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Adobe Photoshop vs Affinity Designer Comparison
Compare Adobe Photoshop and Affinity Designer side-by-side — pricing, features, scores, and which one is right for you.
The bottom line
Adobe Photoshop and Affinity Designer are both strong contenders in the design tools space, but they serve different needs. Affinity Designer edges ahead with an overall score of 82/100 compared to Adobe Photoshop's 80/100. Affinity Designer is easier to get started with (8/10 for ease of use vs 6/10). On pricing, Affinity Designer offers a free tier while Adobe Photoshop requires a paid plan from $20/mo. Affinity Designer rates higher for value for money (10/10 vs 7/10), making it a better pick if budget is a concern.
At a glance
| Adobe Photoshop | Affinity Designer | |
|---|---|---|
| Our score | 80/100 | 82/100 |
| Starting price | $20/mo | Free |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Best for | The world's most powerful image editor | Professional design, no subscription |
Pricing comparison
Adobe Photoshop
No free tier
Photography Plan$20/mo
Photoshop (Annual)$23/mo
Photoshop (Monthly)$35/mo
Pricing verified 2026-03-18
Calculate your cost
Adobe PhotoshopPhotography Plan
$20/mo
$240/yr
Affinity DesignerAffinity Designer 2
Free/mo
Free/yr
Cheaper— save $240/yr
Feature comparison
core
| Feature | Adobe Photoshop | Affinity Designer |
|---|---|---|
| Vector editing | Basic | Yes |
| Prototyping | No | No |
| Components | Smart objects | Symbols |
| Auto-layout | No | No |
collaboration
| Feature | Adobe Photoshop | Affinity Designer |
|---|---|---|
| Real-time editing | Cloud docs | No |
| Comments | Yes | No |
| Version history | Yes | Local |
| Dev handoff | No | No |
advanced
| Feature | Adobe Photoshop | Affinity Designer |
|---|---|---|
| Design systems | Libraries | Asset manager |
| Plugins | Yes | No |
| Animation | Timeline | No |
| Responsive design | Artboards | No |
integrations
| Feature | Adobe Photoshop | Affinity Designer |
|---|---|---|
| Illustrator | Yes | No |
| Lightroom | Yes | No |
| After Effects | Yes | No |
| Figma | Via plugin | No |
| Photoshop (PSD) | No | Yes |
| Illustrator (AI) | No | Yes |
| No | Yes | |
| SVG | No | Yes |
Ratings breakdown
Choose Adobe Photoshop if...
- You're ready to invest from $20/mo
- You value powerful features over simplicity
- You need enterprise-grade capabilities
Choose Affinity Designer if...
- You want a free tier to get started
- You value an intuitive, easy-to-use interface
- Getting strong value for money is a priority
