Affinity is now a single creative app for vector design, photo editing and page layout. Its core tools are free, but you need a free Canva account to download and activate it. A paid Canva plan is optional and is required for Canva AI features inside the app. As of October 4, 2026, the app is available for Windows and macOS; iPadOS is in development, with no release date announced.
What is Affinity now?
Affinity brings three kinds of creative work into one app: vector graphics, pixel-based image editing and page layout. Those broad roles were previously associated with the separate Affinity Designer, Affinity Photo and Affinity Publisher apps. Canva’s 2024 acquisition announcement described Designer as a vector-graphics tool, Photo as an image editor and Publisher as a page-layout app; the current product combines those workflows.
The app supports non-destructive editing and can import formats including PSD, AI, PDF, SVG and IDML. It can also export work or send it to Canva. Importing does not guarantee a perfect, fully editable copy: Canva says some complex Illustrator appearance stacks, masks and advanced effects may be simplified or flattened. If a project depends on those details, check the imported document before relying on it for final output.
Is Affinity free, and do you need Canva Pro?
The core vector, photo and layout tools are free. You must sign in with a free Canva account to download and activate the app, but you do not need a paid Canva plan to use those core tools. Canva AI Studio features inside Affinity are a separate premium-plan benefit.
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Where can you use Affinity?
The current app is available for Windows and macOS. Canva describes an iPadOS version as in development, but has not given a release date, so iPad availability should not be assumed.
Affinity can be used offline after you download and activate it online, including for extended periods. Optional connected features—such as help, lessons, stock libraries, Canva integrations and AI tools—need an internet connection.
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What happened to Affinity Designer, Photo and Publisher?
The names still matter if you have older projects or are trying to identify software you already own. Canva’s current FAQ says the new Affinity app opens files created in Affinity V1 and V2. The reverse is not supported: V1 and V2 apps cannot open files created or saved in the newer app.
Canva says existing V2 licenses remain valid and activation servers will remain online, but V2 apps will not receive future updates. If you need to keep working in an older app, preserve a copy of the project in a format it can open before saving it in the new app.
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What has changed in the latest update?
In an update published September 15, 2026, Affinity announced more than 60 features and improvements. The company highlighted a Blend Tool, in-app scripting across vector, pixel and layout work, deeper RAW development, reusable presets, correction tools for mixed lighting and camera shake, and Scene Decomposition. These are vendor-described capabilities, not independent performance findings. The company said the core creative tools remain free, while Canva AI Studio requires a Canva premium plan.
How does Affinity compare with Adobe creative apps?
Affinity covers workflows similar to those handled by Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign, but the products are organized differently: Affinity combines photo, vector and layout work in one app, while Adobe’s familiar equivalents are separate applications. Affinity’s core tools are free and require Canva sign-in; that distinction may matter if you want to avoid a software subscription. The choice also depends on file interchange and platform needs: complex imported effects may not remain identical, and the current app is for Windows and macOS, with iPadOS undated.
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Canva’s comparison pages describe Affinity as supporting similar workflows to Photoshop or Illustrator, but that does not establish that one app is faster or produces better results. Performance, output quality and suitability for a particular project depend on the work and have not been independently established here.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What does Canva say about files and AI?
Affinity Enablement Lead Benjamin Viney wrote in the September 2026 product update: “Your work in Affinity isn’t used to train AI features, and Affinity can’t access your files – they’re stored locally on your device.” Canva’s separate explainer likewise says Affinity work is stored locally and is not used to train or develop AI features. These are Canva/Affinity’s published statements, not findings from an independent audit. If you choose to export or upload work to Canva, that is a separate action and the company says users remain in control of it.
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Who is Affinity a good fit for?
Affinity is worth considering if you want one app for vector design, photo editing and page layout without paying for the core tools, and you are comfortable creating or using a Canva account. It may also be useful when moving an older V1 or V2 project into a current app, provided you account for the one-way file compatibility.
Before committing a complex production workflow, test representative files—especially documents with intricate Illustrator effects—and confirm the export or handoff preserves what you need. If your workflow depends on an iPad, wait for a confirmed release rather than assuming the in-development version is available.
Quick Recap
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