Affinity Designer Reviews & Product Details

The most helpful thing is Vector + Raster flexibility, and the biggest upside is pro-level design without expensive subscriptions.

The ability to switch seamlessly between vector and raster modes (called Personas in Affinity).

We can create sharp, scalable vector outlines (perfect for logos, fashion flats, or clean illustrations).

Then instantly switch to pixel/raster mode to add texture, shading, embroidery detail, or fabric effects.

All in the same file, without needing two separate apps (like Illustrator + Photoshop).

This saves tons of time and makes it very flexible for both precision design and creative illustration. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Compared to Adobe Illustrator and other high-end graphic tools, Affinity sometimes lacks features such as:

Image tracing / auto-vectorization.

Some complex warp/distort/envelope tools, blend-tools, or vector effects/filters.

No built-in “vector eraser” in some contexts, making corrections harder.

If I had to pick the biggest downside: that would likely be “feature gaps with respect to Illustrator / industry standard vector tools” (especially when clients expect certain file types or tools). Also, performance on Windows sometimes lags behind what users expect (especially with complex files). Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

I was looking for an affordable yet professional alternative to Adobe Illustrator, and this is the best of the best! Affinity Designer has a perpetual license for an affordable price, compared to Adobe that offers an expensive subscription. In my opinion, the interface is easier to use than Adobe Illustrator, and seems to have just about everything Illustrator has (if not more). How things are done will be slightly different than Illustrator, but in my opinion it's a perk because it makes my work more efficient. I highly recommend Affinity Designer, especially if you are a professional graphic designer on a budget. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

The only con is that it cannot export in Adobe Illustrator AI files. This makes it hard to share original files with clients and coworkers who only use adobe. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

The best thing about Affinity Designer is the affordability. Other publisher apps charge an arm and a leg. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Affinity Designer is not as intuitive as I would like it to be after using other similar apps for years. Also Affinity Designer is a bit buggy and the screen takes time to refresh after a change is made. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

This software is very reliable and fast, it can edit even large files without stress (vector and raster graphics). I also appreciate the fact that it has a perpetual license instead of the annual subscription, the cost is adequate. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Nothing in particular, just some rare lags when opening large files with many embedded elements. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

It is worth mentioning positively that Affinity does not have a subscription system. YOU pay for the software and get the updates for free. I love the interface. It looks much more modern and you find the tools faster than with Adobe. There are enough tutorials for the tool. Of course, it can't be compared to Adobe, but that's difficult when Illustrator has been on the market for so many years. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

The color settings are often not intuitive. It is difficult to use the workflow that one had with Adobe in Affinity. Sometimes it is frustrating. Of course, it is different software, but some things I don't understand why they have to be different. There are three workspaces (Vector, Pixel, and Export), which are sometimes confusing. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

It's easy to use, cost effect and works. Serif are constantly updating and keeping it relevant and it supports multiple file formats both for importing and exporting Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

nothing really, it's a great product and updated reasonably regularly. It can be annoying if you buy from Serif directly (say for a beta) and then they release it o the app store and there's no way to get the App Store version without purchasing again Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Great UI and UX. Quick to get to grips with the basics. Hugely capable with top features and compatibility. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

The only drawback is the compatability with certain filetypes if converting from other software. Not really a dislike, but could really make it even greater. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

I have purchased the suite of Affinity tools, but it's Designer I use the most. I have found that it's one of the easier graphics packages to pick up and use without a massive learning curve. I use it to resize and take images to the final publishing stage for our social media. I like the way that it is easy to manipulate images. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

I learn what i need to know, as many others do. I would like to know it inside and out ideally. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Simplicity and the ecosystem between Affinity software. The handling is simple, easy, and can be used in vector illustrations. It's my alternative tool to Illustrator. The handling is not obvious at first, but by using it every day, it will become automatic. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

The handling is not easy, especially when you've been using Illustrator for 15 years; the transition is complicated. However, there is one thing that still hasn't been fixed, which is the interpretation of EPS files created in Illustrator or other software, which is disastrous for file usage. It seems like it interprets the file. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Somewhat different interface but it was easy to use and have fun Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

It took me some time to get used to some features. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.