What is the difference between InVision and Affinity Designer?

InVision is best for Teams needing design feedback workflows, while Affinity Designer is best for Designers wanting professional tools without subscriptions. InVision starts at $7.95/mo and Affinity Designer starts at $69.99 one-time.

Is InVision or Affinity Designer cheaper?

InVision starts at $7.95/mo with a free tier. Affinity Designer starts at $69.99 one-time.

Is there a free alternative to Affinity Designer?

Yes, InVision offers a free tier (Free for 1 prototype).

InVision vs Affinity Designer

InVision is digital product design platform for prototyping, collaboration, and design system management, while Affinity Designer is professional vector graphic design software with one-time purchase pricing. InVision comes in cheaper, but price alone does not tell the full story. InVision is built for teams needing design feedback workflows, whereas Affinity Designer targets designers wanting professional tools without subscriptions.

At a glance

	InVision	Affinity Designer
Best for	Teams needing design feedback workflows	Designers wanting professional tools without subscriptions
Starting price	$7.95/mo	$69.99 one-time
Free tier	✓	—
Open source	—	—
Free tier available	✓	—
Open source	—	—
Design Systems	✓	—
Freehand	✓	—
Inspect	✓	—
Multi-Platform	—	✓
One-Time Purchase	—	✓
PSD Import	—	✓
Prototyping	✓	—
Vector Design	—	✓

InVision

Strengths

Interactive prototyping with transitions so stakeholders can click through realistic mockups
Includes Design Systems as a core feature, purpose-built for design workflows
Free for 1 prototype — generous enough for most small teams to get real work done
Established product with 15+ years on the market and a mature ecosystem

Weaknesses

Free plan exists but key features are locked behind the paid upgrade
Fewer built-in features means you may need additional tools to cover gaps
Output quality depends on your design skills — templates only go so far
Mobile experience lags behind the desktop version in features and polish

Try InVision → Full review

Affinity Designer

Strengths

Vector design tools handle illustrations, icons, and UI assets at any resolution
Includes One-Time Purchase as a core feature, purpose-built for design workflows
Pricing starts at $69.99 one-time, which includes the full design feature set
Established product with 12+ years on the market and a mature ecosystem

Weaknesses

Starts at $69.99 one-time — on the expensive side, especially for small teams or solo users
Fewer built-in features means you may need additional tools to cover gaps
Output quality depends on your design skills — templates only go so far
Limited team/admin features if your organization eventually scales up

Try Affinity Designer → Full review

The bottom line

Pricing: InVision starts at $7.95/mo. Affinity Designer starts at $69.99 one-time. InVision is the more affordable option.

Feature gaps: InVision offers Design Systems, Freehand and Inspect that Affinity Designer lacks. Affinity Designer brings Multi-Platform, One-Time Purchase and PSD Import that InVision does not have.

Team fit: InVision is geared toward mid-size teams teams, while Affinity Designer is aimed at individual users and small setups. Pick the one that matches where your team is today and where it is headed — migrating tools later is always painful.

Where each tool shines: InVision's biggest strengths are: interactive prototyping with transitions so stakeholders can click through realistic mockups. includes design systems as a core feature, purpose-built for design workflows. Affinity Designer's biggest strengths are: vector design tools handle illustrations, icons, and ui assets at any resolution. includes one-time purchase as a core feature, purpose-built for design workflows.

Watch out for: With InVision, users commonly note that free plan exists but key features are locked behind the paid upgrade. With Affinity Designer, the main complaint is that starts at $69.99 one-time — on the expensive side, especially for small teams or solo users.

Choose InVision if...

Your profile matches its sweet spot: teams needing design feedback workflows
You want to save on per-user costs — InVision is $62.04/user/mo cheaper
You specifically need Design Systems and Freehand
You care about includes design systems as a core feature, purpose-built for design workflows
Your team size fits the mid-size teams profile InVision is designed for

Choose Affinity Designer if...

You need a tool built for designers wanting professional tools without subscriptions
You specifically need Multi-Platform and One-Time Purchase
You care about includes one-time purchase as a core feature, purpose-built for design workflows
Your team size fits the individuals profile Affinity Designer is designed for