Design, graphics & illustration
Affinity vs VectorStyler
Both replace Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Creative Cloud.
| Fact |  AffinityThe whole design suite, now free for individuals |  VectorStylerDeep vector illustration app, 95 dollars once with upgrades included |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | $95 |
| Licence | FreewareNothing to buy | PerpetualUpdates included, forever |
| The catch | Free, but the download runs through a Canva account and the AI tools need a paid Canva plan | One person builds it, so "lifetime" means the app's lifetime rather than yours |
| Against a subscription | Replaces Adobe Creative Cloud Pro$840 a year | 4 monthsAgainst Adobe Illustrator at $264 a year |
| Seats | not established | 6 MacsUp to six personal or family computers, macOS and Windows interchangeable; the limit does not apply to business licences. |
| Developer account | Required | None needed |
| Works offline | Partly | Yes |
| Apple Silicon | Native | Native |
| Free trial | does not apply | Yes |
| On Setapp | No | No |
| Get it | Buy direct |
Both prices read 22 Sep 2026, on the pages these buttons open. Minimum macOS and App Store rating are not established for either app, so those rows are left out.
In their own right
Affinity
The former Affinity Photo, Designer and Publisher merged into one app with vector, pixel and page layout in a single document, and given away to individuals by Canva.
VectorStyler
A technically dense vector editor that goes after the parts of Illustrator other alternatives skip: non-destructive effects, variable-width strokes, mesh fills and spot colour.