Affinity Photo 2 (Desktop, one-time) review 2027

What problem does Affinity Photo 2 solve?

Affinity Photo 2 is a layer-based editor that does 90% of what Photoshop does, for $69.99 once. Our portrait retouch went as far in Affinity as in Photoshop, and the file cost $69.99 instead of a subscription. That is the problem it solves: professional retouching without a recurring payment. It does not organise or develop shoots, which is why it pairs with ON1 or DxO rather than replacing Lightroom. Anyone who wants Photoshop without the subscription is the buyer it fits.

How did it score?

Affinity Photo 2 scored 8.2 overall, third of eight photo editing programs tested. The breakdown:

• RAW processing: 19/25. Demosaicing quality, noise reduction, lens corrections and camera support on our three-brand test set.
• Editing tools: 24/25. Masking, layers, retouching, AI selections and generative tools, and how far a portrait and a landscape could be taken.
• Organisation: 6/15. Cataloguing, culling speed, keywords, face and subject search, cloud sync.
• Ease of use: 13/15. Time for a beginner to finish an edit; presets and guided tools.
• Value: 20/20. Price over three years; one-time licence or subscription.

The editing tools score is the highest in the ranking, and value is a full 20. Organisation is where it lost: no catalogue.

What are its standout strengths?

The retouching toolkit is the reason it placed third. Layers, masks, frequency separation, focus stacking, HDR merge and panoramas are all present. It opens and saves PSD files, so files move between Affinity and Photoshop without conversion. One payment covers the desktop licence, and the iPad version is nearly identical. It is fast on modest hardware.

How does the technology work?

RAW files open in a Develop persona, a separate workspace for exposure, white balance and lens corrections before the file becomes a pixel layer. Layers stack edits non-destructively, and masks control where each layer applies. Subject selection uses AI to detect a person or object and build a mask automatically. There are no generative tools.

What is in the box?

Affinity Photo 2 is a download for Windows, Mac and iPad. The desktop licence is $69.99 one-time; the iPad version is $18.49. A 30-day trial is available. RAW support runs through the Develop persona, layers are full, and AI tools are limited to subject selection. There is no catalogue or DAM component.

How does it compare with rivals?

Adobe Lightroom Classic scored 8.6 at $9.99/mo with Photoshop, and its catalogue is best-in-class. Affinity beats it on editing tools and value, and loses on RAW support and organisation. ON1 Photo RAW scored 8.4 at $99.99 one-time, with layers, AI masking and a browse-plus-catalogue system; Affinity is cheaper and stronger on editing, weaker on RAW and organisation. DxO PhotoLab scored 7.7 at $229, with the best RAW conversions and noise reduction we have seen; Affinity is far cheaper and stronger on layers, weaker on RAW.

Where does it fall short?

Organisation is the loss: no catalogue. RAW development is weaker than Lightroom or DxO, and there are no generative AI tools. Pair it with a RAW developer rather than using it alone for a full shoot.

Is it good value?

At $69.99 one-time, the measured three-year cost is $69.99. Value scored 20/20, the maximum. The iPad version is $18.49.

Who should buy it?

Anyone who wants Photoshop without the subscription. It suits retouchers and editors who already have a RAW developer and catalogue, and who want layers, masks and PSD compatibility for one payment.