Affinity Designer
Also called affinity designer 2, serif designer
Serif's vector and pixel persona app. Designer.exe is the process. It is not Illustrator.
What you need to know
Affinity Designer is Designer.exe. It is not Illustrator.
Serif's Designer.exe is vector plus a pixel persona. Illustrator is Adobe's AI app. A .afdesign file is this product, not an AI file.
- What is it?
- Vector and pixel design
- Still current?
- Yes, see Current status
- Official download?
- Use the vendor link in this article
What is Affinity Designer?
Affinity Designer is a vector editor with a pixel persona. A .afdesign document is native. The Windows executable for v2 is Designer.exe.
If you have never used it
Affinity Designer is Serif's vector app with a pixel persona. Designer.exe is the v2 app. It is not Illustrator. Canva later launched a unified Affinity app. If Designer.exe is installed, that is still Designer 2.
What is it used for?
Draw logos as curves. Illustrator uses AI. This app uses .afdesign.
Raster work inside the same document. Illustrator is not this split.
Export PNG or SVG. The working file is still .afdesign.
Who is it for?
- People who bought Designer 2
- Users avoiding an Illustrator subscription
- Anyone comparing personas to Illustrator artboards
Current status
v2 Designer.exe still runs for existing licenses. Canva's 2025 unified Affinity app is the new download path.
How old is it?
Serif shipped Designer in 2014, before Photo. Designer 2 arrived in 2022. Canva bought Serif in 2024 and launched a unified app in 2025. Designer.exe remains the v2 vector app.
Versions
Major channels first. Exact build numbers are not all verified here.
System requirements
Values follow the publisher's public guidance. Workload still changes the real need.
Minimum
| Operating system | Windows 10 May 2020 (2004) or later, 64-bit, per Serif v2 |
|---|---|
| RAM | Enough for Windows plus this app. Heavy projects want more. |
Resource profile
- CPU demand
- Follows what you open inside the app
- RAM demand
- Follows documents, tabs, or libraries
Installed processes
These executables belong to this product when it is installed.
| Designer.exe | Main Windows executable |
|---|
Startup components
Affinity Designer does not need to start with Windows.
File locations
| Typical install | C:\Program Files\Affinity\Designer 2\ |
|---|
File formats
Common problems
Expected Illustrator plugins
Designer has its own persona tools. An AI plugin does not install here.
Unified app vs Designer.exe
The 2025 Affinity app is a different Start tile from Designer 2.
Getting unstuck
Confirm Designer.exe
Affinity Designer 2 is the v2 folder. Illustrator.exe is Adobe.
Keep MSIX and MSI consistent
Serif warns that mixing installers breaks StudioLink with Publisher.
Open .afdesign in Designer, not Photo
Photo.exe is the photo sibling. Designer.exe owns .afdesign.
Alternatives
Illustrator, Inkscape, and the unified Affinity app overlap. Illustrator does not replace Designer.exe.
Official help and downloads
Start with the vendor. Random exe sites are not a support channel.
| Download | affinity.serif.com/designer/ Official installer or vendor page |
|---|---|
| Help | affinity.help/designer2/ Vendor support |
| Official site | affinity.serif.com/designer/ Start here, not a random exe host |
Related hardware
Serif lists 64-bit Windows 10 version 2004 or later for v2.
Technical details
Technical details
Vendor version numbers change. This article does not pin a build.
Sources and verification
Reviewed by Feex editorial. Last verified August 2026 Status: Feex Reviewed. How we research.
- Affinity Designer official site · Vendor product page
- Affinity Designer help · Vendor support
- Foxhole process map · First-party samples on Windows PCs. Not a lab benchmark.
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