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Head-to-head · Photo Editing Software

Adobe Photoshop vs Affinity Photo

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 7 checks side by side
Higher score Adobe Photoshop #1 in Photo Editing Software 9.4/10 7-day trial Free trial✓ 6 of 6 features Try Adobe Photoshop
Affinity Photo #22 in Photo Editing Software 7.7/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 5 of 6 features Visit Affinity Photo

Adobe Photoshop leads on 0 checks, Affinity Photo on 1, and 6 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 7 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreAdobe Photoshop · 9.4/10
  • Free planonly Affinity Photo
  • Free trialonly Adobe Photoshop
  • Most featuresAdobe Photoshop · 6 of 6

Adobe Photoshop scores higher on our rubric for photo editing software: 9.4 against 7.7 out of 10; our editors rank them #1 and #22.

Affinity Photo offers free plan; Adobe Photoshop doesn't. On platform, Adobe Photoshop gives you Multi-platform where Affinity Photo offers Desktop.

Adobe Photoshop is the better fit for professional compositing and advanced editing. Affinity Photo is the better fit for free desktop editing with deep controls.

  • Adobe Photoshop fits best

    Professional compositing and advanced editing

  • Affinity Photo fits best

    Free desktop editing with deep controls

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Side by side

Feature Adobe Photoshop 9.4/10 Visit ↗ Affinity Photo 7.7/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 9.4 7.7
Ranking #1 in Photo Editing Software #22 in Photo Editing Software
Best for Professional compositing and advanced editing Free desktop editing with deep controls
Pricing model Paid Free
Starting price — Free plan
Free plan — ✓ (best)
Free trial 7 days —
Features Adobe Photoshop 6/6 · Affinity Photo 5/6
RAW photo support ✓ ✓
Layer editing ✓ ✓
Masking tools ✓ ✓
Batch editing ✓ ✓
Cloud sync ✓ (best) Not checked yet
AI retouching ✓ ✓
Specs
Platform Multi-platform Desktop
Our review
Pros
  • Editable layers, masks, Smart Objects, and Camera Raw support
  • Batch processing, automated conversion, and cloud documents
  • Generative Fill, Generative Expand, and AI-powered Harmonize
  • Free plan includes RAW development, unlimited layers, and batch processing
  • Advanced masking, retouching, HDR Merge, and Focus Merge tools
  • Generative fill, expand, smart selections, and depth-aware masking
Cons
  • Desktop, web, and mobile versions have different feature sets
  • Web and full desktop access require a plan or trial
  • Cloud storage ranges from 100GB to 1TB by plan
  • Available for macOS and Windows; iPad support is coming soon
  • Some optional Canva AI tools require a Canva premium plan
  • The extensive toolset may be more than casual editors need
Our verdict

Adobe Photoshop is an image-editing application for creating, retouching, compositing, and transforming photos and graphics. It is aimed at professionals and advanced editors who need editable layers, masks, RAW adjustments, batch…

Read the review →

Affinity Photo is professional photo-editing software for photographers, designers, and other visual creators. It runs on macOS and Windows and combines non-destructive editing, RAW development, layered compositions, masks, retouching, HDR…

Read the review →
  1. Adobe PhotoshopPhoto Editing Software 9.47-day trial
  2. Affinity PhotoPhoto Editing Software 7.7Free plan

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Adobe Photoshop — where it wins

    • Editable layers, masks, Smart Objects, and Camera Raw support
    • Batch processing, automated conversion, and cloud documents
    • Generative Fill, Generative Expand, and AI-powered Harmonize

    Where it doesn't

    • Desktop, web, and mobile versions have different feature sets
    • Web and full desktop access require a plan or trial
    • Cloud storage ranges from 100GB to 1TB by plan
  • Affinity Photo — where it wins

    • Free plan includes RAW development, unlimited layers, and batch processing
    • Advanced masking, retouching, HDR Merge, and Focus Merge tools
    • Generative fill, expand, smart selections, and depth-aware masking

    Where it doesn't

    • Available for macOS and Windows; iPad support is coming soon
    • Some optional Canva AI tools require a Canva premium plan
    • The extensive toolset may be more than casual editors need

More comparisons

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update