Affinity Photo 2 vs GIMP

Comprehensive RAW development workspace with lens correction, chromatic aberration removal, noise reduction, and advanced tonal mapping. Supports all major camera formats including CR3, NEF, ARW, and RAF with GPU-accelerated processing.

RAW support through integration with darktable, RawTherapee, and ART plugins. Capable but requires external tools rather than native integration. Plugin-based approach offers flexibility but adds workflow friction.

Full non-destructive workflow with adjustment layers, live filter layers, and non-destructive RAW development. Changes remain editable indefinitely, and the history panel provides granular undo control.

GIMP 3.2 introduced non-destructive filters (NDE) and non-destructive layers including vector layers and link layers. Filters stay editable after application, and layers can be rasterized and reverted. Significant improvement over GIMP 2.10.

GPU-accelerated via Metal on macOS and OpenGL/Vulkan on Windows. Extremely responsive on Apple Silicon M3/M4 with near-instant filter previews. Handles large files (500MB+) smoothly without lag. Optimized for modern hardware.

Improved in 3.2 with better multi-threading, but still lacks GPU acceleration for most operations. Large files with many layers can cause slowdowns. Startup time improved over 2.10 but slower than Affinity. CPU-bound processing.

Dedicated HDR merge persona with tone mapping, ghost removal, and alignment tools. Focus stacking with depth map generation and automatic alignment. Professional-grade results with minimal user intervention.

No native HDR merge or focus stacking tools. Requires third-party plugins or external software like Luminance HDR. Possible through scripting but not production-ready for professional workflows.

Minimal plugin architecture compared to GIMP. Supports macros and limited automation but lacks robust scripting API. Extension ecosystem is smaller and primarily focused on asset packs and brushes.

Unmatched extensibility with support for Python 3, JavaScript, Lua, Vala, and Scheme scripting. Thousands of community plugins available including G'MIC filters. API updates in 3.2 enable multi-layer operations and GEGL filter integration.

Modern, polished interface with persona-based workspaces (Photo, Liquify, Tone Mapping, etc.). Intuitive for Photoshop migrants with similar layer and tool organization. Contextual tooltips and guided features reduce learning friction.

GTK3 interface in 3.2 brings improved HiDPI support, theme customization, and better tablet integration. However, multi-window mode remains confusing for beginners, and the learning curve is steeper than commercial alternatives. Customizable but less approachable.

Comprehensive format support including PSD (with layer preservation), PSB, PDF, SVG, TIFF, HEIF, and JPEG XL. Industry-leading compatibility with Adobe workflows. Native document format preserves non-destructive edits.

GIMP 3.2 added JPEG 2000 export, improved PSD import (with more layer styles), BC7 DDS support, and SVG vector layer export. Broad format support including legacy formats, though some Adobe-specific features may not translate perfectly.

Robust brush engine with dynamics, texture blending, and customizable brush creation. Supports pressure-sensitive tablets with tilt/rotation. Pixel persona offers vector tools integration. Professional-grade for concept art and digital painting.

MyPaint brush tool integration in 3.2 adds 20 new brushes with barrel rotation support. Standard brush engine is capable but less refined than Affinity or Krita. Acceptable for illustration but not the primary focus.