Affinity — Professional design suite sold as a one-time purchase instead of a subscription
What it is
Affinity (by Canva) ships three pro apps - Designer for vector, Photo for raster, Publisher for layout - each a one-time purchase, no subscription. They cover most Photoshop/Illustrator workflows with a modern single-window UI. Pooling layers or missing niche plugins can push heavy Adobe pipeline users back, which is why many run both.
Editor's review
Long-form introduction by the BetterPicker editors · checked against the official site · Oct 9, 2026
Affinity is the professional design suite to pick when you want Adobe-class tools without the subscription, and in its new Canva era, without the purchase price either. One free app now combines vector design, photo editing, and page layout, opens files from the older V1 and V2 applications, and keeps the tool depth professionals relied on. The trade is youth: this unified app is new, iPad support is still on the way, and everything routes through a Canva account.
What it does well
Three studios live under one roof. Pixel, Vector, and Layout studios swap inside a single window, so retouching a photo, drawing a logo, and setting up a brochure no longer mean three applications. New additions such as Image Trace, ePub support, and mesh gradients answer long-standing feature requests in one place.
It is genuinely free, not a trial. The official FAQ is explicit: every tool in every studio, no restrictions, no payment, with free updates. Serif V1 and V2 licenses remain valid, and the new app opens all files created in the older versions, so nobody's archive is stranded.
Professional file handling survived the transition. PSD, AI, and IDML imports keep structure and layers intact, studios on the official page include the likes of Pentagram and T-Mobile, and the app is optimized for Apple silicon alongside Intel Macs and Windows. This is not a toy wearing a professional's name.
Who it's for
Freelancers, small studios, and students who need pro-grade design tools without renting them, plus Canva users who want to step up to real vector and print work. It fits people who liked the old Affinity trio and want one app instead of three. It fits poorly if your team still shares files with editors locked to the V2 apps, or if you need the iPad version today.
Where it falls short
The app is brand new. A unified product replacing the proven V2 trio means some workflows moved, some features are still arriving, and version one of anything ships with rough edges. Early adoption is realistic here precisely because it is free, but plan for iteration.
A Canva account is the front door. Download and licensing run through Canva sign-in, and the new AI features inside Affinity require a premium Canva plan. Designers who resent account walls will feel this one, even though the core app itself costs nothing.
File compatibility runs one way. The new app opens V1 and V2 files, but the older applications cannot open files saved by the new one. Mixed teams that have not all switched will trip over this until everyone moves, and iPad users are still waiting for their version.
Specs at a glance
Facts from the official site · not editorial opinion
| Pricing | Free (per official site); Canva premium plans unlock AI features |
|---|---|
| Platforms | Windows, macOS (iPad announced) |
| Modules | Pixel, Vector, and Layout studios in one app |
| Company | Canva (originally Serif) |
| File support | Opens Affinity V1 and V2 files; imports PSD, AI, IDML |
| Account | Requires a free Canva account |
| Languages | 10 including English, Chinese, Japanese |
Frequently asked questions
▸Is Affinity really free?
Yes. Canva made the unified Affinity app free, and the official FAQ states that every tool in the Pixel, Vector, and Layout studios is available without payment or restrictions, with free updates. Canva AI features inside the app require a premium Canva plan.
▸Do my old Affinity V1 or V2 files still work?
The new app opens files created in both V1 and V2, and your existing V2 licenses from Serif remain valid. Note that it runs one way: older applications cannot open files saved by the new app, so mixed teams should coordinate before switching.
▸Affinity or Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop?
Affinity gives you vector, raster, and layout tools in one free app, while Adobe offers deeper ecosystem integration and industry-standard interchange. If subscription cost is the deciding factor, Affinity removes it entirely. Many studios keep both, but Affinity is now the reasonable default for new solo designers.
▸Is this the same as the old Affinity Designer, Photo, and Publisher?
It is a single new application that combines those three disciplines into Pixel, Vector, and Layout studios, built by the same team now owned by Canva. The individual V2 apps still exist for existing customers, but new users get the unified app.
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