Softwr

Publishing · head to head

Affinity Publisher vs Bring!

Affinity Publisher logo

Affinity Publisher

Publishing

Desktop page layout application, free since the Affinity range was relaunched by Canva

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Bring! logo

Bring!

Productivity

Free shared grocery list app with a simple icon-based interface, no subscription required for core use

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Affinity Publisher it cannot open native InDesign documents, only IDML exports, so inherited client archives either come across imperfectly or have to be rebuilt from scratch.; Bring! its recipe management is simpler than AnyList or Samsung Food, so it is a weaker choice for someone who wants to build out a recipe collection.
  • They diverge on capability: Affinity Publisher covers Master pages and text flow, Bring! covers Shared shopping lists.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Affinity Publisher and Bring! actually diverge.

Attributes where Affinity Publisher and Bring! differ
AttributeAffinity PublisherBring!
Pricing modelFree, no licence feeFree, with an optional paid Premium tier for extras
PlatformsmacOS, Windows, iPadOSiOS, Android, Web
CategoryPublishingProductivity

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 Publisher

  • Master pages and text flow
  • Prepress output
  • Unified application
  • IDML import
  • Data merge
  • Cross platform files

Only in Bring!

  • Shared shopping lists
  • Icon-based item catalogue
  • Recipe to list
  • Multiple lists
  • Offline use
  • Optional Premium tier

What people use each for

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

Affinity Publisher

  • Freelance designers and small studios that cannot justify a monthly page layout subscriptionnot Bring!
  • In-house marketing teams producing brochures, reports and price lists for commercial printnot Bring!
  • Print buyers who need to check and correct supplied artwork without a design suite licencenot Bring!
  • Schools, charities and community publishers where a zero licence cost decides the toolnot Bring!

Bring!

  • A household that wants a fast, free shared shopping list with no subscription requirednot Affinity Publisher
  • Someone who prefers picking items from a visual catalogue rather than typing free text every timenot Affinity Publisher
  • A user who wants basic recipe-to-list functionality without a full recipe managernot Affinity Publisher
  • A family wanting separate lists for different stores or occasions kept in sync automaticallynot Affinity Publisher

Where each one falls short

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

Affinity Publisher

  • It cannot open native InDesign documents, only IDML exports, so inherited client archives either come across imperfectly or have to be rebuilt from scratch.
  • There is no scripting or plugin interface, so studios that automate catalogue or variable data production still need InDesign alongside it.
  • Signing in through a Canva account is now part of using the free application, which is a problem for regulated or offline environments that forbid cloud accounts.
  • The roadmap belongs to Canva, and the 2025 relaunch already reset the licence model that earlier perpetual buyers paid for, so long-term direction is outside your control.
  • Commercial printers and freelance collaborators still expect InDesign packages, so handoff usually means delivering flattened PDFs rather than editable files.

Bring!

  • Its recipe management is simpler than AnyList or Samsung Food, so it is a weaker choice for someone who wants to build out a recipe collection.
  • It has no smart appliance integration, unlike Samsung Food, so it offers nothing extra for a household with connected kitchen hardware.
  • Store-layout customisation for sorting items is less granular than AnyList offers.
  • The icon-based catalogue, while fast, can be limiting for unusual or specific items not well represented in the illustrated catalogue.
  • The free tier carries ads, which the optional Premium subscription removes.

Pricing, plan by plan

Affinity Publisher

Free
  • AffinityFree
    • Free for everyone since the 2025 relaunch
    • Layout, vector and photo tools in one application
    • Requires a Canva account to sign in

Bring!

Free
  • Bring!Free
    • Shared shopping lists
    • Icon-based item catalogue
    • Recipe to list
  • Bring! Premium$1.99/month
    • Ad removal
    • Extra themes and convenience features

Which should you pick?

Choose Affinity Publisher if

  • You need master pages and text flow.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on macOS, Windows, iPadOS.
  • You also want prepress output.
Affinity Publisher review

Choose Bring! if

  • You need shared shopping lists.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS, Android, Web.
  • You also want icon-based item catalogue.
Bring! review

Questions people ask

Is Affinity Publisher or Bring! better?
Neither clearly leads. Affinity Publisher starts at Free and Bring! at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Affinity Publisher or Bring!?
Affinity Publisher starts at Free and Bring! at Free.
Does Affinity Publisher or Bring! run on more platforms?
Affinity Publisher runs on macOS, Windows, iPadOS. Bring! runs on iOS, Android, Web.
Can I use Affinity Publisher for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Affinity Publisher best used for?
Affinity Publisher is most often used for freelance designers and small studios that cannot justify a monthly page layout subscription, in-house marketing teams producing brochures, reports and price lists for commercial print, print buyers who need to check and correct supplied artwork without a design suite licence, schools, charities and community publishers where a zero licence cost decides the tool. Of those, freelance designers and small studios that cannot justify a monthly page layout subscription and in-house marketing teams producing brochures, reports and price lists for commercial print are not what Bring! is typically brought in for.
What can Affinity Publisher do that Bring! cannot?
Affinity Publisher covers Master pages and text flow, Prepress output, Unified application, IDML import. Bring! covers Shared shopping lists, Icon-based item catalogue, Recipe to list, Multiple lists.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Affinity Publisher: Is Affinity Publisher really free now?

Yes. Since the 2025 relaunch the unified Affinity application is free. Artificial intelligence features need a paid Canva plan.

Bring!: Is Bring! free?

Yes, the core shared shopping list function is free; Premium is optional and adds cosmetic and convenience extras.

Affinity Publisher: Can it open InDesign files?

Only IDML interchange files, and complex layouts lose fidelity. Native INDD files cannot be opened at all.

Bring!: Does it support recipes?

It has a simpler recipe-to-list feature, less developed than AnyList or Samsung Food.

Affinity Publisher: What happened to the perpetual licences people bought?

Canva made the relaunched application free to everyone, which superseded the paid version 2 licence model.

Bring!: Does it work offline?

Yes, lists remain usable offline and sync once a connection is restored.

Share

Related pages

More on Affinity Publisher

More on Bring!

Keep looking

Other head to heads