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

Affinity vs Namelix vs Nano Banana

Everything that matters when choosing between them, in one place: our rating, what each can do, what they cost, and the trade-offs.

Affinity

4.4

From Your Canva subscription

Namelix

4.4

Free to start

Best overall

Nano Banana

4.6

From $19.99/mo

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.

Easiest to use

Pick it if: Founders and small business owners brainstorming a business, product or brand name.

Best overall

Pick it if: Marketers, store owners and creators who need realistic images and edits that stay true to the original person or product.

Overview

AttributeAffinityNamelixNano Banana
In one lineFree pro design app for photo editing, illustration and layout, with optional Canva AI.Free AI business name generator that suggests short, brandable names with a domain check.Google's image model. Describe an edit and faces and products stay the same.
Pricing modelFreeFreeFreemium
Starting priceYour Canva subscriptionFree$19.99/mo
Free plan Yes Yes Yes
Works with Claude Code No No Yes

Rating breakdown

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

AttributeAffinityNamelixNano Banana
Overall rating4.44.44.6Winner
Ease of useHow quickly someone non-technical gets value from it.
3.0
5.0
4.5
FeaturesHow completely it covers its own job, and how well the pieces fit together.
5.0
3.5
4.5
Output qualityHow good the results are before you fix them.
4.5
3.5
5.0
Value for moneyWhat you get for the price, including the free plan.
5.0
5.0
4.5
Speed & reliabilityHow fast it is and how often it falls over.
4.5
5.0
4.5

Feature comparison

A tick means it does this today. A dash means we haven't checked.

AttributeAffinityNamelixNano Banana
Access & platform
Free plan Yes Yes Yes
Mobile app Yes No Yes
Desktop app Yes– No
Browser extension No– No
API access No No Yes
Teams & business
Team workspace No– No
Enterprise plan or SSO Yes– Yes
Connects to other apps Yes– Yes
Open source or self-hosted No No No
AI abilities
Works with your files Yes– Yes
Understands images–– Yes
Makes images Yes No Yes
Makes video No No No
Writes code No No No
Runs agents or automations No– No
Learns your brand or style No– No
Works in many languages Yes– Yes
Capabilities score8/ 171/ 179/ 17

Pricing

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

AttributeAffinityNamelixNano Banana
Plans

FreeOur pick

Free

Individuals, for personal or business use.

FreeOur pick

Free

Anyone brainstorming a name.

Free (Gemini app and AI Studio)

Free

Trying it and occasional images.

With Canva Pro

Your Canva subscription

People who already pay for Canva.

Google AI ProOur pick

$19.99/mo

Marketers and creators making images every week.

Canva Enterprise

Custom

Organisations rolling it out to a team.

Google AI Ultra

From $99.99/mo

Heavy daily image and video makers.

Gemini API

From $0.034 per image

Developers and automated workflows.

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.There's nothing to buy for the names themselves. If you want a logo for the name you pick, Brandmark sells one-off logo packages from $35, but you can take the name anywhere.Start free in the Gemini app to see if it suits your work. If you make images most weeks, Google AI Pro is the one to buy because it adds Nano Banana Pro and comes with Gemini, video credits and storage. Developers should use Nano Banana 2 on the API and save Pro for hero images.

Key features

AttributeAffinityNamelixNano Banana
Standout features
  • Photo editing
  • Vector design
  • Page layout
  • One app for all three
  • Canva AI
  • Mac, Windows and iPad
  • Name styles
  • Learns your taste
  • Domain filter
  • Logo previews
  • Edit by describing
  • Consistent characters
  • Blend reference images
  • Sharp text and 4K
  • Grounded in Google Search
  • Gemini API

Pros and cons

AttributeAffinityNamelixNano Banana
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
  • Completely free with no sign-up needed
  • Brandable names rather than keyword mash-ups
  • Gets better as you save favourites
  • Domain filter saves time
  • The best at editing a photo while keeping the person or product identical
  • Free to try in the Gemini app
  • Pro renders accurate text and up to 4K
  • Cheap, fast API with a half-price batch mode
  • Built into Canva, Photoshop and Higgsfield as well as Google's apps
Cons
  • Steep learning curve compared with Canva
  • AI tools need a paid Canva plan
  • Complex Adobe files don't always open perfectly
  • Many names are generic or already used by other businesses
  • No trademark or business register check
  • Domain checks send you off to a registrar
  • Logo previews are basic and steer you towards paid Brandmark logos
  • Less artistic flair than Midjourney
  • Free images carry a visible watermark, and every image has an invisible SynthID mark
  • Model names and plan limits change often
  • Safety filters can block harmless requests involving people

Who each one is for

AttributeAffinityNamelixNano Banana
Best for
  • Replacing Adobe apps without the subscription
  • Logos and vector illustrations
  • Print layouts like brochures and menus
  • Detailed photo editing
  • Brainstorming a business name
  • Product and app names
  • Finding names with an available domain
  • Rebrand shortlists
  • Editing photos by describing the change
  • Product shots and lifestyle scenes
  • Consistent characters across images
  • Posters and graphics with readable text
You'll find it used by
  • Designers
  • Photographers
  • Illustrators
  • Small businesses
  • Students
  • Founders
  • Small business owners
  • Product managers
  • Agencies
  • Side-project builders
  • Marketers
  • Ecommerce store owners
  • Content creators
  • Designers
  • Developers

Questions people ask

Which is better, Affinity, Namelix or Nano Banana?

Nano Banana scores highest overall in our ratings (Affinity 4.4/5, Namelix 4.4/5 and Nano Banana 4.6/5). Affinity is best for Replacing Adobe apps without the subscription and logos and vector illustrations. Namelix is best for brainstorming a business name and product and app names. Nano Banana is best for editing photos by describing the change and product shots and lifestyle scenes.

Which is cheaper, Affinity, Namelix or Nano Banana?

Affinity: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at Your Canva subscription. Namelix: It's free to use. Nano Banana: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $19.99/mo.

Which is easier to use, Affinity, Namelix or Nano Banana?

Namelix rates highest for ease of use in our scores. Founders and small business owners brainstorming a business, product or brand name.

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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