Affinity PhotovsPixelmator Pro

App

Score Comparison

Overall

Pricing

Usability

Performance

Support

Reliability

Onboarding

Mobile

Security

Integrations

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Limits: Must have Canva account, no AI-powered tools in free tier, V1/V2 licenses no longer updated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

Feature	Affinity Photo	Pixelmator 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

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

Feature	Affinity Photo	Pixelmator 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