Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

OmniGraffle VS Affinity Designer

Compare OmniGraffle VS Affinity Designer and see what are their differences

OmniGraffle logo OmniGraffle

OmniGraffle is for creating precise graphics like website wireframes, an electrical system designs, or mapping out software class.

Affinity Designer logo Affinity Designer

Professional creative software, exclusively for Mac.
  • OmniGraffle Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-04-18
  • Affinity Designer Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-21

OmniGraffle features and specs

  • User-friendly Interface
    OmniGraffle offers a highly intuitive and user-friendly interface, making it easy for users to navigate and create detailed diagrams and designs with minimal learning curve.
  • Advanced Diagram Tools
    The software provides a wide array of advanced tools and features for creating complex diagrams, including customizable templates, Bรฉzier lines, and powerful styling options.
  • Cross-Platform Support
    OmniGraffle is available on both macOS and iOS, allowing users to work on their projects seamlessly across different Apple devices.
  • Integration Capabilities
    It integrates well with other applications and services, such as exporting diagrams to different formats and including APIs for automation, enhancing its functionality within a workflow.
  • Frequent Updates
    The Omni Group is known for regularly updating the software, ensuring that users have access to the latest features and security enhancements.

Possible disadvantages of OmniGraffle

  • High Cost
    OmniGraffle is relatively expensive compared to similar diagramming and design tools, which can be prohibitive for individuals or small businesses on a tight budget.
  • macOS and iOS Exclusivity
    The software is only available for Apple products, which limits its accessibility to users who operate on Windows or other non-Apple platforms.
  • Learning Curve for Advanced Features
    While the basic features are easy to use, mastering the more advanced tools and functionalities can require considerable time and effort.
  • Performance Issues with Large Files
    Some users have reported performance issues and slowdowns when working with particularly large or complex diagrams.
  • Limited Collaboration Features
    OmniGraffle lacks robust collaboration tools, making it difficult for teams to work together on the same project in real-time.

Affinity Designer features and specs

  • 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.
  • Performance
    Affinity Designer is known for its smooth performance and stability, even when working with large files or complex designs.
  • Cross-platform compatibility
    The software is available on both macOS, Windows, and iPad, allowing for a seamless experience across different devices.
  • User Interface
    Affinity Designer features a modern, intuitive, and highly customizable user interface, making it easier for both new and experienced users to adapt.
  • 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.
  • Regular Updates
    Serif, the company behind Affinity Designer, frequently releases updates that add new features and improve performance.
  • Seamless Integration
    Affinity Designer offers seamless integration with other Affinity products such as Affinity Photo and Affinity Publisher, enhancing overall workflow.

Possible disadvantages of Affinity Designer

  • Learning Curve
    New users, especially those transitioning from Adobe products, might find the interface and tools slightly unfamiliar, leading to a learning curve.
  • Limited Third-party Plugin Support
    Affinity Designer has limited support for third-party plugins compared to Adobe Illustrator, which can restrict additional functionalities.
  • Community and Resources
    While growing, the community and available resources for Affinity Designer are not as extensive as those for more established software like Adobe Illustrator.
  • Lack of Cloud-based Features
    Affinity Designer does not offer built-in cloud storage or cloud-based collaboration features, unlike some other industry-leading design software.
  • Interoperability with Adobe Files
    Although it offers some compatibility, Affinity Designer may struggle with fully maintaining formatting and layers when importing/exporting Adobe Illustrator (AI) files.

Analysis of OmniGraffle

Overall verdict

  • OmniGraffle is considered a highly effective tool for those in need of advanced diagramming and design features, particularly on macOS and iOS platforms. While it may come with a steeper learning curve and a higher price point compared to some competitors, it offers a comprehensive suite of tools that justify the investment for professional use.

Why this product is good

  • OmniGraffle is praised for its intuitive interface, robust feature set, and powerful diagramming capabilities. It offers a variety of tools for creating diagrams, charts, wireframes, and other visuals, making it a favorite among designers and project managers. The software supports precise graphics, customizable templates, and a flexible canvas, which enhance productivity and creativity.

Recommended for

  • graphic designers
  • project managers
  • UX/UI designers
  • engineers
  • anyone needing detailed and high-quality diagramming tools

OmniGraffle videos

OmniGraffle & OmniPlan Review (macOS)

More videos:

  • Review - What is OmniGraffle?
  • Tutorial - Flowchart Tutorial โ€” OmniGraffle 7 for Mac

Affinity Designer videos

Illustrator vs Affinity Designer - Review and Comparison

More videos:

  • Review - Affinity Designer Review
  • Review - A DESIGNERS Review : Affinity Designer on iPad Pro 2018

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to OmniGraffle and Affinity Designer)
Diagrams
100 100%
0% 0
Graphic Design Software
25 25%
75% 75
Flowcharts
100 100%
0% 0
Image Editing
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare OmniGraffle and Affinity Designer

OmniGraffle Reviews

9 Best UML Software For Mac & PC
OmniGraffle has a huge number of UML templates and mockups and even if you canโ€™t find what youโ€™re looking for, you probably will in the many community driven resources for OmniGraffle templates.
Source: machow2.com
40 Open Source, Free and Top Unified Modeling Language (UML) Tools
OmniGraffle 7 for Mac creates precise, beautiful graphics: website wireframes, electrical systems, family trees and maps of software classes. Everyone from professional artists and designers to casual data mappers and beginning diagrammers can find something new in OmniGraffle 7. Users can quickly share tiny elements or mock-ups in a message to a friend, or export finished...

Affinity Designer Reviews

Figma Alternatives: 12 Prototyping and Design Tools in 2024
Affinity Designer has recently released version 2 of the app for professional photo editing, illustrations, and graphic designs. Itโ€™s used by millions of designers worldwide for prototyping, mind mapping, and other visual content.
5 Figma Alternatives for UI & UX Designers
And last but not least, the area in which Affinity Designer excels is its licensing system. You only pay for the software once ($60 + a free trial) and can use it on your Windows or macOS devices.
Source: stackdiary.com
10 Best Adobe Illustrator Alternatives
if you are looking for an editing tool that can switch between vector, export, and pixel modes, Affinity Designer is a perfect choice.
The best digital art software for creatives in 2020
Not only that, last year's upgrade (here's our Affinity Designer review) saw Affinity add support for the Apple Pro Display XDR monitor, and tweak the program to run faster than ever on new Macs. While this is a dedicated vector tool, you can switch to a pixel environment if you wish. A new version (Affinity Designer 1.9) is currently in Beta so watch this space for a new...
The best software for digital artists
Affinity Designer has everything you need to create custom designs and illustrations. With Affinity Designer, you have precise control over curves, brush stabilisation options, advanced blend modes, and best of all: one million+ per cent zoom. No, reallyโ€ฆ itโ€™s true! In fact, this might just be our favourite feature.

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Affinity Designer seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 47 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

OmniGraffle mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of OmniGraffle yet. Tracking of OmniGraffle recommendations started around Mar 2021.

Affinity Designer mentions (47)

View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing OmniGraffle and Affinity Designer, you can also consider the following products

LucidChart - LucidChart is the missing link in online productivity suites. LucidChart allows users to create, collaborate on, and publish attractive flowcharts and other diagrams from a web browser.

Sketch - Professional digital design for Mac.

draw.io - Online diagramming application

Adobe Illustrator - Adobe Illustrator is a vector graphics editor.

yEd - yEd is a free desktop application to quickly create, import, edit, and automatically arrange diagrams. It runs on Windows, Mac OS X, and Unix/Linux.

Inkscape - Inkscape is a free, open source professional vector graphics editor for Windows, Mac OS X and Linux.