Affinity Photo
beats Adobe Photoshop by 26 points
Affinity Photo
Free
Adobe Photoshop
From $22.99/mo
Affinity Photo wins (75 vs 49) as a completely free professional editor rivaling Photoshop in features. Photoshop still leads in plugin ecosystem and industry-standard print workflows, but Affinity Photo's zero-cost model with full RAW, layers, masks, and Frequency Separation makes it the practical choice for most users.
Score breakdown
Each dimension rated 1–5. Higher is better across all four.
What users say
Affinity Photo
"Free professional photo editor rivaling Photoshop with full RAW support"
Pros
Adobe Photoshop
"Industry-standard editor with unmatched features at premium subscription price"
Pros
How to Choose Between Affinity Photo and Adobe Photoshop
The choice comes down to cost and ecosystem. Affinity Photo is free and covers 90% of what most photographers need. Photoshop costs $22.99/month but offers unmatched industry integration.
| If you… | Consider… |
|---|---|
| Want professional editing for free | Affinity Photo — full features at zero cost |
| Need RAW development and HDR merge | Both — both support professional RAW workflows |
| Work in a studio with Adobe Creative Cloud | Photoshop — seamless Illustrator/Premiere/InDesign integration |
| Need third-party plugins and filters | Photoshop — the largest plugin ecosystem in the industry |
| Edit on Windows, macOS, or iPad | Both — cross-platform with desktop and tablet support |
| Want to avoid subscription fatigue | Affinity Photo — no recurring costs ever |
How They Score on 1vs
| Metric | Affinity Photo | Adobe Photoshop |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating | 75/100 | 49/100 |
| Pricing | ★★★★★ | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Features | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★★ |
| User Experience | ★★★★☆ | ★★★☆☆ |
| Reviews | ★★★☆☆ | ★★★☆☆ |
Affinity Photo’s 75/100 comes from its exceptional value: professional-grade features at zero cost, with users consistently reporting it is more intuitive than Photoshop. Photoshop scores 49/100 — its unmatched feature depth is undermined by the $22.99/month subscription and widespread cancellation complaints.
When to Choose Each
Choose Affinity Photo if you want a free professional editor that rivals Photoshop. Full RAW development, layers, masks, Frequency Separation, HDR merge, panorama stitching, and focus stacking — all without paying a cent. The interface is widely praised as more intuitive than Photoshop, and it runs natively on Windows, macOS, and iPadOS. The trade-off is a smaller plugin ecosystem and community for troubleshooting.
Choose Adobe Photoshop if you work in a professional studio environment that requires Creative Cloud integration. Photoshop’s plugin ecosystem, Adobe Stock integration, and industry-standard CMYK/print workflows remain unmatched. If your clients send PSDs with advanced Smart Objects or you need Generative Fill AI, Photoshop is still the reference standard. The subscription ($22.99/month or $59.99/month with all Creative Cloud apps) is the main drawback.
Key Differences
| Dimension | Affinity Photo | Adobe Photoshop |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free (one-time, no subscription) | $22.99/month subscription |
| Plugin ecosystem | Growing but limited | Industry’s largest |
| RAW development | Yes, full Serif RAW engine | Yes, Adobe Camera Raw |
| AI tools | Basic inpainting | Generative Fill, Neural Filters |
| Print production | Good but not industry-standard | CMYK, ICC, pre-press standard |
| Community size | Smaller, growing | Massive, decades of resources |
| Best for | Free professional editing | Studio workflows with CC |
For more photo editor comparisons, see our Gimp vs Affinity Photo comparison for another free alternative, or our Darktable vs Capture One comparison for dedicated RAW processors.
Pricing & value
| Metric | Affinity Photo | Adobe Photoshop | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free tier | Yes | No | Affinity Photo |
| Starting price | Free | From $22.99/mo | Affinity Photo |
Is Affinity Photo really as good as Photoshop?
Is Affinity Photo actually free?
Can Affinity Photo open PSD files?
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