Skip to content

Side-by-side comparison · Image, Logo & Design

Affinity vs HeadshotPro 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.

Best overall

Affinity

4.4

From Your Canva subscription

HeadshotPro

4.2

From $29 one-off

Pixlr

4.0

From $2.49/mo

Comparing 3 tools, the maximum.

At a glance

Best overallBest value

Pick it if: Designers, photographers and confident DIYers who want professional design software without an Adobe subscription.

Easiest to use

Pick it if: Businesses that need consistent staff photos, and professionals who want a LinkedIn headshot without booking a shoot.

Pick it if: Small business owners, creators and students who want a cheap, quick photo editor without installing Photoshop.

Overview

AttributeAffinityHeadshotProPixlr
In one lineFree pro design app for photo editing, illustration and layout, with optional Canva AI.Turns your selfies into professional headshots for LinkedIn and your team.Browser photo editor with AI tools for removing backgrounds, filling and making images.
Pricing modelFreePaidFreemium
Starting priceYour Canva subscription$29 one-off$2.49/mo
Free plan Yes No Yes
Works with Claude Code No Yes No

Rating breakdown

Our scores out of 5. The higher bar in each row is highlighted.

AttributeAffinityHeadshotProPixlr
Overall rating4.4Winner4.24.0
Ease of useHow quickly someone non-technical gets value from it.
3.0
4.5
4.0
FeaturesHow completely it covers its own job, and how well the pieces fit together.
5.0
4.5
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
4.0
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.

AttributeAffinityHeadshotProPixlr
Access & platform
Free plan Yes No Yes
Mobile app Yes– Yes
Desktop app Yes– Yes
Browser extension No– No
API access No Yes No
Teams & business
Team workspace No Yes No
Enterprise plan or SSO Yes Yes No
Connects to other apps Yes 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 Yes Yes
Makes video No No Yes
Writes code No No No
Runs agents or automations No– Yes
Learns your brand or style No Yes No
Works in many languages Yes– Yes
Capabilities score8/ 178/ 179/ 17

Pricing

Plans as listed on each vendor's site when we last checked. Confirm before you buy.

AttributeAffinityHeadshotProPixlr
Plans

FreeOur pick

Free

Individuals, for personal or business use.

Basic

$29 one-off

One person on a budget.

Free

Free

Occasional quick edits.

With Canva Pro

Your Canva subscription

People who already pay for Canva.

ProfessionalOur pick

$39 one-off

Most individuals.

Plus

$2.49/mo, or $1.99/mo billed yearly

Ad-free basic editing.

Canva Enterprise

Custom

Organisations rolling it out to a team.

Executive

$59 one-off

People who want more choice and 4K files.

PremiumOur pick

$9.99/mo, or $7.99/mo billed yearly

Small businesses using AI tools weekly.

Team

From $19.50/person, volume discounts

Companies with 5 to 1,000 staff.

Ultra

From $24.99/mo, or $19.99/mo billed yearly

Heavy AI users.

Enterprise

Custom

Organisations with 1,000+ people.

Which plan to pickDownload it free. Only connect a paid Canva plan if you want the AI tools inside Affinity, or if you already pay for Canva anyway.An individual should take Professional: the free redo is worth the extra $10 over Basic. Companies should use the Team plan, where credits never expire and the per-person price drops as you buy more.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

AttributeAffinityHeadshotProPixlr
Standout features
  • Photo editing
  • Vector design
  • Page layout
  • One app for all three
  • Canva AI
  • Mac, Windows and iPad
  • Headshots from selfies
  • Team management
  • Matching team style
  • Custom backdrops and outfits
  • Free redo
  • Integrations and API
  • Two editors
  • Background and object remover
  • Generative fill and extend
  • AI generators
  • Pixlr Agent
  • Web, phone and desktop

Pros and cons

AttributeAffinityHeadshotProPixlr
Pros
  • Professional design software for free
  • Photo, vector and layout in one app
  • Runs on Mac, Windows and iPad
  • Opens and exports Adobe and PDF files
  • No subscription for the core app
  • Built for teams, with matching styles and simple admin
  • No subscription; pay per person
  • Fast turnaround, down to about 15 minutes
  • Refund guarantee and free redos on the better packages
  • Works in the browser with no install or account
  • Very cheap paid plans
  • Covers the common AI edits in one place
  • One subscription across web, phone and desktop
Cons
  • Steep learning curve compared with Canva
  • AI tools need a paid Canva plan
  • Complex Adobe files don't always open perfectly
  • Only a fraction of each batch is usable; odd hands, teeth and faces are common
  • Needs around 15 good selfies, more than some rivals
  • Refund is lost once you download any photo
  • No proper editing of a photo once it's generated
  • Free version has ads and limits
  • AI quality is behind Photoshop for detailed work
  • Subscription credits reset each month
  • No refunds once a payment goes through

Who each one is for

AttributeAffinityHeadshotProPixlr
Best for
  • Replacing Adobe apps without the subscription
  • Logos and vector illustrations
  • Print layouts like brochures and menus
  • Detailed photo editing
  • Matching headshots for a whole team
  • LinkedIn and email profile photos
  • Website About pages
  • Remote teams spread across cities
  • Quick photo edits in the browser
  • Removing backgrounds and objects
  • A cheap alternative to Photoshop
  • Collages and social graphics
You'll find it used by
  • Designers
  • Photographers
  • Illustrators
  • Small businesses
  • Students
  • HR teams
  • Real estate agencies
  • Law firms
  • Sales teams
  • Job seekers
  • Small businesses
  • Creators
  • Students
  • Online sellers

Questions people ask

Which is better, Affinity, HeadshotPro or Pixlr?

Affinity scores highest overall in our ratings (Affinity 4.4/5, HeadshotPro 4.2/5 and Pixlr 4.0/5). Affinity is best for Replacing Adobe apps without the subscription and logos and vector illustrations. HeadshotPro is best for matching headshots for a whole team and LinkedIn and email profile photos. Pixlr is best for quick photo edits in the browser and removing backgrounds and objects.

Which is cheaper, Affinity, HeadshotPro or Pixlr?

Affinity: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at Your Canva subscription. HeadshotPro: There's no free plan. Paid plans start at $29 one-off. Pixlr: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $2.49/mo.

Which is easier to use, Affinity, HeadshotPro or Pixlr?

HeadshotPro rates highest for ease of use in our scores. Businesses that need consistent staff photos, and professionals who want a LinkedIn headshot without booking a shoot.

How we compare

Ratings are our own, from using each tool, across ease of use, features, output quality, value for money, speed & reliability.

Swap in another tool

More tools from Image, Logo & Design in the library.