GIMP vs Affinity Photo: Which One Is Better in 2024?

GIMP and Affinity Photo are essential tools for businesses and designers due to their robust features and cost-effectiveness. We'll compare GIMP's open-source flexibility with Affinity Photo's professional-grade capabilities to determine the best option for your needs.

A Quick Overview of GIMP and Affinity Photo

What is GIMP?

GIMP is a free and open-source image editor available for multiple operating systems, including GNU/Linux, macOS, and Windows. It allows users to modify and distribute its source code.

GIMP offers advanced tools for photo retouching, image restoration, and creative composites. Its open-source nature allows extensive customization and scripting, setting it apart from many proprietary software options.

What is Affinity Photo?

Serif, the company behind Affinity Photo, develops professional-grade creative software for macOS, Windows, and iPad. Their product line includes Affinity Photo for photo editing, Affinity Designer for graphic design, and Affinity Publisher for desktop publishing.

Affinity Photo offers real-time adjustment layers for non-destructive editing and immediate visual feedback. Unlike many competitors, it uses a one-off payment model with no ongoing subscription fees, making it a cost-effective choice for users.

Features of GIMP and Affinity Photo

Similarities

GIMP and Affinity Photo share several key features that make them powerful tools for photo editing and graphic design. Both programs offer robust capabilities that cater to a wide range of creative needs.

• High-Quality Photo Manipulation: Both software provide sophisticated tools for editing and manipulating photos, including retouching, restoring, and creating composites.
• Original Artwork Creation: Both offer features that enable artists to create unique artwork, giving them the flexibility to transform images into original creations.
• Graphic Design Elements: Both are used for creating various graphic design elements, such as icons and user interface components.
• Layer Support: Both allow for the use of multiple layers and layer effects, enabling complex image compositions and non-destructive editing.
• Custom Brushes: Both support the creation and use of custom brushes, enhancing the digital painting experience.

Differences

When comparing GIMP and Affinity Photo, several key differences in features stand out. These distinctions can help users decide which software best suits their needs.

• Open Source vs. Paid: GIMP is free and open-source, allowing extensive customization and community-driven plugins, while Affinity Photo requires a one-time purchase.
• Real-Time Adjustment Layers: Affinity Photo offers real-time adjustment layers for non-destructive editing, a feature not available in GIMP.
• Frequency Separation: Affinity Photo includes specialized tools for skin smoothing and photo retouching, which GIMP lacks.
• Dedicated Liquify Workspace: Affinity Photo provides a dedicated workspace for sculpting features, whereas GIMP does not have this capability.
• Cross-Platform Compatibility: Affinity Photo ensures 100% file format compatibility across macOS, Windows, and iPad, which might not be as seamless in GIMP.

User Interface and Usability

GIMP's user interface is highly customizable, allowing users to tailor the workspace to their needs. However, this flexibility can result in a steeper learning curve, especially for beginners. The user experience is functional but may feel cluttered due to the extensive range of tools and options available. Overall usability is enhanced by its open-source nature, which allows for community-driven improvements and plugins.

Affinity Photo offers a more streamlined and modern user interface, designed for ease of use and efficiency. The user experience is generally smoother, with features like real-time adjustment layers and a dedicated liquify workspace enhancing workflow. Usability is further improved by its consistent performance across different platforms and the absence of subscription fees.

Affinity Photo has a better user interface and usability over GIMP.

Collaboration

GIMP lacks built-in collaboration features, making it challenging for teams to work together seamlessly. Users must rely on external tools for file sharing and version control, which can complicate the workflow. The absence of real-time collaboration options further limits its effectiveness for team projects.

Affinity Photo also does not offer specific collaboration features, but its 100% file format compatibility across macOS, Windows, and iPad provides some ease in sharing files among team members. However, like GIMP, it lacks real-time collaboration capabilities, which can hinder efficient teamwork.

Neither GIMP nor Affinity Photo stands out as superior for collaboration.

GIMP and Affinity Photo Pricing

GIMP is entirely free to use, with no subscription or one-time purchase costs. The project relies on donations to support its development. Users can contribute through various methods, including Patreon, Liberapay, PayPal, and cheques. These donations help fund core team developers and community needs.

Affinity Photo requires a one-time payment of $69.99 for macOS or Windows and $18.49 for iPad. There are no subscription fees, and users can opt for a Universal Licence at $164.99. Affinity occasionally offers upgrade discounts and provides a free trial for the Universal Licence.

GIMP offers better pricing as it is free, while Affinity Photo requires a one-time purchase.

Comparing GIMP and Affinity Photo to Piktochart

Piktochart transforms complex ideas into captivating visuals that inform and engage your audience. With Piktochart AI, you can create stunning infographics, reports, and presentations in seconds, perfectly aligned with your brand. No design experience required.

Pros of Piktochart

• AI-Powered Design Generator: Piktochart's AI-powered design generator allows users to create stunning visuals quickly, saving time and effort.
• Wide Range of Visual Tools: From infographics to social media videos, Piktochart offers a comprehensive suite of tools to cater to various visual communication needs.
• Customizable Templates: Users can choose from a vast array of customizable templates, making it easy to create professional-quality content without any design experience.
• Accessible Video Editing: Piktochart provides accessible video editing and content repurposing features, including automatic subtitle addition, making it user-friendly for everyone.
• Support for Multiple Industries: Piktochart supports a wide range of industries, including education, healthcare, marketing, and nonprofits, ensuring that it meets diverse professional needs.

Piktochart's Pricing

• Free Plan: $0 (Free forever)
• Pro Plan: $14 per member/month, billed annually
• Business Plan: $24 per member/month, billed annually
• Enterprise Plan: Custom Pricing
• Campus Plan: Custom Pricing (Minimum 3000 seats)

What Are Others Saying?

GIMP Reviews

Overall, users have given GIMP a rating of 4.3 out of 5. While they appreciate its free and open-source nature, many find the learning curve steep and the interface unintuitive.

• "The interface is not user-friendly, and it takes a lot of time to learn." - John D., 3.5 out of 5
• "Limited features compared to other software, and the navigation is confusing." - Sarah K., 3 out of 5
• "Technical issues like multilayer selection make it frustrating to use." - Alex P., 2.5 out of 5

Find more of GIMP reviews on G2!

Affinity Photo Reviews

Affinity Photo has an overall rating of 4.5 out of 5. Users appreciate its features and affordability but find the learning curve and limited text tools frustrating.

• "Effective photo editing tool, robust, offers a variety of tools. However, the pricing can be problematic for those without funds for an upfront payment, and it lacks sufficient text tools." - Saniya S., 4 out of 5
• "Great alternative to Photoshop, intuitive controls, and useful tools. However, the color picker is not intuitive and can be arduous to use." - Peter R., 4 out of 5
• "Robust features and intuitive interface, but the learning curve is steep for new users." - Adarsh P., 4 out of 5

Find more of Affinity Photo reviews on G2!

Piktochart Reviews

Our users have given Piktochart an overall rating of 4.6 out of 5. They particularly appreciate its ease of use, customizable templates, and the ability to create professional-quality visuals quickly.

• "Piktochart is very easy and simple to use online graphics creation tool." - ASHESHWAR Y.
• "Piktochart offers good looking pre-built templates for creating graphics." - MEENAKSHI J.
• "Easily Create Social Images and Infographics to Boost Business Services." - Rachel L.

Find more of our reviews on G2!

Why choose one over the other?

Why Choose GIMP Over Affinity Photo:

• Consumers who prioritize cost-effectiveness and open-source flexibility might prefer GIMP. This option is ideal for budget-conscious users and open-source enthusiasts.

Why Choose Affinity Photo Over GIMP:

• Consumers seeking advanced photo editing features and a streamlined user interface might opt for Affinity Photo. This software is best suited for creative professionals and those who prefer a one-time payment model.

Why Choose Piktochart Over Affinity Photo and GIMP:

• Consumers who need to create professional-quality visuals quickly and easily might choose Piktochart. This tool is perfect for non-designers, educators, and marketers who require user-friendly and versatile design solutions.

GIMP, Affinity Photo, or Piktochart: Which is the best platform for you?

Whether you're a budget-conscious user, a creative professional, or someone who needs to create stunning visuals quickly, there's a tool for you. While GIMP and Affinity Photo offer robust features for photo editing and graphic design, we believe Piktochart stands out for its ease of use and versatility. Give Piktochart a try and see how effortlessly you can transform complex ideas into captivating visuals.