Affinity vs ibisPaint X
Which is better in 2026? Five scores, side by side.
Affinity is the better app overall, scoring 8.9 to 7.9. Affinity wins on 5 of the 5 scores, ibisPaint X on 0.
Designers and photographers who want a free alternative to Adobe's desktop apps
Students and hobby artists who want a capable free app on an iPad or phone
Score by score
The details
| Feature | Affinity | ibisPaint X |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Design & Creativity | Design & Creativity |
| Category rank | #4 of 10 | #10 of 10 |
| Developer | Canva | ibis inc. |
| Pricing | Free + paid plans | Free + paid plans |
| Usable for free | Yes | Yes |
| iPhone & iPad | — | ✓ |
| Android | — | ✓ |
| Mac | ✓ | ✓ |
| Windows | ✓ | ✓ |
Common questions
Is Affinity better than ibisPaint X?
Affinity is the better app overall, scoring 8.9 to 7.9. Affinity wins on 5 of the 5 scores, ibisPaint X on 0.
Which is cheaper, Affinity or ibisPaint X?
Affinity: Free for individuals; Canva AI tools inside Affinity need a Canva premium plan. ibisPaint X: Free with ads; ad removal is $15.99 once, or Premium is $4.49 a month. On value for money, Affinity scores higher.
Do Affinity and ibisPaint X work on the same devices?
Only ibisPaint X runs on iPhone & iPad, Android.
Which is more private, Affinity or ibisPaint X?
Affinity scores higher on privacy (8.0/10). Covered by Canva's privacy policy, and a Canva account is required. Canva says work made in Affinity is not used to train AI, and your files are stored locally on your device.
Strengths and weaknesses
Affinity
- Pro-level design, photo and layout tools for free
- Files stay on your device and work offline
- One app instead of three separate programs
- Requires a Canva account to activate
- Canva AI features need a paid Canva plan
- No iPad version yet
Affinity used to be three separate apps you bought. Now it's one free app with Vector, Pixel and Layout studios, so you can draw a logo, retouch a photo and set a magazine page without switching programs. The September 2026 update added a Blend Tool, scripting and native InDesign file import. You need a Canva account to activate it, the AI tools cost extra, and there's still no iPad version.
Full Affinity review
ibisPaint X
- Generous free version with a huge brush library
- Animation, vector and comic tools in one app
- Runs on iPhone, iPad, Android, Windows and Mac
- Ads in the free version unless you pay
- Privacy label lists data used to track you
- Free vector tool use is capped at an hour a day
ibisPaint X shows how deep a free drawing app can go. You get a huge brush library, layers with blend modes, vector and text tools, screentones, rulers, frame-by-frame animation and time-lapse recording, and it runs on phones as well as iPad. The catch is the business model: ads in the free version, Premium for the best filters and unlimited vector use, and a privacy label that lists data used to track you.
Full ibisPaint X review
