Graphic Design Software

Affinity vs Penpot

Both are graphic design software. The short answer: choose Affinity if you are designers wanting pro tools without a subscription; choose Penpot if you are open-source UI design and prototyping.

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Affinity logo AffinityPenpot logo Penpot
Best forDesigners wanting pro tools without a subscriptionOpen-source UI design and prototyping
Free planVerifyYes
PricingSee providerSee provider
Built for IndiaGlobalGlobal
CategoriesGraphic Design SoftwareGraphic Design Software
Strengths
  • Professional features
  • No Adobe subscription
  • Free and open source
  • Self-hostable
Watch out for
  • Smaller plugin ecosystem
  • Smaller plugin ecosystem than Figma
Visit AffinityVisit Penpot

Which should you choose?

Affinity: Professional design, photo and layout software from Serif, now part of Canva.

Penpot: Open-source design and prototyping platform.

The best way to decide is to run the same week of real work through both — most offer a free plan or trial — and compare how long tasks take, what your team prefers, and the total cost for your number of users including renewal pricing.

Not sure either fits? See all graphic design software compared.