Affinity

Best for

Designers who want professional vector, pixel, and page-layout tools without an Adobe subscription.

Why it deserves attention

Affinity combines vector, pixel, and layout work in one app around a single file format, so a logo, a retouched photo, and a multi-page layout stay in one project instead of three. It opens PSD, AI, IDML, and DWG files with layers and structure preserved, keeps edits non-destructive with a saved history, and handles very large layer counts. Since Canva acquired Serif, the core app has been free for individuals and enterprises, with optional AI tools tied to a Canva premium plan. The trade-off is a smaller plugin and template ecosystem than Adobe's, and the Canva account requirement plus paid AI mean it is not entirely offline-free software.

Can replace

• Adobe Illustrator
• Adobe InDesign

Related and alternatives

• Figma
• Compositor

More in Design & prototyping

Underrated

Compositor

→

An open-source Mac image editor built for Photoshop-style compositing.

macOSOpen sourcerobbietilton.com

Underrated

desigma

→

A free, local-first design tool written entirely in Rust, with Figma file import, prototyping, motion, and live collaboration.

macOSWindowsOpen sourcegithub.com/deepfounder-ai/desigma

Underrated

Diffusion Studio

→

An open-source video editor where every edit is real code your agent can read, write, and render.

macOSWindowsFreemiumdiffusion.studio