CompareStack/Adobe Photoshop vs Affinity Designer
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Updated March 2026 · Independent Analysis

Adobe PhotoshopvsAffinity Designer

Adobe Photoshop starts at $9.99/mo, 86% cheaper than Affinity Designer's $69.99/mo. Adobe Photoshop is rated higher at 4.7/5 vs Affinity Designer's 4.6/5.

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Adobe Photoshop

The definitive image editing and design tool for photography and graphics

★ 4.7/5Founded 1990Part of Creative Cloud (30M+) users
Try Adobe Photoshop Free →
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Affinity Designer

Professional vector graphic design software as an Adobe Illustrator alternative

★ 4.6/5Founded 201410M+ users users
Try Affinity Designer Free →

⚡ Quick Stats

⭐
Avg Rating
Adobe Photoshop4.7/5
Affinity Designer4.6/5
🏆 Adobe Photoshop wins
💰
Starting Price
Adobe Photoshop$9.99/mo
Affinity Designer$69.99/mo
🏆 Adobe Photoshop wins
🔧
Features
Adobe Photoshop15
Affinity Designer15
🏆 Adobe Photoshop wins
🎁
Free Plan
Adobe PhotoshopNo
Affinity DesignerNo

📊 Ratings Breakdown

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Adobe Photoshop

4.7/5 avg
G2 Score4.6/5
Capterra Score4.8/5
Overall Avg4.699999999999999/5
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Affinity Designer

4.6/5 avg
G2 Score4.5/5
Capterra Score4.7/5
Overall Avg4.6/5

⚡ Quick Verdict

Independent analysis based on features, pricing, and user ratings

Choose Adobe Photoshop if you need:
  • ✓ Photo Editing
  • ✓ Layer-based Design
  • ✓ Generative Fill (AI)
  • ✓ Generative Expand
  • ✓ Neural Filters
Try Adobe Photoshop Free →
Choose Affinity Designer if you need:
  • ✓ Vector Design
  • ✓ Raster & Vector Hybrid
  • ✓ PSD/AI Import
  • ✓ Pen & Node Tools
  • ✓ Typography
Try Affinity Designer Free →

🔧 Feature Comparison

Adobe Photoshop uniquely offers Photo Editing, Layer-based Design, Generative Fill (AI). Affinity Designer uniquely offers Vector Design, Raster & Vector Hybrid, PSD/AI Import. Both share 1 features including iPad Version.

Feature
Adobe Photoshop
Affinity Designer
iPad Version
✓
✓
Photo Editing
✓
✗
Layer-based Design
✓
✗
Generative Fill (AI)
✓
✗
Generative Expand
✓
✗
Neural Filters
✓
✗
Object Selection
✓
✗
Content-Aware Fill
✓
✗
Camera RAW
✓
✗
Brushes
✓
✗
Masks & Channels
✓
✗
Smart Objects
✓
✗
Actions & Automation
✓
✗
3D
✓
✗
Cloud Documents
✓
✗
Vector Design
✗
✓
Raster & Vector Hybrid
✗
✓
PSD/AI Import
✗
✓
Pen & Node Tools
✗
✓
Typography
✗
✓
Color Management
✗
✓
Non-destructive Effects
✗
✓
Artboards
✗
✓
Symbols
✗
✓
Grids & Guides
✗
✓
Export Personas
✗
✓
GPU Accelerated
✗
✓
Pixel-perfect Zoom
✗
✓
Master Pages
✗
✓
Total Features
15
15

💰 Pricing Comparison

Adobe Photoshop starts at $9.99/mo, 86% cheaper than Affinity Designer's $69.99/mo.

A

Adobe Photoshop Plans

Paid plans only

Photography PlanBest Value
$9.99/mo
  • • Photoshop + Lightroom
  • • 20GB storage
Photoshop
$22.99/mo
  • • Single app
  • • 100GB storage
All Apps
$59.99/mo
  • • 20+ Creative Cloud apps
Full Adobe Photoshop pricing breakdown →
A

Affinity Designer Plans

Paid plans only

Affinity Designer V2
$69.99/one-time
  • • Desktop app
  • • No subscription
Affinity V2 Universal
$169.99/one-time
  • • Designer + Photo + Publisher
  • • All platforms
Canva SubscriptionBest Value
$14.99/mo
  • • Full Affinity suite via Canva Teams
Full Affinity Designer pricing breakdown →
🔔 Get notified when prices change

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

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