Affinity seems like it doesn't have some of the more precise layout tools and SVG-editing capabilities that Inkscape does.

I took the trial after seeing people suggest it as an alternative, but it didn't quite replace my workflow and I ended up dropping it.

When I was still using Windows I was using corel draw. I still believe it was (and I suspect still is) the best vector drawing program for more technical drawings. Just one example:alignment is really deeply build into the system using a set of keyboard shortcuts so instead of always going to the align and distribute tab you just pressed "e" to align the previous object. It was really so much faster for drawing than illustrator or inkscape.

Unfortunately there is no Linux version otherwise I'd happily buy it.

Check Boxy SVG for an SVG-focused vector graphics editor. Its UI is heavily inspired by Inkscape and the Linux version is available for free (you just have to run "snap install boxy-svg").

Thank you! Looks like exactly what I needed.

You're right, the power of Inkscape is its ability to work natively with SVG capabilities and its technical aspects (instead of some obscure proprietary format). Affinity is more artist-focused.

I've been working with graphics for a couple decades and I have many old files in formats that I can no longer open. I am strongly biased towards Inkscape for its use of an open standard as its file format.

I'm on MacOS where current versions of Inkscape are not really usable because of (understandable) performance degradations. I wish that either those problems could be solved, or that an alternative existed which used an open file format.

I'd prefer a pure FOSS solution, but as I'm a BSD-school FOSS person I wouldn't mind a proprietary app so long as that proprietary app used an open file format. It sucks that Affinity uses a proprietary format which is at high risk for orphaning or degradation either if they decide it's in their business interests or if the company ceases to exist.