# Affinity Designer 2 for iPad vs Ctrl Player

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Ctrl Player at none against Affinity Designer 2 for iPad's 4. On price, update cadence, ads 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. Ctrl Player asks for nothing beyond the download.

Affinity Designer 2 for iPad ships an update every 6 weeks, Ctrl Player every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 27, 2026 and September 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Affinity Designer 2 for iPad | Ctrl Player |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (3.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/affinity-designer-2-for-ipad/id1616833418/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **3.2K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 51.7% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 6 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Paid | — |
| Size | 1.7 GB | 21 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | iPad | **iPhone, iPad** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Serif (Europe) Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/536107177) | [ON LX Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1216537447) |

## 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


### Ctrl Player

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ctrl-player/id6747518244)

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## 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 Ctrl Player free?

Ctrl Player is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Affinity Designer 2 for iPad or Ctrl Player have ads?

Neither Affinity Designer 2 for iPad nor Ctrl Player shows ads.

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

Affinity Designer 2 for iPad ships an update every 6 weeks, and Ctrl Player every 2 months. Most recently, Affinity Designer 2 for iPad was updated on September 27, 2026 and Ctrl Player on September 14, 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.*