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

Affinity vs Pomelli

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

Pomelli

4.1

Free to start

Comparing 2 tools. Add one more if you like.

At a glance

Best overall

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

Easiest to use

Pick it if: Small business owners who need regular on-brand social posts and ads but don't have a designer or much time.

Overview

AttributeAffinityPomelli
In one lineFree pro design app for photo editing, illustration and layout, with optional Canva AI.Free Google tool that reads your website and makes on-brand marketing images and posts.
Pricing modelFreeFree
Starting priceYour Canva subscriptionFree
Free plan Yes Yes
Works with Claude Code No No

Rating breakdown

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

AttributeAffinityPomelli
Overall rating4.4Winner4.1
Ease of useHow quickly someone non-technical gets value from it.
3.0
4.5
FeaturesHow completely it covers its own job, and how well the pieces fit together.
5.0
3.5
Output qualityHow good the results are before you fix them.
4.5
3.5
Value for moneyWhat you get for the price, including the free plan.
5.0
5.0
Speed & reliabilityHow fast it is and how often it falls over.
4.5
4.0

Feature comparison

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

AttributeAffinityPomelli
Access & platform
Free plan Yes Yes
Mobile app Yes No
Desktop app Yes No
Browser extension No No
API access No 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
AI abilities
Works with your files Yes Yes
Understands images– Yes
Makes images Yes Yes
Makes video No Yes
Writes code No No
Runs agents or automations No No
Learns your brand or style No Yes
Works in many languages Yes–
Capabilities score8/ 176/ 17

Pricing

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

AttributeAffinityPomelli
Plans

FreeOur pick

Free

Individuals, for personal or business use.

FreeOur pick

Free

Every small business. There's no paid plan.

With Canva Pro

Your Canva subscription

People who already pay for Canva.

Canva Enterprise

Custom

Organisations rolling it out to a team.

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 only the free version. Sign in with a Google account, paste your website, and check the Business DNA it builds before you make anything.

Key features

AttributeAffinityPomelli
Standout features
  • Photo editing
  • Vector design
  • Page layout
  • One app for all three
  • Canva AI
  • Mac, Windows and iPad
  • Business DNA
  • Campaign ideas
  • Photoshoot
  • Animate
  • Product catalogue
  • Easy edits

Pros and cons

AttributeAffinityPomelli
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
  • Learns your brand from your website in minutes
  • Product photoshoot uses Google's Nano Banana
  • Very easy for non-designers
  • Animate turns posts into short videos
Cons
  • Steep learning curve compared with Canva
  • AI tools need a paid Canva plan
  • Complex Adobe files don't always open perfectly
  • A Google Labs experiment that could change or close
  • Designs are simpler than Canva or Lovart
  • No scheduling or posting
  • Needs a decent website to learn your brand from

Who each one is for

AttributeAffinityPomelli
Best for
  • Replacing Adobe apps without the subscription
  • Logos and vector illustrations
  • Print layouts like brochures and menus
  • Detailed photo editing
  • On-brand social posts without a designer
  • Studio-style product photos from a phone shot
  • Campaign ideas for a sale or launch
  • Turning posts into short animated clips
You'll find it used by
  • Designers
  • Photographers
  • Illustrators
  • Small businesses
  • Students
  • Small businesses
  • Online stores
  • Cafes and restaurants
  • Solo founders

Questions people ask

Which is better, Affinity or Pomelli?

Affinity scores highest overall in our ratings (Affinity 4.4/5 and Pomelli 4.1/5). Affinity is best for Replacing Adobe apps without the subscription and logos and vector illustrations. Pomelli is best for on-brand social posts without a designer and studio-style product photos from a phone shot.

Which is cheaper, Affinity or Pomelli?

Affinity: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at Your Canva subscription. Pomelli: It's free to use.

Which is easier to use, Affinity or Pomelli?

Pomelli rates highest for ease of use in our scores. Small business owners who need regular on-brand social posts and ads but don't have a designer or much time.

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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