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Design Tools · head to head

Affinity Designer vs Airbase

Affinity Designer logo

Affinity Designer

Design Tools

Professional graphic design software for everyone

From
$69.99/one-time
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Airbase logo

Airbase

Accounting & Finance

The first all-in-one spend management platform

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Affinity Designer sold as a one-time purchase rather than a subscription: the Windows or macOS edition was priced at CA$94.99, the cross-platform Universal License at CA$224.99, and the standalone iPad edition at CA$24.99 (Internet Archive capture, 1 January 2024); Airbase airbase was acquired by Paylocity; its pricing page now redirects to paylocity.com/pricing and the product is marketed as 'Airbase, a Paylocity Company' within Paylocity's HCM platform rather than as a standalone product.
  • They diverge on capability: Affinity Designer covers Vector drawing, Airbase covers Corporate cards.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Affinity Designer and Airbase actually diverge.

Attributes where Affinity Designer and Airbase differ
AttributeAffinity DesignerAirbase
Starting price$69.99/one-time$29/month
Pricing modelone-timesubscription
PlatformsWindows, Macos, IosWeb, Ios, Android
CategoryDesign ToolsAccounting & Finance
Founded19942017

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 Affinity Designer

  • Vector drawing
  • Bezier tools
  • Gradient tools
  • Typography
  • Pixel-perfect editing
  • Artboards
  • Symbols
  • Non-destructive effects

Only in Airbase

  • Corporate cards
  • Bill payments
  • Expense management
  • Procurement
  • Approvals
  • NetSuite
  • Sage Intacct
  • QuickBooks

Both cover

  • Ios support

What people use each for

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

Affinity Designer

  • Logo designnot Airbase
  • Vector illustrationnot Airbase
  • Icon designnot Airbase
  • Brandingnot Airbase

Airbase

  • Spend managementnot Affinity Designer
  • Expense reportingnot Affinity Designer
  • Vendor paymentsnot Affinity Designer

Where each one falls short

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

Affinity Designer

  • Sold as a one-time purchase rather than a subscription: the Windows or macOS edition was priced at CA$94.99, the cross-platform Universal License at CA$224.99, and the standalone iPad edition at CA$24.99 (Internet Archive capture, 1 January 2024)

Airbase

  • Airbase was acquired by Paylocity; its pricing page now redirects to paylocity.com/pricing and the product is marketed as 'Airbase, a Paylocity Company' within Paylocity's HCM platform rather than as a standalone product.

Pricing, plan by plan

Affinity Designer

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

Airbase

$29/month
  • StandardFree
    • Corporate cards
    • Expense reports
    • Bill pay
  • Premium$10/month
    • Advanced approvals
    • NetSuite sync
    • Procurement
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Custom workflows
    • API access
    • Dedicated support

Which should you pick?

Choose Affinity Designer if

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

Choose Airbase if

  • You need corporate cards.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want bill payments.
Airbase review

Questions people ask

Is Affinity Designer or Airbase better?
Neither clearly leads. Affinity Designer starts at $69.99/one-time and Airbase at $29/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Affinity Designer or Airbase?
Affinity Designer starts at $69.99/one-time and Airbase at $29/month.
Does Affinity Designer or Airbase run on more platforms?
Affinity Designer runs on Windows, Macos, Ios. Airbase runs on Web, Ios, Android.
What is Affinity Designer best used for?
Affinity Designer is most often used for logo design, vector illustration, icon design, branding. Of those, logo design and vector illustration are not what Airbase is typically brought in for.
What can Affinity Designer do that Airbase cannot?
Affinity Designer covers Vector drawing, Bezier tools, Gradient tools, Typography. Airbase covers Corporate cards, Bill payments, Expense management, Procurement. Both handle Ios support.
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