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Get Affinity Designer without App Store?


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I’d like to buy Affinity Designer but I despise the App Store. Is there any way to purchase and download it directly from you (Serif)? I’d rather see my money completely spent on your software than for Apple’s App Store fees. And I’d also like to avoid the App Store for privacy reasons.

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In a word no -

 

We view Apple's fees as reasonable when compared to the alternative of paying for our own international distribution infrastructure, or for the cost involved in the old method of pushing physical media.  It may look like they take a big slice, but in the big scheme of things they do take away a lot of the problems.  For small software developers, there is no way you could reach the same number of people as through Apple's store (arguably the most well known and used software store on the net).

SerifLabs team - Affinity Developer
  • Software engineer  -  Photographer  -  Guitarist  -  Philosopher
  • iMac 27" Retina 5K (Late 2015), 4.0GHz i7, AMD Radeon R9 M395
  • MacBook (Early 2015), 1.3GHz Core M, Intel HD 5300
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I just got the email about AD's anniversary—congratulations! I just bought it with the discount, thank you. Last week I bought Photo so I am really looking forward to getting into them. I'm a long time user of the Adobe...Photoshop from version 1 and Illustrator 88. So that says a lot about the quality of your products. I think you have done a wonderful job, and even on my not-so-new Mac they are very responsive (I hope they stay that way)! Kudos!

 

Although I know AI and PS well, I find your apps are very welcoming and fantastic to use with streamlined and intuitive ease of use. I have not done the subscription thing so I am still at CS3 which will one day not work on the OS...but better than that, your products will give me added features that have surpassed my CS3, and give me the opportunity to leave Adobe.

 

BTW, when I see your video of zooming in to the nth degree in AD, it reminds me of how Live Picture was with their non-pixel approach. 

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Man, you guys are fast with your responses. Don’t you have anything else to do? :P

 

Well, that sucks that there is no other way to obtain the software. I noticed that I can’t even pay with PayPal on the Crap Store. There is no way I’m using a credit card. Gonna have to buy an iTunes gift card or whatever. It might be convenient for you to just provide the software via the App Store but the lengths I have to go through just to get it the way I want aren’t very customer friendly.

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Man, you guys are fast with your responses. Don’t you have anything else to do? :P

 

… aren’t very customer friendly.

 

The next days it is 20% off. Some things we cannot change. So, buy it or not. Many people decided to buy it …

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So, I finally purchased Affinity Designer, albeit reluctantly, via the App store, after having tried the trial version. Now I seem to have a completely new and unrelated application on my computer that doesn’t use any of the settings I’ve set in the trial version. Is there any way to use those? I can’t find anything in the Application Support directory where other software usually stores preferences etc.

 

And isn’t there a better/more convenient way to handle this? I mean, the trial version is already a fully functional program, and you’d just have to have a “register” button or something like that, like every other software I’ve used so far. It makes me uncomfortable, not knowing and being able to choose where the App Store installs software. While the application is awesome this entire process really was not a pleasant experience for me.

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  • 2 years later...

@oval 

On 10/8/2015 at 5:09 PM, Oval said:

 

The next days it is 20% off. Some things we cannot change. So, buy it or not. Many people decided to buy it …

 

 

That is a really insensitive thing to say to a future customer. For example, I decided to research for different options than Adobe, one of the ideas was to switch from Adobe Suite to Affinity Photo. The main reason why I decided to cancel cooperation with Adobe is that same attitude that you showed here. For example, they act like bullies, in last 1.5 years, I paid to Adobe more than 350 Euro for subscriptions. On the other hand with Affinity, I was first disappointed when I found out that I can't use the same licence for both of my computers, one is PC and other is MAC. In other words, they force me to buy 2 same licenses just to be able to use it on desktop and MacBook Pro computer. For example, when the need is, I can run Adobe, Clip studio and Autodesk software on both platforms with the same license.

 

The second problem is forcing people to buy software via Apple store, that is something that you obviously do not understand or you are not familiar. Price on the website is 50 Dollars or 47 Euro. And since I am registered in the Croation store I am forced to pay 57.85 Euro or 71.47 US Dollars for the same software that I could buy with my VISA card directly for 50 Dollars. And guess what I don't even live in Croatia, so don't mention my tax and stuff. Lots of people DO NOT have stores in their countries so they use closest countries to register in Adobe store. With the direct purchase, both parties would avoid that type of problems.

 

"So, buy it or not."

These words make me change my mind. I don't feel that Serif is a much different company that Adobe at this moment, so in the end, I decided to keep Adobe subscription for a while.

 

One more thing, do not expect that people will switch Apple stores just like that. I bought apps for more than 200 euros with Croatian account, so switching countries for just one software is not the option.

 

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@LastPixelBorn

Welcome to the Serif Affinity forums. 

> “These words make me change my mind.” 

 

It is a shame that a comment from a customer (oval is not a member of Serif staff) made almost 18 months ago has influenced you not to purchase. I suggest (if you want to) that you make your own thread we could discuss this further.

Patrick Connor
Serif Europe Ltd

"There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man. True nobility lies in being superior to your previous self."  W. L. Sheldon

 

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27 minutes ago, Patrick Connor said:

a comment from a customer (oval is not a member of Serif staff) made almost 18 months ago

 

Almost 30 months ago, actually. That comment was made way back in October 2015! detective.gif

 

Alfred spacer.png
Affinity Designer/Photo/Publisher 2 for Windows • Windows 10 Home/Pro
Affinity Designer/Photo/Publisher 2 for iPad • iPadOS 17.4.1 (iPad 7th gen)

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1 hour ago, LastPixelBorn said:

In other words, they force me to buy 2 same licenses just to be able to use it on desktop and MacBook Pro computer.

Neither the licenses nor the apps are the same.

 

They have maintained feature parity between the Mac & Windows versions to the extent possible, & (unlike Adobe & many other software developers) have done so by using native OS APIs wherever possible to keep memory use to a minimum, minimize conflicts with other software, & boost performance, among other things. That makes developing the separate versions more expensive. That is built into the pricing structure, which is quite reasonable even if you need both versions. Those that do not need both do not have to pay extra for that -- if they did they would in effect be subsidizing users that do. That seems more than reasonable to me, much more so than Adobe's pay forever subscription model.

All 3 1.10.8, & all 3 V2.4.1 Mac apps; 2020 iMac 27"; 3.8GHz i7, Radeon Pro 5700, 32GB RAM; macOS 10.15.7
Affinity Photo 
1.10.8; Affinity Designer 1.108; & all 3 V2 apps for iPad; 6th Generation iPad 32 GB; Apple Pencil; iPadOS 15.7

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3 hours ago, LastPixelBorn said:

These words make me change my mind.

 

@LastPixelBorn

This is almost like fake news, because you put the words in a completely different context although we are not responsible for the (usually very good) decisions made by Serif. VIPStephan criticized the allegedly user-unfriendly “Crap Store” although we users can not change those things. So please, use your mind. BTW: It is possible to run the same app on two computers.

 

HTH

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1 hour ago, Alfred said:

Almost 30 months ago, actually. That comment was made way back in October 2015! detective.gif

 

@Serif

Amazing, but there seems to be evidence of the existence of mathematics ;)  … on Mars or a Jupiter’s moon? :D

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@Oval don't play games, of course I know your message is old. The name of this topic is "Get Affinity Designer without App Store?", so I explained some issues here regarding payment and Apple store, if Serif is different than Adobe they will hear it and DO something about it. Also, I felt that someone needs to say these things public, I said that I did research and it seems to me they have the same attitude as Adobe. At the end the only reason why I mentioned you is that this is Serif forum and you talk with possible customers here, that is the fact. I did not really plan to explain anything to you, the message is mainly intended for people from Serif.


"So please, use your mind."

 "… on Mars or a Jupiter’s moon?"

Without knowing details and you surely don't ask for it, you allow yourself to make conclusions and insult others.

 

Regarding versions issue, this is the c&p answer that I got from Serif support recently. This is why I felt in the first place that they have the same attitude as Adobe.

"MAR 8TH, 1:25PM

14591730_653791868128994_194209284687121
You need to buy a separate Windows version to install on Windows or a Mac version to install on the Mac. Each version is purchased independently and each has its own licenses. It would not be possible to swap from one to the other."
 
And this is the proper answer,
 
"They have maintained feature parity between the Mac & Windows versions to the extent possible, & (unlike Adobe & many other software developers) have done so by using native OS APIs wherever possible to keep memory use to a minimum, minimize conflicts with other software, & boost performance, among other things. That makes developing the separate versions more expensive. That is built into the pricing structure, which is quite reasonable even if you need both versions. Those that do not need both do not have to pay extra for that -- if they did they would in effect be subsidizing users that do. That seems more than reasonable to me, much more so than Adobe's pay forever subscription model."
 
Tnx @R C-R
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6 hours ago, LastPixelBorn said:

the message is mainly intended for people from Serif.

 

@LastPixelBorn

Rubbish, because your post started with “@oval”. We are not interested in feelings, fake news and strange company comparisons. Your message to us was a waste of time. Unfortunately. And if you want to get into our conversation with VIPStephan after almost 30 months, it's really a bit too late.

 

 

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17 hours ago, Alfred said:

 

Almost 30 months ago, actually. That comment was made way back in October 2015! detective.gif

 

That'll learn me to post so late at night. (Oh no perhaps it won't).

 

Stop arguing or I will delete posts. Oval if you don't find something useful there is no need to say so. LastPixelBorn has explained he did not mean to direct his post at you, so you should leave it there. I do not agree that we are anything like Adobe, but many new users take a while to realise it. Give him a chance to find out for himself please.

 

We may well start selling the Mac version from our store one day anyway, but I understand the licenses will still be independent.

Patrick Connor
Serif Europe Ltd

"There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man. True nobility lies in being superior to your previous self."  W. L. Sheldon

 

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We like that Serif used the MAS because it was said that this solution is less expensive (for all).

"Leaving the Mac App Store is a big step that isn't happening”

We liked to use the MAS and would like to purchase other MAS Affinity apps.

In other stores we had much more problems.

The registration effort outside the MAS is cumbersome for some colleagues.

MAS is not an user-unfriendly “Crap Store”.

 

Hopefully useful words, Patrick Connor.

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@Patrick Connor Thanks for clearing things up, in the end, I decided to buy Affinity Photo and to join this club (without future posts, I don't like forums) :). Btw. I just tried to help with information from the customer side, I know this topic is old but the problem still exists, so I don't think you should consider app store issue resolved. Lot's of people are not from the USA and for example, I paid 70 USD for something that other people pay $50. Offcourse if customers like me have the direct option we could buy it directly for 50. It is not about money, it just I don't know, maybe to show customers that you are trying to treat everybody equally no mether where they are.

 

Here are some pros and cons for using Apple store (personally I like to use it for smaller apps, I even bought Affinity Photo for Ipad Pro).

- Lot's of my friends are from the same area like me and they registered their Apple accounts with a location in the USA, so covering taxes correctly does not really work with that system.

- And there is one more flaw with using strictly Apple store, for example, if any user decides to change store location or to create a new Apple account in the future, I believe your software licence will be locked with the previous country/location or account in the Apple store. But if you provide people with licence key they won't be so depended on Apple account.

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Wow, that was my first post/thread here. 2015 – has it been that long already? :)

Yet, I still despise the App Store and try to avoid it wherever possible. Call me old fashioned. But I don’t like that Apple has control over my software when it’s not even the creator but just the distributor.

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3 hours ago, VIPStephan said:

Call me old fashioned. But I don’t like that Apple has control over my software when it’s not even the creator but just the distributor.

How does Apple have control over the software one buys from MAS? MAS apps are self-contained; that is, everything needed to run them is in the application package. They don't install anything in the top level /Library or /System folders, which means you can back them up like any other self-contained app in the top level /Applications folder for safekeeping, & install them on any Mac just by copying the backup to that folder.

 

The only difference with MAS apps is the presence of the _MASReceipt folder & the receipt file it contains. MAS apps won't run without a valid receipt, but all you need to do to validate it on a copied version is to supply the Apple ID & password used when you purchased it. That is a one time thing, required only the first time the app is launched on that Mac. AFAIK, you don't even have to be connected to the internet to do the validation, so Apple has no control over that.

All 3 1.10.8, & all 3 V2.4.1 Mac apps; 2020 iMac 27"; 3.8GHz i7, Radeon Pro 5700, 32GB RAM; macOS 10.15.7
Affinity Photo 
1.10.8; Affinity Designer 1.108; & all 3 V2 apps for iPad; 6th Generation iPad 32 GB; Apple Pencil; iPadOS 15.7

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