Inkscape vs Affinity Designer

Adobe Illustrator

Adobe Creative Cloud

GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program)

CorelDRAW

Adobe InDesign

Linearity Curve

Compare Inkscape and Affinity Designer based on features, pricing, verified reviews, integrations & more on GetApp. Find out which software is best for your business in 2026.

CoreIDRAW is a graphic design software which enables users to create professional designs with vector illustration, layout, photo editing, typography, template tools, and more. CoreIDRAW allows users to create, access and store artwork, web graphics and prints in the cloud, via the web app.

Adobe Illustrator CC is a industry-standard software in vector drawing tools and applications for digital graphics in print, web, apps, and video animations

Adobe InDesign is a layout design and desktop publishing software designed to help businesses and creative individuals create graphic designs with typography from various foundries and imagery from Adobe Stock. The platform lets teams create and publish digital magazines, books, eBooks, interactive PDFs, posters, and more.

Inkscape is an open sourced business graphic software. This Linux, Windows & OSX vector graphics editor (SVG format) features transparency, gradients, node editing, pattern fills, PNG export, and more.

2D Drawing

CAD Tools

Data Import/Export

Design Management

Design Templates

For Vector Illustrations

Image Editing

Rendering

Text Editing

Inkscape

Linux

Windows

Engineer

This software has the great advantage to be completely free and having the capacity to integrate other free and powerful APIs.

Archictet

Inkscape surprised me positively for the number of features and more, for being free and for having open source. Creating knots, curves and modifying the lines is super easy and simple to use.

Software Developer

This software is so powerful, it's like a nuclear missile. I love what you can draw with it - literally anything.

Office Administrator

My experience with this software has been great. For what I need it for weekly it's perfect.

Systems Engineer

Inkscape does not require the purchasing of a license, making it perfect for small businesses. It is easy to work and working with it is just like working with the best software your money can buy.

Educator

The software is a free open source and just outstanding. Any kind of drawing needs can be fulfilled and there is an awesome online community to help you.

Design Enginer

This program is fully featured and provides all of the tremendous capabilities of a professional graphics development tool, but it's free and open source -- which is amazing.

I can import a photo or a bunch of photos into Inkscape and make a collage or a compilation - and then just crop it all to the right fit. Have designed some of our best family photos like this.

Realtor

Overall I really love Inkscape and I made a killer logo with ease on it. Would recommend to anyone on a budget.

Driver

But I also use it because it's really fun to use. It has an almost meditative aspect and is very intuitive to use.

Social Media Specialist

It's hard for me to find something to dislike about Inkscape. I'd only say that it could use some tweaks in the interface itself, especially in the dark theme.

Director

From there, you have the ability to smooth out better than the original import and create new shapes, colours and angles very quickly.

Undergraduate

No option to see colors are print or screen-friendly. Inkscape lags behind premium vector graphic options.

Admin Assistant

One thing I did dislike about Inkscape was that it took a bit to learn how to use it. There was a larger learning curve than other similar products.

Large Format and Apparel Printer

The other biggest issue I have with Inkscape is its inability to process spot colors which are essential in printing white ink on darker media.

Web Designer/Developer

Inkscape is free-to-use and has a large online community, so it's easy to find help and support.

researcher

The way Inkscape handles docker panels is somewhat confusing. Dockers are sidebar panels that display information about layers and objects in the drawing.

Software developer

Poor UI integration with different systems settings, on linux, Inkscape doesn't respect screen scalling.

Inkscape screenshot: Graphic Software

Freelancers

Large Enterprises

Mid Size Business

Non Profit

Small Business

Linearity Curve is a vector graphics solution that helps marketing teams create and animate content together.

Adobe Creative Cloud is a graphic design and video editing suite that enables businesses to publish print layouts, edit images, manage PDF documents, and collaborate with team members using various mobile and desktop applications.

GIMP is an open-source image manipulation software that enables businesses, graphic designers, scientists, illustrators, and photographers to edit and retouch images, design icons, create free-hand artworks, and convert files into various formats.

Affinity Designer is a graphic design software, which helps creative professionals manage documents, create vector designs with gradients, blend modes, adjustments and effects, edit images, build artboards, and more using various built-in tools.

Collaboration Tools

Document Storage

Drag & Drop

For Websites

Image Library

Multiple Format Support

Preview Functionality

Search/Filter

Templates

Affinity Designer

Web-based

iPad

iPhone

Owner

It is an excellent piece of software I recommended to all of my colleagues and they are very happy with it. I can definitely recommend Affinity Designer, you will not regret buying it.

They were not only the best, but the most human and kind. And that is the kind of company I want to give my money to.

Publisher

Wonderful program, easy to use, great in connection with the two other programs from Affinity, superlow price. I'm so happy I discovered these programs from Affinity.

Senior Strategy

Here is a piece of software with great customer support and an amazing community behind it. It is very intuitive and the learning curve is not steep at all.

Content Visualizer

The best thing about Affinity Designer is not that it is feature rich, but that it has all the essential features for designing/illustration.

Artist

Thank you so very much for the excellent software, I'm eager to see what else Affinity has in store for the future.

The layers functionality was confusing. No auto trace which was the huge disappointment for us.

design

Affinity Design is a software that has great usability and is very light for the operating system, so it is better at solving your daily jobs.

President

The software is fully comprehensive of what it can do. Full funtionality and great options.

Founder

Library of plugins, brushes, fonts, gradients... own and third party. Very good community to ask questions and excellent tutorial channel.

Junior Software Engineer 

They attach a great deal of importance to user feedback. And of course, the software's functions are really intuitive and efficient.

Creative Arts Director

A few, very few, features that I would expect in a high-grade design program are missing or difficult to use.

This is a fantastic alternative to Adobe's Illustrator, especially at Affinity's pricepoint.

Graphic Designer

A little confusing initially mostly because transitioning from other software.

Affinity's perpetual licensing is particularly attractive for people coming from Adobe. The software has all of the features you'd want, but is even more intuitive than competing products.

Business Owner/Graphic designer 

Easy to download more brushes, typefaces, and anything else you need. Now integrated with copyright-free photo services like pixabay, pexles, and unsplash.

Its strong point is in printing, because it offers a complete control on color profile and, if you are designing with Pantone print support, the complete ICC and CMYK color management is integrated.

Some features are missing compared to Illustrator, and compatibility with certain files can be tricky.

Inkscape vs Affinity Designer Comparison (2026)

Inkscape

Affinity Designer

Overview

Video & Screenshots

Pricing

User reviews

Key features

Integrations

Alternatives