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Photography · head to head

Affinity Photo vs Pixieset

Affinity Photo logo

Affinity Photo

Photography

Professional photo editing software

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

Pixieset

Photography

Client gallery, store and studio management platform priced by storage volume

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Pixieset 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; Pixieset pricing is by storage, so cost tracks the size of your accumulated archive rather than current work, and a photographer five years in pays more than a new one shooting the same volume unless old galleries are archived off the platform.
  • They diverge on capability: Affinity Photo covers Photo editing, Pixieset covers Client galleries.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Affinity Photo and Pixieset differ
AttributeAffinity PhotoPixieset
Starting price$69.99/one-timeFree
Pricing modelone-timePer month by storage volume
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsmacOS, Windows, iPadWeb, iOS, Android
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 Pixieset

  • Client galleries
  • Store
  • Studio Manager
  • Website
  • Download controls
  • Mobile app
  • Client proofing
  • Analytics

What people use each for

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

Affinity Photo

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

Pixieset

  • Delivering a wedding gallery with a pin code, a print store attached and download limits set per collectionnot Affinity Photo
  • Selling prints without holding stock, using an integrated lab that ships directly to the clientnot Affinity Photo
  • Running contracts, invoices and booking enquiries alongside delivery instead of paying for a separate studio CRMnot Affinity Photo
  • Giving a client a favourites list to choose album images without exchanging files by email or WeTransfernot 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

Pixieset

  • Pricing is by storage, so cost tracks the size of your accumulated archive rather than current work, and a photographer five years in pays more than a new one shooting the same volume unless old galleries are archived off the platform.
  • The free plan takes a percentage commission on store sales, which means the photographers most likely to start free, those selling prints, are the ones the commission costs most, and the effective rate should be compared against ShootProof and Pic-Time before committing.
  • Print fulfilment is restricted to the labs Pixieset has integrated, so a studio with an existing lab relationship or specific paper stock cannot use its own supplier through the store.
  • There is no customer-selectable hosting region, so photographers working under contracts that require client images to stay in a specific jurisdiction cannot satisfy that requirement on Pixieset.
  • The website builder is a portfolio tool rather than a site platform, with limited page structure, no blogging depth and no real SEO control, so most studios that grow move the public site elsewhere and keep Pixieset for delivery.
  • Consolidating galleries, store, invoicing and site with one vendor means a pricing change, an outage or a policy change hits every part of the business at once, and exporting client and sales history out is a manual process.

Pricing, plan by plan

Affinity Photo

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

Pixieset

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 3 GB of storage
    • Client galleries with download pins
    • Commission charged on store sales
  • Basic$8/month
    • 10 GB of storage
    • No commission on store sales
    • Custom logo and gallery colours
  • Plus$16/month
    • 100 GB of storage
    • Custom domain
    • Client proofing and favourite lists
  • Ultimate$undefined/month
    • Highest storage tier for archives that outgrow Plus
    • All gallery, store and branding features
    • Billed annually

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 Pixieset if

  • You need client galleries.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want store.
Pixieset review

Questions people ask

Is Affinity Photo or Pixieset better?
Neither clearly leads. Affinity Photo starts at $69.99/one-time and Pixieset at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Affinity Photo or Pixieset?
Pixieset has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $69.99/one-time for Affinity Photo and Free for Pixieset.
Does Affinity Photo or Pixieset run on more platforms?
Affinity Photo runs on macOS, Windows, iPad. Pixieset runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use Pixieset for free?
Yes. Pixieset 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 Pixieset is typically brought in for.
What can Affinity Photo do that Pixieset cannot?
Affinity Photo covers Photo editing, RAW processing, Non-destructive editing, AI enhancement. Pixieset covers Client galleries, Store, Studio Manager, Website.

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
Pixieset: Is the free plan actually usable for a working photographer?

For delivery, yes, at 3 GB. For sales, it is expensive, because the commission on every store order continues indefinitely while a paid plan removes it.

Pixieset: What counts towards my storage?

Every file uploaded to a collection, including galleries delivered years ago. Archiving or deleting old collections is the only way to bring the number down.

Pixieset: Can clients download full resolution files?

Yes, if you enable it. Download size, pin protection and expiry are set per collection, so you can release web sizes immediately and full resolution after payment.

Pixieset: Can I use my own print lab?

No. Store fulfilment goes through the labs Pixieset has integrated, and self-fulfilment means handling orders outside the platform.

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