Software · head to head
Adobe Photoshop vs Affinity Photo
Adobe Photoshop
Software
The world's best imaging and graphic design software
- From
- $19.99/month
- Rated
- -
Affinity Photo
Software
Professional photo editing software
- From
- $69.99/one-time
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Adobe Photoshop subscription-only model with ever-increasing costs, no perpetual license option; 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 Photoshop covers Advanced photo editing, Affinity Photo covers Photo editing.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Adobe Photoshop and Affinity Photo actually diverge.
| Attribute | Adobe Photoshop | Affinity Photo |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $19.99/month | $69.99/one-time |
| Pricing model | Unknown | one-time |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, iPad, iPhone, Web, Android | macOS, Windows, iPad |
| Founded | 1982 | 1987 |
Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
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 Photoshop
- Advanced photo editing
- Layer-based editing
- Selection tools
- Color correction
- Digital painting
- 3D design
- Typography tools
- Adobe Creative Cloud
Only in Affinity Photo
- Photo editing
- RAW processing
- Non-destructive editing
- AI enhancement
- Retouching tools
- Vector support
- HDR tools
- Affinity Designer
Both cover
- Batch processing
- Desktop deployment
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Adobe Photoshop
- Photo editing
- Digital art creationnot Affinity Photo
- Graphic designnot Affinity Photo
- Web designnot Affinity Photo
- Print designnot Affinity Photo
- Social media graphicsnot Affinity Photo
Affinity Photo
- Photo editing
- RAW processingnot Adobe Photoshop
- Retouchingnot Adobe Photoshop
- Digital photographynot Adobe Photoshop
Both are used for photo editing, on those jobs the choice comes down to price and fit rather than capability.
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Adobe Photoshop
- Subscription-only model with ever-increasing costs, no perpetual license option
- High hardware requirements for smooth performance with large graphics
- Limited mobile optimization compared to desktop version
- Limited 3D modeling and rendering tools for professionals
- AI text generation inside images remains inconsistent and unpredictable
- No progress monitoring bars for rendering operations
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 Photoshop
$19.99/month- Photography Plan$19.99/month
- Photoshop desktop for macOS and Windows
- Lightroom desktop and cloud
- 1TB cloud storage
- Photoshop Single App$22.99/month
- Photoshop desktop for macOS and Windows
- Photoshop for iPad
- Photoshop web (limited features)
- Creative Cloud Pro$69.99/month
- All Creative Cloud apps including Photoshop
- Unlimited standard AI features with Firefly Pro
- 4,000 AI credits monthly
Affinity Photo
$69.99/one-time- Standard$69.99/one-time
- Full version
- All features
- Lifetime updates
Which should you pick?
Choose Adobe Photoshop if
- You need advanced photo editing.
- You work on Windows, macOS, iPad, iPhone, Web, Android.
- You also want layer-based editing.
Choose Affinity Photo if
- You need photo editing.
- You work on macOS, Windows, iPad.
- You also want raw processing.
Questions people ask
- Is Adobe Photoshop or Affinity Photo better?
- Neither clearly leads. Adobe Photoshop starts at $19.99/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 Photoshop or Affinity Photo?
- Adobe Photoshop starts at $19.99/month and Affinity Photo at $69.99/one-time.
- Does Adobe Photoshop or Affinity Photo run on more platforms?
- Adobe Photoshop runs on Windows, macOS, iPad, iPhone, Web, Android. Affinity Photo runs on macOS, Windows, iPad.
- What is Adobe Photoshop best used for?
- Adobe Photoshop is most often used for photo editing, digital art creation, graphic design, web design. Of those, digital art creation and graphic design are not what Affinity Photo is typically brought in for.
- What can Adobe Photoshop do that Affinity Photo cannot?
- Adobe Photoshop covers Advanced photo editing, Layer-based editing, Selection tools, Color correction. Affinity Photo covers Photo editing, RAW processing, Non-destructive editing, AI enhancement. Both handle Batch processing, Desktop deployment.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Adobe Photoshop: What does a Photoshop subscription include?
A single-app Photoshop subscription ($22.99/month) includes the desktop app for macOS and Windows, Photoshop for iPad, limited web features, 100GB cloud storage, and 25 AI credits monthly. The Photography Plan ($19.99/month) adds Lightroom and increases AI credits to 1,000 monthly.
SourceAffinity 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.
SourceAdobe Photoshop: Is there a free trial for Photoshop?
Yes, Adobe offers a 7-day free trial for individuals and 14 days for Teams. The trial requires credit card verification, includes 100GB cloud storage, and full access to all features. The subscription auto-renews at $20.99/month unless cancelled 24 hours before trial ends.
SourceAdobe Photoshop: What AI features does Photoshop 2026 include?
Photoshop 2026 features Generative Fill with reference image support (for control over lighting and color), Generative Upscale (enlarges images to 8MP while preserving detail), a conversational AI assistant in beta, Harmonize for auto light and color matching, and integration with Gemini 2.5 Flash and FLUX.1 AI models.
SourceAdobe Photoshop: What platforms does Photoshop run on?
Photoshop is available on Windows 10/11, macOS 13+, iPad (iOS 17+), iPhone (iOS 17+), and web browsers. Android version entered beta in June 2025.
Source