Affinity Designer
Figma
| Feature | Affinity Designer | Figma |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | From $69.99/mo | Free / from $15/mo |
| Free Plan | ✗ No | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.6 / 5 | 4.7 / 5 |
| Best For | illustrators, graphic-designers, budget-conscious-professionals, print-designers | designers, design-teams, product-teams, developers |
| Founded | 2014 | 2012 |
| Vector Editing | ✓ | ✓ |
| Raster Editing | ✓ | ✗ |
| Pen Tool | ✓ | ✗ |
| Artboards | ✓ | ✗ |
| Constraints | ✓ | ✗ |
| Export Personas | ✓ | ✗ |
| Isometric Design | ✓ | ✗ |
| Prototyping | ✗ | ✓ |
| Dev Mode | ✗ | ✓ |
| Plugins | ✗ | ✓ |
| Components | ✗ | ✓ |
| Auto Layout | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ Affinity Designer Pros
- One-time purchase with no subscription fees
- Professional-grade vector and raster tools combined
- Excellent performance even on large canvases
- Cross-platform (Mac, Windows, iPad)
✗ Affinity Designer Cons
- Smaller plugin ecosystem than Adobe
- Less industry adoption for collaboration
- No AI-powered features yet
✓ Figma Pros
- Real-time collaboration
- Free for students
- Huge plugin ecosystem
- Dev handoff
✗ Figma Cons
- Needs internet
- Can be slow with large files
- Learning curve
The Verdict
Affinity Designer is built for illustrators and graphic designers, with a focus on vector-editing and raster-editing. Figma targets designers and design teams and leads with vector-editing and prototyping.
On pricing, Figma is the clear winner for budget-conscious users — starting at $15/mo compared to $69.99/mo for Affinity Designer. That $54.989999999999995/mo difference adds up quickly for growing teams.
Figma has a free plan, which gives it a meaningful edge for individuals and small teams exploring their options. Affinity Designer requires a paid subscription from day one.
Feature-wise, Affinity Designer offers broader built-in capabilities (7 features vs 6), while Figma takes a more focused approach — which can mean a simpler, faster onboarding experience.
This is a genuinely close comparison. If you can, sign up for both free trials (where available) and run a one-week test with your actual team tasks before deciding.
