For years, the Affinity suite has been a favorite among creative professionals who wanted Adobe-level power without the recurring subscription. Now, Canva—the online design giant—has taken things one step further by making Affinity completely free to use. That's right: no subscriptions, no one-time license fees, and (according to Canva) no hidden catches.
From Paid App to Free Powerhouse
Previously, Affinity Photo, Designer, and Publisher were sold separately as one-time purchases, offering serious creative tools at a fraction of Adobe's cost. Canva's recent acquisition of Affinity has reshaped that model entirely.
The new version is a single unified app combining vector, photo, and layout editing tools under one roof. You can seamlessly switch between creative modes using the Vector, Pixel, and Layout tabs—making it feel like Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign rolled into one.
This all-in-one design approach is meant to simplify workflows, allowing professionals to move between illustrations, photo edits, and page layouts without constantly switching programs.
Custom Workspaces and Collaboration
One of the most impressive upgrades is customization. Users can now design their own workspace by mixing and matching tools from different modes. Prefer Illustrator-style vector tools next to your photo filters? You can do that—and save it as a preset.
Affinity also lets you export and share workspace configurations, making it easy for teams to standardize layouts or creative setups. It's a small feature that professional designers will definitely appreciate.
Canva's Monetization Model
So how is Canva making money if Affinity is free? The answer lies in Canva AI Studio, a premium add-on available only to Canva Pro users. This suite includes generative fill, "Expand & Edit," and background removal—AI-powered tools that rival Adobe Firefly.
Everything else in Affinity, including its full creative toolkit, is free to download and use. Canva insists that Affinity will remain "completely free, forever," with no restricted versions or missing features.
That said, history has shown that "forever free" often comes with an asterisk. Some users are understandably skeptical, especially since you need a Canva account to use Affinity. Still, for now, there are no paywalls or limited trials in sight.
A Clear Challenge to Adobe
It's no secret that Canva has its eyes set on Adobe's dominance in the design world. With Affinity under its belt, Canva now has a professional-grade creative suite to complement its own web-based tools.
Affinity supports Photoshop (.PSD), Illustrator (.AI), PDF, SVG, TIFF, and IDML formats, allowing designers to open, edit, and export projects from Adobe software with minimal friction. That interoperability makes it a serious contender for teams looking to escape Adobe's subscription ecosystem.
Canva's statement reinforces that direction:
Availability and Platforms
You can download the new Affinity app directly from the official website for Windows and macOS (both Intel and Apple Silicon).
An iPad version of the new unified Affinity isn't available yet, but users can still get Affinity Designer 2, Photo 2, and Publisher 2 on the App Store for now.
Final Thoughts
Canva's decision to make Affinity free is a bold move—and one that could shake up the entire creative software landscape. For designers, illustrators, and photographers tired of subscription fatigue, this could be a breath of fresh air.
The only question now is whether Canva can keep its promise: a fully-featured, professional-grade design suite that's free forever.
