Photoshop vs Affinity on an M1 Max: Which Is Actually Faster?

TLDR: Is Photoshop faster than Affinity? After testing both on the same M1 Max MacBook Pro, our honest answer is: it depends on what you are doing.

Photoshop was faster when opening a RAW file and converting it into a finished image. It also won our exact three-format export, although only by 0.93 seconds.

Affinity pulled ahead when the work became larger. It was faster with a 54-megapixel image, quicker to save a large layered project and faster when processing a folder of six RAW files.

This is less like a race with one winner and more like choosing the right tool for the job.

The Mac and Software We Tested

We used a 2021 16-inch MacBook Pro with an Apple M1 Max, 10-core CPU, full 32-core GPU, 32GB of unified memory and a 512GB SSD.

The Mac was running macOS 26.6.2. We compared Adobe Photoshop 27.9 with Camera Raw 18.5 against Affinity 3.2.3.

Our final benchmark covered five types of work:

1. Exporting the same finished photograph in three formats.
2. Opening and converting a camera RAW file.
3. Editing a very large image.
4. Creating and saving a large layered project.
5. Processing a folder of six different RAW photographs.

Most tests had a practice run followed by three measured runs. We report the middle result, called the median, because one unusually quick or slow run affects it less. The six-image batch had one measured pass.

Test 1: Exporting One Finished Photograph

The Simple Explanation

Imagine you have finished editing a photograph and need three copies: a large JPEG, a smaller version for a website and a high-quality TIFF for storage or print.

Photoshop completed those exports in 8.04 seconds. Affinity took 8.97 seconds.

Photoshop won, but the difference was less than one second. For someone exporting one picture, it would be difficult to notice. A busy studio repeating the same process hundreds of times may care more.

The Advanced Explanation

Both applications started with the same finished 6000×4000, 16-bit TIFF. This matters because neither application had to interpret a camera RAW file first. They received the same pixels and performed the same job.

Each application produced:

Affinity needs two batch jobs to create two JPEG sizes, so we also split Photoshop into two equivalent jobs. The final TIFF files were decoded pixel-for-pixel identically to the common source.

Test 2: Opening a Camera Raw File

The Simple Explanation

This test reflects the beginning of many photography jobs. You insert a memory card, open a RAW photograph and convert it into a standard image that other software can use.

Photoshop completed that job in 7.72 seconds. Affinity took 16.01 seconds.

Photoshop was just over twice as fast in this test. If you regularly open large shoots or depend on quick Camera Raw processing, this is the most relevant Photoshop win in our results.

The Advanced Explanation

Both applications opened the same Canon EOS 800D CR2 file and saved it as a losslessly compressed TIFF using their default settings.

Photoshop produced a 6000×4000 image. Affinity produced a slightly larger 6024×4020 image. The colour and brightness also looked different.

Why are they different? This happens because a RAW file is not a finished photograph. Each application makes its own decisions about colour, contrast, brightness and how much of the camera sensor to include.

We can say Photoshop completed its default RAW conversion faster, but we cannot say it will always be twice as fast, and this test does not give either application an image-quality point against the other.

Test 3: Working With a Very Large Image

The Simple Explanation

This test represents demanding work such as preparing a large print, creating a detailed advertising image or handling a file that has been enlarged far beyond normal camera resolution.

We enlarged the photograph to 54 megapixels, applied several edits, created additional copies of the image within the document, and exported the result.

Affinity finished in 11.79 seconds. Photoshop took 52.31 seconds.

This was Affinity’s biggest win. It completed the whole job more than four times as quickly. For people who regularly work with oversized images, that difference could be felt throughout the day.

The Advanced Explanation

Both applications started with the same photograph. They resized it to 9000×6000, applied blur and sharpening, made five duplicates, added colour and tonal adjustments, flattened the document and saved a TIFF.

Most of Photoshop’s time was spent writing the finished TIFF to storage. Affinity also produced a much smaller file, about 4.1 MB compared with Photoshop’s 21.8 MB.

Both files were valid 9000×6000 TIFFs, but the applications store image data differently. The result reflects the whole workflow, including saving. It does not conclude that every individual filter runs four times faster in Affinity. For real work, however, the time until a finished file exists still matters.

Test 4: Saving a Large Layered Project

The Simple Explanation

Layered files are common in retouching, product photography and design. Each layer keeps its work separate, making it possible to adjust or remove an edit later.

We created a project with 13 full-resolution image layers and four adjustment layers. Affinity saved it in 27.76 seconds. Photoshop took 37.85 seconds.

Affinity was about 10 seconds faster. Its saved project was also much smaller, which is valuable on a Mac with limited storage.

The Advanced Explanation

Photoshop saved a PSD measuring about 1.65GB. Affinity’s native project was about 159 MB, roughly one-tenth the size.

These file formats do not store layers in exactly the same way. The test answers a practical question: how long does each application take to build and save the same kind of editable project in its own format?

Affinity was faster and used far less space.

Test 5: Processing a Folder of Raw Photographs

The Simple Explanation

This is the test that most closely resembles returning from a shoot. Instead of exporting a single image, we gave each application six varied RAW files and asked for a full JPEG, a web JPEG, and a TIFF from each photograph.

That meant 18 finished files in total.

Affinity completed the batch in 50.97 seconds. Photoshop took 78.41 seconds. Affinity finished about 27 seconds sooner, even though it needed two separate batch jobs.

For occasional editing, 27 seconds will not transform your life. For a business processing hundreds of product photographs, school portraits, or property images, the time saved can quickly add up.

The Advanced Explanation

Our six Canon CR2 files included a well-lit product, saturated colour, fine text, complex edges and a wider range from bright to dark. That is more meaningful than duplicating one easy photograph six times.

Photoshop produced all 18 outputs in one pass. Affinity cannot create two JPEG sizes in the same batch job, so it made the full JPEGs and TIFFs first, then the web JPEGs. We added both job times together.

Everyday Editing and AI Tools

We also tested a chain of familiar edits, including resizing, sharpening, layers and colour adjustments. The numbers suggested Photoshop was faster, but the two applications could not be timed from exactly the same starting point.

We have therefore treated it as an observation rather than a conclusive test.

The same caution applies to AI tools. Photoshop automatically selected the main subject in just over three seconds and completed a content-aware repair in under two seconds. Affinity did not offer an equivalent automatic subject-selection command in the version we tested, so there was no fair race to run. Missing features in Affinity could be a real deal-breaker for some.

Does Affinity Being Free Change the Answer?

Yes. Affinity won three of the five main comparisons and costs nothing to use. Photoshop won the RAW conversion and narrowly won the exact export, but it requires a subscription.

Photoshop can still be better value if you rely on Camera Raw, Lightroom, automation or shared PSD files. Affinity may suit anyone wanting powerful local editing without another monthly bill.

We checked standard UK pricing on 24 August 2026 and ignored temporary introductory discounts. Adobe lists the Photography plan at £19.97 per month including VAT, on an annual plan billed monthly. It includes Photoshop, Lightroom and 1TB of cloud storage. Standalone Photoshop is normally £21.98 per month including VAT, also on an annual plan billed monthly.

Compare that to Affinity which is completely free!

The decision is not simply free versus paid. Ten seconds saved means little if you edit one photograph a month. Familiar automation, predictable client files and faster RAW processing can be worth far more to a busy professional.

The Bottom Line

We tested one M1 Max MacBook Pro, one approved image pack and one version of each application. A different Mac, camera or software update could change the result.

Photoshop was the faster choice for opening our Canon RAW file, and it narrowly won the exact export. If Camera Raw, Adobe automation and PSD compatibility sit at the centre of your working day, those advantages matter.

Affinity performed better as the workload increased. It was faster with the 54-megapixel image, saved the layered project sooner and completed the six-image batch first. It also costs nothing.

So, which application is faster? Photoshop is faster for some jobs. Affinity is faster for others. Look at the work you repeat most often, then choose the result that resembles it. And if price is king, that leaves one very easy choice.