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Visual Art & Communication Centre | Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania

Visual Art & Communication Centre

Advantages Affinity Suite: the Best Professional Standard for Graphic Design

Discover how Affinity Suite's powerful features, affordable pricing, and growing industry adoption make it an ideal choice for both students starting their journey and professionals seeking to enhance their toolkit in the ever-evolving world of graphic design.


A. Cost-effectiveness


1. One-time purchase vs subscription model

One of the most significant advantages of Affinity Suite is its pricing model. Unlike Adobe's Creative Cloud, which requires a monthly or annual subscription, Affinity offers to graphic designers its software for a one-time purchase. This means you own the software outright, with no recurring fees.


  • Affinity Suite pricing (one-time purchase):

  • Affinity Photo: $69.99

  • Affinity Designer: $69.99

  • Affinity Publisher: $69.99

  • Entire Suite (all three apps): $169.99


Affinity Suite Universal Licence for Graphic Designers
Affinity Suite Universal Licence for Graphic Designers

In contrast, Adobe Creative Cloud pricing (subscription-based):


  • Photography plan (Photoshop + Lightroom): $9.99/month

  • Single App (e.g., Illustrator or InDesign): $20.99/month

  • All Apps plan: $52.99/month or $599.88/year


Adobe Pricing Screenshot for Graphic Design
Adobe Pricing Screenshot for Graphic Design

As you can see, the entire Affinity Suite costs less than four months of Adobe's All Apps plan. This one-time investment gives you lifetime access to the software, including updates within the major version number.


2. Competitive pricing for students

Affinity takes it a step further by offering significant discounts for students and educational institutions. They often run promotions with up to 50% off, making the already affordable software even more accessible.


Adobe also offers student discounts, with their All Apps plan available for $19.99/month for the first year and $29.99/month after that. However, this is still a recurring cost compared to Affinity's one-time purchase.


B. Performance and speed


Affinity Suite is renowned for its blazing-fast performance. This means faster rendering times, smoother zooming and panning, and the ability to work on large, complex files without lag.


The software is built from the ground up with speed in mind, utilizing your computer's hardware to its fullest potential.

Many users report that Affinity applications open faster, process effects more quickly, and handle large files more efficiently than their Adobe counterparts. This speed translates directly into improved productivity and a more enjoyable design experience.


C. User-friendly interface


While powerful, Affinity Suite boasts an intuitive and clean interface. The learning curve is generally considered less steep than Adobe's products, especially for newcomers to design software. The interface is customizable, allowing you to tailor your workspace to your specific needs and preferences.


Affinity Suite User-friendly interface
Affinity Suite User-friendly interface

D. Cross-compatibility between Affinity products


One of Affinity Suite's standout features is its seamless integration between applications. The "StudioLink" technology allows you to switch between Photo, Designer, and Publisher without leaving your current project. This means you can edit a photo, create vector graphics, and layout a document all within the same interface, streamlining your workflow significantly.

 The "StudioLink" technology allows you to switch between Photo, Designer, and Publisher
The "StudioLink" technology allows you to switch between Photo, Designer, and Publisher

E. Regular updates and new features


Serif is committed to continually improving Affinity Suite. They regularly release updates that not only fix bugs but also introduce new features and improvements based on user feedback. These updates are free within each major version, ensuring that your software stays current and competitive.


Recent updates have included features like automatic font activation, linked image resource management, and improved PDF handling.


Serif's responsiveness to user needs and industry trends ensures that Affinity Suite remains at the cutting edge of design technology.

The advantages of Affinity Suite extend beyond just cost savings. Its performance, user-friendliness, cross-compatibility, and continuous improvement make it a compelling choice for both students and professionals. As we'll explore in the following sections, these advantages translate into real-world benefits across various design disciplines.





Do you think that Tanzanian's Designers should learn Affinity Suite?

  • Yes, because Affinity Suite is the future.

  • No, because I belive Adobe is better.


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