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Affinity Designer vs Hive

Affinity Designer logo

Affinity Designer

Software

Professional graphic design software for everyone

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

Hive

Software

Project management built for speed

From
On request
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); Hive the free plan is capped at 200 MB of storage
  • They diverge on capability: Affinity Designer covers Vector drawing, Hive covers Tasks.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Affinity Designer and Hive differ
AttributeAffinity DesignerHive
Starting price$69.99/one-timeOn request
Pricing modelone-timefreemium
PlatformsWindows, Macos, IosWeb, Ios, Android, Desktop
Founded19942015

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 Hive

  • Tasks
  • Gantt view
  • Kanban
  • Time tracking
  • Forms
  • Slack
  • Zoom
  • Google Drive

Both cover

  • Dropbox
  • Ios support

What people use each for

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

Affinity Designer

  • Logo designnot Hive
  • Vector illustrationnot Hive
  • Icon designnot Hive
  • Brandingnot Hive

Hive

  • Project and task management with multiple project viewsnot Affinity Designer
  • Coordinating work, proofing and resourcing for teamsnot 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)

Hive

  • The free plan is capped at 200 MB of storage
  • The Starter plan at $5 per user per month is limited to 10 projects
  • Eight capabilities are sold as $5 per user add ons on the Teams plan, including CRM, timesheets, proofing, resourcing, advanced dashboards, external users and SSO
  • Buying SSO plus a few of those add ons therefore costs more than the $12 base seat itself
  • AI credits are metered monthly at 1,000, 3,000 and 5,000 by plan

Pricing, plan by plan

Affinity Designer

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

Hive

On request
  • FreeFree
    • Basic features
    • 10 users
  • Teams$12/month
    • Unlimited users
    • Time tracking
    • Automations

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 Hive if

  • You need tasks.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Desktop.
  • You also want gantt view.
Hive review

Questions people ask

Is Affinity Designer or Hive better?
Neither clearly leads. Affinity Designer starts at $69.99/one-time and Hive at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Affinity Designer or Hive?
Affinity Designer starts at $69.99/one-time and Hive at On request.
Does Affinity Designer or Hive run on more platforms?
Affinity Designer runs on Windows, Macos, Ios. Hive runs on Web, Ios, Android, Desktop.
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 Hive is typically brought in for.
What can Affinity Designer do that Hive cannot?
Affinity Designer covers Vector drawing, Bezier tools, Gradient tools, Typography. Hive covers Tasks, Gantt view, Kanban, Time tracking. Both handle Dropbox, Ios support.
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