Software · head to head
Affinity Designer vs Groove

Affinity Designer
Software
Professional graphic design software for everyone
- From
- $69.99/one-time
- Rated
- -
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); Groove billed per ticket at $1 rather than per agent, so support cost scales with how many customers get in touch
- They diverge on capability: Affinity Designer covers Vector drawing, Groove covers Shared inbox.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Affinity Designer and Groove actually diverge.
| Attribute | Affinity Designer | Groove |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $69.99/one-time | $12/month |
| Pricing model | one-time | subscription |
| Platforms | Windows, Macos, Ios | Web, Ios, Android |
| Founded | 1994 | 2011 |
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 Affinity Designer
- Vector drawing
- Bezier tools
- Gradient tools
- Typography
- Pixel-perfect editing
- Artboards
- Symbols
- Non-destructive effects
Only in Groove
- Shared inbox
- Knowledge base
- Live chat
- Automation rules
- Reporting
- Collision detection
- Slack
- Salesforce
Both cover
- Ios support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Affinity Designer
- Logo designnot Groove
- Vector illustrationnot Groove
- Icon designnot Groove
- Brandingnot Groove
Groove
- Shared inbox and help desk ticketing for small support teamsnot Affinity Designer
- Handling email, chat and messaging support in one queuenot 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)
Groove
- Billed per ticket at $1 rather than per agent, so support cost scales with how many customers get in touch
- A minimum of 250 tickets a month applies, which is a $3,000 annual commitment before any usage
- A quiet month still pays the 250 ticket floor
- No mailbox limit is published
Pricing, plan by plan
Affinity Designer
$69.99/one-time- Standard$69.99/one-time
- Full version
- All features
- Lifetime updates
Groove
$12/month- Standard$12/month
- 1 mailbox
- Knowledge base
- Live chat
- Plus$20/month
- 5 mailboxes
- Full reporting
- Rules
- Pro$35/month
- 25 mailboxes
- Salesforce
- Enterprise SSO
Which should you pick?
Choose Affinity Designer if
- You need vector drawing.
- You work on Windows, Macos, Ios.
- You also want bezier tools.
Choose Groove if
- You need shared inbox.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android.
- You also want knowledge base.
Questions people ask
- Is Affinity Designer or Groove better?
- Neither clearly leads. Affinity Designer starts at $69.99/one-time and Groove at $12/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Affinity Designer or Groove?
- Affinity Designer starts at $69.99/one-time and Groove at $12/month.
- Does Affinity Designer or Groove run on more platforms?
- Affinity Designer runs on Windows, Macos, Ios. Groove 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 Groove is typically brought in for.
- What can Affinity Designer do that Groove cannot?
- Affinity Designer covers Vector drawing, Bezier tools, Gradient tools, Typography. Groove covers Shared inbox, Knowledge base, Live chat, Automation rules. Both handle Ios support.
Related pages
More on Affinity Designer
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- Groove vs ProtoPie
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- Groove vs Balsamiq Wireframes
- Groove vs Canva
- Groove vs Krea
- Groove vs Magnific
- Groove vs Marvel
- Groove vs Subframe
- Groove vs Vectr
- Groove vs Zeplin
- Groove vs Kustomer
- Groove vs Front
- Groove vs Freshdesk
- Groove vs Freshworks Customer Service Suite
- Groove vs Jira Service Management
- Groove vs Salesforce Service Cloud
- Groove vs Zendesk
- Groove vs 8x8 Contact Center
- Groove vs Amazon Connect
- Groove vs BMC Helix
- Groove vs Chatwoot
- Groove vs Customerly
- Groove vs DelightChat
- Groove vs Dialpad Contact Center
- Groove vs Dixa
- Groove vs Freshservice
- Groove vs Gladly
- Groove vs HappyFox

