I just downloaded Affinity Photo yesterday (I am still on the 90 days trial) because I am trying out which software may suit my needs best, and Affinity Photo seems to be very powerful at a very good price. I never looked too seriously into picture editing, so bear with my lack of competence, please. Extra 20% Off with code + buy online and get free shipping! With Affinity Photo Vs Photoshop. Check above for current promotions and coupon codes available and the best deal to save more money on discounted items. Other alternatives to Affinity Photo. Therefore Photoshop Elements has been designed to make it easier for users to create and edit photos, as well as. Read more about Affinity Photo vs Photoshop 2021 versions, their pluses and minuses for photographers that will help you choose what software is better for your purposes. Affinity Photo vs.
If you are interested in editing your photos with various photo enhancers, then you should not be strange about Affinity Photo and Photoshop. But if you are not sure which one is the best for you, then today you should focus on this post which would help you in this comparison review of Affinity Photo and Photoshop. Before that, you should be clear about the features and functions for each enhancer. In this post, some practical using experiences would be taken into consideration while comparing the best two photo editors so as to present the most objective review between them. If you would like to know more, the following post would be your excellent references.
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Part 1: What is Affinity Photo?
Affinity Photo is a powerful and very professional photo editing software under macOS and Windows operating systems. From the service point of view, the software can satisfy users whether it is quick correction, exquisite modification, or immersion in complex art works. Compared with the previous generation of products, this time it brings users a smoother and more efficient image processing service. Of course, some new functions have been added. Affinity Photo support to save the editing history. When you make a display, you may need to adjust the spatial position of the picture. At this time, you can use the perspective tool. Affinity is fully functional and has made very detailed for different system platforms. It ensures that your computer can play its due performance.
In general, if you prefer the high processing speed as well as the performance of excellent photo editing experiences, Affinity Photo would never let you down. Moreover, its simple and intuitive interface would be quite friendly to beginner users. However, to some extent, for some professional users, this program’s editing functions and features may not be abundant. By the way, it has higher requirements on the system in order to obtain faster speed.
Part 2: What is Photoshop?
Photoshop is a bitmap editing software developed by Adobe. Its main functions include adjusting the color of the image and synthesizing the image which is mainly used for graphic design, web design art and photo studio post-processing. For your better understanding about Photoshop, here are the main pros and cons that have been sorted out. Photoshop can do pixel-level editing and is powerful. In addition, in addition to editing existing pictures, users can also use Photoshop to create images, such as adding fonts, vector patterns, and so on. The layer function allows the image to be edited in layers, or combined with layers for unified modification. Within the same layer, the user can use the Layer Mask function to select the part to be edited which could present better photo effects.
Furthermore, for Photoshop, any tiny actions applied to the picture could be recorded and at the same time they could be applied to any different pictures you like in an easy way, without any duplicate editing. Its another attractive point is that Photoshop has a large number of editing tools you can refer to, including various selection tools, repair tools and so on, at the same time, you can obtain customized photo editing experience. However, the batch processing function of Photoshop itself is not very powerful. Also, users would have to spend more time in getting familiarized with the complicated interface and its detailed functions.
Part 3: Affinity Photo vs. Photoshop: 5 Differences
In order to choose the best photo enhancer between Affinity Photo and Photoshop, the following comparison details would quite be important to you to get to know the key differences.
△ 1. Features
- Affinity Photo
- Photoshop
Affinity Photo has no subscription charge and users can obtain the free trial easily. Its permanent fee is inexpensive. This program has fast and efficient toolset as well as live tools and real-time editing features. It can cover more than 8000 history editing steps and its RAW editor is quite excellent in processing the photos. Moreover, it also supports advanced layer which could handle with unlimited layers.
Photoshop’s function and features are much more comprehensive and can be easily obtained by many plugins. The stamp tool is able to remove defects in images easily and its cropping and slicing function are quite easy. Marquee tools could edit the preferred areas users prefer without affecting others. Besides photos, Photoshop could be used as a video editor. It is also available on the 3D Extrusion and painting which also supports 360 Panorama workflow.
△ 2. User Interface
The interface and usage of Affinity is similar to that of PS, but there are many more convenient improvements. For example, if you set up a progress bar for retouching, just pull it to restore or preview which step you want. In general, from the interface and operation between Affinity Photo and Photoshop, the applications are identical in many ways.
Affinity Photo Interface
Photoshop Interface
△ 3. Supported Language/System/Software Size
For Affinity, it supports Windows, MacOS, iOS platforms, and it is available in 9 languages. It is quite lightweight in the software size which is about 344 MB for Mac OS. For Photoshop, it supports Windows and MacOS which is available in 26 languages. While it would occupy 881 MB for Mac OS.
△ 4. Image Quality
Both Affinity and Photoshop are powerful in presenting the excellent image quality due to some powerful features. One of the biggest differences between the two editors should lie on the Fuji RAW conversion capability. For Affinity, it is able to process Fjuji Xtrans RAWs correctly, while Photoshop is not good at processing the Fuji RAW files which would need additional steps to complete the workflow.
△ 5. Pricing
In comparison, Affinity Photo would be relatively cheaper than Photoshop. In details, Affinity Photo would only cost $49.99 without any subscription fee which is one-time payment. For Photoshop, its prices range, $29.99 for monthly plan, $239.88 for yearly plan.
Part 4: Affinity Photo vs. Photoshop: Which Should You Choose?
Referring to the above comparison between Affinity Photo and Photoshop in terms of main features, supported systems/languages/software size, image quality and pricing, we could have the conclusion that both Affinity Photo and Photoshop are professional and powerful photo editors among the various photo enhancement tools. It is hard to tell which one is the best since both of them have strengths and weaknesses. This should depend on your own preferences and needs. As the industry standard, Photoshop has the dominant position in the photo editing area which would present all functions and features for a professional user. However, if you are looking for the Photoshop alternatives which have the cheaper price and excellent features, Affinity would be the most proper one you can refer to. But if you prefer a more classic editing program, you can try Photoshop first.
Anyway, both of them can be your good choices especially you are a professional photographer or advanced users, after all their complex features would drive you crazy if you are a beginner user. Additionally, if you only want some basic photo enhancers, the following program would be more suitable.
Part 5: Affinity Photo & Photoshop Alternative
If you are searching for some other alternatives to Affinity Photo and Photoshop, Leawo PhotoIns could be the best for you. Generally speaking, Leawo PhotoIns is able to automatically improve quality of the photos you have taken due to its Artificial Intelligence Enhancer Technology. As a powerful AI enhancer, this program can beautify photos easily, including retouching skin, removing freckles, adjusting lighting, enlarging eyes, etc. No matter how dark or bright your photos are, Leawo PhotoIns can automatically detect these areas instantly and accordingly, some adjustment would be added to make your photos look much more comfortable. Among them, if you have further requirements on the sky photos, this tool would improve these photos in a more vivid way which could optimize colors and tints easily. To put it in a simple way, Leawo PhotoIns could enhance your photos to be looked in the most nature way with the best visual effects. You don’t have to worry about the steps since its simple and easy-to-use interface, which would be one of the best photo enhancers for both beginners and professionals.
Step 1. Get Leawo PhotoIns download
Download and install Leawo PhotoIns on your computer.
Leawo PhotoIns
- Enhance portrait photos easily with advanced AI technology
- Fix photo exposure and white balance issues automatically
- Optimize photo colors and perfect photo tints
- Make photos perfectly clear with smart dehaze
- Boost photo lighting and color quality
- Process RAW and JPG files
Step 2. Import Source Photos to Leawo PhotoIns
Once you have installed Leawo PhotoIns on your computer, then open it and import source photos you would like to enhance to this program. Enter the main interface of Leawo PhotoIns and you can load preferred photos into the program by clicking the option “Add Photo”.
Step 3. Enhance photos
After loading your preferred photos to the tool, then you can start to enhance the photos. You can click the AI Enhance tab to choose the features, including 'Automatic Lens Correction', 'Face Enhance' and 'Enlarge Eyes'.
Step 4. Set output parameters
Once you have chosen your preferred effects and you have applied the AI Enhancer to your chosen pictures, now you need to click the bottom right output icon to proceed for output settings.
Adobe Photoshop and Affinity Photo are some of the most recognized software when it comes to image editing. While the former is the most prominent, the latter follows closely behind. Adobe Photoshop is so well-known that it’s become synonymous with image editing.
A lot of creatives can’t imagine not having Photoshop, but perhaps they should consider alternative options. Is Affinity Photo really advanced enough to replace Photoshop? Let’s try to answer that question.
What Is Affinity Photo?
Affinity Photo is considered Adobe Photoshop’s immediate alternative. The application includes color space options, optical aberrations corrections, RAW image formats, and live previews, to name a few. The software is less expensive than its Photoshop rival and still delivers excellent performance.
Affinity Photo has live previews, real-time editing, and comes with a complete set of filters. Users can undo or redo more than 8,000 steps, it can handle advanced layers, and it offers High Dynamic Range (HDR) editing.
Affinity Photo Features
Affinity Photo’s modular interface is made up of five sections. The Photo Persona section helps you access basic image editing tools, while the Liquify Persona assists with applying wrap effects to correct distorted photos.
The other ones are: Develop Persona, Export Persona, and Tone Mapping Persona. You can use the Export Persona to export images in various formats like RAW, JPEG, TIFF, PNG, and so on.
Affinity Photo saves your undo history even after you stop using the software, as it’s saved together with the image. You can return to previous actions even if you are steps away in your editing tasks.
Affinity Photo Photoshop Plugin
You can resize the image using the Move tool, while Adobe requires you to do it through its menu. The resize tool is intuitive and flexible in Affinity.
What’s more, it allows the user to resize photos without destroying them. While in Adobe, the layers have to be converted to Smart Objects—which is a default procedure in Affinity—before they can be increased or decreased in size with no drop in quality.
Another perk is that it allows live previews. The preview shows how color will be applied with different blend modes, opacity settings, and more. It’s also handy for painting layer masks. It comes with a live brush preview, enabling you to see the impact of the brush strokes before using them.
Affinity Photo appears to be as effective as Adobe, but is available for a lower price. In Affinity, users can create vector shapes using the Node tools or Pen. It can also be used on iPads and desktops, although you need need to purchase it separately for the iPad version.
Related: Adobe Photoshop for iPad vs. Affinity Photo for iPad: Which Is Best?
The Pros and Cons of Affinity Photo
Let’s break down the advantages and disadvantages of using Affinity Photo.
Pros:
- Works on Windows, macOS, and iOS
- Doesn’t charge subscription fees
- Has a free trial version
- The toolset is fast and efficient (except for more advanced settings)
- Provides powerful live tools
- Offers real-time editing
- Has a full set of 16-bit filters
- Can undo and redo up to 8,000 steps during editing
- Saves undo history even after closing
- Allows live brush previews
- Gives you access to advanced layer controls
- Has limitless layers
- More user-friendly
Cons:
- Asks for a one-time purchase, which may prove overwhelming to pay all at once
What Is Adobe Photoshop?
Adobe Photoshop is advanced software that can do anything from simple retouching to complicated designs and presentations. The possibilities are endless, especially when you add the countless tools and features the program offers.
One of its major flaws is that it takes a while to learn how to use it. It also doesn’t help that it’s pricey.
Related: Paid Photoshop Alternatives for People Who Dislike Photoshop
Adobe Photoshop has found use in various professional fields like art, science, and design. Animators utilize it to develop multi-layered characters and appealing surroundings, and even forensic technicians use it for their work.
Additionally, many designers depend on the software’s creative features to develop products, images, and layouts that are both functional and attractive.
Photoshop Features
Photoshop offers more tools in its suite, can script faster with massive documents, and allows additional plugins. In terms of efficiency, it beats out Affinity Photo.
The editing tools available in Adobe Photoshop enable users to do easy tasks like lighting, red-eye removal, color adjustments, as well as more complicated corrections, like layering different photo components to develop one image.
Photoshop’s layer system allows users to place images on top of each other. Each image has a layer that can move above and below other image layers. Layers also get used to include or remove lighting and filters.
There are different plugins and custom panels users can use in Photoshop, while Affinity does not allow scripting.
Adobe Photoshop enables users to develop images like illustrations, digital art, and other distinct graphics. Adobe Photoshop gives users a set of pens and brushes to efficiently redesign various physical drawings—a concept mostly used in video games and movie productions.
Users can do a lot with Adobe Photoshop compared to Affinity Photo. Affinity Photo does not support all the tasks that can be done with Adobe Photoshop.
In Adobe, users can record their actions, making their workflow more automated. Unfortunately, you can’t use Affinity to record your steps. Affinity lags behind when it comes to speed, and is particularly slow for photos that require detailed editing.
The Pros and Cons of Photoshop
If you’re considering using Photoshop, keep the following pros and cons in mind.
Photoshop Vs Affinity Photo Reddit
Pros:
- Much faster with big files
- Limitless ability for photo editing
- The Pen tool offers precise paths for selecting objects
- The Stamp tool lets you fix defects and curves, and allows for the duplication or removal of objects from images
- Offers advanced cropping and slicing tools
- Scripting is possible
- Plenty of selection tools
- Allows you to edit videos
- Excellent for 3D illustrations and paintings
- Offers 360 panorama workflow and Adobe Camera Raw enhancements
- Comes bundled with Lightroom (another image editing tool)
- More tools come in the Creative Cloud Suite than in Affinity’s package
- Allows you to extend functionality by incorporating add-ons and plugins
Cons:
- Has a subscription fee instead of a one-time payment
Photoshop vs. Affinity Photo: Pricing
A standout difference between the two programs is that Affinity Photo asks for a one-time payment, while Photoshop requires you to pay a subscription fee.
Photoshop offers monthly or annual plans instead of a one-time payment. Its plans tend to provide different perks and bonuses to entice you into getting them. Photoshop has a seven-day free trial if you want to give it a spin.
Affinity Photo requires a one-time payment for using it on Windows and macOS, and requires a lower price for the iPad version. You can also benefit from a 90-day free trial before making a purchase.
A Photoshop subscription (without the rest of the Creative Cloud) will cost you $9.99/month. On the other hand, Affinity Designer is priced at $49.99 for its desktop version and $19.99 for its iPad version.
Which Software Comes Out on Top?
The clear winner is Adobe Photoshop, but it should be noted that Affinity Photo is a close second.
Both tools are effective and used by professionals. Photoshop has a wide range of features and editing capabilities, giving it a huge edge. Affinity has a better price, but that’s not enough to win the title over Photoshop.
It’s worth noting that the rating may change for you based on your needs. If you’re on a budget and don’t need the massive bundle of editing perks Photoshop offers, Affinity Photo does wonderful work and can certainly come in handy for you.
The bottom line is that both tools are excellent and can help you. They’re neck and neck in many categories, with Photoshop taking a slight edge over Affinity Photo—that’s just enough to crown Photoshop the winner of this comparison.