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Yes—but the important change happened in October 2025, not “just now.” Canva announced the new Affinity on October 29, 2025, and the public launch followed around October 30–31. The new app combines the core functions of the former Affinity Designer, Affinity Photo, and Affinity Publisher into one application. Canva says the core app is free forever, and a free Canva account is enough to use it.
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Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstallThe catches are significant for professional users: premium AI tools require an eligible paid Canva plan, activation is linked to a Canva account, online entitlement verification may be required, and you receive a license to use the software rather than ownership of an immutable perpetual copy.
What became free?
Canva did not simply make three unchanged applications—Affinity Designer, Affinity Photo, and Affinity Publisher—free. It launched a new unified Affinity application that brings their main disciplines together in one interface.
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- Existing subscribers must first complete current membership term before linking new subscription term
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- Create vector graphics for use in any type of project. Illustrator is a versatile app for designing graphics like logos, icons, charts and more
Instead of switching between three separate desktop programs, users work in three broad modes:
| New Affinity mode | Former Affinity equivalent | Typical work |
|---|---|---|
| Vector | Affinity Designer | Logos, branding, illustration, curves, shapes, icons, and other vector artwork |
| Pixel | Affinity Photo | Photo editing, compositing, retouching, RAW development, raster painting, masks, adjustments, and effects |
| Layout | Affinity Publisher | Multi-page documents, typography, brochures, reports, books, and print projects |
That is what “the entire Affinity suite” means in this context: the three major creative disciplines formerly split across Designer, Photo, and Publisher. It does not mean that every Canva product, Canva Pro asset, Canva collaboration feature, or Canva AI capability is included at no cost.
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Canva describes the new application as a full professional-grade design, photo-editing, and layout tool. That is Canva’s product claim rather than an independent benchmark, but the free core is broad enough to be relevant to illustrators, photographers, publishers, digital painters, and designers who want to avoid a recurring software subscription.
Is Affinity genuinely free, or is it freemium?
The most accurate answer is: the core Affinity application is free; some connected Canva services are paid.
| Part of the offer | What you should expect |
|---|---|
| Core vector, pixel, and layout tools | Free, according to Canva |
| Canva account | Required. A free Canva account is sufficient for core Affinity access. |
| Canva AI inside Affinity | Plan-dependent. Canva’s named premium tools include Generative Fill, Expand & Edit, and Remove Background. |
| Canva Pro or Business | Not required for the core editor, but paid plans include “Access to Affinity with AI” on Canva’s pricing page. |
| Canva premium content, brand systems, and collaboration services | Governed by the applicable Canva plan; they are not automatically part of free Affinity. |
| Ownership | You receive a limited, account-linked license. You do not buy ownership of the software. |
| Activation | Download, account activation, and possibly periodic use may require online entitlement verification. |
At the time of checking, Canva’s U.S. pricing page listed Canva Free at US$0 per year with “Access to Affinity.” It listed Canva Pro at US$144 per year and Canva Business at US$250 per person per year, both with “Access to Affinity with AI.” These prices, plan names, taxes, promotions, and regional entitlements can change, so check the live Canva pricing page before subscribing.
In other words, you do not need Canva Pro simply to use Affinity’s ordinary vector, photo, painting, or layout tools. You may want a paid plan if you specifically need Canva’s integrated generative AI or other premium Canva services.
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Canva’s launch materials describe the free Affinity experience as including the main professional tools across all three disciplines. For a painter or image-maker, the most relevant capabilities include:
- Non-destructive photo editing
- RAW development and compositing
- Smart selections, masks, adjustments, and effects
- Raster painting and pixel-based editing
- Batch processing
- Vector curves, shapes, and illustrations
- Typography and text styling
- Multi-page documents, master pages, and text styles
- Print-oriented layout workflows
- Customizable workspaces
- Shareable custom studios
- Export and import support for formats including PSD, AI, PDF, SVG, TIFF, and IDML
These capabilities are part of Canva’s description of the product. The company has not promised that every tool behaves identically to every build of Affinity V2, so existing users should test their own files and workflows rather than assume exact feature parity.
What is behind the AI paywall?
The new Affinity separates conventional editing from Canva AI Studio. Canva specifically names these AI features:
- Generative Fill
- Expand & Edit
- Remove Background
Canva’s pricing page distinguishes free-plan “Access to Affinity” from paid-plan “Access to Affinity with AI.” A Canva Free account can therefore give you the full core editor while leaving AI Studio tools unavailable.
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- Existing subscribers must first complete current membership term before linking new subscription term
- The industry-standard vector graphics app lets you create logos, icons, sketches, typography and complex illustrations for print, web, interactive, video and mobile
- See how the fastest Illustrator ever helps you go from the first idea to finished artwork just like that
- Illustrator is a professional vector graphic design application with industry-standard tools for drawing, color, creative effects and typography
- Create vector graphics for use in any type of project. Illustrator is a versatile app for designing graphics like logos, icons, charts and more
AI availability is not necessarily unlimited even on a paid plan. Canva’s AI Product Terms say that AI products may be subject to usage limits, country or language restrictions, and technology-partner arrangements. A paid subscription should not be interpreted as an unlimited promise of every AI feature in every country.
This distinction matters particularly for photographers and digital painters. Traditional masks, selections, retouching, cloning, compositing, adjustments, brushes, and filters are different from cloud-assisted generative operations. You can use the former without paying for Canva AI; the latter may require an eligible plan and an online service.
How to download the new Affinity
Use Canva’s official Affinity download page rather than an unofficial mirror:
- Go to affinity.studio/get-affinity.
- Sign in with an existing Canva account, or create a free Canva account.
- Download the installer for the supported desktop operating system shown on the page.
- Install and launch Affinity.
- Complete account activation and any entitlement check.
- Choose the Vector, Pixel, or Layout workspace for the type of work you want to start.
- Open Canva AI Studio only if your account has the required paid-plan entitlement.
The basic requirement is not a Canva Pro subscription; it is a Canva account. If the application refuses to activate, first check that you are signed into the intended account and that the computer can reach Canva’s entitlement service.
Which platforms does it support?
At launch, Canva officially announced the unified Affinity application for Mac and Windows, with an iPad version described as “coming soon.” The original announcement did not provide a release date.
For current availability, check the live Affinity download page and the relevant official app listing. Canva’s legal terms mention Mac, Windows, and iPad as possible formats, but that wording by itself does not prove that the unified iPad application was available at a particular date.
Do not confuse the new unified application with the older iPad apps for Affinity Designer 2, Affinity Photo 2, and Affinity Publisher 2. Those legacy applications remain separately listed in Apple’s U.S. App Store as free downloads with in-app purchases:
The presence of those listings does not mean that they are the same product, use the same file format, or have the same licensing model as the new unified Affinity app.
Does Affinity work offline?
Do not plan on a completely offline workflow without testing it first.
Canva says Affinity stores work locally on the device and that exporting or uploading work to Canva is optional. That is useful for artists who prefer local project files rather than having every document live in a browser-based workspace.
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However, the Affinity Additional Terms link access to a Canva account and say that Canva may require online entitlement verification. You should therefore expect internet access to be needed for downloading, activation, and potentially periodic verification. Canva AI features are also separate online services governed by the AI terms.
The practical distinction is:
- Local storage: Your ordinary Affinity documents can be stored on your computer.
- Offline entitlement: Canva does not promise that activation and continued access will work indefinitely without verification.
- AI: Do not assume Canva’s generative tools run entirely locally.
- Canva integration: Uploading or exporting work to Canva is optional for ordinary local editing, but required if you choose Canva’s cloud collaboration or related services.
What does “free forever” really mean?
Canva markets the core Affinity app as free “forever.” That is the product promise readers will see in Canva’s announcement. It is not the same thing as purchasing a perpetual license that guarantees an unchanged application will run indefinitely.
Under Canva’s Affinity terms:
- Use is linked to a Canva account.
- Some features depend on the user’s subscription or entitlement.
- Online entitlement verification may be required.
- No ownership rights in the software are sold.
- Canva does not guarantee continued availability, maintenance, compatibility, or updates.
- Canva reserves the ability to modify, limit, suspend, or disable access to the currently available software.
- Users remain responsible for their own content and for having the necessary rights to use it.
That does not make the free offer meaningless. It does mean the new Affinity is structurally different from buying a traditional perpetual-license application and keeping an installer that is independent of the vendor’s account system.
What should existing Affinity V1 and V2 owners do?
Existing customers should not assume their purchases disappeared when Canva launched the unified app.
Serif’s support center says Affinity V1 and V2 applications are no longer available for new purchase, but customers who bought them can still download them through their Affinity Store account or the relevant Apple, Microsoft, or Mac App Store purchase history. The new free Affinity does not automatically make an old V2 installation unnecessary.
If you already have an established production pipeline, keep the old application installed until you have tested the new one with representative projects. This is particularly important for files containing:
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- Complex masks or embedded documents
- Linked images and other external resources
- Specialized or missing fonts
- Advanced text wrapping and multi-page text flow
- Placed PDFs or imported Illustrator files
- Color profiles and print-specific settings
- Third-party assets, brushes, or macros
Independent coverage has reported that the new application uses its own .af file format and that files saved by the new Affinity may not be backwards-compatible with V2. Treat that as a serious compatibility warning, not as proof that every import or export path fails. The safest approach is to test before converting an active job.
A safe migration test
- Make a copy of an existing V2 project; never test on the only original.
- Preserve all linked images, fonts, brushes, profiles, and other assets.
- Open the copy in the new Affinity.
- Inspect layers, masks, blend modes, live filters, text flow, placed files, and page geometry.
- Export a PDF or other delivery format and compare it with the V2 output.
- Reopen the exported file in the software your client, printer, or collaborator uses.
- Keep V2 available until the complete round trip succeeds.
Interchange formats such as PSD, PDF, SVG, TIFF, or IDML can help move work between applications, but conversion is not guaranteed to preserve every editable feature. Flattening, font substitution, altered text wrapping, missing effects, or changed color handling can still occur.
Is the new Affinity a replacement for Adobe?
It can replace parts of a Creative Cloud workflow, but “Adobe replacement” is too broad to be useful without naming the job.
| Workflow | Where Affinity may fit | What to verify before switching |
|---|---|---|
| Photo editing and digital painting | Pixel editing, RAW development, compositing, non-destructive adjustments, masks, and raster painting are all central to the free app. | Specialized plug-ins, automation, camera support, color-managed delivery, and compatibility with existing Photoshop files. |
| Illustration and vector design | Vector mode covers curves, shapes, logos, branding, and illustration. | Complex Illustrator files, plug-ins, scripting, team conventions, and exact handling of imported effects. |
| Page layout | Layout mode includes multi-page documents, master pages, text styles, typography, and print workflows. | Long-document features, IDML conversion, font behavior, prepress requirements, and printer-specific output. |
| Cloud collaboration | Affinity can connect with Canva, and later updates added Canva Brand System integration. | Affinity remains a desktop-centered application; browser collaboration, permissions, assets, and team workflows are separate Canva services. |
| Generative AI | Canva AI Studio adds tools such as Generative Fill and Expand & Edit. | Those features are plan-dependent and may have usage, country, language, and service limitations. |
| Video and motion graphics | The three Affinity disciplines are not a complete video-production suite. | Adobe After Effects, Premiere Pro, plug-in ecosystems, and dedicated motion tools remain outside Affinity’s core scope. |
For a photographer, illustrator, or painter who mainly needs serious desktop editing and export without a monthly software bill, Affinity is a compelling alternative to the relevant Adobe application. For someone dependent on Adobe plug-ins, Creative Cloud libraries, automated production, collaborative review, or video and motion tools, it is better viewed as one component of a replacement strategy—not a one-for-one Creative Cloud substitute.
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- Existing subscribers must first complete current membership term before linking new subscription term
- With Photoshop, you can create and enhance photographs, illustrations, and 3D artwork
- Design websites and mobile apps
- Edit videos, simulate real-life paintings, and more
Other tools may be a better fit for particular jobs: GIMP for raster editing, Krita for digital painting, Inkscape for vector work, Scribus for page layout, Pixelmator Pro for a platform-specific Mac workflow, and Canva itself for browser-based templates and collaboration. The right comparison is workflow-specific rather than a universal ranking.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Privacy: does Canva use Affinity work to train AI?
Canva says that Affinity work is stored locally and that it does not use Affinity content to train or develop its AI features. Canva says this includes work created with Canva AI tools within Affinity, and that users remain in control of whether they export or upload work to Canva.
That is Canva’s stated public privacy position, not a reason to describe Affinity as completely disconnected from Canva. The account and entitlement systems still connect the application to Canva, and AI functionality is covered by separate terms that may involve technology partners and service limitations.
The careful version is: Canva says it does not use Affinity content to train its AI systems, while Canva’s AI features are governed by separate terms and may involve technology partners. It would be inaccurate to promise that Canva never receives any data or that every feature works entirely offline.
Is Affinity still being developed?
Yes. Official post-launch updates show that Canva and the Affinity team have continued developing the application.
The March 2026 update announced:
- A light user interface
- Convert to Curves
- Live Tone Blend Groups
- Brush workflow improvements
- Document-tab workflow improvements
The April 2026 update announced:
- Canva Brand System integration
- Capture One
.afsupport - DaVinci Resolve support for native Affinity files
- An Affinity AI connector for Claude, free during beta
- Free access to Cavalry through a Canva account
Cavalry is a separate motion-design product, not a fourth Affinity mode and not a replacement for the former Affinity applications. Canva’s April announcement presents it as an additional tool in the wider creative ecosystem.
Why would Canva give professional software away?
Canva’s stated model is to make core tools available for free while monetizing premium content, collaboration, and AI. Canva acquired Serif, the company behind Affinity, in 2024 and says the Affinity team and product are supported by Canva’s wider business.
The likely business logic is an inference rather than a confirmed statement of Canva’s internal strategy: a free professional desktop tool can bring designers, photographers, illustrators, and publishers into Canva’s ecosystem. Some of those users may later want premium AI, Canva content, brand systems, collaboration, or cloud distribution.
Canva reported that more than one million people signed up for Affinity during its first four days, and later said the relaunched product had passed five million downloads since October 2025. Those are company-reported adoption figures, not independent usage audits, but they show why the free launch could be strategically valuable.
Should you download it, pay for Canva Pro, or stay with something else?
Download the free Affinity if you:
- Work primarily on a supported Mac or Windows computer.
- Want vector, photo, painting, and page-layout tools in one desktop application.
- Prefer local project files and professional export options.
- Want to avoid a recurring software subscription for core editing.
- Can accept creating and maintaining a Canva account.
- Do not require premium generative AI.
Consider Canva Pro or Business if you:
- Specifically need Canva AI Studio features inside Affinity.
- Want Canva’s premium content, collaboration, or brand-system features.
- Have confirmed that the plan and AI limits available in your country meet your needs.
Do not subscribe solely because you think Pro is required to unlock ordinary Affinity editing. Canva’s current pricing distinction says the free plan includes access to Affinity, while paid plans add access to Affinity with AI.
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- Existing subscribers must first complete current membership term before linking new subscription term
- With Photoshop, you can create and enhance photographs, illustrations, and 3D artwork
- Design websites and mobile apps
- Edit videos, simulate real-life paintings, and more
Keep V2 installed if you:
- Have important client files that have not been tested in the new application.
- Depend on a stable print, publishing, or color-managed pipeline.
- Need to exchange editable files with people who still use V2.
- Rely on old macros, plug-ins, fonts, or effects.
- Need a known version for ongoing production and cannot risk conversion changes.
Choose another tool or keep Adobe if you:
- Require guaranteed perpetual ownership or permanent offline activation.
- Need exact Adobe file, plug-in, automation, or team-system compatibility.
- Need video editing or a complete motion-graphics workflow.
- Object to account-linked software.
- Need a fully browser-based collaborative environment rather than a desktop editor.
The bottom line
Canva’s new Affinity is an unusually strong free offer: Mac and Windows users can access vector design, pixel editing, digital painting, RAW work, and page layout without paying for Canva Pro. A free Canva account is enough for the core tools.
The trade-off is that this is not ownership of a traditional standalone perpetual application. Your access is account-linked, entitlement checks may require internet access, premium AI is separately monetized, and Canva’s terms reserve the right to change or disable access. Existing V2 owners should keep their old installations until they have tested real projects.
For serious desktop creative work without a recurring software fee, download it and evaluate it against your own files. For AI-heavy work, Adobe-specific pipelines, guaranteed offline ownership, or broader video-and-motion production, investigate the limitations before abandoning your current tools.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need Canva Pro to use Affinity?
No. Canva says the core Vector, Pixel, and Layout tools are available through a free Canva account. Canva Pro or another eligible paid plan is needed for premium AI features such as Generative Fill, Expand & Edit, and Remove Background.
Can I use the new Affinity without an internet connection?
Affinity stores work locally, but Canva’s terms say online entitlement verification may be required. Plan to connect for download, activation, and possibly periodic verification; do not assume permanent offline activation.
Are the old Affinity V2 apps the same as the new free Affinity?
No. The new Affinity is a unified application combining Designer-, Photo-, and Publisher-style workflows. Existing V2 desktop apps and the legacy iPad apps are separate products, and new-file compatibility should be tested.
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Should existing Affinity owners uninstall V2?
Not immediately. Keep V2 until you have tested representative projects, fonts, linked assets, effects, masks, text flow, and final exports in the new application.
Does Canva own my artwork because I use Affinity?
Canva says Affinity work is stored locally and is not used to train or develop its AI features. You remain responsible for your content and rights, but uploading work to Canva or using Canva AI introduces separate Canva services and terms.
The Bottom Line
Verdict: The free core Affinity is worth trying if you want serious Mac or Windows tools for photo editing, digital painting, vector design, and layout without a recurring software subscription. Treat the Canva account requirement, premium AI paywall, online entitlement checks, and file-compatibility risks as real conditions—not footnotes.
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