Affinity Publisher vs Microsoft Publisher

Likelihood to Recommend

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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Paul Gully

Director

Elevated OnlineMarketing & Advertising, 1-10 employees

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I can only say that it did everything that we needed it to. If we were in another business and had other needs, perhaps we would find a scenario in which it would not work? But we did not need anything complicated, just professional looking educational material for our patients.

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Kristen Lysobey

Medical Assistant

Sound Foot and AnkleMedical Practice, 1-10 employees

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Pros

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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Verified User

Project Manager in Social Media

Education Management Company, 201-500 employees

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Extremely user-friendly.
Easily converts to image files and PDF.
Simple maneuverability.
Less expensive alternative to high-end graphics programs.

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Kathryn Juarez

Community Relations Director

Boley Centers, Inc.Mental Health Care, 51-200 employees

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Cons

Affinity Publisher is very similar in look and feels to Adobe products, which was suitable for our transition to using it. The downside is it uses different terminology for some of the tools/functions. These were minor gripes from our design team, and usually, a quick Google would help them to do what they were trying to accomplish. I'm sure there are probably copyright/legal reasons why, but worth mentioning, no doubt.
I think Affinity Publisher will come with time and is to be expected, but the amount of web articles/YouTube videos, while growing, is still a fraction compared to Adobe's products. That being said, there is a very passionate community of users behind Affinity's product line that makes up for quantity, with quality. There have been rare instances where we couldn't find a resolution when seeking help online about this product.

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Verified User

Director in Product Management

Internet Company, 11-50 employees

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It doesn't have similar layout as other Microsoft applications such as Word and PowerPoint.
A little expensive compared to publishing software.

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Nicolas Hanhan

Distance Education Instructional Coordinator

Arizona Western CollegeEducation Management, 201-500 employees

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Support Rating

Affinity Publisher 8.5

Based on 4 answers

So far, when we've needed support, it has been top tier. However, I rate it an 8 because sometimes searching for things within the application hasn't yielded answers I've hoped for, so I've had to turn to YouTube or other outside sources. Thankfully there's a fantastic community that surrounds Affinity and their various apps that's been quite beneficial

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Verified User

Director in Marketing

Graphic Design Company, 11-50 employees

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Microsoft Publisher 8.0

Based on 6 answers

I feel Microsoft Publisher does exactly what it’s name implies, it turns you lists and info is into PDF or other versions. You can develop and email list.

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Matthew Smith

Safety and Project Manager

Century Exteriors Inc.Construction, 11-50 employees

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Alternatives Considered

The features in Affinity Publisher easily stack up against the much more expensive Adobe suite of products. With the ability to open all file types it is a bit of a workhorse for all things. We have been using it for social media template designs as well as client booklets and case studies. It's a very versatile program.

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Paul Gully

Director

Elevated OnlineMarketing & Advertising, 1-10 employees

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Not sure [why] it has a different name, but I briefly tried to create on my MacBook at home and used its version of Microsoft Word and was able to do similar things as in Publisher.

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Kristen Lysobey

Medical Assistant

Sound Foot and AnkleMedical Practice, 1-10 employees

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Return on Investment

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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Verified User

Project Manager in Social Media

Education Management Company, 201-500 employees

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Fantastic looking publisher pieces without high cost software.
Efficient for productivity.
No real learning curve.

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Kathryn Juarez

Community Relations Director

Boley Centers, Inc.Mental Health Care, 51-200 employees

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Pricing Details

General

Free Trial

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Free/Freemium Version

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Premium Consulting/Integration Services

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Entry-level set up fee?

No

Affinity Publisher Editions & Modules

Edition

Affinity Publisher	$24.99

Additional Pricing Details

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General

Free Trial

—

Free/Freemium Version

—

Premium Consulting/Integration Services

—

Entry-level set up fee?

No

Microsoft Publisher Editions & Modules

Edition

Microsoft Publisher	$139¹

one time purchase

Additional Pricing Details

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