More than 3 years ago, in May 2021 I posted this article: Affinity Photo, how could I live without you?
It was completely irrelevant to the 2024 Adobe Scandal, (of course it was! It was 2021 and I cannot travel back in time. Or so I say! 😆) but since this article is now getting a lot of traffic, because of the 2024 Adobe Scandal, I am writing this follow-up to clear things up.
What is Adobe 2024 scandal?
Adobe’s update to its Terms of Service suggests in a very loose wording that creator content might be used to train AI models. Artists and employees alike denounced Adobe for being secretive with its tactics, and called for better communication. I am not a die-hard artist regarding AI, I do not condemn AI, so I don’t really care whether or not Adobe uses my work to train AI models. However, I am still mad that the company wasn’t straight with their practices. When someone deliberately used ambiguous language, I get mad. But I will get back to that later.
What is Affinity photo?
As I stated passionately in my 2021 article, Affinity Photo is a great, if not greater, alternative to Photoshop. (Mind you, I was talking about the affinity iPad version, compared to photoshop pc. Imagine what Affinity desktop can do) Affinity has come up with three programs, Photo, Designer and Publisher, which are “dupes” of Adobe’s Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign. I have Photo and Designer and I am impressed, to say the least. There is nothing (that I am aware of) that I can do in Adobe’s programs which I cannot do in Affinity. (once again, you can check out my previous article for proof) Some things might need a little extra effort, or different workflow, but the final result is identical.
iPad compatibility
The best thing is that Affinity offers iPad versions, identical to the pc ones. Unlike Adobe. Adobe offers apps that are a joke compared to the desktop versions. This always annoyed me, and it still bugs me to this date. It is like the company doesn’t want to put a lot of effort. Weird… There are so many things I want to add here, but I’m afraid I’ll get out of context. Suffice to say that one company provides great iPad apps, the other doesn’t.
Price
Unlike adobe’s monthly subscription, Affinity has a one-time fee and then the programs are eternally yours. In my 2021 article I was wondering why it hasn’t become the industry’s standard. Well, I was ahead of my time I guess. 😆 (And no, I am not sponsored by Affinity, I bought everything with my own money and all opinions are my own, blah, blah, blah) Even now, in 2024, Affinity v2 Universal Licence costs 89.90€, which is approximately two months worth of Adobe’s Creative Cloud All Apps subscription.
Customer support
You usually don’t expected big companies to really care about their customers but Affinity proves wrong. You see, Adobe charges half your remaining subscription fee if you want to cancel early your subscription. Which is absurd. Anyways, it’s their terms after all, but the fact remains that their whole practice is almost unethical. When people started to mass leave Adobe (due to the AI scandal), Affinity did what? They offered a 50% OFF! The exact opposite of what Adobe does. Of course this is part of their marketing plan which will profit them long term, but still proves that the company isn’t only after money. They seem to genuinely believe in their products (and why shouldn’t they be?).
So… Adobe or Affinity?
First of all, I love both (yep, seriously). I currently have and use both, although I am not sure if I will renew my Adobe subscription. I still use Adobe’s programs mainly because they are the industry standard, but also because there is a vast variety of programs that cover everything, from video editing to web design. (If you know, by the way, a good after effects alternative, please drop me a comment!) However, if I had to choose one, that would be Affinity. For a number of reasons 1)it works on the iPad. Adobe is garbage on the iPad com. 2)it’s stupid to pay a pricey subscription when you can get the same at a fraction of the price. I was a huge affinity fan (long before Affinity was “cool”) and this hasn’t changed. Looking forward to what comes next. Cheers to the future!
