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Scheduling & Booking · head to head

Affinity Designer vs Boulevard

Affinity Designer logo

Affinity Designer

Scheduling & Booking

Professional graphic design software for everyone

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

Boulevard

Scheduling & Booking

Client experience platform for salons

From
$175/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); Boulevard pricing is charged per location, so a multi site business pays the full plan fee for each site
  • They diverge on capability: Affinity Designer covers Vector drawing, Boulevard covers Intelligent scheduling.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Affinity Designer and Boulevard differ
AttributeAffinity DesignerBoulevard
Starting price$69.99/one-time$175/month
Pricing modelone-timesubscription
PlatformsWindows, Macos, IosWeb, Ios, Android, Api
CategoryUnknownScheduling & Booking
Founded19942016

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 Boulevard

  • Intelligent scheduling
  • Client profiles
  • Point of sale
  • Inventory management
  • Staff management
  • Gift cards & packages
  • Two-way messaging
  • Business analytics

What people use each for

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

Affinity Designer

  • Logo designnot Boulevard
  • Vector illustrationnot Boulevard
  • Icon designnot Boulevard
  • Brandingnot Boulevard

Boulevard

  • Appointment booking and client management for salons, spas and medspasnot Affinity Designer
  • Running point of sale and card payments alongside schedulingnot Affinity Designer
  • Automated client messaging, intake forms and marketing campaignsnot 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)

Boulevard

  • Pricing is charged per location, so a multi site business pays the full plan fee for each site
  • The Essentials plan caps the business at 5 professionals; unlimited professionals require the Premier plan
  • Text and email allowances are metered per plan, with email blasts charged at $0.01 each beyond the plan allocation
  • Forms cost from $65 per month per location unless you are on the top Prestige plan
  • QuickBooks integration is an add on at $45 per month per location
  • ePrescribe is $45 per prescriber on top of the plan
  • Enterprise pricing is by consultation with no published rate

Pricing, plan by plan

Affinity Designer

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

Boulevard

$175/month
  • Essential$175/month
    • Appointment booking
    • Client management
    • Point of sale
  • Premier$325/month
    • Everything in Essential
    • Advanced booking
    • Marketing tools
  • Prestige$undefined/month
    • Everything in Premier
    • Multi-location
    • API access

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 Boulevard if

  • You need intelligent scheduling.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
  • You also want client profiles.
Boulevard review

Questions people ask

Is Affinity Designer or Boulevard better?
Neither clearly leads. Affinity Designer starts at $69.99/one-time and Boulevard at $175/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Affinity Designer or Boulevard?
Affinity Designer starts at $69.99/one-time and Boulevard at $175/month.
Does Affinity Designer or Boulevard run on more platforms?
Affinity Designer runs on Windows, Macos, Ios. Boulevard runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
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 Boulevard is typically brought in for.
What can Affinity Designer do that Boulevard cannot?
Affinity Designer covers Vector drawing, Bezier tools, Gradient tools, Typography. Boulevard covers Intelligent scheduling, Client profiles, Point of sale, Inventory management.
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