Affinity Photo
Pay-once photo editing and compositing—serious Photoshop alternative.
Quick facts
- Price model
- Pay once
- Starting price
- One-time license (check current pricing)
- Best for
- Photo retouching · RAW development · Compositing
- Replaces
- Adobe Photoshop subscription, Luminar Neo subscriptions
- Platforms
- MacWindowsiOS
- Last verified
- 2026-06-22
Why it's listed
Pro-grade editing without calculating break-even months vs Adobe.
Affinity Photo covers RAW editing, retouching, HDR, and compositing with perpetual licenses. Strong for photographers who reject monthly Creative Cloud photography plans.
The catch
Some niche Photoshop plugins and AI features may be missing.
Good fit for
- Photographers
- Hobby retouchers
Not ideal for
- Studios needing Adobe-specific workflows
Alternatives
Krita
Free open-source painting and illustration app beloved by digital artists.
Replaces: Clip Studio Paint subscription, Procreate-only iPad workflows on desktop
GIMP
Free open-source image editor for photo retouching, compositing, and formats.
Replaces: Adobe Photoshop subscription, Pixelmator Pro for basics
Affinity Designer
Professional vector design software you buy once—no Creative Cloud subscription.
Replaces: Adobe Illustrator subscription
Affinity Publisher
Desktop publishing with one-time purchase—layout books, magazines, and PDFs.
Replaces: Adobe InDesign subscription