Overview

Affinity Designer

Stacks162

Followers119

Votes11

Figma

Stacks4.2K

Followers2.5K

Votes101

Affinity Designer vs Figma: What are the differences?

Introduction: Affinity Designer and Figma are two popular graphic design software tools that offer a range of features and functionalities. While both can be used to create stunning designs and illustrations, there are some key differences between the two.

Interface and Ease of Use: Affinity Designer provides a more traditional and familiar interface, similar to other graphic design software tools, making it easier for experienced designers to switch to this software. On the other hand, Figma offers a more streamlined and modern interface, with a focus on collaboration and real-time editing, making it suitable for both beginners and advanced users.
Collaboration and Real-time Editing: Figma excels in the aspect of collaboration and real-time editing. It allows multiple designers to work on the same project simultaneously, making it ideal for teams working remotely or on collaborative projects. Affinity Designer, on the other hand, does not provide extensive collaboration features and is more suitable for individual designers.
Pricing and Licensing: Affinity Designer is a one-time purchase software, which means you only pay once and get lifetime access to the software. Figma, on the other hand, follows a subscription-based model, where you pay a monthly or annual fee to access the software. This difference in pricing and licensing can be a major factor for individuals or design teams with budget constraints.
Advanced Features and Toolsets: Affinity Designer offers a wide range of advanced features and toolsets, including advanced vector manipulation, non-destructive operations, and extensive color management options. Figma, on the other hand, focuses more on collaboration and prototyping, providing powerful design and prototyping tools but with fewer advanced graphic design features.
Offline vs Online: Affinity Designer is a desktop application, which means you need to install it on your computer and have access to the software offline. Figma, on the other hand, is a web-based application, which means you can access it from any device with an internet connection and collaborate with team members in real-time. This online accessibility of Figma can be beneficial for designers who need to work on multiple devices or collaborate with remote team members.
Platform Compatibility: Affinity Designer is available only for macOS and Windows operating systems. Figma, on the other hand, is platform-independent and can be accessed through web browsers on macOS, Windows, and even Linux operating systems. This platform compatibility of Figma makes it a more versatile option for designers who work across different operating systems.

In Summary, Affinity Designer offers a more traditional interface, advanced graphic design features, and is a one-time purchase software, while Figma excels in collaboration, real-time editing, and accessibility on different platforms and devices.

Advice on Affinity Designer, Figma

Bobby

Feb 14, 2020

Needs advice

Hello, I want to start an unlimited graphic design service. (yes, yet another one, but bear with me)

It’s the second week that I’m working on this project, my goal is to test the market as soon as possible.

One element that is missing is the solution to handle communication between the clients and the designers.

• Mandatory: it needs to communicate instructions, progress/status, and design files (exported from Adobe Illustrator or similar). • Optionally it would also display the design inside the app so the files don’t need to be opened. • Optionally it would let the client easily mark the design where he wants revision.

• Mandatory: it needs to have unlimited clients and unlimited projects (I’ll have hundreds of clients and each will have at least one project) • Optionally it would auto-assign a new project to the first available designer, or let the designers choose themselves which project they want to work on • Optionally it would have groups (corresponding to a subscription plan) with different clients and different designers in each • Optionally it would communicate with other apps so that client and designer management tasks (access, payment, etc) can be automated

I’m open to all suggestions, not just the selection above. Ultimately I guess I’ll have a custom app developed on a no-code platform, but to begin with I need something simple and ready.

Reminder: it is only for graphic design, between my designers and my clients

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Comments

Detailed Comparison

Affinity Designer	Figma
No bloat, no gimmicks, just all the tools you need, implemented how you always dreamed. It is a stripped back, pro-end workhorse that will always get your job done. It was created to thrive on the electric pace of the latest computing hardware. Live, responsive and incredibly fluid, it’s simply a joy to use.	Figma is the first interface design tool with real-time collaboration. It keeps everyone on the same page. Focus on the work instead of fighting your tools.
-	Online Sketch alternative; Free for small teams; Easy to use
Statistics
Stacks 162	Stacks 4.2K
Followers 119	Followers 2.5K
Votes 11	Votes 101
Pros & Cons
Pros 3 Easy of use 2 Feels like Illustrator 2 Love the UI 2 No subscription 1 Export options	Pros 19 Web-based application 11 Intuitive interface and perfect collaboration 9 Free software 8 Highly Collaborative 8 Works on both Mac and Windows Cons 6 Limited Export options
Integrations
No integrations available	Trello Coda ProtoPie Principle Dropbox Slack Storybook Notion Pendo Zeplin

What are some alternatives to Affinity Designer, Figma?

Sketch

Easily create complex shapes with our state-of-the-art vector boolean operations and take advantage of our extensive layer styles.

Adobe Photoshop

It is the best in the world of graphic design and image processing software that will realize any of your ideas. Create and enhance photos, illustrations and 3D graphic objects.

Adobe XD

A vector-based tool developed and published by Adobe Inc for designing and prototyping user experience for web and mobile apps.

Zeplin

Collaboration app for designers & developers. Supports Sketch and Photoshop (on beta!).

Blender

It is the free and open source 3D creation suite. It supports the entirety of the 3D pipeline—modeling, rigging, animation, simulation, rendering, compositing and motion tracking, even video editing and game creation.

ProtoPie

It is the easiest tool used to turn your UI/UX design ideas into highly interactive prototypes for mobile, desktop, web, all the way to IoT. ProtoPie runs on macOS & Windows and the player app is on iOS and Android.

Readymag

Readymag—an online platform for website creation focused on design & creativity. Advanced typography. Powerful animations. Code injection & third-party tool integrations.

Inkscape

It is professional quality vector graphics software which runs on Windows, Mac OS X and Linux. This software can be used to create or edit vector graphics such as illustrations, diagrams, line arts, charts, logos and complex paintings.

Affinity Photo

It is born to work hand-in-hand with the latest powerful computer technology, it’s fully-loaded photo editor integrated across macOS, Windows and iOS.