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

Affinity vs Spline

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

Details Visit

Spline

4.0

From $0

Details Visit

Comparing 2 tools. Add one more if you like.

At a glance

Affinity4.4

Best overallBest value

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

Spline4.0

Easiest to use

Pick it if: Designers, marketers and founders who want 3D visuals on their website or product without learning Blender.

Overview

Attribute	Affinity	Spline
In one line	Free pro design app for photo editing, illustration and layout, with optional Canva AI.	Design interactive 3D for websites and apps in your browser, with AI that builds scenes.
Pricing model	Free	Freemium
Starting price	Your Canva subscription	$0
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Works with Claude Code	No	Yes

Rating breakdown

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

Attribute	Affinity	Spline
Overall rating	4.4Winner	4.0
Ease of useHow quickly someone non-technical gets value from it.	3.0	3.5
FeaturesHow completely it covers its own job, and how well the pieces fit together.	5.0	4.5
Output qualityHow good the results are before you fix them.	4.5	4.5
Value for moneyWhat you get for the price, including the free plan.	5.0	3.5
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.

Attribute	Affinity	Spline
Access & platform
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Mobile app	Yes	No
Desktop app	Yes	Yes
Browser extension	No	No
API access	No	Yes
Teams & business
Team workspace	No	Yes
Enterprise plan or SSO	Yes	Yes
Connects to other apps	Yes	Yes
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	No
Writes code	No	Yes
Runs agents or automations	No	Yes
Learns your brand or style	No	No
Works in many languages	Yes	–
Capabilities score	8/ 17	11/ 17

Pricing

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

Attribute	Affinity	Spline
Plans	FreeOur pick Free Individuals, for personal or business use.	Free $0 Learning the basics.
	With Canva Pro Your Canva subscription People who already pay for Canva.	Hobby $12/seat/mo billed yearly, or $15 monthly Adding 3D to your own site.
	Canva Enterprise Custom Organisations rolling it out to a team.	ProOur pick $25/seat/mo billed yearly, or $30 monthly Designers doing client work.
		Max $60/seat/mo billed yearly, or $70 monthly Heavy AI users.
		Enterprise Custom Large teams.
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.	Learn on Free, but you'll need Hobby to remove the watermark and use AI. Pick Pro if you need video exports, code or apps. Extra AI credits cost $5 per 1,000 a month.

Key features

Attribute	Affinity	Spline
Standout features	Photo editing Vector design Page layout One app for all three Canva AI Mac, Windows and iPad	3D editor in the browser AI agent AI 3D and textures Interactions and animation Export anywhere MCP server

Pros and cons

Attribute	Affinity	Spline
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	Far easier than traditional 3D software AI builds scenes, models and textures Exports to web, video, code and mobile apps MCP server for Claude Unlimited viewers on every plan
Cons	Steep learning curve compared with Canva AI tools need a paid Canva plan Complex Adobe files don't always open perfectly	Free plan has no AI and adds a watermark Per-seat pricing adds up for teams Heavy scenes can slow websites on older phones Detailed work still takes time to learn

Who each one is for

Attribute	Affinity	Spline
Best for	Replacing Adobe apps without the subscription Logos and vector illustrations Print layouts like brochures and menus Detailed photo editing	A 3D hero section for a landing page Interactive product mockups Animated 3D graphics for social and video 3D elements in Webflow or Framer sites
You'll find it used by	Designers Photographers Illustrators Small businesses Students	Designers Marketers Startups Agencies

Questions people ask

Which is better, Affinity or Spline?

Affinity scores highest overall in our ratings (Affinity 4.4/5 and Spline 4.0/5). Affinity is best for Replacing Adobe apps without the subscription and logos and vector illustrations. Spline is best for A 3D hero section for a landing page and interactive product mockups.

Which is cheaper, Affinity or Spline?

Affinity: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at Your Canva subscription. Spline: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $0.

Which is easier to use, Affinity or Spline?

Spline rates highest for ease of use in our scores. Designers, marketers and founders who want 3D visuals on their website or product without learning Blender.

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.