Softwr

Design · head to head

Affinity Designer vs Medium by Adobe

Affinity Designer logo

Affinity Designer

Design

Professional graphic design software for everyone

From
$69.99/one-time
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Medium by Adobe logo

Medium by Adobe

AR VR

Sculpt in VR with intuitive tools

From
$9.99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • They diverge on capability: Affinity Designer covers Vector drawing, Medium by Adobe covers VR sculpting.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Affinity Designer and Medium by Adobe actually diverge.

Attributes where Affinity Designer and Medium by Adobe differ
AttributeAffinity DesignerMedium by Adobe
Starting price$69.99/one-time$9.99/month
Pricing modelone-timesubscription
PlatformsWindows, Macos, IosVr, Quest
CategoryDesignAR VR
Founded19941982

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 Medium by Adobe

  • VR sculpting
  • Layer system
  • Stamps
  • Move tool
  • Adobe Creative Cloud
  • Substance
  • FBX export
  • Vr support

What people use each for

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

Affinity Designer

  • Logo designnot Medium by Adobe
  • Vector illustrationnot Medium by Adobe
  • Icon designnot Medium by Adobe
  • Brandingnot Medium by Adobe

Medium by Adobe

  • VR Gamingnot Affinity Designer
  • AR Marketingnot Affinity Designer
  • Virtual Trainingnot Affinity Designer
  • 3D Visualizationnot Affinity Designer
  • Immersive Experiencesnot Affinity Designer

Where each one falls short

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

Affinity Designer

  • Premium AI features require separate Canva subscription; pricing for those plans not disclosed
  • Core Affinity tools are free but Canva premium add-on costs are not detailed

Medium by Adobe

Nothing recorded yet. See the Medium by Adobe review.

Pricing, plan by plan

Affinity Designer

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

Medium by Adobe

$9.99/month
  • Medium$9.99/month
    • Full sculpting tools
    • Export
    • Adobe integration

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 Medium by Adobe if

  • You need vr sculpting.
  • You work on Vr, Quest.
  • You also want layer system.
Medium by Adobe review

Questions people ask

Is Affinity Designer or Medium by Adobe better?
Neither clearly leads. Affinity Designer starts at $69.99/one-time and Medium by Adobe at $9.99/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Affinity Designer or Medium by Adobe?
Affinity Designer starts at $69.99/one-time and Medium by Adobe at $9.99/month.
Does Affinity Designer or Medium by Adobe run on more platforms?
Affinity Designer runs on Windows, Macos, Ios. Medium by Adobe runs on Vr, Quest.
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 Medium by Adobe is typically brought in for.
What can Affinity Designer do that Medium by Adobe cannot?
Affinity Designer covers Vector drawing, Bezier tools, Gradient tools, Typography. Medium by Adobe covers VR sculpting, Layer system, Stamps, Move tool.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Affinity Designer: Is Affinity Designer free?

Yes, Affinity Designer is completely free. Every tool in the Pixel, Vector, and Layout studios, plus all customization and export features, are available at no cost with no seat count restrictions or payment requirements.

Source
Affinity Designer: Are there premium features available in Affinity by Canva?

Affinity by Canva includes optional AI features available through separate Canva premium subscriptions (Pro, Business, Enterprise, Education tiers). Core design tools remain free; premium AI functionality requires a Canva subscription.

Source
Affinity Designer: Do I need to pay for Affinity Designer updates?

No. Affinity by Canva receives free updates and new features over time. The core application and all design, editing, and layout tools are updated at no additional cost.

Source
Share

Related pages

More on Affinity Designer

More on Medium by Adobe

Keep looking

Other head to heads