Capture One vs Affinity Photo

Capture One9.0Visit Affinity Photo7.7Visit

Higher score Capture One #3 in Photo Editing Software 9.0/10 7-day trial Free trial✓ 6 of 6 features Visit Capture One

vs

Affinity Photo #22 in Photo Editing Software 7.7/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 5 of 6 features Visit Affinity Photo

• Capture One fits best

  Professional RAW and tethered workflows

• Affinity Photo fits best

  Free desktop editing with deep controls

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Side by side

Feature	Capture One 9.0/10 Visit ↗	Affinity Photo 7.7/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.0	7.7
Ranking	#3 in Photo Editing Software	#22 in Photo Editing Software
Best for	Professional RAW and tethered workflows	Free desktop editing with deep controls
Pricing model	Paid	Free
Starting price	—	Free plan
Free plan	—	✓ (best)
Free trial	7 days	—
Features Capture One 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	Deep RAW conversion, layers, masks, and AI retouching Tethered capture with camera control for supported cameras Catalogs, Sessions, batch editing, and cloud synchronization	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	No free plan Desktop Pro and Studio pricing is not shown here Mobile editing is available on iPhone and iPad	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	Capture One is photo editing software for professional photographers, studios, and image creators who need RAW processing, tethered capture, organized photo libraries, and non-destructive editing. Its desktop software runs on macOS and… 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 →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Capture One — where it wins

  • Deep RAW conversion, layers, masks, and AI retouching
  • Tethered capture with camera control for supported cameras
  • Catalogs, Sessions, batch editing, and cloud synchronization

  Where it doesn't

  • No free plan
  • Desktop Pro and Studio pricing is not shown here
  • Mobile editing is available on iPhone and iPad

• 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

• Capture One9.0/10 · 7-day trial

  A deep choice for professional RAW and tethered workflows, without a free plan.

  Visit Capture OneFull verdict →
• Affinity Photo7.7/10 · Free plan

  A free desktop editor with deep controls for RAW, layers, masking, retouching, and batch work.

  Visit Affinity PhotoFull verdict →