Professional photo editing and digital painting software that provides a powerful alternative to subscription-based tools. Offers advanced features like RAW development, HDR merge, focus stacking, and non-destructive editing with GPU acceleration for smooth performance.
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Professional photo editing and digital painting software that provides a powerful alternative to subscription-based tools. Offers advanced features like RAW development, HDR merge, focus stacking, and non-destructive editing with GPU acceleration for smooth performance. With a 4.4/5 rating from 2,500 reviews, Affinity Photo has established itself as a reliable solution in the photo editing space. The platform is designed for professional photographers seeking adobe alternatives, offering 10 key features to streamline your workflow. Getting started is risk-free with their free tier, making it accessible for teams of all sizes. What sets Affinity Photo apart is now completely free with full professional features, making it particularly valuable for teams that need photo editing capabilities. The tool integrates seamlessly with 4 popular platforms including Canva, Affinity Designer, Affinity Publisher, ensuring it fits naturally into your existing tech stack.
Affinity Photo represents a groundbreaking professional photo editing solution that provides photographers, designers, and creative professionals with a powerful, subscription-free alternative to Adobe Photoshop. Developed by Serif and now integrated with Canva, this software offers comprehensive image manipulation tools without the ongoing monthly expenses that have long frustrated creative professionals.
Unlike traditional photo editing platforms, Affinity Photo distinguishes itself through its one-time purchase model and comprehensive feature set that rivals industry-standard software. The application provides professional-grade editing capabilities across multiple platforms including Windows, macOS, and iPad, making it an incredibly versatile tool for creatives who demand high-performance image manipulation without continuous financial commitment.
The software's core philosophy centers on democratizing professional-level photo editing by removing financial barriers. By offering a full-featured application at a fraction of the cost of subscription-based competitors, Affinity Photo has rapidly gained market share among photographers, graphic designers, digital artists, and hobbyist creatives who require sophisticated editing capabilities without recurring expenses.
What truly sets Affinity Photo apart is its commitment to providing a comprehensive, non-destructive editing workflow that supports complex image manipulation tasks. Whether you're a professional photographer processing RAW files, a digital artist creating complex compositions, or a graphic designer requiring precise image adjustments, this software delivers professional-grade tools with remarkable efficiency and affordability.
| Tool | Rating | Starting Price | Best For | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AP Affinity Photo Current | Free | Professional photographers seeking Adobe alternatives | Visit | |
| C1 Capture One | $14.92 | Professional photographers | Compare | |
| L Luminar Neo | $49 | Hobbyist photographers seeking AI-powered editing | Compare | |
| Lr Adobe Lightroom | $11.99 | Professional photographers | Compare | |
| D Darktable | Free | Professional photographers seeking free RAW processing | Compare |
Our evaluation process uses a consistent framework to assess Affinity Photo across key dimensions. Each criterion is scored based on real-world testing, user feedback, and industry standards.
Offers free tier with core features
10 core features available
Rated 4.4/5 by 2,500 users
Connects with 4+ popular tools
Multiple support channels available
Our reviews are based on hands-on testing, verified user reviews, and official documentation. Learn about our editorial process.
Affinity Photo's Develop Persona provides robust RAW file processing capabilities that allow you to make comprehensive adjustments without permanently altering your original image. The feature supports advanced lens corrections, detailed color grading, and precise exposure adjustments while maintaining complete editability throughout your workflow.
The software's layer management system goes beyond traditional editing platforms by offering incredibly flexible non-destructive editing. You can apply live filters, create complex masking techniques, and experiment with multiple adjustment layers without permanently changing your base image, providing unprecedented creative flexibility.
Affinity Photo delivers professional-grade compositing capabilities that enable complex image manipulations with incredible precision. Features like frequency separation, advanced selection tools, and comprehensive blending modes allow photographers and designers to create seamless, realistic image compositions that rival those created in much more expensive software.
The dedicated Tone Mapping Persona provides sophisticated high dynamic range image processing, enabling photographers to create stunning, realistic HDR images from single or multiple exposures. With advanced preset options and granular manual controls, you can achieve nuanced, natural-looking results that avoid the overly processed aesthetic common in many HDR workflows.
Leveraging modern graphics processing capabilities, Affinity Photo offers remarkable performance optimization that ensures smooth, responsive editing even when working with large, complex image files. The GPU acceleration allows for faster rendering, smoother brush strokes, and more responsive user interaction across various hardware configurations.
Professional photographers will find Affinity Photo exceptionally valuable for complex image processing, RAW file manipulation, and advanced retouching. The software's comprehensive toolset supports everything from landscape photography color grading to high-end portrait skin refinement, making it an ideal solution for photographers seeking professional-grade editing without subscription constraints.
Graphic designers and marketing professionals can leverage Affinity Photo's powerful compositing and layering tools to create sophisticated visual content. From creating marketing collateral to designing complex digital assets, the software provides the flexibility and precision required for professional-level graphic design work.
Digital artists and illustrators benefit from Affinity Photo's extensive painting and manipulation tools, which support complex digital artwork creation. The software's non-destructive editing and advanced brush systems enable artists to experiment and iterate without fear of permanently altering their original work.
Small businesses and freelance creators can dramatically reduce their software expenses by adopting Affinity Photo. The free core application provides virtually all necessary editing capabilities, allowing entrepreneurs and independent professionals to produce high-quality visual content without significant financial investment.
Pricing information is based on publicly available data and may change. Always verify current pricing on the vendor's official website before making a purchase decision.
Professional RAW photo editing software suite with advanced color grading, tethering capabilities, and support for over 650 cameras. Designed for professional photographers, studios, and serious enthusiasts who need precise control over their image processing workflow.
AI-powered photo editing software that simplifies complex editing with intelligent tools like sky replacement, object removal, and generative AI features. Designed for photographers of all skill levels seeking professional results without steep learning curves.
Professional photo editing and organization software with cloud-based storage and AI-powered tools. Offers both cloud-first Lightroom and desktop-focused Lightroom Classic for photographers of all levels.
A free and open-source photography workflow application and RAW developer that serves as a virtual lighttable and darkroom for photographers. It manages digital negatives in a database with non-destructive editing, professional color management, and GPU acceleration for improved workflow efficiency.
Affinity Photo emerges as a groundbreaking photo editing solution that fundamentally challenges traditional software pricing and functionality models. By offering professional-grade editing capabilities completely free, with optional advanced AI features, the software represents an unprecedented value proposition for creative professionals.
Our final recommendation is overwhelmingly positive: Affinity Photo is an exceptional tool that meets or exceeds the capabilities of traditional market leaders like Adobe Photoshop, while providing a more accessible, financially sensible approach to professional image editing.
While the software isn't perfect—lacking some advanced AI features and having a slightly steeper learning curve compared to Adobe products—its comprehensive toolset, remarkable performance, and revolutionary pricing make it an outstanding choice for photographers, designers, and creative professionals seeking a powerful, cost-effective editing solution.
Affinity Photo is a photo editing tool that professional photo editing and digital painting software that provides a powerful alternative to subscription-based tools. offers advanced features like raw development, hdr merge, focus stacking, and non-destructive editing with gpu acceleration for smooth performance.
Affinity Photo offers a free tier and starts at $0/year. Pricing may vary, so we recommend checking their official website for the most current rates.
Key features of Affinity Photo include: RAW Development, Non-destructive Editing, HDR Merge, Focus Stacking, Digital Painting.
Affinity Photo is best for Professional photographers seeking Adobe alternatives, Digital artists and illustrators, Hobbyist photographers wanting advanced tools. It's particularly well-suited for teams looking for photo editing capabilities.
Pros: Now completely free with full professional features, Excellent alternative to expensive subscription software. Cons: Limited smart object support compared to Photoshop, Learning curve when switching from other photo editors. Check our full review for detailed analysis.
Affinity Photo integrates with Canva, Affinity Designer, Affinity Publisher, Various file formats (PSD, AI, PDF, SVG, TIFF), and many more popular tools to streamline your workflow.
Yes, top alternatives to Affinity Photo include Capture One, Luminar Neo, Adobe Lightroom. Check our alternatives page for detailed comparisons.
Yes, Affinity Photo offers a free tier so you can try it before committing to a paid plan.
Affinity Photo stands out with now completely free with full professional features, though limited smart object support compared to photoshop. Compare it directly with competitors on our comparison pages.
Affinity Photo has an average rating of 4.4 out of 5 stars based on 2,500 reviews, making it a well-regarded option in the photo editing category.