Affinity Photo: The Free Photoshop Alternative That Actually Delivers
The biggest news in photo editing software in 2026 is not from Adobe. It is from Canva. After acquiring Serif, Canva made the entire Affinity suite, including Affinity Photo, completely free. The application that was already the best one-time-purchase Photoshop alternative at $69.99 now costs nothing. If you are paying $22.99/month for Photoshop and your workflow does not depend on Generative Fill or the Adobe ecosystem, you need to read this before your next billing cycle.
But free does not mean perfect. Affinity Photo lacks Photoshop's AI depth, has a smaller plugin ecosystem, and its PSD compatibility is not flawless. The Canva acquisition also means you need a Canva account, and the most exciting AI features are locked behind a Canva Pro subscription. Let me break down where Affinity Photo excels, where it falls short, and whether the free price tag is enough to make you switch.
The Two Versions (Same as Designer)
Affinity by Canva (Free, Actively Developed)
The new Affinity by Canva bundles Photo, Designer, and Publisher into one free application. You download it from the Affinity website and sign in with a Canva account. Every photo editing tool is available with no restrictions. Free updates are promised.
With Canva Pro ($15/month), you unlock the Canva AI Studio: Colorize (for black and white photos), Generative Fill, Generative Expand, Generate Image, Remove Background, Portrait Blur and lighting controls, Super Resolve (AI upscaling), and more. These are optional additions. The core photo editing tools are free.
Affinity Photo V2 ($69.99, Frozen)
V2 perpetual licenses remain valid. Serif will keep activation servers online. But V2 will not receive future updates. If you already own V2, it keeps working indefinitely. There is no reason for new users to buy V2 instead of using the free Canva version.
Machine Learning Features (New in V2 2.6)
Version 2.6, released in April 2025, brought Affinity Photo's first Machine Learning features, which carry forward into the Canva era:
- Select Subject: An ML model analyses your image and automatically selects what it considers the main subject. It works well for portraits and products with clear subject separation. Not as precise as Photoshop's Select Subject, but close enough for most workflows.
- Object Selection: Describe or click an object and the ML tool selects it. Speeds up compositing work considerably.
These ML features run locally on your device. No data leaves your machine. The models are pre-trained and do not use your images for further training. On Mac, these features require Apple silicon.
Photo Editing Capabilities
The Develop persona handles RAW processing with support for files from Canon, Nikon, Sony, Fujifilm, and other major manufacturers. The SerifLabs RAW engine has been updated through 2025 and 2026 with additional format support and lens corrections. Results are high quality with good detail retention and accurate color rendering.
The Photo persona is the main editing environment, offering non-destructive layer-based editing that will be immediately familiar to Photoshop users. Adjustment layers, live filters, blend modes, masks, and selections all work as expected. Performance on modern hardware is fast and responsive.
Focus merge, HDR merge, and panorama stitching are built in. The focus merge is particularly useful for macro and product photographers who need to combine multiple images with different focus points into a single sharp image. These are features that Photoshop also has, but having them in a free application is remarkable value.
Digital Painting Tools
Affinity Photo includes a comprehensive set of digital painting tools: a wide range of brush types with customisable dynamics, a mixer brush that blends colors on the canvas, and full selection and masking tools for complex compositional work.
The Pixel persona provides the primary painting environment. Brush performance is good with low latency on capable hardware. The brush engine supports pressure sensitivity, tilt, and rotation from compatible styluses including Apple Pencil on iPad.
For digital painters who also work with photographs, the combination of photo editing and painting tools in a single application is genuinely useful. The ability to work with photographic reference, composite elements from multiple sources, and paint directly on top of or alongside photographic material is something that dedicated painting apps like Clip Studio Paint do not offer.
That said, if painting is your primary activity, Corel Painter offers far more realistic natural media, and Adobe Fresco has the Live Brushes for watercolour. Affinity Photo is a photo editor that can also paint, not a dedicated painting application.
The iPad Version
The iPad version of Affinity Photo (V2) is one of the most capable photo editing apps on the platform. At the previous price of $18.49 it was excellent value. Under the Canva era, the iPad version is listed as "in development" for the new unified app, but the V2 iPad version remains available and functional for existing license holders.
The iPad version supports Apple Pencil with full pressure and tilt sensitivity. The interface is adapted for touch while maintaining access to the full desktop feature set. File compatibility between iPad and desktop is seamless.
PSD Compatibility
Affinity Photo reads and writes Photoshop files with good fidelity. Layers, adjustment layers, blend modes, masks, and most Photoshop features are preserved. Files saved from Affinity Photo in PSD format open correctly in Photoshop.
The compatibility is not perfect. Smart objects, certain adjustment types, and some blend modes may not translate exactly. For most professional work, the PSD compatibility is sufficient. For complex composites with heavy smart object usage, you may encounter issues in collaborative workflows with Photoshop users.
Affinity Photo vs. Adobe Photoshop
| Feature | Affinity Photo | Adobe Photoshop |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | $22.99/mo ($275.88/year) |
| Generative Fill (AI) | Yes (Canva Pro, $15/mo) | Yes (included, credit-capped) |
| Multi-model AI | No | Yes (Firefly, Gemini, FLUX) |
| ML Select Subject | Yes | Yes (more refined) |
| RAW processing | Yes (SerifLabs) | Yes (Camera Raw + AI Denoise) |
| HDR/Panorama/Focus merge | Yes (built in) | Yes (built in) |
| Layer system depth | Very good | Best in class |
| Plugin ecosystem | Small | Massive |
| Industry standard | Growing | Yes |
Affinity Photo wins on price (free) and having capable editing tools without a subscription. Photoshop wins on AI depth, layer system complexity, plugin ecosystem, and industry standard status.
Insider Tips
- Download location: The new free Affinity by Canva is only available from the Affinity website, not the Mac App Store or Microsoft Store.
- Canva AI on Mac: AI features require Apple silicon. Intel Mac users cannot use Canva AI tools within Affinity.
- RAW lens database: The lens correction database is updated regularly. If you shoot with older or unusual lenses, check the supported list before relying on automatic corrections.
- Color picker improvement: In V2 2.6, the color picker now auto-applies picked colors to the selected object, eliminating an extra click. Small but speeds up editing.
- No content-aware crop fill: Unlike Photoshop, Affinity Photo does not have a content-aware crop-fill feature. If you need to expand canvas edges intelligently, you will need the Canva AI Generative Expand (paid) or Photoshop.
Who Should Use Affinity Photo (and Who Should Not)
Photographers who need professional RAW processing, layer-based editing, and compositing without paying $22.99/month forever. The free price makes it a no-brainer.
Digital artists who combine photo editing with painting and want one application that handles both.
Freelancers and small studios that need professional photo editing tools without subscription overhead.
Photoshop refugees who are tired of the subscription model and want a capable alternative.
Who should look elsewhere: Heavy AI generation users should stick with Photoshop, whose multi-model Generative Fill is unmatched. Studio environments where Photoshop file compatibility and plugin requirements are non-negotiable. Users who need the largest tutorial ecosystem will find Photoshop's learning resources far more extensive.
Final Verdict: Who Is This Actually For?
Affinity Photo in 2026 is the best free photo editor available, period. The ML selection tools, RAW processing, HDR merge, panorama stitching, and non-destructive editing give you professional capabilities without a subscription. The Canva AI features (paid) add generative capabilities for those who need them. The main drawbacks are the smaller plugin ecosystem, imperfect PSD compatibility with complex files, and the Canva account requirement.
If you are a photographer or digital artist who does not need Photoshop's multi-model AI or deep plugin ecosystem, switch to Affinity Photo today. You will save $275 per year and lose very little capability.
Download Affinity Photo for free from the Affinity website. Also compare with Adobe Photoshop for AI-heavy workflows, Affinity Designer for vector work, and Corel Painter for natural media painting.
