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Adobe Photoshop vs Affinity Photo (best photoshop apps for mac)

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Winner
Ease of Use
Learning Curve
Features and Tools
Price
Integration
Platform Compatibility
Customer Support
Community and Tutorials
Flexibility
Performance
FREE / PAID
Affinity Photo only requires a one-time purchase of $49.99.
Adobe Photoshop is a subscription-based service which costs $20.99/month for a single app plan or $52.99/month for all Creative Cloud apps.
Conclusion

👍Great professional alternative, more affordable💰 than Photoshop with nearly as many options🖌️

💪Strong tool with robust features, worth the high price😌 if professional editing is required🎨

Affinity Photo Pros & Cons

Top Pros
  • 💰More affordable

  • ✔️Nearly as robust as Photoshop

  • 🎈Ease of use

  • 📝Great for graphic design and photo editing

  • 🌩️Fast loading times

Adobe Photoshop Pros & Cons

Top Pros
  • 💎Industry standard

  • 👍High-end features

  • 🔌Great integration with other Adobe products

  • 🌍Extensive community and tutorials

  • 🔒Reliable

  • 🔥Robust performance

Top Cons
  • 👨‍🎓Learning curve

  • ⚙️Less intuitive interface

  • 👀Inferior zoom functionality

  • 💪Lacks some advanced features

  • 😢Fewer online resources for learning

  • 🆘Customer support lacking

Top Cons
  • 💔Can be complex for beginners

  • 🦾Requires a powerful system

  • 💰Expensive

  • 🔒Lock-in to Adobe’s ecosystem

  • ☁️Requires cloud subscription for full functionality

Other best photoshop apps for mac

3

💖Free, open-source option for those on a budget👛. Not as comprehensive as others though😔

4

🔥A more user-friendly interface😊 with many of the same tools as Photoshop. Better for more casual users😎

5

🎈A fun and user-friendly option for beginners🌱, less appropriate for professional photo editing👷

FAQ

Some of the best Photoshop apps for Mac include Adobe Photoshop, Affinity Photo, Paint.NET, GIMP, and Pixelmator Pro. Each of these has unique features that cater to different user preferences.

Although Adobe Photoshop is generally compatible with Mac, not all versions of Mac support it. The latest Photoshop version requires at least macOS 10.14 (Mojave) or later.

Affinity Photo is often praised as a cost-effective alternative to Adobe Photoshop. It provides a similar range of features, including major editing tools and the ability to work with layers, but at a lower price.

Adobe Photoshop offers a wide array of features, including 3D design capability, advanced layer editing, typography control, video editing, and the powerful ‘Content-Aware Fill’ tool which can remove or add components to an image seamlessly.

Affinity Photo might have a slight learning curve for beginners. However, once familiar with the interface, users can appreciate the rich and powerful features it offers.

Yes, there are free alternatives to Adobe Photoshop and Affinity Photo for Mac. GIMP and Paint.NET are quality open-source programs that offer various photo editing capabilities.

Adobe typically releases major Photoshop updates annually, with several minor updates throughout the year to address bugs and enhance performance.

Adobe Photoshop uses a subscription-based model, which can end up being more expensive in the long run. On the other hand, Affinity Photo can be purchased for a one-time fee, making it a cheaper alternative in the long run.

Yes, Affinity Photo is a professional-grade photo editing software. It possesses advanced features including HDR merge, 360-degree image editing, RAW editing, and a comprehensive digital painting suite, which make it suitable for all kinds of professional photo editing work.

No, using Adobe Photoshop does not require a constant internet connection. However, you will need internet access to download updates and to use some online features, like Adobe Stock.

Yes, it is possible to run both Adobe Photoshop and Affinity Photo simultaneously on a Mac, provided your system has enough computing power and memory to support both applications.

Yes, both Adobe Photoshop and Affinity Photo support RAW files, making them suitable for professional-grade photo editing.

Adobe Photoshop supports many file formats, including JPEG, TIFF, PDF, GIF, PNG, PSD, RAW, and several others, making it versatile for various tasks.

No, Affinity Photo does not have any in-app purchases. All features are included in the one-time purchase fee.

Yes, Adobe offers Photoshop Express and Lightroom for mobile devices, allowing users to edit photos on the go. These apps are available for both iOS and Android devices.

There are numerous resources to learn Affinity Photo, including tutorials and guides provided by Affinity itself, as well as numerous YouTube videos and online courses.

The major advantage of using Adobe Photoshop is its comprehensive range of features and tools. Photoshop has a tool for virtually any imaginable editing task, making it an ideal choice for both beginners and professionals.

Yes, Adobe Photoshop is available in different versions for Mac, most notably Photoshop CC (Creative Cloud) and Photoshop Elements. Photoshop CC is a more advanced, subscription-based product, whereas Photoshop Elements is a simplified, one-time purchase version geared towards everyday consumers.

Yes, Adobe Photoshop is an excellent tool for graphic design. It offers advanced features such as layer management, filters, vector graphics, 3D design capabilities, and multi-language support, enabling it to handle complex graphic design tasks with ease.

Yes, Affinity Photo has numerous keyboard shortcuts for various tools and functions that can significantly enhance your workflow. They have provided a comprehensive list of shortcuts on their website.

Some of the outstanding Photoshop apps for Mac include Adobe Photoshop, Affinity Photo, Pixelmator, and GIMP. These applications offer a wide range of editing capabilities to enhance your images creatively.

Yes, Adobe Photoshop is fully compatible with Mac and can be downloaded from the Adobe website.

Affinity Photo offers several powerful features, including RAW editing, HDR merging, panorama stitching, digital painting, advanced retouching, and batch processing.

While both Adobe Photoshop and Affinity Photo offer extensive photo editing capabilities, there are differences. Adobe Photoshop is known for robust functionality and industry-standard reputation, whereas Affinity Photo is known for its user-friendly interface and lower cost.

While there are many advanced tools in Affinity Photo, the app does its best to make them accessible to beginners with a clean interface and detailed tutorials available on the Affinity website.

The subscription for Adobe Photoshop for Mac starts from *$20.99/month as part of the Adobe Creative Cloud Photography Plan. For pricing details, you can check the Adobe website.

Yes, Affinity Photo is available as a one-time purchase, unlike Adobe Photoshop which requires a monthly subscription. You can get the software for $49.99 from the Affinity website.

Yes, Affinity Photo does provide similar tools to Adobe Photoshop, providing robust capabilities for photo editing, touch-up, and complex design creation.

Yes, Adobe Photoshop is widely known in the graphic design industry as the gold standard for photo-enhancing tools including retouching, color correction, and much more.

Affinity Photo features a unique, non-destructive workflow, which allows you to return to your original image even after making substantial edits.

Yes, Adobe offers a free 7-day trial of Photoshop which you can access from the Adobe website.

Affinity Photo is regularly updated with new features and improvements. Purchasing the software includes free updates, ensuring you always have the current version.

Both Adobe Photoshop and Affinity Photo are utilized by professional designers, but Photoshop is often a more preferred choice due to its advanced functionality and industry reputation.

Yes, there are many tutorials available for beginners on the Adobe website that cover a range of topics from basic tools to complex editing techniques in Adobe Photoshop.

Yes, Affinity Photo is equipped with a variety of high-level features that allow you to perform advanced photo editing tasks such as HDR merging, panoramic image stitching, and digital painting.

Yes, Adobe Photoshop is not just for photo editing. It is a versatile software used by graphic designers for creating and editing designs that include typography, illustrations, and even 3D renderings.

Affinity Photo is known for its user-friendly interface. It also provides numerous tutorials catering to beginners, making it easy to learn the different tools and functions of the software.

Yes, Adobe Photoshop does support 3D design capabilities which allow the user to create and enhance 3D images.

Yes, one Affinity Photo license allows you to install the software on as many devices as you wish as long as you are the one using it.

Yes, while Adobe Photoshop needs to connect to the internet occasionally to validate your subscription, it can be used offline the rest of the time.