Image: Affinity At the beginning of this month, rumors were buzzing as creative app platform Affinity pulled all of its software from sale. Now, we have answers to why, as parent company Canva has announced an all-new version of Affinity.
The update is a complete refresh, resulting in a single, free app.
Previously, Affinity was a suite of three apps: Affinity Designer, Affinity Photo and Affinity Publisher. Now, under the direction Canva, all vector, photo and layout tools are in a single app called Affinity. A "one app to rule them all" type of situation, if you will. That means users can tackle a diverse range of tasks, from graphic design to Raw photo processing and retouching to laying out brochures. The app's file support reveals how diverse the platform is. It supports PSD, AI, PDF, SVG, TIFF, IDML and more.
Affinity provides access to familiar photo editing tools and supports non-destructive editing.
Image: Affinity
Like previous versions of Affinity Photo, the new app supports non-destructive editing, so users can go wild on edits or changes without losing the original. It also features tools to help speed up repetitive edits, including Smart Selections, live filters and batch processing. Affinity also says that GPU acceleration helps keep editing fast. It promises a high-performance engine with real-time updates, instant previews and edits at up to 10,000,000% zoom, even with endless layers.
Affinity says the updated app is fully customizable, letting users can build a workspace that flows with their process. It says you can choose what tools are (and are not) displayed and rearrange panels. You can also save multiple setups for different types of projects and share those customized views with others. That could be an ideal feature for creative teams or educators.
The new Affinity allows you to fully customize what tools are displayed.
Image: Affinity
The new Affinity offers some integration with Canva as well. Users can export Affinity projects to Canva with a few clicks, making it easier to share with clients.
One of the concerns when Canva acquired Affinity in 2024 was that a subscription model would be introduced. After all, Canva operates on a subscription model, but Affinity Photo and its other apps were the go-to perpetual license option for photographers who wanted to avoid Adobe's subscription. Luckily, with this announcement, Affinity says the app is free for everyone. Ash Hewson, the CEO of Affinity, even goes so far as to say it is "completely free, forever. "
Tabs on the top allow you to switch between different tools related to design, photo editing and layout.
Image: Affinity
There is a slight catch, though. One of the key features of the Canva integration within Affinity is its AI tools. However, using those AI tools requires a Canva premium account, which costs $120 per year. With that subscription, users have access to the new Canva AI Studio, which offers Generative Fill, Expand & Edit and Remove Background. However, it also includes tools that most people honestly won’t need or use, a scheme that's similar to what the other big Adobe competitor, Davinci Resolve, does.
Affinity told us that the server connection AI tools require comes at a cost, but they know not everyone wants to use AI tools. So, those who don't want AI features can use the app for free, and those who would like access can pay a month-to-month fee. The company clarified that no one is locked into a year-long subscription with cancellation fees, and that you don't lose access to your work if you stop paying. Hewson also specified that Canva AI "runs on the user's device, and work is not accessed to train AI features. "
The new Affinity is available today for Mac and Windows. An iPad version is coming next year. Existing Canva users can activate Affinity with their existing account, but existing Affinity customers (and new users) will need to create a free Canva account to download Affinity.
Introducing the all-new Affinity: professional design, now free for everyone
The all-new Affinity is here. A fully reimagined professional design app that unites photo editing, vector design, and layout tools in one powerful platform.
Designed for ultimate flexibility, creatives can personalize their workspace, mix and match tools, and share custom studios for a workflow that adapts to the way they work best.
Affinity is now free for everyone. Professional-grade design software, available at no cost to all users.
The launch introduces a bold new Affinity brand and visual identity, marking the next evolution in professional design and its new chapter as part of Canva.
When Affinity joined the Canva family last year last year, we made a promise to preserve its power while expanding what’s possible. Today, that vision comes to life with the all-new Affinity: a studio-grade creative app that brings vector, photo, and layout tools together in one high-performance platform. Fully featured. Lightning-fast. And completely free.
For too long, professional designers have had almost no choice in the tools they use, from bloated software that slows them down, to subscriptions that stack up, and workflows that interrupt creativity. Across the creative community, we’ve heard the same frustrations: a call for speed, for power, for freedom. Designers have been asking for the tools they love, so we listened, and we built something better.
A new era for Affinity
For ten years, Affinity has been the tool of choice for professionals who care deeply about craft. Designers who value precision, speed, and control, and who expect their tools to keep up.
Now, that legacy enters a new chapter. The all-new Affinity was built in close collaboration with its community of creators, shaped by thousands of conversations, feature requests, and shared ideas. Guided by Canva’s Designer Advisory Board, this release reflects what professionals told us matters most: performance, reliability, and creative freedom.
From the smallest details to the biggest design systems, every feature has been built with respect for the people who use it.
One app to craft it all
The all new Affinity app brings professional vector, photo, and layout tools together in one powerful space, featuring everything you need to design, edit, and publish without switching apps or breaking flow.
For designers who think in lines, curves, and grids, Affinity’s vector tools deliver precision and speed in perfect balance. Every adjustment happens in real time: paths adjust instantly, shapes snap into place, and even large files pan and zoom smoothly. From comprehensive brand systems to complex illustrations, everything feels responsive and effortless.
Affinity’s award-winning photo editing tools give you the freedom to experiment without limits. Every adjustment, from RAW development to retouching and compositing, is non-destructive, so you can refine endlessly without losing your original work. Plus, GPU acceleration keeps even the most complex files fast and fluid, while intelligent tools like Smart Selections, live filters, and batch processing help speed up repetitive edits.
With Affinity’s layout tools, structure and creativity work side by side. From short brochures to multi-page reports, you can edit images, graphics, and text directly within your document and see every change update live. Smart Master Pages, shared text styles, and advanced typographic controls keep everything consistent while giving you the freedom to experiment.
Whether you’re editing a portrait, building a brand identity, or designing a publication, the all new Affinity keeps you in flow, combining power, precision, and speed in a single studio-grade environment.
Design your workspace, your way
Every designer works differently, and now, Affinity does too. The updated app introduces a new level of personalization with fully customizable studios.
Creatives can mix and match tools from the Vector, Pixel, and Layout studios to build a workspace that fits their unique process. Rearrange panels, choose the tools you need, remove the ones you don’t, and save multiple setups for different projects or tasks.
Custom studios can also be shared and downloaded, opening new ways for teams and creative communities to exchange workflows and learn from one another.
It’s flexibility built for focus, with professional tools that adapt to you and the way you work best. And no matter how you work, Affinity keeps up. Built on a high-performance engine, every adjustment updates in real time, from instant previews and detailed edits at 10,000,000% zoom to projects with thousands of layers. It’s ultra-fast, super-smooth, and precise down to the last pixel.
While the all-new Affinity has been reimagined, it still feels instantly familiar to those who know it best. The tools, workflows, and precision you rely on are all here – refined but not replaced. Every update builds on what professionals already love, so you can pick up where you left off and feel right at home.
Free for everyone
From the beginning, Affinity set out to challenge the idea that powerful design tools should come with a hefty price tag. Today, we’re taking that even further.
Affinity is now completely free, forever. The full, professional-grade Affinity experience, available to everyone.
There’s no catch, no stripped-back version, and no gotchas. The same precise, high-performance tools that professionals rely on every day are now open to all, because creative freedom shouldn’t come with a cost.
Whether you’re an independent designer, a creative studio, or a team building your brand, we believe everyone should have access to the tools they need to create their best work.
Affinity and Canva: Stronger together
Affinity has always been built for people who care deeply about design. Professionals who notice the details others might miss, who stay up late perfecting the final pixel, and who take pride in their craft. That hasn’t changed. But we couldn’t launch the all-new Affinity without something special for the Canva community.
For everyone with a Canva premium account, Canva AI’s tools are now accessible directly inside Affinity through the new Canva AI Studio. This includes familiar favorites like Generative Fill, Expand & Edit, and Remove Background – powerful features that speed up repetitive steps while keeping designers in full control of every detail.
Everything that makes Affinity a precision tool for creative professionals remains at its core: the speed, the control, the depth. Now, those same qualities are enhanced by Canva’s technology, giving you new ways to work faster, experiment more freely, and know that your tools will always keep up. Whether you’re refining a complex composite or extending parts of an image, these features work quietly in the background, supporting your process without ever getting in the way of craft.
We know that transparency around AI use and data handling is essential, and your creative work will always remain yours. Canva AI features are built with privacy and control in mind, ensuring that your creative work in Affinity stays secure, runs on the user's device, and work is not accessed to train AI features.
And when you’re ready to collaborate, scale or publish, you can export your Affinity projects into Canva in just a few clicks, to share with colleagues or clients. It’s the first of many steps toward connecting professional design with everyday creation.
This is a new chapter for professional design. We know some of our community may be curious about what this means for Affinity’s identity. It remains exactly what it’s always been: a professional design suite built for people who care deeply about their craft, now strengthened by Canva’s support and resources to take it even further.
You can also bring your existing work with you. Affinity supports PSD, AI, PDF, SVG, TIFF, IDML, and more, making it easy to open, edit, and collaborate without starting from scratch.
Today is just the beginning. We’re continuing to invest in both Affinity’s professional design tools and Canva’s all-in-one platform, building a future where everyone can design at the highest level, without barriers.
The all-new Affinity is available today for Mac and Windows, with iPad coming next year. The Canva community can activate Affinity with their existing account, while existing Affinity customers and new users can create a free Canva account to download Affinity directly.
2025-10-30 20:00