Photopea vs Affinity by Canva
Both are alternatives to Adobe Photoshop. Here's how they stack up — verified facts, no spin.
Also searched as Affinity by Canva vs Photopea — same comparison, one verdict.
Photopea and Affinity by Canva are closely matched on ownership (45 vs 42) — this one comes down to pricing and to which trade-offs below you can live with.
Photopea
A free Photoshop-style editor that runs instantly in your browser and opens PSD files.
Photopea is a free web-based editor whose interface and shortcuts closely mirror Photoshop's, with the best PSD compatibility of any free tool — it also opens Illustrator, XD, and Sketch files. Despite running in a browser, it processes everything on your device: by its own documentation it uploads none of your files, and a loaded tab keeps working offline. It is the fastest way for a Photoshop user to get real work done at zero cost, but it is not open-source and cannot be self-hosted — the free version is ad-supported, with an optional Premium subscription (about US$5/month) — which its Sovereignty Score honestly reflects.
Affinity by Canva
The full pro suite — pixel, vector, and layout — now genuinely free.
Affinity was the classic one-time-purchase Photoshop rival; after Canva's acquisition it was relaunched in late 2025 as a single free desktop app combining what used to be Affinity Photo, Designer, and Publisher — full pixel, vector, and layout studios with no feature limits or subscription. It's closed-source and needs a Canva account to activate (it works offline afterwards), and Canva's AI extras are the paid upsell. For someone who wants professional-grade Photoshop power without a subscription and without open-source trade-offs, this is now the strongest commercial answer.
Side by side
6 points of comparison, every one read from a verified field. Green marks the side that wins a row outright. A dash means we do not hold that fact — never that it is zero.
| Photopea | Affinity by Canva | |
|---|---|---|
| Sovereignty ScoreOur transparent 0–100 composite for data ownership and exit cost. | 45 | 42 |
| Open source | No | No |
| Self-hostable | No | No |
| Local-first data | Yes | Yes |
| License | Proprietary (free) | Proprietary (free) |
| Pricing | Free in the browser (ad-supported); optional Premium about US$5/month | Free (all pixel/vector/layout tools); Canva premium plans unlock the AI features |
Photopea edges it on the Sovereignty Score, but the right pick depends on the trade-offs below.
Weighing both against staying on Adobe Photoshop? Is Adobe Photoshop free? What it actually costs →
Photopea
Strengths
- +Closest free match to Photoshop's interface and shortcuts — minimal relearning
- +Best-in-class PSD compatibility among free tools; also opens AI, XD, and Sketch files
- +Nothing to install; files are processed on your device, not uploaded to a server
- +Works on any OS with a modern browser, including Chromebooks and tablets
Trade-offs
- −Not open-source and not self-hostable — you depend on Photopea.com remaining available
- −Free version is ad-supported
- −Very large or complex documents are constrained by browser memory
- −Offline use works in an already-loaded tab, but it is not an installable local app you control
Affinity by Canva
Strengths
- +Professional-grade suite, genuinely free — no feature gates
- +Pixel, vector, and page layout in one app
- +Works offline after activation; native macOS and Windows
Trade-offs
- −Closed-source; requires a Canva account to activate
- −Long-term direction now depends on Canva
- −iPad version still catching up
Which one fits you
The trade-offs above, turned into a decision. Find the line that describes your team.
Choose Photopea
if a lower exit cost matters more to you than any single feature, and closest free match to Photoshop's interface and shortcuts — minimal relearning.
Choose Affinity by Canva
if professional-grade suite, genuinely free — no feature gates.
Neither, yet
if both carry a real cost you should weigh first — not open-source and not self-hostable — you depend on Photopea.com remaining available, and closed-source; requires a Canva account to activate. If either of those is a dealbreaker for your team, the shortlist is wrong rather than the choice.
Photopea vs Affinity by Canva — common questions
Is Photopea a better fit than Affinity by Canva for image editing?
It depends on what you are optimising for, and the honest split is this: Photopea scores 45 to Affinity by Canva's 42 on data ownership and exit cost, so it is the safer choice if you care about being able to leave. Affinity by Canva earns its place on a different axis — professional-grade suite, genuinely free — no feature gates. Neither is a wrong answer for every team; the table above is the actual comparison.
What happens if we want to switch later?
Photopea keeps its data local or in open formats, so leaving is an export rather than a negotiation. Affinity by Canva keeps your data on its own infrastructure, which is the part to plan for: confirm the export path before you commit, not when you are already trying to leave.
Are Photopea and Affinity by Canva both alternatives to Adobe Photoshop?
Yes — both appear in our Adobe Photoshop comparison, which is why they are worth putting side by side. People usually arrive here already having decided to move off Adobe Photoshop and now choosing between the two replacements, which is a narrower and much easier question.
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Facts verified 2026-07-06. Licenses and pricing change — spotted something out of date? That's a correction we want.