Another caveat is that if your workflow requires dealing with complex text layout on a regular basis (e.g., Asian languages), Affinity suite support for it is pretty much non-existent. For example, lack of a working right-to-left support, no vertical text support for CJK, broken tone markers handling in Thai layout, lack of complex word-break for any languages that is not space-based, etc.
Sadly, Adobe is still the only option in the market for this.
It's really striking to see two things in this thread: (1) complaints about price, and (2) repeated (cjk, lightroom library management, a half dozen other things) that Adobe offers features that have no competition. Feels like Adobe is charging for being the sole provider for various features that people need.
Photoshop has been around for 34 years, even if they jacked the price up to $500/month nobody would be able to show up with feature parity to compete for 100% of their customers right away. It's a heck of a moat.
Sure, but the thread is also full of people claiming Adobe is rent seeking. Charging a high price for differentiated, unique features that competitors haven't replicated is not rent seeking. That's just capitalism.
Sadly, Adobe is still the only option in the market for this.