DEV Community

Cover image for Run Affinity Photo on Linux for Free: 2 Easy Methods Explained
10x Magazine
10x Magazine

Posted on • Originally published at zdnet.com

Run Affinity Photo on Linux for Free: 2 Easy Methods Explained

#affinityphoto #linux #photoshopalternative #wine

Photo by Jenny L on Unsplash

TL;DR: You can run Affinity Photo on Linux today without paying a cent. Use Wine for a fast, hassle‑free install, or tap Valve’s Proton for smoother, more reliable performance.

Linux users craving a Photoshop‑class editor have a new option: Affinity Photo. Though the program ships for Windows and macOS, the community has cracked two practical ways to run it on any distro. Both methods rely on the free trial version, which you can download from Serif’s website, meaning you get full‑featured access without spending a dime. Below is a step‑by‑step guide for the two most common paths.

Method 1 – Simple Wine Setup

Wine (Wine Is Not an Emulator) translates Windows system calls into Linux equivalents, letting you launch many Windows apps directly. This route is the easiest for newcomers because it requires only a few commands.

  1. Install Wine – Open a terminal and run the package manager command for your distro. For Ubuntu/Debian: 
   sudo apt update && sudo apt install wine64
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

On Fedora:

   sudo dnf install wine
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode
  1. Download the Windows installer – Visit the official Affinity Photo trial page, click Download for Windows, and save the .exe file.
  2. Run the installer – In the terminal, navigate to the download folder and execute: 
   wine AffinityPhotoTrial.exe
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

Follow the on‑screen prompts as you would on Windows. The installer creates a ~/.wine/drive_c/Program Files/Affinity folder.

  1. Launch Affinity Photo – After installation, start the app with: 
   wine "C:\Program Files\Affinity\Affinity Photo.exe"
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

The program opens in its native Windows UI, fully functional.

Pros: Quick to set up, works on virtually any Linux distribution, no extra layers required.
Cons: Performance can lag on heavy‑duty tasks, and occasional UI glitches may appear due to Wine’s translation layer.

Method 2 – Optimized Proton Build

For users who want a smoother experience, Valve’s Proton (the compatibility tool behind Steam Play) often outperforms plain Wine. Proton includes additional patches and a Vulkan‑based graphics stack that can boost frame rates and reduce crashes.

  1. Install Steam – Most distros have a Steam package. On Ubuntu: 
   sudo apt install steam
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

Log in with your Steam account; you don’t need to purchase anything.

  1. Enable Proton for non‑Steam apps – In Steam, go to Settings → Steam Play and tick Enable Steam Play for all other titles. Choose the latest stable Proton version from the dropdown.
  2. Add Affinity Photo as a non‑Steam game – Click Games → Add a Non‑Steam Game to My Library, browse to the downloaded AffinityPhotoTrial.exe, and add it.
  3. Force Proton compatibility – Right‑click the new entry, select Properties → Compatibility, and check Force the use of a specific Steam Play compatibility tool. Pick the Proton version you enabled earlier.
  4. Run the program – Launch Affinity Photo from Steam. Proton will handle the translation, leveraging Vulkan for graphics acceleration. You’ll notice faster image rendering and fewer stutters compared with the vanilla Wine approach.

Pros: Better GPU utilization, more stable under heavy workloads, automatic updates through Steam.
Cons: Slightly more setup steps, requires a Steam account, and occasional Proton‑specific bugs may need workarounds.

Both methods give you full access to Affinity Photo’s professional toolset—layers, RAW editing, HDR, and a host of filters—without paying the $49.99 Windows price tag. If you just need a quick edit, the Wine route gets you there in minutes. If you plan to work with large files or complex compositions, invest the extra minutes to configure Proton for a smoother ride.

Takeaway: Linux users can now enjoy a top‑tier Photoshop alternative for free. Choose Wine for speed of setup, or Proton for performance; either way, Affinity Photo is ready to boost your creative workflow on any Linux desktop.

Top comments (0)