This popular Photoshop alternative just got a massive, free six-month trial

A laptop screen and iPad showing the Affinity Photo app on purple and blue background
(Image credit: Affinity)

Photoshop has been under fire lately following some controversy around its new smallprint – and now the Canva-owned Affinity Photo is looking to capitalize with an impressive-looking new trial offer for its photo-editing software.

A new six-month trial for Affinity Photo, which you can also get for its Affinity Designer and Affinity Publisher software, covers the versions for Mac, Windows and iPad. There's no obligation to buy and the best part is that you don't need to give your payment details when signing up for the trial.

Free trials are nothing new, but they don't usually last for six months – and this one is for the software we currently rate as the best Photoshop alternative. One of the reasons for that is because it's also possible to buy Affinity Photo as a one-time purchase, rather than an ongoing subscription.

You can currently get 50% off Affinity Photo when buying it outright, taking it down to $35 / £35, although it isn't clear whether this offer will still be available at the end of a six-month trial. Still, both are good offers for editing software that offers a clean interface, good range of tools and support for PSD files.

To check out the six-month free offer, head to Affinity's official trial page. You get access to the full versions of the software for desktop or iPad, and can also sign up for the offer if you've previously done one of Affinity's trials.

Is it worth signing up?

Affinity Photo

(Image credit: Serif)

Right now, you can only get a seven-day free trial for Photoshop – so Affinity Photo's six-month offer certainly looks a good one, particularly if you're a beginner or starting from scratch.

Both Affinity Photo and Photoshop have a learning curve, so it's good to have an extended free period to see if it works for you. As a photographer, I'm already locked into Adobe's workflows and use accompanying apps like Lightroom Classic (which is included in Adobe's Creative Cloud Photography Plan), so the trial doesn't hold the same appeal for me.

But if I was a beginner or amateur who was starting out in photo editing, and didn't want to get locked into subscription software down the road, I'd certainly consider this Affinity Photo trial. It may lack some of Adobe's most recent AI-powered tools, like Generative Fill, but it's powerful enough for most situations – and you only need a free Affinity account to start the trial.

It's also refreshing to have a trial that doesn't ask you for payment details up-front, given it's easy to forget and then waste megabucks on tech subscriptions.

You might also like...

TOPICS
Mark Wilson
Senior news editor

Mark is TechRadar's Senior news editor. Having worked in tech journalism for a ludicrous 17 years, Mark is now attempting to break the world record for the number of camera bags hoarded by one person. He was previously Cameras Editor at both TechRadar and Trusted Reviews, Acting editor on Stuff.tv, as well as Features editor and Reviews editor on Stuff magazine. As a freelancer, he's contributed to titles including The Sunday Times, FourFourTwo and Arena. And in a former life, he also won The Daily Telegraph's Young Sportswriter of the Year. But that was before he discovered the strange joys of getting up at 4am for a photo shoot in London's Square Mile. 

Read more
Three iPhones on a red and orange background showing the new Photoshop app
Photoshop gets its most powerful free iPhone app so far – with a mix of classic tools and Firefly AI
A digital artist working on a computer
Best Adobe Photoshop alternative of 2025: Top picks for designers, artists, and photographers
Picsart
This AI art app is so good I'm ready to cancel my Photoshop subscription
CyberLink PhotoDirector during our tests
Best photo editor of 2025
Adobe Creative Cloud logo next to a TechRadar text block that reads 'Big Savings'.
Adobe slashes subscription prices for Photoshop and other top apps
Adobe Photoshop
Adobe's Photoshop and Lightroom photo plans get a huge price hike, but there's a way to avoid it
Latest in Software
Google Gemini iPhone Lock Screen
You can now access Gemini from your iPhone's lock screen
Copilot on a laptop
Microsoft quietly updates Copilot to cut down on unauthorized Windows activations
The new limited edition Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses show a translucent design.
Ray-Ban and Meta just teased new limited-edition smart glasses – but they'll be in frustratingly short supply
Apple’s new Invites app gives iCloud Plus subscribers an easier way to organize parties – and Android fans are invited too
I tried Apple's new AI-powered Invites app, but I'm not sure why anyone else would
Opera Browser Operator
Opera’s new AI agent web browser just reinvented web browsing - here’s 5 ways it could completely change the internet
AI
I tried the most realistic AI voice companion ever created - if ChatGPT or Gemini ever gets this good, reality is in trouble
Latest in News
Google Gemini iPhone Lock Screen
You can now access Gemini from your iPhone's lock screen
Michelle, Keats, and Doctor Amherst looking unimpressed and worried in The Electric State
Netflix drops trailer for The Electric State, and I'm getting serious District 9 vibes
YouTube TV
YouTube TV might be planning a big Netflix update that puts the best streaming services first
Google Pixel 9 Pro
Here are the 7 best Pixel 9 and Pixel Watch 3 features landing in March’s Pixel Feature Drop
Bang & Olufsen Beogram 4000C Saint Laurent Rive Droite Edition
Bang & Olufsen's latest reworked turntable is a masterpiece of retro revival, in a breathtaking wooden presentation box
Apple Watch Series 10
Apple unveils new Apple Watch bands – here's what's in the Spring 2025 collection