# Affinity Designer 2 for iPad vs Pistachio

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Pistachio at 100% against Affinity Designer 2 for iPad's 52%. Pistachio also leads on update cadence (every 6 days vs every 6 weeks) and rating (5.0 vs 4.7). Affinity Designer 2 for iPad's advantage is ratings volume (4.8K vs 3) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.7). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Affinity Designer 2 for iPad sells 4 one-off in-app purchases and Pistachio sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Pistachio 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 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 52% of Affinity Designer 2 for iPad's written reviews are positive against 100% of Pistachio's.

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

## The numbers

| Metric | Affinity Designer 2 for iPad | Pistachio |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (4.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/affinity-designer-2-for-ipad/id1616833418/reviews) | **[5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pistachio-vector-art/id6740105409/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **4.8K** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | 51.7% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Every 6 days** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Freemium** |
| Size | 1.7 GB | 11 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 17.7 |
| Devices | iPad | **iPhone, iPad** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Serif (Europe) Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/536107177) | [Nutterfi](https://appshunter.io/developer/1788405095) |

## What reviewers say

### 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


### Pistachio

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pistachio-vector-art/id6740105409)

Create professional-grade vector art on your mobile device with intuitive tools and powerful features. Start with templates, draw custom paths, and export your designs in various formats. Unlock unlimited artboards and exclusive features with a subscription.

**Highlights:** Shape template library, Multiple artboard support, Custom path drawing, Various export formats, Unlimited artboards (subscription), Custom vector presets (subscription)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Platinum Monthly Subscription | $5.99 | per month |
| Platinum Annual Subscription | $29.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Affinity Designer 2 for iPad free?

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

### Is Pistachio free?

Pistachio is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

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

Pistachio is rated higher. Affinity Designer 2 for iPad averages 4.7 out of 5 from 4.8K ratings, while Pistachio averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.

### Do Affinity Designer 2 for iPad or Pistachio have ads?

Neither Affinity Designer 2 for iPad nor Pistachio shows ads.

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

Affinity Designer 2 for iPad ships an update every 6 weeks, and Pistachio every 6 days. Most recently, Affinity Designer 2 for iPad was updated on October 27, 2026 and Pistachio on October 21, 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.*