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Both cover photo editing. Here is what separates them on price, billing, what you can take with you, and coverage.
| Affinity | ON1 Photo RAW | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | From $99.99 |
| Pricing model | Free | One-time purchase |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Billing | One-time purchase | One-time purchase |
| Free trial | None | Not stated |
| API | Not stated | Not stated |
| Data export | Not stated | Not stated |
| Their cut | Not stated | Not stated |
| Runs on | macOS, Windows | macOS, Windows |
| Covers | Photo Editing, Design & Graphics | Photo Editing |
| Works with | Nothing in particular | Nothing in particular |
| Founded | Not listed | Not listed |
| Reader rating | No reviews yet | No reviews yet |
| Live deals | None right now | None right now |
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
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.
Our note
Now that Affinity is free, the case for paying anything at all for photo editing has narrowed to catalog handling and raw processing, which is exactly where ON1 is stronger. Try both before spending the money.
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.