Affinity

Design & photo

A professional design suite combining photo editing, vector and page layout in one app. Since late October 2025 Canva offers it free with a Canva account.

FreeSome learning curve

Free alternative to

Code activity

Source code is not public.

Details

Type: Free
Platforms: Windows · Mac
Ease of use: Some learning curve

Get Affinity ↗

Pros

Adobe-level quality for photo, vector and layout in a single app
Opens .psd, .ai (PDF-compatible) and InDesign .idml files
Full CMYK and print-ready export

Cons

Requires signing in with a Canva account
AI features need a paid Canva plan
No Linux version yet

Use Affinity instead of

PhotoshopProfessional-grade editing that opens .psd files and supports CMYK for print; it needs a Canva account.
IllustratorProfessional vector drawing that opens PDF-compatible .ai files and handles print-ready CMYK.
LightroomIncludes a RAW development workspace (Develop) in the free app.
CorelDRAWProfessional CMYK print design; it can't open .cdr, so export to PDF or SVG from Corel first.
InDesignLayout on par with InDesign, imports .idml files and exports print-ready PDF.
CanvaFrom the same company as Canva, offering free professional design on desktop.
FigmaHigh-quality icons and illustrations for your interfaces.