Affinity compared: free image editing from Canva with pixel, vector and layout tools

For image editing you use the Pixel studio in Affinity. According to the vendor it includes a healing brush, inpainting and a clone brush, plus liquify, mesh warp and lens correction filters. Advanced techniques such as frequency separation for skin retouching are also supported.

The non-destructive workflow is central. You add adjustment layers, live filters and effects as separate layers without changing the original. Channel, luminosity and depth masks as well as clipping masks and layer groups help you with compositing. You do not need smart objects as in Photoshop, because filters in Affinity exist as editable layers.

For cut-outs there are selection tools with edge refinement for hair and complex subjects. Automatic subject selection and background removal, however, belong to the AI tools of the Canva AI Studio and require a Canva premium plan.

Of interest to photographers:

• RAW development with lens profiles and noise reduction in a dedicated Develop studio
• RAW layers that keep the original data embedded or linked in the document
• HDR tone mapping, panorama, focus stacking and astrophotography stacking
• Batch processing and macros for entire series of images

Affinity saves in its own .af format. According to the vendor, the new app opens all files from Affinity V1 and V2, including Affinity Photo 2. The older versions, however, cannot open files from the new Affinity.

You open PSD files from Photoshop with layers, groups and adjustment layers. Smart objects are rasterised on import by default; a setting lets you bring them in as editable objects where possible. The same applies to text: it only stays editable if you enable the matching import option. Some advanced Photoshop features may be simplified or rasterised. Large PSB files are supported as well.

For the way back you export to PSD again via File > Export, for example for clients or a DAM system. Importing is a one-way process: Affinity saves the file as its own document and does not overwrite the original PSD. The vendor does not describe how completely layers, effects and smart objects are preserved in the PSD export. If you work with Photoshop users regularly, check this beforehand with a typical client file.

For print you set up documents in the CMYK/8 colour format, assign ICC profiles and simulate the output on screen with a soft proof adjustment layer. You can export JPEG, PNG, TIFF, WebP and press-ready PDFs, among others. According to the help, you set the colour format in the document settings: RGB or greyscale at 8 or 16 bits, CMYK at 8 bits or Lab at 16 bits. For HDR images and 3D renders you can also edit in 32-bit floating point, including import and export of OpenEXR and Radiance.

The AI tools live in the Canva AI Studio, which you use directly inside Affinity. According to the vendor they include generative fill and expand, select subject, remove background, Super Resolution for upscaling, portrait blur, portrait lighting, colourise and depth selection, as well as generating images and vectors from text prompts.

These tools are not part of the free offer. You need a Canva premium plan such as Canva Pro, Business, Enterprise or Education; with Education accounts only administrators and teachers currently have access. According to the help, there are three groups:

• Server-side generative tools such as generative fill, expand and edit or image generation need an internet connection and count towards the monthly AI allowance of your Canva plan, which Canva and Affinity share.
• Remove background and select subject also need an internet connection but do not count towards the monthly allowance.
• Tools with downloaded models such as Super Resolution, colourise, portrait blur or ML noise reduction run on your device. You download the model in the settings; with a premium plan you can use these tools without a limit.

Canva uses technology from third parties for some of its AI products and may share your input with these partners for that purpose.

Canva is clear about privacy: content you work on locally in Affinity is not used to train AI features, even when you use Canva's AI tools on it. Affinity stores your files locally on your device. Only when you upload or export content to Canva do your Canva account settings apply; there you decide yourself whether it may be used to improve the AI.

Affinity runs on 64-bit Windows 10 and 11 and on macOS from version 10.15, natively on Apple silicon and Intel Macs. According to the vendor the Mac and Windows versions are the same app. An iPad version has been announced, but there is no date yet. On the go you can keep using the Affinity V2 iPad apps, the vendor says; they cannot open files from the new Affinity, though.

To download and activate the app you need a verified Canva account and a one-time internet connection. After that, according to the FAQ, the program also runs offline for extended periods. The terms, however, reserve an online entitlement check. You may install Affinity on any number of devices that you use or control. According to the vendor Affinity is free for individuals; companies that need central sign-in via SSO get it through Canva Enterprise.

The interface is available in German, English, French, Italian and Spanish, among other languages. New versions and features are free according to the vendor, and it has released several larger updates since the relaunch. The terms, however, rule out any contractual obligation to provide updates. If you still own Affinity Photo 2 as a perpetual licence, you can keep using it, but it no longer receives updates. You add Photoshop-compatible plugins via the settings, where you define the search folders.

In our view Affinity is suited above all to photographers and designers who work professionally but do not want to take out a subscription. The non-destructive layers, RAW development and retouching tools cover typical tasks from portrait retouching to compositing.

For designers and small agencies, combining pixel, vector and layout tools in one file is a plus. Print files in CMYK are possible. If you regularly send PSD files back and forth with Photoshop users, though, you should plan for the limits of PSD exchange, such as rasterised smart objects and a PSD export whose scope the vendor does not describe.

Beginners get an extensive program with a German interface that is aimed more at advanced users. Automatic helpers such as select subject or remove background require a Canva premium plan. For quick social media graphics with templates, Canva itself is often the more direct route in our view; Affinity is designed to hand designs over to Canva.