Affinity review

Affinity is the new single app that replaced Affinity Photo, Designer and Publisher after Canva took over the brand, and it costs $0. For photographers, the Pixel side of the app is the part that matters: full RAW editing with tone mapping and lens correction, an inpainting brush, healing, dodge and burn, live filters, HDR merge, panorama stitching and batch processing with recordable macros. It also opens PSD files with layers intact, so you can pick up old Photoshop work. You need a Canva account to download it, and the AI tools, such as Generative Fill, Expand and Remove Background, require a Canva premium plan. The catch for hobbyists is the learning curve. Affinity works like Photoshop, with layers and masks, rather than the slider-and-preset style of Lightroom or Darkroom, and there is no phone app. If you want serious desktop retouching and composites without a subscription, it is the clear choice.

Who it is for

Hobbyists who want layer-based, Photoshop-style editing on a computer or iPad for free.

Price

Free on Mac, Windows and iPad with a Canva account; Canva AI tools inside the app need a Canva premium plan.

The all-in-one creative app, with everything you need to craft designs, edit images, and lay it all out, without ever leaving your document or paying a thing.
Quoted from the vendor pricing page on November 8, 2026.

Key features

• Full RAW editing, tone mapping and lens correction
• Inpainting brush, healing tools, dodge and burn
• HDR merge, panorama stitching and batch processing with macros
• Non-destructive layers, filters and adjustments
• Imports PSD, AI, PDF, SVG and IDML files

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: Pro-level photo tools at no cost
• Strength: Runs on Mac, Windows and iPad
• Strength: Opens Photoshop PSD files with layers preserved
• Weakness: Layer-based editing has a steeper learning curve than slider apps
• Weakness: No phone app
• Weakness: AI tools such as Generative Fill need a Canva premium plan

Key facts

• Price: $0, free
• Platforms: Mac, Windows, iPad
• Account: Canva account required to download
• RAW support: Full RAW editing
• AI tools: With a Canva premium plan

Where it ranks

Affinity is No. 3 in our Best Photo Editing Apps verdict.