This Is Insane! Canva Just Made Affinity Completely Free Forever

Canva has relaunched Affinity — merging its Designer, Photo, and Publisher tools — into one powerful app, now 100% free forever for Windows and macOS. The company insists there’s no hidden agenda: user data isn’t sold, work isn’t used to train AI, and revenue comes from optional paid AI tools.

Key takeaways

- Unified App: Affinity Designer, Photo, and Publisher are now combined into a single application with modes for Vector, Pixel, and Layout.

- Free Forever: The core Affinity app is completely free with no subscription, and users get access to all primary professional tools.

- AI Features Behind Paywall: Advanced AI features (like generative fill, background removal) are available only to Canva Premium subscribers.

- Privacy & Ownership Assured: Canva states it does not train its AI on users’ Affinity files, does not sell their data, and that creators retain full ownership of their work.

Affinity becomes one app and free!

Last week, Canva announced a major overhaul of the Affinity creative suite (originally from Serif). The company has merged all three separate apps — Affinity Designer, Affinity Photo, and Affinity Publisher — into a single, unified application for macOS and Windows.

Instead of switching between programs, users now select between three “studios” or modes: Vector (for illustration), Pixel (for photo editing), and Layout (for publishing).

According to Canva (and echoed in official Affinity messaging), this app is “free, forever”. There’s no stripped-down “lite” version: the full set of professional-grade tools is available without paying.

How is this sustainable? Where’s the revenue?

Naturally, many in the creative community have asked: “How is this even possible?” In a video (and accompanying communications), Canva’s leadership addressed these concerns directly — stating that there’s no catch. They emphasize three core promises:

- No data selling

- No training AI on users’ files

- User work remains fully theirs

So how does Canva make money? The monetization comes only through advanced AI features. Basic creative tools remain free; but if you want generative fill, automatic background removal, or other AI-powered enhancements, you’ll need a Canva Premium subscription.

Features & user experience

Beyond just merging the apps, the relaunched Affinity offers a highly customizable user interface. Users can choose which panels to show, rearrange tools from different “studios,” and save their workspace layouts for specific tasks — even share these setups with their teams or the broader community.

It also introduces a “universal file format”, meaning a seamless workflow across vector, pixel, and layout design within the same document. For users who also use Canva, there’s tight integration: you can export your Affinity projects to your Canva account.

Legacy users & licenses

If you already own the older Affinity apps (V1 or V2), here’s what changes — and what remains:

- The old versions (Designer, Photo, Publisher) will continue to work, but they don’t receive future updates.

- Files created in the new Affinity app use the new format; they can be opened in the legacy apps, but saving in the new format makes them incompatible with older versions.

- To download the new version, a free Canva account is required.

Platform availability:

- Windows & macOS: Available now.

- iPad: A version is coming (Canva says “in the future”).

Risks and criticisms

While the announcement has been widely praised, some users remain skeptical — pointing out potential downsides:

- Terms flexibility: According to the terms of use, Canva reserves the right to modify or disable access to Affinity in the future.

- AI opt-in defaults: Some users note that AI-related data usage settings are turned on by default and need to be manually opted out.

- Backwards compatibility concern: Once you save in the new app’s format, older V1/V2 versions of Affinity can’t open those new files.

Canva’s bold move could shake up Adobe’s empire!

When Canva acquired Serif’s Affinity suite in 2024, many expected tighter integrations or a freemium model — not a complete removal of the price tag.

Now, with the “100% free forever” announcement, Canva has done something even Adobe hasn’t dared: turned premium creative software into an open-access tool.

A direct challenge to Adobe’s subscription model

Adobe dominates creative software, but its Creative Cloud pricing — $60/month for the full suite — has long frustrated independent designers, freelancers, and small businesses.

Canva’s move directly undercuts this, offering pro-level design tools for $0 upfront. For many, this could be the final push to cancel Adobe subscriptions, especially for non-enterprise users who don’t rely on niche Adobe-only features.

User sentiment shifting toward trust and freedom

Canva’s messaging — “no data selling, no AI training, your work stays yours” — taps into growing frustration around AI ethics and user data exploitation.

It positions Canva as the ethical, creator-first alternative in a space where big tech companies are often viewed as extractive. This trust-building narrative could earn Canva long-term loyalty beyond just affordability.

While it looks altruistic, this move is strategically brilliant. By making Affinity free, Canva can:

- Expand its user base exponentially, bringing millions into its ecosystem.

- Upsell AI-powered tools via its paid Canva Pro plans.

- Collect product insights (within ethical limits) to refine both Affinity and Canva’s collaborative design tools.

Pressure on Adobe to rethink accessibility

If Canva sustains this model successfully, Adobe will be forced to rethink its subscription-first approach. Industry analysts predict Adobe may need to introduce lighter or free-tier versions of its apps to compete for early-career creators.

A potential shift in the creative software market

We’re witnessing a possible paradigm shift — from gatekeeping design tools behind paywalls to making creativity accessible for everyone.

Much like how Google Docs disrupted Microsoft Office, Canva could do the same to Adobe’s Creative Suite — not by matching feature for feature, but by changing the rules of access.

Bottom line

Canva isn’t just giving away software — it’s rewriting the economics of creativity.

If this “free forever” model holds, Adobe’s long reign as the industry default may finally have a worthy challenger.