Affinity Designer vs GIMP
Side-by-side from the Top 11 ranking of Adobe Photoshop vs Canva vs Adobe Illustrator: 11 Best Graphic Design Software 2026. Last verified July 2, 2026.
The short answer
Affinity Designer ranks higher on Top 11 (#5 vs #10) for Designers and marketing teams choosing graphic design software. Pro-grade design tools for one flat payment.
At a glance
| Affinity Designer | GIMP | |
|---|---|---|
| Top 11 rank | #5 / Adobe Photoshop vs Canva vs Adobe Illustrator: 11 Best Graphic Design Software 2026 | #10 / Adobe Photoshop vs Canva vs Adobe Illustrator: 11 Best Graphic Design Software 2026 |
| Score (out of 9.4) | 8.4 | 7.5 |
| Best for | Best one-time-purchase alternative | Best free raster editor |
| Pricing | $ ($69.99 one-time) | $ ($0) |
| HQ | Nottingham, United Kingdom | Open-source project |
| Founded | 2014 | 1998 |
Methodology and scoring weights live at /methodology. No vendor pays for placement — see about.