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Affinity Designer vs Photopea

Affinity Designer logo

Affinity Designer

Software

Professional graphic design software for everyone

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

Photopea

Software

Free online photo editor

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Photopea has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • 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); Photopea performance becomes sluggish and prone to crashes with high-resolution images or multi-layered files
  • They diverge on capability: Affinity Designer covers Vector drawing, Photopea covers Photo editing.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Affinity Designer and Photopea differ
AttributeAffinity DesignerPhotopea
Starting price$69.99/one-timeFree
Pricing modelone-timeUnknown
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWindows, Macos, IosWeb
Founded19942013

Identical on both: 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 Photopea

  • Photo editing
  • PSD compatibility
  • Layer support
  • Selection tools
  • Filters and effects
  • Google Drive
  • Adobe fonts
  • Browser-based

Both cover

  • Dropbox

What people use each for

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

Affinity Designer

  • Logo designnot Photopea
  • Vector illustrationnot Photopea
  • Icon designnot Photopea
  • Brandingnot Photopea

Photopea

  • Quick photo editsnot Affinity Designer
  • PSD file editingnot Affinity Designer
  • Web designnot Affinity Designer
  • Social media graphicsnot 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)

Photopea

  • Performance becomes sluggish and prone to crashes with high-resolution images or multi-layered files
  • Risk of losing work due to browser crashes or save failures
  • Aggressive advertising that can slow down the entire computer
  • No local installation option, always requires browser access
  • Basic file organization and version tracking compared to professional tools

Pricing, plan by plan

Affinity Designer

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

Photopea

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Photopea review.

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 Photopea if

  • You need photo editing.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want psd compatibility.
Photopea review

Questions people ask

Is Affinity Designer or Photopea better?
Neither clearly leads. Affinity Designer starts at $69.99/one-time and Photopea at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Affinity Designer or Photopea?
Photopea has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $69.99/one-time for Affinity Designer and Free for Photopea.
Does Affinity Designer or Photopea run on more platforms?
Affinity Designer runs on Windows, Macos, Ios. Photopea runs on Web.
Can I use Photopea for free?
Yes. Photopea has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Affinity Designer starts at $69.99/one-time.
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 Photopea is typically brought in for.
What can Affinity Designer do that Photopea cannot?
Affinity Designer covers Vector drawing, Bezier tools, Gradient tools, Typography. Photopea covers Photo editing, PSD compatibility, Layer support, Selection tools. Both handle Dropbox.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Photopea: Is Photopea free to use?

Yes, Photopea is completely free and supported by ads displayed within the browser. No subscription or payment is required to use the full feature set.

Source
Photopea: Does Photopea support Photoshop PSD files?

Yes, Photopea fully supports Photoshop PSD files including layers, masks, text, and effects. It can read and export files back to PSD, PNG, JPG, PDF, SVG, or GIF format.

Source
Photopea: What platforms does Photopea run on?

Photopea is a web-based editor accessible through any modern browser including Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, and Opera. It can be added to desktop as a shortcut or Chrome extension.

Source
Photopea: Does Photopea upload my files to servers?

No. Photopea processes images entirely within your browser and does not upload files to external servers, keeping your work private and secure.

Source
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