Cost per year , updates or just a one time fee for photo and designer

[MdmMTL]

Hello, I am entertaining leaving Adobe Creative behind and choosing Affinity, photo and designer. The cost is that per year?

What about updates? How often, and is there a charge?

Thanks so much, after being with Adobe for over a decade it is really nice to see an alternative.

 

Samm

[Callum]

Hi MdmMTL,

Welcome to the forums

The app is a one time purchase until the next full version at which point you will have the option to keep the version you have or purchase again for future updates. This means you will get all updates for free until version 2.0, to give perspective on this Affinity Designer came out 5 years ago and is currently on version 1.7 which means anyone who purchased on day one has had free updates for 5 years.

Thanks

Callum

[MdmMTL]

HI Callum, thanks for the update...I have been togging between photoshop and affinity for the last couple of days...

As much as I want to come over to Photo things I will be missing is curved text, cleaning up images, dropping opened images from menu into the screen I am working on,

things I take for granted are missing with Affinity or I am just not understanding all the tools?

It seems I cannot use the pen tool for a curved text unless I also purchase Designer, so I end up paying as much as I am paying with Photoshop and Illustrator. I have a few more days trial so I will keep viewing the tutorials....I can't see paying for both....

I flood fill many backgrounds with a pattern in photoshop, I don't seem to have that option with Affinity. 

There is not the variety in shaped tools that I am used to as well. Need more arrows, shaped and curved... ( just a few things I have noted so far) 

Samm 

 

[Callum]

Hi MdmMTL,

Text on a path is a feature unique to Affinity Designer I'm afraid. Im not sure if I understand exactly what you mean by cleaning up images I'm afraid. I'm also not sure what you mean by dropping opened images from a menu could you provide an example of this?

The below forum post should help you with filling using patterns.

Thanks
C

[MdmMTL]

Hi Callum

I added an image, with text shapes in Photoshop we can curse over with font and create shaped worded text in a variety of shapes...

also second image, on your menu bar in photoshop, we have all the images we opened. if I take one and drag it down, I can place it in the file( image) I am working on...

also the tool shaped, the arrow, I flood filled it with a pattern. So far these are things I do often and cannot seem to find them in Affinity. I realize you are all trying 

to adapt to so many new users needs and wants and I am patient. I will eventually switch but these are functions I use all the time...

 

As far as cleaning an image from a background...3rd and 4th image, using the wand tool I can eliminate the background with one click...

 

Hope that helps. ( images are always better to explain) I don't have the tech talk perfected..

 

Samm

[MdmMTL]

I also apologize I should have put this into a new thread ...newbie mistake.

 

samm

[Paul Mudditt]

5 hours ago, MdmMTL said:

I also apologize I should have put this into a new thread ...newbie mistake.

 

samm

There is a work around to get text on curve in photo look here 

 

[VIPStephan]

@MdmMTL, from looking at the images you posted, it seems like you would rather need Affinity Designer than Affinity Photo, because all of this looks more like vector art. Photoshop is often “misused” as general graphic design tool just because people are used to it (and has therefore als evolved into a bloated “jack of all trades”) where other tools, like Illustrator, would actually be the better tool for the job. Likewise, if you are creating graphic art, Affinity Designer is the tool that is more suited for the job.

And regarding this:

On 1/14/2020 at 2:17 PM, MdmMTL said:

[…] unless I also purchase Designer, so I end up paying as much as I am paying with Photoshop and Illustrator.

This can only be true if you compare one monthly installment for AI and PS with the price for an eternal license of AP and AD. Historically, Photoshop alone has cost around $800 per eternal license, if I remember correctly. That’s way more than the $50–$60 you’d pay for Affinity Photo, for an eternal license. And given that you’d now “rent” PS you’d pay more over time than for owning AP.

[8BitCerberus]

On 1/14/2020 at 7:17 AM, MdmMTL said:

It seems I cannot use the pen tool for a curved text unless I also purchase Designer, so I end up paying as much as I am paying with Photoshop and Illustrator.

You’re comparing one month of Adobe CC to a one-time purchase that has been good for the last ~5 years for Affinity.

Using USD, In 5 years you’d spend $3000 for Adobe CC vs. $50, $100 or $150 for Affinity (depending on if you want one, two or all three Affinity programs). Even in the very worst possible scenario, if Serif were putting out full version upgrades every year (1.0 to 2.0 to 3.0, etc.), you’d be looking at $50 - $150 / year vs. $240 or $600 / year for Adobe CC ($240 if you only need one Adobe program, or $600 if you need more than one).

No matter how you look at it the Affinity programs are not anywhere close to what you’d be paying for Photoshop and Illustrator. Now, they’re also not as full-featured, and there are some different workflows you will have to adapt to (such as text on path being in Designer but not Photo), and there are some outright missing features that will need workarounds, and some of those features will eventually come, either in a point update (free) or a full version update (paid.) In general, the Affinity programs will be more than enough for 99% of people. There will always be that 1% who absolutely need every single niche feature of the Adobe programs, and unfortunately for them there is no alternative.