# Adobe Photoshop vs Affinity Designer

**Leader by vioscaleAI score:** Affinity Designer

| Attribute | Adobe Photoshop | Affinity Designer |
|---|---|---|
| **vioscaleAI score** | 27.9 (54% (medium)) | 65.3 (52% (medium)) |
| content.faq | `[{"answer":"A cloud-based application for photo editing and design work that combines advanced image manipulation capabilities with generative AI features for tasks like background composition, object removal, and image enhancement. It is indexed under Design & Creative Software.","source":"https://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop.html","question":"What is Adobe Photoshop?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"We have confirmed browser-based access to Adobe Photoshop. That is the extent of what we could verify from public sources, so it may well offer desktop or mobile clients we have not indexed.","source":"https://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop.html","question":"What platforms does Adobe Photoshop support?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"We have only confirmed a cloud / SaaS deployment for Adobe Photoshop, so it appears to be vendor-hosted. If a self-hosted option exists we have not found it documented publicly.","source":"https://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop.html","question":"Can Adobe Photoshop be self-hosted?","confidence":0.6}]` | `[{"answer":"Affinity is a free desktop application that combines vector drawing, raster photo editing, and page layout tools in a single workspace without requiring a subscription. It is indexed under Design & Creative Software.","source":"https://affinity.serif.com/en-us/designer/","question":"What is Affinity Designer?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Affinity Designer offers a free tier, so you can start without paying. Pricing changes often, so verify at source before relying on it.","source":"https://affinity.serif.com/en-us/designer/","question":"Is Affinity Designer free?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Affinity Designer supports Windows, macOS and iOS. Platforms we have not confirmed are simply not listed here rather than ruled out.","source":"https://affinity.serif.com/en-us/designer/","question":"What platforms does Affinity Designer support?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"We have independently confirmed GDPR for Affinity Designer. Certifications we do not list are ones we have not been able to verify from public sources, which is not the same as Affinity Designer not holding them. Always confirm compliance directly before you rely on it.","source":"https://affinity.serif.com/en-us/privacy/","question":"What security certifications does Affinity Designer have?","confidence":0.7},{"answer":"Affinity Designer is available worldwide. The vendor is headquartered in the United Kingdom.","source":"https://affinity.serif.com/en-us/designer/","question":"Where is Affinity Designer available?","confidence":0.75}]` |
| deployment.options | `{"cloud":true}` | - |
| description.long | A cloud-based application for photo editing and design work that combines advanced image manipulation capabilities with generative AI features for tasks like background composition, object removal, and image enhancement. | A comprehensive design tool that integrates vector drawing, photo editing, and layout capabilities with real-time performance, precision controls, non-destructive editing, and broad export support. |
| features.capabilities | `{"generative_ai":true,"raster_editing":true,"plugin_ecosystem":"Extensible via third-party integrations"}` | `{"dtp_layout":true,"free_available":true,"raster_editing":true,"vector_editing":true,"digital_painting":true,"platform_breadth":"Desktop (macOS, Windows) and mobile (iOS)","vector_illustration":true}` |
| integrations.count | 1 | 1 |
| integrations.list | `[{"name":"Topaz Labs"},{"name":"Adobe Express"}]` | `[{"name":"Canva","native":true,"direction":"outbound"}]` |
| market.availability | `{"primaryMarkets":[],"availabilityScope":"global","availableCountries":[],"notAvailableCountries":[]}` | `{"hqCountry":"GB","primaryMarkets":[],"availabilityScope":"global","availableCountries":[],"notAvailableCountries":[]}` |
| platform.support | `{"web":true}` | `{"mac":true,"windows":true}` |
| pricing | `{"type":"subscription","freeTier":false,"sourceUrl":"https://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop.html","retrievedAt":"2026-08-14T13:48:57.091Z"}` | `{"type":"free","plans":[{"free":true,"name":"Affinity","features":["Vector design with pen precision, snapping, and alignment","Symbols and constraints for UI component consistency","Non-destructive editing","Real-time pixel previews","Raster and photo editing tools","Layout tools","Expressive brushes for digital illustration","Shape warping and path manipulation","Export to PDF, SVG, PNG, JPEG, TIFF, WebP by object, slice, or artboard","Batch export","Print-ready presets","Direct export to Canva","Free updates with new features"],"description":"Complete access to all vector, raster, and layout tools with no restrictions or payment","contactSales":false}],"summary":"Completely free with all features included","freeTier":true,"sourceUrl":"https://affinity.serif.com/en-us/designer/","retrievedAt":"2026-09-23T14:40:51.761Z"}` |
| pricing.free_tier | no | yes |
| pricing.model | commercial | free |
| pricing.price_level | unknown | free |
| pricing.transparent | - | yes |
| reliability.status_page | yes | - |
| security.disclosure_policy | yes | - |
| security.gdpr | - | yes |
| security.trust_center | - | https://affinity.serif.com/en-us/privacy/ |

## Capabilities (Design & Creative Software)

| Capability | Adobe Photoshop | Affinity Designer |
|---|:--:|:--:|
| **Discipline** |  |  |
| Raster / photo editing | ✓ | ✓ |
| Vector illustration | - | ✓ |
| DTP / page layout | - | ✓ |
| Digital painting | - | ✓ |
| **Platform** |  |  |
| Platform breadth | - | Desktop (macOS, Windows) and mobile (iOS) |
| **Output** |  |  |
| CMYK / print production | - | - |
| **Interoperability** |  |  |
| PSD / AI import | - | - |
| **Collaboration** |  |  |
| Real-time collaboration / cloud | - | - |
| **AI** |  |  |
| Generative AI features | ✓ | - |
| **Extensibility** |  |  |
| Plugin / template ecosystem | Extensible via third-party integrations | - |
| **Pricing** |  |  |
| Pricing model | - | - |
| Free / open-source available | - | ✓ |

*Source: vioscaleAI. Generated 2026-10-16T22:21:23.806Z. "-" = undocumented, not absent.*