to be ready
Why they chose it

"Because it has a fixed price and not a subscription."

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