Affinity vs Inkscape Comparison 2026
Inkscape and Affinity both draw vector artwork for nothing, and the difference is format and platform. Inkscape saves plain SVG, so a logo drawn in it opens in a browser or a developer's build pipeline years later, and it runs on Linux as well as Windows and macOS. Affinity adds a pixel editor and a page layout tool in the same window but only installs on macOS and Windows. The question is whether the output needs to be portable SVG or needs to sit next to photo editing and layout in one place.
Photo, vector and layout, free for individuals
Free vector drawing that writes plain SVG
Why people weigh these two
- Inkscape instead of Affinity
- Inkscape is a free vector editor that writes plain SVG, for someone who only needs the drawing app and not Affinity's photo and layout pair.
- Affinity instead of Inkscape
- Affinity covers vector work alongside photo and layout and is free for individuals, the closest commercial-grade swap for Inkscape that still avoids a subscription.
At a glance
- Both have a genuinely free tier.
Side by side
Affinity | Inkscape | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | Free |
| Pricing model | Free | Free |
| Free tier | Yes | Yes |
| Billing | One-time purchase | Not stated |
| Free trial | None | Not stated |
| API | Not stated | Not stated |
| Data export |
Affinity
Photo, vector and layout, free for individuals
Affinity is three professional applications in one window: a pixel editor, a vector editor and a page layout tool, with no round trip between them. Canva bought it and made it free, which is the largest thing to happen to paid creative software in years. Files from the Adobe applications open with their layers intact.
Our note
This is the most significant thing to happen to paid creative software in years, and there is no catch that we can find. If you edit photos or lay out documents and have been renting the ability to do it, install this before renewing anything.
Only on this side
- Covers photo editing
Inkscape
Free vector drawing that writes plain SVG
Inkscape draws vector artwork and saves it as ordinary SVG rather than a format only it can read, which is what makes a logo drawn here openable in a browser, a build pipeline or somebody else's editor years later. It covers illustration, clip art, typography and diagramming on Linux, Windows and macOS. There is no account, no seat count and no upload step. The interface has its own habits and will feel strange to anybody arriving from a commercial editor, which is the real cost of it being free.
Which one should you pick
Choose Inkscape if the artwork is headed to a developer, a build pipeline or a repository, since SVG is its native format rather than an export option. It is free and open source under the GPL, runs on Linux where most paid vector tools do not go, and has no account or upload step at all. Somebody arriving from Illustrator should expect the shortcuts and panel layout to fight them for a week.
Choose Affinity if vector work needs to sit alongside photo editing or page layout without exporting between separate programs, and the interface cost of switching matters more than platform reach. It is free for individuals across all three studios and opens Adobe files with their structure intact, though it has no Linux build, which rules it out for anybody on that platform.
Common questions
- Which one saves a standard file format?
- Inkscape does. It saves plain SVG rather than a format only it can read, so a logo drawn in it opens in a browser, a build pipeline or another editor years later.
- Does Affinity run on Linux?
- No. Its supported platforms are macOS and Windows only. Inkscape runs on Linux, Windows and macOS, and is one of the few full vector editors that treats Linux as a first-class platform.
- Can Inkscape automate repeated tasks?
- Yes, through Python extensions, so anything repetitive can be scripted instead of clicked by hand each time. Affinity does not offer an equivalent scripting layer.
- Is either one actually free, or a limited trial?
- Both are genuinely free. Inkscape has no watermark, no export ceiling and nothing gated; Affinity is free for individuals with every tool across all three studios available, the only gated part being Canva's AI tools, which need a separate Canva premium plan.
Ratings are the average of reviews readers left. The facts are stated by each tool’s own listing and are not verified by CloutStack. How we make money.