Affinity Designer
Linearity Curve
| Feature | Affinity Designer | Linearity Curve |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | From $69.99/mo | Free / from $7.99/mo |
| Free Plan | ✗ No | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.6 / 5 | 4.4 / 5 |
| Best For | illustrators, graphic-designers, budget-conscious-professionals, print-designers | illustrators, ui-designers, typography-designers, apple-users |
| Founded | 2014 | 2017 |
| Vector Editing | ✓ | ✓ |
| Raster Editing | ✓ | ✗ |
| Pen Tool | ✓ | ✗ |
| Artboards | ✓ | ✗ |
| Constraints | ✓ | ✗ |
| Export Personas | ✓ | ✗ |
| Isometric Design | ✓ | ✗ |
| Auto Trace | ✗ | ✓ |
| Typography | ✗ | ✓ |
| Templates | ✗ | ✓ |
| Gesture Controls | ✗ | ✓ |
| Export Formats | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ 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
✓ Linearity Curve Pros
- Free with full features
- Excellent Apple device support
- Intuitive pen tool
- Beautiful interface
✗ Linearity Curve Cons
- Apple ecosystem only
- Limited collaboration
- Fewer plugins than Illustrator
The Verdict
Affinity Designer is built for illustrators and graphic designers, with a focus on vector-editing and raster-editing. Linearity Curve targets illustrators and ui designers and leads with vector-editing and auto-trace.
On pricing, Linearity Curve is the clear winner for budget-conscious users — starting at $7.99/mo compared to $69.99/mo for Affinity Designer. That $61.99999999999999/mo difference adds up quickly for growing teams.
Linearity Curve 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 Linearity Curve takes a more focused approach — which can mean a simpler, faster onboarding experience.
Both tools are a solid fit for illustrators — in those cases, the decision often comes down to workflow style and how your team prefers to organize work.
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.