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  1. Home
  2. Compare
  3. Affinity Photo vs Pixelmator Pro

Affinity PhotovsPixelmator Pro

App
vs
App
ScoresSignalsPricingFeatures

Score Comparison

68
Overall
72
95
Pricing
90
70
Usability
75
60
Performance
88
65
Support
72
65
Reliability
70
65
Onboarding
78
70
Mobile
55
70
Security
85
60
Integrations
50
Affinity PhotoPixelmator Pro

Signals Comparison

Usability

Affinity Photo

  • No generative AI or content-aware fill(8/10)
  • No photo library or asset management(7/10)
  • Confusing mask layering system(6/10)
  • No Smart Objects like Photoshop(6/10)
  • No Save for Web feature(5/10)
  • Keyboard shortcuts differ from Photoshop(5/10)
  • UI text too small on high-DPI displays(5/10)
  • No video or animation timeline(4/10)

Pixelmator Pro

  • Text cannot retain editability after transforms(7/10)
  • Brush tapering issue with pressure sensitivity(7/10)
  • Feather tool requires mask workaround(5/10)
  • No native highlighted text feature(5/10)
  • Subject selection not always precise(4/10)
  • Missing panorama stitching(5/10)
Performance

Affinity Photo

  • Slow RAW file processing(8/10)
  • Limited AI noise reduction capabilities(5/10)

Pixelmator Pro

No signals

Integrations

Affinity Photo

  • Limited plugin ecosystem(7/10)

Pixelmator Pro

  • Cannot edit or import vector files (EPS/AI)(7/10)
  • Very limited plugin ecosystem(6/10)
Reliability

Affinity Photo

  • Crashes during RAW import and export(8/10)

Pixelmator Pro

  • Warp reverts rotated objects(5/10)
Mobile

Affinity Photo

  • No iPhone or Android mobile app(5/10)

Pixelmator Pro

  • iPad version has buggy UI and save issues(8/10)
Security

Affinity Photo

  • Forum shutdown and Discord migration concerns(4/10)

Pixelmator Pro

No signals

Pricing

Affinity Photo

No signals

Pixelmator Pro

  • Apple Creator Studio subscription concerns(6/10)
Onboarding

Affinity Photo

No signals

Pixelmator Pro

  • Some features hard to find or use(4/10)

Pricing Comparison

Affinity Photo

Free (Current)
Popular
Free

Users: Unlimited

Storage: Local storage only

Limits: Must have Canva account, no AI-powered tools in free tier, V1/V2 licenses no longer updated

Canva AI features (Generative Fill, AI expansion) require Canva Pro at $120/year
Canva Pro (for AI features)
$120/yr

Users: 1 user

Storage: 1TB Canva cloud storage

Limits: AI features require Canva ecosystem integration

Monthly billing is $15/month ($180/year), additional team seats cost extra
Legacy V2 (No longer sold)
$69.99/mo

Users: 1 user per platform

Storage: Local storage only

Limits: No longer sold, existing licenses work but won't receive V3 features

Each platform (Mac, Windows, iPad) required separate purchase, V2 Universal was $169.99

Pixelmator Pro

One-Time Purchase
Popular
$49.99/mo

Users: Up to 6 Macs (same Apple ID/Family Sharing)

Storage: Local storage only

Limits: Mac-only (macOS 13.0+), iPad version sold separately or via Apple Creator Studio

None - all features included
Apple Creator Studio
$29.99/mo

Users: 1 user

Storage: iCloud integration

Limits: Subscription model - stops working if cancelled

Annual commitment may be required for discounts
iPad Version
Free

Users: Unlimited

Storage: Device storage + iCloud

Limits: iPad only, some stability issues reported

May require Apple Creator Studio subscription for full features

Feature Comparison

FeatureAffinity PhotoPixelmator Pro
Core Features
Layer-based editing

Full layer support

RAW editing

Non-destructive

RAW development

Non-destructive, but slow

HDR merge

Built-in HDR tools

Panorama stitching

Automatic stitching

Focus stacking

Multi-focus merge

AI Features
ML-powered enhancements

ML Enhance, Denoise, Super Resolution

AI Generative Fill

Requires Canva Pro

Content-Aware Fill

Traditional inpainting only

File Formats
Vector file editing

Cannot edit EPS/AI

PSD compatibility

Good import/export

Organization
Photo library/catalog

No asset management

Platforms
Windows version

Mac-only

iPad version

Full-featured

iPhone/Android app

Not available

Extensibility
Plugin support

Limited compared to PS

Performance
Apple Silicon optimization

Excellent M-chip support