Canva Relaunches Affinity as a Free All-in-One Creative App for Designers

Canva Relaunches Affinity as a Free All-in-One Creative App for Designers

Canva is officially relaunching Affinity, its recently acquired creative suite, as a new all-in-one design app for photo editing, vector illustration, and page layout and best of all, it’s completely free.

This move follows Canva’s 2024 acquisition of Serif, the company behind the popular Affinity Designer, Photo, and Publisher tools. Unlike the older versions, which required a one-time $70 purchase per app, the new Affinity app is “free forever,” according to Canva, a clear attempt to rival Adobe’s paid Creative Cloud model.

A New Unified Affinity Experience

The new Affinity app merges all three programs: Designer, Photo, and Publisher into a single platform. It uses one universal file type, allowing users to move seamlessly between editing images, creating vector graphics, and building page layouts without switching software.

Currently available for Windows and macOS, Canva says an iPad version is coming soon. Users can also export designs directly to their Canva accounts for further collaboration and editing.

AI Integration with Canva Tools

Affinity now includes direct integrations with Canva’s AI-powered editing tools, such as:

• Image generation
  
• Photo cleanup
  
• Instant copy creation
  

These features are available to Canva Premium subscribers, making it easier for teams to combine Affinity’s professional design tools with Canva’s cloud-based workflow.

What Happens to the Old Affinity Apps?

If you’ve already purchased Affinity Designer, Photo, or Publisher, don’t worry, those apps will continue to work. Canva says existing users won’t be forced to migrate to the new platform. However, the V2 editions have been removed from Affinity’s website, and there’s no confirmation yet about future support or updates.

A Free Alternative to Adobe’s Subscription Model

Affinity’s one-time-purchase model made it a favorite among designers who wanted powerful creative tools without Adobe’s monthly fees. Now, by making Affinity completely free, Canva is taking direct aim at Adobe’s dominance in the creative software market.

However, the introduction of AI tools within Affinity might stir debate among artists and photographers who prefer traditional editing workflows. Still, for most users, this update makes professional design tools more accessible than ever.

TechCity