Affinity vs GIMP
Affinity scores 6.9 to GIMP's 5.9 among the image editors we rate, and is the better pick for 1 of the 4 kinds of buyer below.
Affinity wins, 6.9 to 5.9
Affinity is a free app, though its AI tools sit behind a paid Canva plan; GIMP is free too, open source, with no company behind it at all. GIMP opens and saves layered PSD files; Affinity opens them the same way but exports only a flattened version. Affinity works in a full CMYK colour space for print, while GIMP's CMYK editing is still in progress, showing only ink coverage. Both support pressure sensitive tablets, and GIMP's code is published under the GPL licence.
Pick Affinity if you want CMYK support ready now instead of in progress.
Pick GIMP if you want open source software you can extend with plug-ins.
Best for
Who each one suits, decided on the criteria that matter to that buyer and the checked facts where the two differ.
- Generative fill and expand: Affinity yes, GIMP no
- Generates images from a prompt: Affinity yes, GIMP no
- Selects a subject or sky by itself: Affinity yes, GIMP no
- But GIMP leads on opens and saves layered Photoshop files: GIMP yes, Affinity no
- Third-party plugins: GIMP yes, Affinity no
- File formats it exports: 6 export formats against 4 export formats
- But Affinity leads on apps it connects to: 4 integrations against 0 integrations
- Commercial use allowed: GIMP yes, Affinity does not say
- Source published under an open licence: GIMP yes, Affinity no
How they score
Both are scored the same way, against the other image editors we rate, from facts on each vendor's own pages. GIMP leads on 3 of 4 criteria.
Where they differ
Every point where the two vendors' published facts disagree, with a link to where each fact was read. "Not published" means the vendor does not say either way.
Published by only one of them
Where they match (4)
Pricing, plan by plan
Every plan each vendor publishes, monthly and yearly where both are offered.
Affinity
GIMP
Pros and cons
From each tool's full review, written from the same checked facts.
Affinity
- The whole app, its Vector, Pixel and Layout studios together, is free to use with no restrictions or payment needed.
- Exports from the free app carry no watermark.
- Editing is non-destructive across layers, filters and adjustments, and RAW files get full editing with tone mapping and lens correction.
- It includes batch processing with recordable macros and print-ready CMYK output with spot colours, preflight and bleed support, all in the free app.
- Every AI feature, including generative fill, background removal, upscaling and image and vector generation, requires a separate paid Canva plan and does not work on the free app alone.
- Canva trains its AI models on your account content and activity by default, and you have to turn this off yourself in your Canva privacy settings.
GIMP
- Free forever, with no paid tier, subscription or account required.
- Open source under the GNU General Public License, with commercial use explicitly allowed.
- Imports and exports PSD files with layers intact.
- Batch processing from the command line, driven by Script-Fu scripting.
- Full CMYK editing is not shipped; the project describes it only as a roadmap item.
- No AI-based editing tools: no generative fill, AI upscaling, or automatic background removal.
- Runs only as installed desktop software, with no web or mobile version.
Affinity vs GIMP: common questions
Which is better, Affinity or GIMP?
Affinity scores 6.9 and GIMP 5.9 out of 10 among the image editors we rate. Affinity is ahead on what it adds beyond the basics. GIMP is ahead on workflow and output, pricing and privacy and trust.
Is Affinity or GIMP cheaper?
Affinity's cheapest paid plan is Free (AI features need a paid Canva plan) and GIMP's is Free. Compare what each plan includes below before going on price alone.
What can Affinity do that GIMP cannot?
On the facts both vendors publish: generative fill and expand, generates images from a prompt, selects a subject or sky by itself, aI image editing (erase, relight), one-action background removal, aI upscaling and works in CMYK for print.
What can GIMP do that Affinity cannot?
On the facts both vendors publish: opens and saves layered Photoshop files, third-party plugins and source published under an open licence.
