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Design · head to head

Adobe Illustrator vs Affinity Photo

Adobe Illustrator logo

Adobe Illustrator

Design

Professional vector graphics software

From
$22.99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Affinity Photo logo

Affinity Photo

Photography

Professional photo editing software

From
$69.99/one-time
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Adobe Illustrator listed on UK G-Cloud as part of Adobe Creative Cloud (which bundles Illustrator) at £58 to £80 per licence per month, via reseller ServiceKey; Affinity Photo version 2.0 required a full repurchase after seven years, breaking the perpetual license promise made to earlier users
  • They diverge on capability: Adobe Illustrator covers Vector drawing, Affinity Photo covers Photo editing.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Adobe Illustrator and Affinity Photo actually diverge.

Attributes where Adobe Illustrator and Affinity Photo differ
AttributeAdobe IllustratorAffinity Photo
Starting price$22.99/month$69.99/one-time
Pricing modelsubscriptionone-time
PlatformsWindows, Macos, IosmacOS, Windows, iPad
CategoryDesignPhotography
Founded19821987

Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Adobe Illustrator

  • Vector drawing
  • Bezier tools
  • Shape tools
  • Typography
  • Gradients & effects
  • Symbols & instances
  • Artboards
  • 3D capabilities

Only in Affinity Photo

  • Photo editing
  • RAW processing
  • Non-destructive editing
  • AI enhancement
  • Retouching tools
  • Batch processing
  • Vector support
  • HDR tools

Both cover

  • Dropbox
  • Desktop deployment

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Adobe Illustrator

  • Logo designnot Affinity Photo
  • Vector illustrationnot Affinity Photo
  • Icon designnot Affinity Photo
  • Print designnot Affinity Photo

Affinity Photo

  • Photo editingnot Adobe Illustrator
  • RAW processingnot Adobe Illustrator
  • Retouchingnot Adobe Illustrator
  • Digital photographynot Adobe Illustrator

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Adobe Illustrator

  • Listed on UK G-Cloud as part of Adobe Creative Cloud (which bundles Illustrator) at £58 to £80 per licence per month, via reseller ServiceKey

Affinity Photo

  • Version 2.0 required a full repurchase after seven years, breaking the perpetual license promise made to earlier users
  • Affinity Photo was discontinued in October 2025 and replaced by freemium Affinity application
  • No subscription model means no cloud storage or automatic backups like Photoshop Creative Cloud

Pricing, plan by plan

Adobe Illustrator

$22.99/month
  • Single App$22.99/month
    • Illustrator desktop app
    • 100GB cloud storage
    • Adobe Fonts
  • All Apps$59.99/month
    • All Creative Cloud apps
    • 100GB cloud storage
    • Adobe Stock trial

Affinity Photo

$69.99/one-time
  • Standard$69.99/one-time
    • Full version
    • All features
    • Lifetime updates

Which should you pick?

Choose Adobe Illustrator if

  • You need vector drawing.
  • You work on Windows, Macos, Ios.
  • You also want bezier tools.
Adobe Illustrator review

Choose Affinity Photo if

  • You need photo editing.
  • You work on macOS, Windows, iPad.
  • You also want raw processing.
Affinity Photo review

Questions people ask

Is Adobe Illustrator or Affinity Photo better?
Neither clearly leads. Adobe Illustrator starts at $22.99/month and Affinity Photo at $69.99/one-time, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Adobe Illustrator or Affinity Photo?
Adobe Illustrator starts at $22.99/month and Affinity Photo at $69.99/one-time.
Does Adobe Illustrator or Affinity Photo run on more platforms?
Adobe Illustrator runs on Windows, Macos, Ios. Affinity Photo runs on macOS, Windows, iPad.
What is Adobe Illustrator best used for?
Adobe Illustrator is most often used for logo design, vector illustration, icon design, print design. Of those, logo design and vector illustration are not what Affinity Photo is typically brought in for.
What can Adobe Illustrator do that Affinity Photo cannot?
Adobe Illustrator covers Vector drawing, Bezier tools, Shape tools, Typography. Affinity Photo covers Photo editing, RAW processing, Non-destructive editing, AI enhancement. Both handle Dropbox, Desktop deployment.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Affinity Photo: Does Affinity Photo include RAW editing?

Yes, Affinity Photo includes non-destructive RAW photo editing and development capabilities for photographers working with RAW image formats.

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