Affinity vs ON1 Photo RAW Comparison 2026
Affinity and ON1 Photo RAW are both bought once rather than rented, and both now compete with Adobe's subscriptions on that basis. Affinity is free for individuals across photo, vector and layout studios. ON1 Photo RAW is $99.99 once for a licence covering two computers, and does browsing, raw processing, retouching, layers and masks in one application. Since Affinity costs nothing, the real question is what ON1's raw processing and catalogue handling add that a free tool does not.
Photo, vector and layout, free for individuals
Raw editing and layers, bought once
At a glance
- Only Affinity has a free tier.
Side by side
Affinity | ON1 Photo RAW | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | From $99.99 |
| Pricing model (they differ) | Free | One-time purchase |
| Free tier (they differ) | Yes | No |
| Billing | One-time purchase | One-time purchase |
| Free trial | None | Not stated |
| API | Not stated |
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 design & graphics
ON1 Photo RAW
Raw editing and layers, bought once
ON1 Photo RAW covers browsing, raw processing, retouching, layers and masks in one application, which is the pitch: the two Adobe programs most photographers rent, without renting them. It runs on your own machine and keeps working when you stop paying, because there is nothing to stop paying. The catalogue handling is the part that divides people.
Why people weigh these two
- ON1 Photo RAW instead of Affinity
- ON1 Photo RAW is bought once for $99.99 rather than free, and stays a raw and layers editor rather than adding vector or layout tools.
- Affinity instead of ON1 Photo RAW
- Affinity covers photo, vector and layout work and is free for individual use, wider than ON1's photo-only focus but with a thinner raw processing engine.
Which one should you pick
Choose ON1 Photo RAW if raw processing and photo cataloguing in one dedicated application matter more than vector or layout tools, and $99.99 once for two computers is an easy trade against a subscription. A year of updates is included, and an auto-upgrade option locks in the following year's price. Catalogue handling is the part that divides people, so anybody whose workflow depends on somebody else's Lightroom catalogues should test that side first.
Choose Affinity if the budget is zero and the work spans more than raw photos, since it adds vector drawing and page layout in the same free window. It opens PSD, AI and IDML files with their layers preserved, at no cost for individuals. Now that Affinity is free, paying anything for photo editing only makes sense where a specialist tool like ON1 is measurably stronger, which comes down to catalogue handling and raw processing specifically.
Common questions
- Is ON1 Photo RAW a subscription?
- No. It is a one-time purchase, $99.99 at list price for a perpetual licence covering two computers, Mac and PC both. A year of software updates is included with the purchase.
- Why would anyone pay for photo editing when Affinity is free?
- ON1 focuses on two things a general free editor does not: raw processing and catalogue handling. Beyond those, the case for paying has narrowed considerably now that Affinity covers photo, vector and layout work for nothing.
- Can ON1 Photo RAW be tried before buying?
- Yes, a free trial is offered alongside a 30-day money-back guarantee after purchase. Affinity does not need a trial, since it is free for individuals outright.
- Does an ON1 licence cover more than one computer?
- Yes, two computers per licence, Mac and PC both, which suits a desktop and a laptop on the same purchase. Affinity is also free per individual, with no computer-count restriction stated.
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.