Try or ByeTry or Bye

Affinity PhotovsGIMP

App
vs
App

Score Comparison

68
Overall
52
95
Pricing
100
70
Usability
40
60
Performance
60
65
Support
45
65
Reliability
60
65
Onboarding
30
70
Mobile
0
70
Security
90
60
Integrations
45
Affinity PhotoGIMP

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)

GIMP

  • Extremely steep learning curve(9/10)
  • Outdated and confusing user interface(8/10)
  • Non-destructive editing not supported(8/10)
  • No AI or content-aware features(7/10)
  • Keyboard shortcuts differ from industry standards(6/10)
  • Missing layer effects and styles(6/10)
  • Selection and resize tools are painful(5/10)
Performance

Affinity Photo

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

GIMP

  • Slow startup and bloated installer(5/10)
Integrations

Affinity Photo

  • Limited plugin ecosystem(7/10)

GIMP

  • No native CMYK color mode support(8/10)
  • No native RAW file support(6/10)
  • Limited third-party plugin ecosystem(5/10)
  • No native HEIC file support(4/10)
Reliability

Affinity Photo

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

GIMP

  • GIMP 3.0 early release bugs and crashes(7/10)
Mobile

Affinity Photo

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

GIMP

No signals

Security

Affinity Photo

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

GIMP

No signals

Support

Affinity Photo

No signals

GIMP

  • No official customer support(5/10)

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Limits: Must have Canva account, no AI-powered tools in free tier, V1/V2 licenses no longer updated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

GIMP

Free
Popular
Free

Users: Unlimited

Storage: Local storage only

Limits: No official support, community-driven help only, some features require plugins

None - completely free forever

Feature Comparison

FeatureAffinity PhotoGIMP
Core Features
Layer-based editing

Full layer support

RAW development

Non-destructive, but slow

Non-destructive editing

Very limited

HDR merge

Built-in HDR tools

Layer effects/styles

Must create manually

Panorama stitching

Automatic stitching

Focus stacking

Multi-focus merge

Print
CMYK color mode

Plugin workarounds only

AI Features
AI Generative Fill

Requires Canva Pro

Content-Aware Fill

Traditional inpainting only

AI/Content-aware tools

Not available

Photography
RAW file support

Requires external software

Organization
Photo library/catalog

No asset management

File Formats
PSD compatibility

Good import/export

Platforms
Cross-platform

Linux, Mac, Windows

iPad version

Full-featured

Mobile version

Not available

iPhone/Android app

Not available

Extensibility
Plugin support

Limited compared to PS

Licensing
Open source

GPL license

Workflow
Batch processing

Scripting required