Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Affinity Designer

Professional creative software, exclusively for Mac.

Affinity Designer

Affinity Designer Reviews and Details

This page is designed to help you find out whether Affinity Designer is good and if it is the right choice for you.

Screenshots and images

  • Affinity Designer Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-21

Features & Specs

  1. Cost

    Affinity Designer is a one-time purchase, which is significantly cheaper in the long run compared to popular subscription-based alternatives like Adobe Illustrator.

  2. Performance

    Affinity Designer is known for its smooth performance and stability, even when working with large files or complex designs.

  3. Cross-platform compatibility

    The software is available on both macOS, Windows, and iPad, allowing for a seamless experience across different devices.

  4. User Interface

    Affinity Designer features a modern, intuitive, and highly customizable user interface, making it easier for both new and experienced users to adapt.

  5. Advanced Vector Tools

    Offers a wide range of vector editing tools, which are on par with industry standards, making it a powerful tool for professional designers.

  6. Regular Updates

    Serif, the company behind Affinity Designer, frequently releases updates that add new features and improve performance.

  7. Seamless Integration

    Affinity Designer offers seamless integration with other Affinity products such as Affinity Photo and Affinity Publisher, enhancing overall workflow.

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Videos

Illustrator vs Affinity Designer - Review and Comparison

Affinity Designer Review

A DESIGNERS Review : Affinity Designer on iPad Pro 2018

Social recommendations and mentions

We have tracked the following product recommendations or mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you see what people think about Affinity Designer and what they use it for.
  • Cancel Adobe if you are a creative under NDA with your clients
    Well, there is Serif's suite: https://affinity.serif.com/en-us/designer/ (There's also a Photo and page layout app) or the open-source stuff: - https://krita.org/en/ - https://inkscape.org/ - https://www.scribus.net/. - Source: Hacker News / about 2 years ago
  • Just paying Figma $15/month because nothing else fucking works
    There's Affinity Designer, too. https://affinity.serif.com/en-us/designer/. - Source: Hacker News / over 2 years ago
  • Best website to write a rulebook for ttrpgs
    Affinity Designer (https://affinity.serif.com/en-us/designer/) is a good choice for doing layouts, although Scribus (https://www.scribus.net/) may be all that you need depending on the complexity of your layouts. Source: about 3 years ago
  • Poster for the Church of Galactic Truths
    Done in Serif Affinity Designer as a learning execise I guess. Source: over 3 years ago
  • Easy software to bubble part darwings?
    You'll need inkscape. It's free at inkscape.org. Affinity Designer can do the same job. It's $70 at https://affinity.serif.com/en-us/designer/. Source: over 3 years ago
  • PDF viewer/editor for Mac
    If you want to do very sophisticated edits, you can actually use Adobe Illustrator or Affinity Designer to edit PDF files (but they are obviously terrible readers). Source: over 3 years ago
  • How are you guys paying for illustrator?
    Does anyone use Affinity? It is cheaper than paying every month. https://affinity.serif.com/en-us/designer/. Source: over 3 years ago
  • New / Free Map - Open Terrain Extended
    I used a vector art tool called Affinity Designer. Source: over 3 years ago
  • Nandeck or Indesign?
    Nandeck for prototyping. Then https://affinity.serif.com/en-us/designer/. Source: over 3 years ago
  • [OC] I remade a design of bookmarks to make them extra long so my campaign notes would look like a spellbook of sorts
    Have a look at Affinity Designer, it's significantly more affordable, and isn't a subscription, and (I mostly have experience with photo) it's still extremely powerful. Source: over 3 years ago
  • Tried to cancel my adobe student account cause I canโ€™t afford it anymore. Their cancellation fee is 4x their monthly student price
    Affinity Photo/Design are my favorite go to right now. Source: over 3 years ago
  • Can anyone direct me to a software good for making to scale flat blueprints?
    If you wanted a slightly more polished commercial app I would go with Affinity Designer https://affinity.serif.com/en-us/designer/. Source: over 3 years ago
  • Jobs for people with disabilities?
    You're 13, so you have plenty of time on your hands. If you have an iPad or a computer, you can look into purchasing the $50 Affinity Designer app (it goes on sale for $25 every few weeks). Https://affinity.serif.com/en-us/designer/. Source: almost 4 years ago
  • What apps software or websites do you use to supplement what design space is lacking?
    Affinity Designer (Windows/Mac/iPad) : Very popular vector program. One time purchase of $54.99 for Windows and Mac, $19.99 iPad. Source: almost 4 years ago
  • Adobe to acquire design platform Figma for $20 billion
    Affinity has some good products, I use Designer. Source: almost 4 years ago
  • Any good metro designer for desining a region or an entire state?
    We suggest that you create a diagram or map with a vector-based drawing program. A popular open source option is Inkscape, and proprietary options are Adobe Illustrator, Affinity Designer, Boxy SVG, Canvas X. It is also possible to draw with the vector drawing tools in a office program, like Excel, PowerPoint, LibreOffice or OpenOffice, which all save vector elements very similar to r/SVG file format and can... Source: almost 4 years ago
  • Custom Belts
    Paid tool - https://affinity.serif.com/en-us/designer/. Source: almost 4 years ago
  • Seeking An SVG Editor
    If you're okay with paying once and getting to keep the software, try Affinity Designer. It has a free trial and it's the closest to the Adobe professional standard there is. It's a real, native desktop app. It'll work with Illustrator files, its own file format, or SVG files. After the free trial (10 days, I think?) it's a one-time license for a very reasonable $54. Source: almost 4 years ago
  • I love this (Not a Picrew; Mannequin by AR14 + I added the pins myself)
    Here's the link to Mannequin by AR14 and Here's the link to the software I used to make the pins (Affinity Designer). Source: about 4 years ago
  • It's 2022, do people still subscribe to Adobe CC?
    I switched over to Affinity Design. I converted a couple of others already. https://affinity.serif.com/en-us/designer/ They have a free trial if anyone wants to try. Source: about 4 years ago
  • With the new channels, the total reach of Kurzgesagt content has grown from around 2.135 billion people to around 3.75 billion people (not considering the overlaps between languages).
    One paid app that doesn't have a subscription is Affinity Designer, which is currently on sale for 50% off its usual price: Https://affinity.serif.com/en-us/designer/. Source: about 4 years ago

Summary of the public mentions of Affinity Designer

Public Opinion on Affinity Designer: A Comprehensive Overview

Affinity Designer, developed by Serif, stands as a noteworthy competitor within the graphic design software landscape, actively competing with renowned tools such as Adobe Illustrator, Sketch, and Inkscape. As of recent mentions, Affinity Designer's influence has widened with the release of its Version 2, which showcases enhanced capabilities in professional photo editing, illustrations, and graphic design.

Affordability and Licensing Model

One of the most distinguished aspects of Affinity Designer is its non-subscription licensing model, where users pay a one-time fee (typically around $60, often discounted) for perpetual access. This contrasts significantly with Adobe's subscription-based model, gaining favor among users frustrated with ongoing subscription fees and cancellation charges. The cost-effectiveness of Affinity Designer, as indicated in numerous discussions, makes it a preferred choice among cost-sensitive users and hobbyists seeking professional-grade functionalities without the commitment of recurring payments.

Feature Set and Usability

Affinity Designer is praised for its robust set of features that cater to a broad spectrum of needs, from graphic design to digital drawings and vector image manipulation. Notably, users appreciate its ability to seamlessly switch between vector, pixel, and export modes, offering versatility akin to Adobe's suite of creative tools. Moreover, advanced features such as precise control over curves, brush stabilization options, and unique functionalities like a "one million+ per cent zoom" have captured user attention. These features, complemented by performance optimizations for Mac systems, position Affinity Designer as a technically proficient tool for demanding design tasks.

Target Audience and Use Cases

The software has garnered popularity not only among professional designers but also within niches such as tabletop role-playing game (TTRPG) enthusiasts and blueprint creators. Its use in mind mapping and prototyping further underscores its flexibility and utility across various domains of creative design. Additionally, its capability to edit PDFs for sophisticated design work, albeit not as a document reader, extends its relevance for intricate design alignment and layout tasks.

Community Sentiments and Transition from Adobe

Affinity Designer has become a noteworthy mention for those transitioning from Adobe products, particularly in light of Adobe's acquisition of Figma, generating renewed interest in Figma alternatives. Users in online forums and social platforms frequently highlight their switch to Affinity Designer, citing it as a powerful, cost-effective alternative to Illustrator and a comprehensive tool for designs, illustrations, and layouts.

In conclusion, Affinity Designer's public perception is largely favorable, characterized by appreciation for its affordability, rich feature set, and licensing model. It appeals broadly to both seasoned designers and newcomers, underpinned by its promise of high functionality devoid of the economic burden of ongoing subscriptions. Its momentum in the graphic design community suggests sustained relevance and potential for further adoption in a competitively evolving software market.

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Is Affinity Designer good? This is an informative page that will help you find out. Moreover, you can review and discuss Affinity Designer here. The primary details have not been verified within the last quarter, and they might be outdated. If you think we are missing something, please use the means on this page to comment or suggest changes. All reviews and comments are highly encouranged and appreciated as they help everyone in the community to make an informed choice. Please always be kind and objective when evaluating a product and sharing your opinion.