31 October 2025

Canva Made Affinity Free and I Am Here For It

I've grown tired of Adobe's subscription model over the years. The constant monthly fees feel like a tax on creativity, which is why I happily switched to the Affinity suite for my recent projects. The one-time purchase was a breath of fresh air, and the software itself is powerful and intuitive.

So, when the news broke that Canva acquired Affinity, I was cautiously optimistic. Today, that optimism paid off. Canva has relaunched the entire Affinity suite, not as version 3.0, but as a single, unified application that is now completely free.

This is a massive shift in the creative software landscape. The new Affinity by Canva combines Designer, Photo, and Publisher into one seamless experience. You get all the professional-grade vector design, photo editing, and page layout tools without paying a dime.

So, why would Canva do this?

It's a brilliant strategic move to directly challenge Adobe's long-standing dominance. By making the core software free, Canva is removing the biggest barrier to entry for millions of designers, students, and hobbyists.

The business model appears to be a freemium approach. While the powerful core application is free forever, Canva is integrating some of its new, advanced AI features as part of its Canva Premium subscription. This includes tools for AI image generation, photo cleanup, and other smart assists. It's a smart way to get the professional-grade tools into everyone's hands while creating an upsell path for those who want the latest AI-powered workflows.

For someone like me, who was already a happy Affinity 2 user, this is fantastic news. I get a major upgrade and a more integrated workflow at no extra cost. I'm more than willing to give Affinity by Canva a try and see how it fits into my projects. It feels like a win for the entire creative community.

You can read the official announcement and learn more on Canva's website.