GIMP vs. Affinity Publisher

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
GIMP
Score 8.5 out of 10
N/A
GIMP is a free, open-source graphics software. GIMP, or General Image Manipulation Program was developed in 1996 and has continued to be updated by volunteers since then.N/A
Affinity Publisher
Score 9.1 out of 10
N/A
Affinity Publisher replaces the former PagePlus desktop publishing application, from Serif Europe headquartered in Nottingham.
$24.99
Pricing
GIMPAffinity Publisher
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
Affinity Publisher
$24.99
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
GIMPAffinity Publisher
Free Trial
NoNo
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional Details——
More Pricing Information
Best Alternatives
GIMPAffinity Publisher
Small Businesses
CorelDRAW Graphics Suite
CorelDRAW Graphics Suite
Score 9.4 out of 10
CorelDRAW Graphics Suite
CorelDRAW Graphics Suite
Score 9.4 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Adobe PhotoShop
Adobe PhotoShop
Score 9.1 out of 10
Canva
Canva
Score 9.1 out of 10
Enterprises
Adobe PhotoShop
Adobe PhotoShop
Score 9.1 out of 10
Adobe InDesign
Adobe InDesign
Score 9.1 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
GIMPAffinity Publisher
Likelihood to Recommend
9.2
(8 ratings)
9.1
(7 ratings)
Usability
10.0
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Support Rating
9.4
(5 ratings)
8.6
(2 ratings)
User Testimonials
GIMPAffinity Publisher
Likelihood to Recommend
GIMP Development Team
GIMP is great for anyone ranging from personal use to a small business. But, if you are a large business and have a sufficient budget, I would recommend you to opt for an expensive paid software like Photoshop, that would provide not only great features but also public recognition. Its great for beginners wanting to start editing photos, there is a small learning curve that could be gotten used to in no time.
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Serif Europe
If you are looking to get started using a publishing / creation application, Affinity Publisher is the one to go for. With a quick learning curve on all the basic functions, you'll be flying in no time. And then there is a whole heap of great features to get into as you become more comfortable with the software. The only down side is if clients are using Adobe programs, there are sometimes problems working with imported layers, but this is minor compared to the ease of use and features.
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Pros
GIMP Development Team
  • Customizable interface.
  • Powerful tools for image editing.
  • It is a light and multiplatform software.
  • It can work with many editable formats.
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Serif Europe
  • Supports just about any format you'll need for your project.
  • The variety of templates makes startign projects simple.
  • The program is just really powerful and fairly priced.
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Cons
GIMP Development Team
  • The UI could be revamped to reflect more modern UI trends (for example, material design look)
  • The Export menu could be made more intuitive and allow to easily choose file extension, quality etc.
  • Would be great if GIMP natively supported digital negative files (RAW)
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Serif Europe
  • Menu differences can be an impediment to new users from other softwares
  • Some functions are not in places I would expect
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Usability
GIMP Development Team
I interface GIMP with other software--I need to. I generally use the major calculation, CAD, word processing, and photo editing programs. In my office, my use of this software is not limited to computer-aided design. However, I am sure that if I needed this software for other purposes, it would have no interface problems.
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Serif Europe
No answers on this topic
Support Rating
GIMP Development Team
We have never needed to use the support functions for GIMP. Any queries we have or had about whether GIMP could complete a task we have used Google and YouTube. There is a wealth of information, guides, and forums dedicated to GIMP and how to perform certain tasks with the application.
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Serif Europe
Our team typically uses other online resources instead of contacting developers/manufacturers for support. That being said, there is a forum and a growing, vibrant community of users available to answer questions and "make the switch." A simple "whatever function we used to use in Adobe InDesign," followed by "Affinity," usually gets us on the right track to an answer. YouTube and their forums are our team's go-to sources for help.
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Alternatives Considered
GIMP Development Team
I looked at getting Adobe Illustrator before finding GIMP. The cost was prohibitive to me, as I was looking for something that would allow me to work on the images I had at a low cost. I could not justify buying Adobe Illustrator for the small amount of use I would get out of it. GIMP is the perfect solution, allowing me to do what I need with no cost for the software.
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Serif Europe
Affinity Publisher is a more cost effective way to achieve the same goals as InDesign and Quark. I'm sure there are various differences that Affinity may lack, however we have yet to run into one that our business has needed, or even recognized. It has completely replaced any desktop publishing for our organization without issue.
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Return on Investment
GIMP Development Team
  • GIMP has allowed me to present clients with high-quality and creative logos that meet every requirement.
  • GIMP has allowed me to maintain brand consistency across a large variety of projects.
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Serif Europe
  • I wish we could push it out to all staff but we can't quite afford the cost.
  • Amount of features can be overwhelming for first time users and take more time.
  • This program will save time once employees figure it out.
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