What users are saying about
23 Ratings
<a href='https://www.trustradius.com/static/about-trustradius-scoring' target='_blank' rel='nofollow noopener'>trScore algorithm: Learn more.</a>Score 9.3 out of 100
Based on 23 reviews and ratings
35 Ratings
<a href='https://www.trustradius.com/static/about-trustradius-scoring' target='_blank' rel='nofollow noopener'>trScore algorithm: Learn more.</a>Score 8.2 out of 100
Based on 35 reviews and ratings
Attribute Ratings
- Affinity Publisher is rated higher in 2 areas: Likelihood to Recommend, Support Rating
Likelihood to Recommend
9.8
Affinity Publisher
98%
6 Ratings
8.4
Microsoft Publisher
84%
9 Ratings
Usability
Affinity Publisher
N/A
0 Ratings
10.0
Microsoft Publisher
100%
1 Rating
Support Rating
8.6
Affinity Publisher
86%
4 Ratings
8.0
Microsoft Publisher
80%
6 Ratings
Likelihood to Recommend
Affinity Publisher
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.
Director
Elevated OnlineMarketing & Advertising, 1-10 employees
Microsoft Publisher
Microsoft Publisher is well suited for almost any situation. It is something that I'm sure has far more advanced tools than I use or am aware of, but it is also very simple for entry-level users to create professional documents quickly. I have used it for very involved brochures in real estate scenarios and I have also used it for very simple "Construction Zone" signs at a job site under construction. There are so many uses for this program!
Executive Assistant
Spiegelglass ConstructionConstruction, 11-50 employees
Pros
Affinity Publisher
- 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.

Verified User
Project Manager in Social Media
Education Management Company, 201-500 employeesMicrosoft Publisher
- Business cards
- Internal memos that use a logo or a little bit of design.
- Quick and simple flyers for internal events.
Owner
Groovy Hemp Company LLCInternet, 1-10 employees
Cons
Affinity Publisher
- Menu differences can be an impediment to new users from other softwares
- Some functions are not in places I would expect
Business Owner
Bergmann PhotographyPhotography, 1-10 employees
Microsoft Publisher
- The greatest shortcoming is large (300+ page documents) that require lots of internal hyperlinks. While it can do it, I can tell, due to the way it bogs down, that I am pushing the program to its limits.
- I would like to be able to work better with pdf's. I would like the ability to import a pdf of a graph, picture, or some other object directly into a Publisher document. Currently, I have to first convert the pdf to a jpeg and then import the jpeg. I have not found a way around this issue.
- At one point, I thought I had the option to automatically turn off hyphenation. Somewhere along the way, it seems as if the default for everything is hyphenation is turned on. I detest hyphenation and turning it off on every box I create becomes cumbersome.
- More options for graphics. Particularly the defaults that allow you to place "frames" and effects around photos. More options.
Secretary of the Annual conference
Holston Annual ConferenceReligious Institutions, 11-50 employees
Pricing Details
Affinity Publisher
General
Free Trial
—Free/Freemium Version
—Premium Consulting/Integration Services
—Entry-level set up fee?
No
Starting Price
$24.99
Affinity Publisher Editions & Modules
Edition
Affinity Publisher | $24.99 |
---|
- none
Additional Pricing Details
—Microsoft Publisher
General
Free Trial
—Free/Freemium Version
—Premium Consulting/Integration Services
—Entry-level set up fee?
No
Starting Price
$139 one time purchase
Microsoft Publisher Editions & Modules
Edition
Microsoft Publisher | $1391 |
---|
- one time purchase
Additional Pricing Details
—Usability
Affinity Publisher
No score
No answers yet
No answers on this topic
Microsoft Publisher
Microsoft Publisher 10.0
Based on 1 answer
It has a great feature set but does not overwhelm me with its complexity. This is not an entry-level program, but it is also not one of the top of line graphic designer programs, like Abode In-Design. I can use Publisher to do 95% of what I need to get done. The other 5% I farm out to the graphics design person in the organization. It simply works and does so in a simple to use manner.
Secretary of the Annual conference
Holston Annual ConferenceReligious Institutions, 11-50 employees
Support Rating
Affinity Publisher
Affinity Publisher 8.6
Based on 4 answers
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.

Verified User
Director in Product Management
Internet Company, 11-50 employeesMicrosoft Publisher
Microsoft Publisher 8.0
Based on 6 answers
While I have not directly used support for Microsoft Publisher, I have used their help files and found them to be useful. I have also found that most answers that I need can be found through simple web searches and chat platforms. In all though, there are very few times when the preloaded help files have not given me the answers that I need.
Community Relations Director
Boley Centers, Inc.Mental Health Care, 51-200 employees
Alternatives Considered
Affinity Publisher
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.

Verified User
Director in Marketing
Graphic Design Company, 11-50 employeesMicrosoft Publisher
Microsoft Publisher is more for beginners, or for basic needs, anyone with some familiarity with the Microsoft suite should be able to use it easily. If you’re looking to create something more graphic and advanced, you’d probably want to look into something like InDesign, which is not as user friendly if you’re not familiar with it at all. For basic needs the average employee should be able to use Microsoft Publisher with ease.
Administrative Office Technician
Lebanon Campus of Harrisburg Area Community CollegeHigher Education, 1001-5000 employees
Return on Investment
Affinity Publisher
- 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.

Verified User
Project Manager in Social Media
Education Management Company, 201-500 employeesMicrosoft Publisher
- Allowed us to created our own documents/educational material for patients. In previous practices I have worked we had to buy "pamplets and brochures" which were very costly.
Medical Assistant
Sound Foot and AnkleMedical Practice, 1-10 employees