It’s not been too long since Serif (a European company) introduced Affinity Photo in 2015 as a cheaper and better alternative of Photoshop CC. And taking into account its robust set of editing tools, it appears to be a tough competitor.. Affinity Photo is the cheapest among the five tools I tested, and it is the only one that works on iPads too. This tool is mainly handy for intermediate or pro level photo editors because of the vast variety of features it offers to enable the users perform more in depth edits. And once you start mastering this application, you can quickly take your editing level from bottom to top.

Affinity Photo Pro

#1 Wide range of editing tools

As we know, Affinity Photo gets directly compared with Photoshop CC, so it must offer the same numbers of editing tools like Photoshop, if not more, right? Well, it does. It consists of almost all the features that you’ll find in Photoshop CC like masking, layering, retouching, removing blemishes, etc.

And to my surprise, it also provides some Lightroom Classic tools like precise Curving and supports .PSD files as well.

#2 Cheapest of them all

Affinity is the cheapest tool in this test that unlike its rival Photoshop CC, comes with a one-off payment of $49.99. And the best thing is, you get lifetime update once you purchase this tool.

#3 Only tool that works on iPads

If you’re looking for a software to use on your iPad, then Affinity is the go-to app for you. It is the only tool in the lot that works on iPads.

#4 Quick customer support

Serif does an excellent job when it comes to serving their customers and answering their queries. Though I didn’t face any problem using this software, when I reached out to the support team to make a few things clear, they responded to me within 24 hours with a satisfactory answer.

#5 Money back guarantee

Affinity gives a tough fight to Photoshop CC in this section too. It ensures a 100% money back guarantee to its users if they return the product within 14 days of purchase. However, unlike Adobe, I couldn’t find any partial refund policy for those who want a refund after 14 days of the purchase date.

Affinity Photo Cons

#1 Not suitable for beginners

No, no, no… I’m not saying you can’t use Affinity Photo if you’re an entry-level user. What I mean is, if you’ve not used any photo editing software before or not familiar with the functions of any editing tool, then you’re gonna face lots of trouble using this software. Otherwise, if you know what each editing tool does, then feel free to go ahead and give Affinity Photo a shot.

#2 Can’t work on different OS with one license

This is a major snag with Affinity. First of all, it sells two separate license- one for Mac and the other one for Windows (with the same price). So, if you buy a Mac license and want to use it on two Mac devices, that’s fine. But things get lousy when you try to use the same license on a Windows computer. It won’t work at all. You face the same scenario when you buy the Windows license.

#3 No Cloud storage

Affinity doesn’t provide any cloud storage to store your files. So you entirely rely on your computer’s hard drive space to save all the data.

Affinity Photo plans

Affinity Photo offers separate one-off plans for iPad and Windows/Mac users. If you want to use the software on iPad, it will cost you $20. And if you’re a Windows or Mac user, then you’ll pay $49.99.

Do I recommend Affinity Photo?

Absolutely yes. If you’re looking for a cheaper alternative to Photoshop CC with the same set of editing tools that CC offers, then look no further than Affinity Photo. It’s the cheapest and one of the most effective tools I tested that allows you to perform professional level editing, even on iPads, with a one-off price that fits your pocket too.