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Design Tools · head to head

Affinity Designer vs Trello

Affinity Designer logo

Affinity Designer

Design Tools

Professional graphic design software for everyone

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

Trello

All industries

Organize anything, together

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Trello 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); Trello free tier limited to 10 boards and 10 collaborators per workspace
  • They diverge on capability: Affinity Designer covers Vector drawing, Trello covers Kanban boards.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Affinity Designer and Trello differ
AttributeAffinity DesignerTrello
Starting price$69.99/one-timeFree
Pricing modelone-timeUnknown
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWindows, Macos, IosWeb, Ios, Android, Windows, Macos
CategoryDesign ToolsAll industries
Founded19942011

Identical on both: 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 Trello

  • Kanban boards
  • Cards & lists
  • Drag-and-drop interface
  • Activity feed
  • Due dates & reminders
  • File attachments
  • Comments & mentions
  • Power-Ups ecosystem

Both cover

  • Dropbox

What people use each for

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

Affinity Designer

  • Logo designnot Trello
  • Vector illustrationnot Trello
  • Icon designnot Trello
  • Brandingnot Trello

Trello

  • Project trackingnot Affinity Designer
  • Content calendarsnot Affinity Designer
  • Sales pipelinesnot Affinity Designer
  • Onboarding processesnot Affinity Designer
  • Personal task managementnot 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)

Trello

  • Free tier limited to 10 boards and 10 collaborators per workspace
  • Free tier automation capped at 250 monthly Butler runs
  • No offline access; web-based platform requires internet connection
  • Advanced views (timeline, table, dashboard) not available on Standard plan
  • SSO only available on Enterprise plan

Pricing, plan by plan

Affinity Designer

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

Trello

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Up to 10 boards/workspace
    • Up to 10 collaborators
    • 250 monthly Butler automation runs
  • Standard$5/user/month
    • Unlimited boards
    • Unlimited Power-Ups
    • 1,000 monthly Butler runs
  • Premium$10/user/month
    • All Standard features
    • Timeline, table, dashboard, calendar views
    • Unlimited automation
  • Enterprise$17.5/user/month
    • All Premium features
    • Unlimited workspaces
    • SSO and user provisioning

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 Trello if

  • You need kanban boards.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Windows, Macos.
  • You also want cards & lists.
Trello review

Questions people ask

Is Affinity Designer or Trello better?
Neither clearly leads. Affinity Designer starts at $69.99/one-time and Trello at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Affinity Designer or Trello?
Trello has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $69.99/one-time for Affinity Designer and Free for Trello.
Does Affinity Designer or Trello run on more platforms?
Affinity Designer runs on Windows, Macos, Ios. Trello runs on Web, Ios, Android, Windows, Macos.
Can I use Trello for free?
Yes. Trello 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 Trello is typically brought in for.
What can Affinity Designer do that Trello cannot?
Affinity Designer covers Vector drawing, Bezier tools, Gradient tools, Typography. Trello covers Kanban boards, Cards & lists, Drag-and-drop interface, Activity feed. Both handle Dropbox.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Trello: What are the free tier limitations for Trello?

Trello Free supports up to 10 boards per workspace, unlimited cards, 250 monthly Butler automation runs, and up to 10 Power-Up attachments. Limited to 10 collaborators per workspace.

Source
Trello: What features are included in the Standard plan?

Standard ($5-6/user/month) adds unlimited boards, custom fields, advanced checklists, 1,000 monthly automation runs, list colors, and calendar view access.

Source
Trello: Does Trello offer SSO and on which plan?

SSO through Atlassian Guard is included only on the Enterprise plan ($17.50/user/month or $210/year per user).

Source
Trello: How many file attachment options are available?

Free tier includes 2 Power-Ups per board, Standard adds unlimited Power-Ups, and Premium and above offer full Power-Up marketplace access with custom integration options.

Source
Trello: Is there offline access to Trello boards?

Trello is a web-based application requiring internet connection. Mobile apps are available for iOS and Android but do not support true offline editing.

Source
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