# Hockney AR vs Affinity Designer 2 for iPad

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Hockney AR at none against Affinity Designer 2 for iPad's 4. Hockney AR also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 6 weeks) and rating (5.0 vs 4.7). Affinity Designer 2 for iPad's advantage is ratings volume (4.8K vs 4). On price and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Affinity Designer 2 for iPad sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Hockney AR asks for nothing beyond the download.

Hockney AR holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Affinity Designer 2 for iPad has 4.8K ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 67% of Hockney AR's written reviews are positive against 52% of Affinity Designer 2 for iPad's.

Hockney AR ships an update weekly, Affinity Designer 2 for iPad every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Hockney AR | Affinity Designer 2 for iPad |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hockney-ar/id1553622838/reviews)** | [4.7 (4.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/affinity-designer-2-for-ipad/id1616833418/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 4 | **4.8K** |
| Positive reviews | **66.7% of reviews** | 51.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 6 weeks |
| Monetization | **Free** | Paid |
| Size | 92 MB | 1.7 GB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [David Hockney, Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1553622840) | [Serif (Europe) Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/536107177) |

## What reviewers say

### Hockney AR

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hockney-ar/id1553622838)

Experience David Hockney's iPad paintings come alive through augmented reality. Explore selected works from his "The Arrival of Spring" series, featured in the Royal Academy of Art's 2021 exhibition.

**Highlights:** Augmented Reality experience, View iPad paintings, Explore "The Arrival of Spring" series, Features Royal Academy exhibition works

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Affinity Designer 2 for iPad

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/affinity-designer-2-for-ipad/id1616833418)

Create stunning illustrations, branding, logos, UI/UX designs, and more with a powerful touch-focused vector graphics app. Optimized for iPad and Apple Pencil, it offers real-time performance and precise tools for both vector and raster workflows.

**Highlights:** Vector Warp, Shape Builder Tool, Knife Tool, Drawing scale, Vector Flood Fill, Switch between vector and raster workspaces, Sophisticated typography

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Free 7-Day Trial | Free | one-time |
| Designer 2 for iPad License | Free | one-time |
| Affinity Collection for iPad | $36.99 | one-time |
| Affinity V2 Universal License | $164.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Powerful vector tools
- 🎨 Excellent for digital art and illustration
- 💰 Great value for the price
- 👍 Intuitive and streamlined UI
- 🔄 Seamless integration between iPad and desktop versions

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and stability issues
- 🔍 Cluttered and unintuitive UI in some areas
- 🖌️ Lacking advanced brush and pencil features
- 💾 Unreliable saving and file management
- 🔀 Confusing transition from Affinity Designer v1

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes when switching between vector and pixel layers
- Exported files not retaining expected quality or format
- Grid spacing and snapping issues
- Disappearing or unresponsive UI elements

**Requested features**

- Vector trace tool
- Better layer management and organization
- Improved Apple Pencil support and pressure sensitivity
- Ability to rename documents on creation
- Customizable keyboard shortcuts and UI


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Hockney AR free?

Hockney AR is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Affinity Designer 2 for iPad free?

Affinity Designer 2 for iPad is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Hockney AR or Affinity Designer 2 for iPad?

Hockney AR is rated higher. Hockney AR averages 5.0 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while Affinity Designer 2 for iPad averages 4.7 from 4.8K ratings.

### Do Hockney AR or Affinity Designer 2 for iPad have ads?

Neither Hockney AR nor Affinity Designer 2 for iPad shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Hockney AR or Affinity Designer 2 for iPad?

Hockney AR ships an update weekly, and Affinity Designer 2 for iPad every 6 weeks. Most recently, Hockney AR was updated on October 21, 2026 and Affinity Designer 2 for iPad on October 27, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*