Side-by-side comparison · Image, Logo & Design
Affinity vs Cleanup.pictures vs Pixlr
Everything that matters when choosing between them, in one place: our rating, what each can do, what they cost, and the trade-offs.
Comparing 3 tools, the maximum.
At a glance
Pick it if: Designers, photographers and confident DIYers who want professional design software without an Adobe subscription.
Pick it if: Anyone who needs to erase something from a photo quickly without learning an editor.
Pick it if: Small business owners, creators and students who want a cheap, quick photo editor without installing Photoshop.
Overview
| Attribute | Affinity | Cleanup.pictures | Pixlr |
|---|---|---|---|
| In one line | Free pro design app for photo editing, illustration and layout, with optional Canva AI. | Brush over people, objects or text in a photo and they disappear, with the gap filled in. | Browser photo editor with AI tools for removing backgrounds, filling and making images. |
| Pricing model | Free | Freemium | Freemium |
| Starting price | Your Canva subscription | $5/mo | $2.49/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Works with Claude Code | No | Yes | No |
Rating breakdown
Our scores out of 5. The higher bar in each row is highlighted.
| Attribute | Affinity | Cleanup.pictures | Pixlr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall rating | 4.4Winner | 4.2 | 4.0 |
| Ease of useHow quickly someone non-technical gets value from it. | 3.0 | 5.0 | 4.0 |
| FeaturesHow completely it covers its own job, and how well the pieces fit together. | 5.0 | 3.5 | 4.0 |
| Output qualityHow good the results are before you fix them. | 4.5 | 3.5 | 3.5 |
| Value for moneyWhat you get for the price, including the free plan. | 5.0 | 4.5 | 4.5 |
| Speed & reliabilityHow fast it is and how often it falls over. | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.0 |
Feature comparison
A tick means it does this today. A dash means we haven't checked.
| Attribute | Affinity | Cleanup.pictures | Pixlr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Access & platform | |||
| Free plan | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile app | Yes | – | Yes |
| Desktop app | Yes | – | Yes |
| Browser extension | No | – | No |
| API access | No | Yes | No |
| Teams & business | |||
| Team workspace | No | – | No |
| Enterprise plan or SSO | Yes | – | No |
| Connects to other apps | Yes | – | No |
| Open source or self-hosted | No | No | No |
| AI abilities | |||
| Works with your files | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Understands images | – | Yes | Yes |
| Makes images | Yes | No | Yes |
| Makes video | No | No | Yes |
| Writes code | No | No | No |
| Runs agents or automations | No | – | Yes |
| Learns your brand or style | No | – | No |
| Works in many languages | Yes | – | Yes |
| Capabilities score | 8/ 17 | 4/ 17 | 9/ 17 |
Pricing
Plans as listed on each vendor's site when we last checked. Confirm before you buy.
| Attribute | Affinity | Cleanup.pictures | Pixlr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plans | FreeOur pick Free Individuals, for personal or business use. | Free Free Quick fixes for web or social. | Free Free Occasional quick edits. |
With Canva Pro Your Canva subscription People who already pay for Canva. | ProOur pick $5/mo, or $36/yr Anyone who needs full-resolution results. | Plus $2.49/mo, or $1.99/mo billed yearly Ad-free basic editing. | |
Canva Enterprise Custom Organisations rolling it out to a team. | Clipdrop Pro See website People who also need background removal and other edits. | PremiumOur pick $9.99/mo, or $7.99/mo billed yearly Small businesses using AI tools weekly. | |
Ultra From $24.99/mo, or $19.99/mo billed yearly Heavy AI users. | |||
| Which plan to pick | Download it free. Only connect a paid Canva plan if you want the AI tools inside Affinity, or if you already pay for Canva anyway. | Use Free for social posts and quick checks. If you need the cleaned photo for print, a listing or a website hero, Pro is cheap enough to pay for a month when you need it. | Use it free for simple edits. If the ads annoy you, Plus is cheap. Premium is the one to get if you'll use the AI tools every week. Ultra Max doubles Ultra's credits for $49.99/mo. |
Key features
| Attribute | Affinity | Cleanup.pictures | Pixlr |
|---|---|---|---|
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Pros and cons
| Attribute | Affinity | Cleanup.pictures | Pixlr |
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Who each one is for
| Attribute | Affinity | Cleanup.pictures | Pixlr |
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Questions people ask
Which is better, Affinity, Cleanup.pictures or Pixlr?
Affinity scores highest overall in our ratings (Affinity 4.4/5, Cleanup.pictures 4.2/5 and Pixlr 4.0/5). Affinity is best for Replacing Adobe apps without the subscription and logos and vector illustrations. Cleanup.pictures is best for removing people or objects from photos and erasing text and logos. Pixlr is best for quick photo edits in the browser and removing backgrounds and objects.
Which is cheaper, Affinity, Cleanup.pictures or Pixlr?
Affinity: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at Your Canva subscription. Cleanup.pictures: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $5/mo. Pixlr: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $2.49/mo.
Which is easier to use, Affinity, Cleanup.pictures or Pixlr?
Cleanup.pictures rates highest for ease of use in our scores. Anyone who needs to erase something from a photo quickly without learning an editor.
How we compare
Ratings are our own, from using each tool, across ease of use, features, output quality, value for money, speed & reliability.
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