Adobe’s suite of Creative Cloud applications has been the gold standard for creatives for decades. It’s easy to see why — these apps perform a lot of invaluable functions, and now they’re supported by artificial intelligence with Firefly. However, the Creative Cloud portfolio is only available through a subscription model that is considered to be user-hostile by some. For example, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission brought official charges against Adobe for anti-consumer practices, which the Department of Justice used to file a court complaint. In other words, there are real reasons you might want to consider a move away from Adobe services.
There are plenty of alternatives to Adobe apps, and some are better than others. But for most people, the Affinity suite will be the best one. It’s affordable, cross-platform, compatible, and versatile. Best of all, a one-time license fee nets you lifetime access to the Affinity apps you need. Let’s break down why Affinity apps are the strongest competitor to Creative Cloud today.
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5 Affinity apps cover the basics
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The Affinity suite includes Affinity Photo, Affinity Designer, and Affinity Publisher. Photo is Affinity’s version of Photoshop, while Designer matches up with Illustrator and Publisher stacks up against InDesign. Generally, the Adobe version of these apps will beat their Affinity counterparts in terms of raw, advanced features — especially when AI features are considered. For example, Photoshop has support for tools like Generative Fill and workflows like animation and 3D. However, it’s fair to say that Designer and Publisher are much more competitive with the comparable Adobe apps.
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Affinity apps cover the basics, and more accurately, match 90% of the feature set offered by the competing Adobe apps. If your workflow happens to fall into the 10% not covered by Photo, Designer, or Publisher, you may be out of luck. But most users don’t fully take advantage of Creative Cloud services, and Affinity is excellent for that audience. You get everything you use in Creative Cloud while paying a much lower, one-time fee.
4 Compatibility with Adobe formats
Yes, your Photoshop files will work with Affinity Photo just fine
One great thing about Affinity apps is that they’ll work with Adobe files and formats. Using Photoshop and Photo as an example, Adobe’s PSD format can be imported into Affinity Photo. Similarly, you can export Affinity Photo projects as a PSD to share with others or to use with Photoshop in the future. Essentially, making the switch to Affinity won’t require you to lose all your past projects or forego future compatibility.
You can also use Affinity Photo with Adobe Lightroom, which is available separately from the rest of the Creative Cloud suite. It’s not as user-friendly of an experience as using Photoshop and Lightroom together, but the fact that using Photo and Lightroom together is possible will facilitate some workflows and needs.
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3 It’s faster than Adobe
By all accounts, Affinity apps are more reliable and quicker than Creative Cloud apps
Affinity’s somewhat limited feature set, on average, results in better performance. The Photo, Designer, and Publisher apps are very lightweight, and they can make your workflow quicker. Things like raster editing and exporting may feel speedier on an Affinity app than an Adobe app. Some users report fewer app failures and crashes while using Affinity services compared to Adobe, although that’s an anecdotal thing to consider. The appeal of Affinity is simple: if you’re not using all the advanced Creative Cloud features, you can save money and time by switching.
2 Excellent cross-platform support
You can use Affinity apps on macOS, iPadOS, and Windows easily
One of the best parts about using Creative Cloud is how it works across platforms and devices. It’s hard to make the switch from Adobe, in part, because cross-platform solutions are few and far between. However, the Affinity suite has excellent cross-platform support. It’ll run on the best Macs, Windows PCs, and iPads. I use a mix of devices, including Windows laptops, macOS computers, and an M4 iPad Pro. Finding one, feature-rich software suite that works on all those platforms for a one-time purchase fee is quite difficult.
For example, I love Pixelmator Pro, and Final Cut Pro is great too. Unfortunately, those apps are only available on macOS and/or iPadOS. Affinity got me to switch by offering not only compatibility with Adobe files, but also compatibility with a variety of devices.
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1 It’s a cheap, one-time license
You can buy an all-inclusive license for $83 in a limited-time sale
Source: Serif
Nobody likes subscriptions, and that’s why Affinity is an excellent option. It’s available as a one-time purchase that grants you a lifetime license to the service you’re buying. I also appreciate that Affinity doesn’t make you buy the entire software suite if you don’t need it. You can buy Photo, Designer, or Publisher individually for one platform. Or, you can bundle the entire suite into a universal license that lets you use the apps on any platform. You’ll buy it once, and continue to get software updates over time. It’s an excellent change-of-pace from Adobe’s subscription model, and Affinity apps are 50% off for a limited time, so now’s a great time to try it out.
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Why you might want to pay for Adobe apps
Make no mistake, there are some workflows that will require Adobe apps. Select advanced features you’ll find in apps like Photoshop or InDesign might not be available on their Affinity counterparts. Plus, some apps such as After Effects have no competitive alternative. It’s easy to forget that the Creative Cloud suite includes more than 20 apps, and some of them are certainly easier to replace than others.
However, there are likely a number of Creative Cloud users that barely scratch the surface of what Adobe apps can offer. There’s no reason to pay for a perpetual subscription to Creative Cloud if you can get by with a one-time purchase of Affinity apps. It’s at least worth a look before you renew your costly subscription to Adobe apps.