Affinity Photo Review 2026: The Best Photoshop Alternative, Now Free

Rating: 8.5/10 — Professional image editing that matches Photoshop for most workflows, at a one-time price that makes the subscription model feel unnecessary.

What Affinity Photo actually is

Affinity Photo is a professional raster image editor made by Serif. It competes directly with Photoshop and covers the same territory: photo retouching, compositing, digital painting, RAW processing, HDR merge, panorama stitching, and batch editing. It runs natively on Mac, Windows, and iPad.

Version 1 is now completely free. Version 2, released in 2022 and actively updated since, costs $69.99 as a one-time purchase. No subscription, no annual renewal, no feature gates behind higher tiers. You pay once and own it.

The image editing experience

Affinity Photo does not feel like a budget alternative. The editing experience is genuinely professional. Layers, masks, adjustment layers, blend modes, curves, levels, channel editing, frequency separation, focus stacking. The feature list reads like Photoshop's, and the implementation is solid across the board.

The Develop Persona handles RAW processing with a non-destructive workflow. Import a RAW file, adjust exposure, white balance, shadows, highlights, and tone curve, then switch to the Photo Persona for detailed retouching. The pipeline is smooth and the RAW engine produces clean results.

Selection tools are well-implemented. The Selection Brush tool works similarly to Photoshop's selection tools for isolating subjects, and edge refinement handles hair and complex edges competently. Not quite as refined as Photoshop's latest AI-powered selections, but close enough for professional work.

The Liquify Persona provides mesh-based warping, push, pinch, and turbulence tools. For portrait retouching, product photography, and creative distortion, it covers the standard needs.

PSD compatibility

Affinity Photo opens PSD files and preserves most layer structures, adjustment layers, and effects. You can work on files from Photoshop users and save back to PSD. The compatibility is not perfect for every edge case (some complex smart object setups or layer effects may render differently), but for standard layered files it works reliably.

This matters for teams transitioning from Photoshop. You do not need to convert your entire asset library. Existing PSD files continue to work.

Pricing

Version 1: free. Version 2: $69.99 one-time for Mac, Windows, or iPad individually, or $69.99 for the Universal License covering all platforms. The Universal License is the obvious choice.

Compare this to Photoshop: $9.99/month (Photography Plan) or $22.99/month (single app). Affinity Photo v2 costs less than four months of Photoshop's cheapest plan. After that, every month is savings.

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Who should use Affinity Photo

Any designer or photographer who needs professional image editing and wants to stop paying a monthly subscription. Freelancers saving on tool costs. Students who need professional software without the price tag. Teams that edit photos, create marketing visuals, or prepare image assets for UI projects.

Who should not use Affinity Photo

Designers who depend on Photoshop's AI features, particularly Generative Fill. If you use Generative Fill daily for content creation, compositing, or ideation, Affinity Photo has no equivalent. Also not the right choice if your workflow depends on specific Photoshop plugins that do not have Affinity-compatible alternatives.

The bottom line

Affinity Photo is the best value in professional image editing. The v1 free release removed the last financial barrier, and v2 at $69.99 one-time delivers capabilities that compete with a $275/year Photoshop subscription. The 8.5 rating reflects a tool that genuinely delivers on its promise: professional image editing without the subscription tax.