LeonTwist

What the naysayers don't seem to understand is that an integrated DAM/RAW Processor/Pixel Editor is essential to maintaining a start to finish non-destructive workflow, and that nobody has come closer to this than Adobe, and even LR and/or Bridge still haven't gotten it right. Affinity has a better chance of taking on Adobe because they're doing it from the ground up. A DAM implementation should have been their TOP priority. Crowds of visual designers would have swarmed to Affinity and Adobe would be shaking in their boots by now. But they went the way of iPad apps instead, and too many ignorant folks say they don't see the point of a DAM app. Maybe they're ok with having dozens of versions of files in a mix of proprietary and destructive formats, floating around on an archive of hard drives, but high production pros know the value of a database-driven library where you can do it once and always know where to find it when it's time to go to the next step of the project. NON-DESTRUCTIVE workflow is the key.
If Serif is brave enough to dive in all the way they'll reap the rewards. Until then, thousands of users will keep the Affinity suite at arms length if they can't see an end-to-end commitment.

Still clinging to life with Aperture and was doing my biannual check to see if Affinity had added asset management to Photo yet. Pretty much in a need a lighter version of what @sgbotsford elaborated on above. Have been hoping to give Affinity a shot but it's useless to me without the asset management and meta data end of things. I'm upgrading my camera body soon and unfortunately I think it's going to break Aperture usability for me, so I'm really in need of a replacement. Don't care for Lightroom or Adobe's subscription model (or being tied to another one of their products for anything), so it's looking like I'll have to give Capture One Pro a shot instead.

Unfortunately ... due to the "proprietary" nature of the AFFINITY file format, NONE of the free applications you've mentioned, nor many of the available "pay-for-play" applications available, and many of which are very capable, DO NOT read the Affinity file format natively and are therefore not really suitable choices.
SERIF really needs to step up to the plate and get their version of some form of DAM software published already. It is their lack of such that is forcing me to return to PHOTOSHOP 6 and LIGHTROOM 5.5. 
Sure, they're a bit dated, but the quality of image enhancement is still high-quality and my need for the ability to manage a large library of images demands my attention in a format that I can rely on, and work with on a daily basis, without adding to an already busy workload.
If you want the base to stay with you SERIF, get on the ball and get the software released already. The original $40.00 it cost to switch to AFFINITY is not enough to not abandon it in favour of having a solution that just works, end to end.
SERIF ... WE ARE TIRED OF WAITING!

I agree. I adore the Affinity raw tools but I just don't use them on the bulk of my photos because photographers prefer a seamless workflow. I'd be happy with even a really basic external DAM that previewed all the edited images (lossless) and allowed to paste adjustments to multiple files.
I tried Apple Photos and it's just a bit too basic and only really allows lossy edits with the affinity plugin. I tried Capture One which is a bit overkill (and costly). I'd really prefer to have something that allows Affinity photo to shine else it may get left behind by photographers (it's still amazing for intense graphical work of course)

Affinity photo is a good rival to photoshop but I don't use it as it doesn't integrate with a decent DAM. Until that happens I can't use it. Serif are so close to toppling adobe in this area but without a lightroom alternative that can read affinity files it's not going to happen.