Affinity by Canva goes free: Here to compete with pro design apps from Adobe

The popular Affinity app from Canva is now free forever, combining its photo editing, vector design and page layout tools into one powerful, professional-looking app. Announced on October 30th, 2025, this major update merges Affinity Designer, Photo and Publisher into a single seamless desktop application for Windows and Mac, with iPad support coming soon. To app is free to download, but to use it, you are going to need a free Canva account.

This transition ends speculation about whether Canva would shift Affinity to a subscription model similar to Adobe’s. The company emphasised there are no catches, no stripped-down versions, and no hidden fees—users get the full, high-performance toolset professionals rely on without paying a dime. The new all-in-one platform features customizable workspaces called studios tailored to various tasks such as pixel editing for photos, vector illustration, and page layouts, ensuring an intuitive and flexible creative workflow.​

While Affinity’s core functionality is free, Canva premium subscribers unlock AI-powered editing tools like Generative Fill, Remove Background, and photo cleanup within the Affinity app through Canva AI Studio integration. This optional AI enhancement combines Canva’s advanced generative AI with Affinity’s traditional workflow, appealing to professionals and creatives looking for cutting-edge editing features.​

Existing users of earlier standalone Affinity apps can continue using them, but new downloads now solely come from this unified free app. This move by Canva democratizes access to powerful design software, eliminating financial barriers and empowering creatives worldwide to work with professional tools without cost constraints.​

In summary, Affinity’s new free all-in-one app marks a huge shift in the design software landscape, offering a robust creative suite accessible to everyone, balanced with optional AI-driven features for premium users. It positions itself firmly as a top alternative to Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign in a fresh, modern package.​