Photoshop competitor is coming to Windows!

JohnnyRoy wrote on 3/17/2016, 9:02 AM

For those of you who detest subscription models like I do and refuse to pay Adobe random money to use Photoshop every month or else it stops working... there is now a significant competitor that has come to the rescue.

Serif's Affinity Photo and Affinity Designer are Photoshop and Illustrator competitors that, until now, were only available on the Mac. Serif started their advertising campaign by declaring that they will never "rent" their software. You own it forever. They were clearly talking to the Adobe haters and I own both Affinity Photo and Affinity Designer for the Mac ($49 USD each) and they are very much high quality competition for Adobe. I've stopped using Adobe CS6 completely now and thanks to Affinity, my workflow is "Adobe free".

Well... Serif is bringing their Affinity products to Windows. Anyone who wants a Photoshop equivalent for $49 USD (assuming they keep the same pricing as the Mac version) should sign up for the beta of Affinity Photo for Windows:

https://affinity.serif.com/en-us/windows/

I have no affiliation with this company. I just own, and use, and love their products. I feel it's wrong that Adobe is abusing their power position in the market by forcing customers into a financial model that benefits only Adobe and I applaud companies that stand up to the big guys and give us little guys a chance to control our own business budgets.

Read more about it here: Affinity is coming to Windows

~jr

Comments

Steve Grisetti wrote on 3/17/2016, 9:09 AM

Looks like a long of bang for $49 bucks. Thanks for the tip, JohnnyRoy!

john_dennis wrote on 3/17/2016, 9:32 AM

Thanks. I signed up for the Affinity Windows Beta.

Former user wrote on 3/17/2016, 9:47 AM

That stacking idea seems to have a lot of potential.

Marco. wrote on 3/17/2016, 9:49 AM

Share your opinion. I also bought the whole Serif software line as to me it offers amazing power for a small amount of bucks. To complete the package (it misses a painting tool (not drawing)) I use Autodesk's SketchBook.

I look forward to Serif's new way, Affinity.

JohnnyRoy wrote on 3/17/2016, 10:15 AM

> "I look forward to Serif's new way, Affinit."

I just realized the companies name is Serif and Affinity is their line of software (Thanks Marco). I corrected my post to reflect this. I just saw they are working on Affinity Publisher. This is great news.

~jr

Grazie wrote on 3/17/2016, 10:21 AM

Seen the Vid! I'm sold! Thanks JR, been wanting an APPLE Graph App for my iPad Air2.

Steve_Rhoden wrote on 3/17/2016, 10:33 AM

Indeed a very great alternative John. But im wondering can it open / create the PSD (photoshop) file format efficiently for you?

Grazie wrote on 3/17/2016, 10:56 AM

Ah, good question Steve. Layers back and forth to Vegas using the PSDs would be neat.

G

Former user wrote on 3/17/2016, 11:19 AM

https://affinity.serif.com/en-us/photo/

On bottom of page it states

We’ve got the best PSD support out there, plus all the standards you’d expect including PNG, JPG, TIFF, EPS, PDF, and SVG.

Steve_Rhoden wrote on 3/17/2016, 11:28 AM

Already saw that DonaldT, That's not what im asking!
I asked John if it does so efficiently, with him already using it
in a tough real world workflow environment.....

Former user wrote on 3/17/2016, 12:00 PM

okay

JohnnyRoy wrote on 3/17/2016, 12:08 PM

> "I asked John if it does so efficiently, with him already using it in a tough real world workflow environment....."

Yes it can. I've opened some pretty complex PSD files like 3D Box Shots with lots of layers grouped within layers with it and it actually opens them faster than Photoshop does. I've been very happy with it.

You have to understand... this is not some graphics program that happens to support PSD files... this was designed to be a Photoshop killer! They want all of the business that Adobe left on the table by abandoning long time customers that don't agree with their new "ransom-ware" approach. ;-)

~jr

John222 wrote on 3/17/2016, 12:24 PM

Is this really much better than Gimp?

Grazie wrote on 3/17/2016, 12:35 PM

I sawMac and clapped. That's not my ios9 for iPad.

Huh ......

G

Former user wrote on 3/17/2016, 12:40 PM

I'm sold and signed up for the beta.

But, given Adobe's predication to squash perceived competition by just buying them, slicing off any useful bits and then shutting them down like they did with Macromedia (25 companies in fact) I wouldn't be surprised if they did the same thing to this company as well :-(

VMP wrote on 3/17/2016, 2:02 PM

Thanks, signed up for beta.

@ jdw

I thought it was against the law to buy off all your concurrents, didn't M.Soft and other similar companies get in trouble by doing that in the past?

VMP

Mindmatter wrote on 3/17/2016, 2:07 PM

Very cool indeed!
For thet price, I'll get it, just to p i s s Adobe off...

VMP wrote on 3/17/2016, 2:32 PM

Here is a video comparison with Photoshop:

Affinity Photo Tutorial (Live Session)

Julius_ wrote on 3/17/2016, 2:37 PM

(getting up after falling from the chair)

WOW, I'm blown away by the demo reel..what a great product and it looks a lot easier to use.

Thanks for the tip!

videoITguy wrote on 3/17/2016, 3:45 PM

There is an extraordinary history hidden behind the Serif Software name. Originally they started with Windows95 line up of a product family years ago that was a really good product -if not a little weird in some of the early interfaces they used. But that was the glory day of experimenting with the Win95 OS.

I for one believe that another Windows95 product launch does not get its due today because of the current ownership. That product was Ulead PhotoImpact and it WAS an early trade-show alternative to Photoshop. In the introduction phase it was touted in professional circles, but as PhotoShop took over the MAC graphics market, it was lost. It was continuously resold many time to its current neglectful owner. But it is a package that you can edit PhotoShop native files!

DrLumen wrote on 3/17/2016, 5:27 PM

I can't say much for the Apple versions but I am interested in the Windows version. I would love to get away from the online only bloatware and pseudo-subscription that Corel has forced on us!

imaginACTION_films wrote on 3/17/2016, 5:31 PM

+1 to all those like JR who are apposed to Adobe ransom ware.

The Serif option looks excellent and I have signed up for the beta.

I'd like to point out, though, that I have been using PaintShop Pro as a great alternative to Photoshop for around 15 years. It handles Photoshop layers just fine for my needs.

For vector illustration I have been using Xara Design Pro and it is a dream to use. Definitely uses far fewer steps to achieve virtually anything and is far and away the simplest vector drawing tool I've ever encountered. It also handles documents really well. I recently laid out an entire 200-page book with pictures in Xara and it was Sooooo much easier and faster than InDesign. And I built our website in just 3 hours using Xara (OK it may not be the fanciest around, but it worked and was online in 3 hours!).

Like JR I am proud to be an Adobe free workplace.

HOWEVER: my son is doing a degree course in digital design and the pressure in the industry is really fierce - "Must be proficient in Adobe CC" etc.

So it remains difficult being a David against the Adobe Goliath.
David

Kit wrote on 3/17/2016, 6:04 PM

Absolutely, I'm a long time Coreldraw user and I loathe what Corel have been doing.

GeeBax wrote on 3/17/2016, 6:16 PM

Yes, another hater of Adobe's Ransom Policy here. I will be looking into Serif as well. Thank you JR.

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