Affinity vs Photopea
Photopea scores 7.6 to Affinity's 6.9 among the image editors we rate, and is the better pick for 3 of the 4 kinds of buyer below.
Photopea wins, 7.6 to 6.9
Photopea opens and saves layered PSD files without flattening them, while Affinity opens layered PSDs but exports only flattened versions. Affinity's AI tools, generative fill, background removal, upscaling, sit behind a paid Canva plan, while Photopea includes generative fill and background removal on its own. Photopea runs only in a browser, against Affinity's 2 platforms, and exports to 7 file formats compared with Affinity's 4. Affinity works in CMYK for print in its free app, and so does Photopea.
Pick Affinity if you need pressure sensitive tablet support while you draw.
Pick Photopea if you need full PSD export or AI tools with no Canva plan.
Best for
Who each one suits, decided on the criteria that matter to that buyer and the checked facts where the two differ.
- Generates images from a prompt: Affinity yes, Photopea no
- AI upscaling: Affinity yes, Photopea no
- Pressure sensitivity from a tablet or stylus: Affinity yes, Photopea no
- But Photopea leads on opens and saves layered Photoshop files: Photopea yes, Affinity no
- Third-party plugins: Photopea yes, Affinity no
- File formats it exports: 7 export formats against 4 export formats
- But Affinity leads on where it runs: 2 platforms against 1 platforms
- Commercial use allowed: Photopea yes, Affinity does not say
- Does not train AI on what you upload: Yes against unless you opt out
- Ways to reach support: 3 support channels against 2 support channels
- But Affinity leads on gDPR: Affinity yes, Photopea 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. Photopea 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 (6)
Pricing, plan by plan
Every plan each vendor publishes, monthly and yearly where both are offered.
Affinity
Photopea
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.
Photopea
- Full editor is free to use, with no account required.
- Files are processed on your own device and never uploaded to a server.
- Fully supports opening and saving PSD, its main format.
- Supports a CMYK colour mode with colour profiles for print work.
- Premium's price is not published on the site; it only appears inside the app.
- Runs only in the browser, with no native desktop or mobile app.
- Its brush tools do not support pressure sensitivity from a tablet or stylus.
Affinity vs Photopea: common questions
Which is better, Affinity or Photopea?
Photopea scores 7.6 and Affinity 6.9 out of 10 among the image editors we rate. Photopea is ahead on workflow and output, pricing and privacy and trust. Affinity is ahead on what it adds beyond the basics.
Is Affinity or Photopea cheaper?
Affinity's cheapest paid plan is Free (AI features need a paid Canva plan) and Photopea's is Free (Premium removes ads). Compare what each plan includes below before going on price alone.
What can Affinity do that Photopea cannot?
On the facts both vendors publish: generates images from a prompt, aI upscaling, pressure sensitivity from a tablet or stylus and gDPR.
What can Photopea do that Affinity cannot?
On the facts both vendors publish: opens and saves layered Photoshop files and third-party plugins.
