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Photography · head to head

Affinity Photo vs Picsart

Affinity Photo logo

Affinity Photo

Photography

Professional photo editing software

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

Picsart

Photography

AI photo and design editing app combining Photoshop-style tools, templates and a paid Gold subscription

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Picsart has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Affinity Photo version 2.0 required a full repurchase after seven years, breaking the perpetual license promise made to earlier users; Picsart free-tier exports carry a visible Picsart watermark, which makes the free version unusable for professional or client-facing work without paying to remove it.
  • They diverge on capability: Affinity Photo covers Photo editing, Picsart covers AI background removal.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Affinity Photo and Picsart actually diverge.

Attributes where Affinity Photo and Picsart differ
AttributeAffinity PhotoPicsart
Starting price$69.99/one-timeFree
Pricing modelone-timeFree with a watermark on export and limited AI credits; paid Gold subscription removes both
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsmacOS, Windows, iPadiOS, Android, Web
Founded1987Unknown

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Photography).

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 Photo

  • Photo editing
  • RAW processing
  • Non-destructive editing
  • AI enhancement
  • Retouching tools
  • Batch processing
  • Vector support
  • HDR tools

Only in Picsart

  • AI background removal
  • Generative fill and AI backgrounds
  • Photo and video editing tools
  • Templates and design library
  • AI image upscaling
  • Watermark-free export

What people use each for

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

Affinity Photo

  • Photo editingnot Picsart
  • RAW processingnot Picsart
  • Retouchingnot Picsart
  • Digital photographynot Picsart

Picsart

  • A small business or creator making social media graphics who wants templates and photo editing in one appnot Affinity Photo
  • Someone wanting quick AI background removal or generative fill without a desktop editing suitenot Affinity Photo
  • A casual user trying AI upscaling or background generation before deciding whether to subscribenot Affinity Photo
  • A content creator who needs watermark-free exports regularly and finds Picsart Gold cheaper than a full Adobe Creative Cloud subscriptionnot Affinity Photo

Where each one falls short

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

Affinity Photo

  • Version 2.0 required a full repurchase after seven years, breaking the perpetual license promise made to earlier users
  • Affinity Photo was discontinued in October 2025 and replaced by freemium Affinity application
  • No subscription model means no cloud storage or automatic backups like Photoshop Creative Cloud

Picsart

  • Free-tier exports carry a visible Picsart watermark, which makes the free version unusable for professional or client-facing work without paying to remove it.
  • AI tools such as generative fill and upscaling are rationed by a limited free credit allowance, so a regular user of these specific features will exhaust the free allotment quickly and need the paid tier.
  • The breadth of features, spanning photo editing, video, design templates and multiple AI tools, means individual tools are often less refined than a dedicated single-purpose competitor in that category.
  • Subscription pricing and what counts toward AI credit limits has changed over time as new AI features launch, making the actual cost of heavy AI use harder to predict than a flat subscription fee alone suggests.
  • The app requests broad permissions and account data for its AI features, and photo content uploaded for AI processing is sent to Picsart servers for processing rather than handled entirely on-device.

Pricing, plan by plan

Affinity Photo

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

Picsart

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Basic editing and template tools
    • Picsart watermark added on export
    • Limited free AI credit allowance per period
  • Picsart Gold$12.99/month
    • Watermark-free export
    • Expanded or unlimited AI tool credits depending on feature
    • Full premium template, sticker and font library

Which should you pick?

Choose Affinity Photo if

  • You need photo editing.
  • You work on macOS, Windows, iPad.
  • You also want raw processing.
Affinity Photo review

Choose Picsart if

  • You need ai background removal.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS, Android, Web.
  • You also want generative fill and ai backgrounds.
Picsart review

Questions people ask

Is Affinity Photo or Picsart better?
Neither clearly leads. Affinity Photo starts at $69.99/one-time and Picsart at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Affinity Photo or Picsart?
Picsart has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $69.99/one-time for Affinity Photo and Free for Picsart.
Does Affinity Photo or Picsart run on more platforms?
Affinity Photo runs on macOS, Windows, iPad. Picsart runs on iOS, Android, Web.
Can I use Picsart for free?
Yes. Picsart has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Affinity Photo starts at $69.99/one-time.
What is Affinity Photo best used for?
Affinity Photo is most often used for photo editing, raw processing, retouching, digital photography. Of those, photo editing and raw processing are not what Picsart is typically brought in for.
What can Affinity Photo do that Picsart cannot?
Affinity Photo covers Photo editing, RAW processing, Non-destructive editing, AI enhancement. Picsart covers AI background removal, Generative fill and AI backgrounds, Photo and video editing tools, Templates and design library.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Affinity Photo: Does Affinity Photo include RAW editing?

Yes, Affinity Photo includes non-destructive RAW photo editing and development capabilities for photographers working with RAW image formats.

Source
Picsart: Is Picsart free?

A free tier exists but exports carry a watermark and AI tool use is limited by a credit allowance; Picsart Gold removes the watermark and expands AI access.

Picsart: Does Picsart process photos on the device or on a server?

AI features such as background removal and generative fill send image data to Picsart servers for processing rather than running entirely on-device.

Picsart: How is Picsart different from Canva?

Picsart leans more heavily into AI photo editing and generative tools, while Canva is more focused on design templates and layout; the two overlap but are not identical products.

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