First things first - what even is Affinity?
Affinity is a suite of creative apps that’s been quietly earning a cult following for years. It includes Affinity Photo (like Photoshop), Affinity Designer (like Illustrator), and Affinity Publisher (like InDesign). Basically, it’s the same idea as Adobe’s Creative Cloud, but without the recurring payment trauma.
It was made by a UK company called Serif - not the font, the software company - and in 2024, Canva (yes, that Canva, the one your cousin uses to make classroom presentations) bought it for about $380 million. Fast forward to now, and Canva has just made a massive move: they’ve merged all the Affinity tools into one giant all-in-one app and dropped the price to zero.
Why would anyone do that?
Because Canva wants to take over the world. Or at least, the design world. They already rule the casual-creator space - the “make a wedding invite in five minutes” crowd - but they’ve always been seen as too simple for professionals. Affinity changes that.
By making professional-grade software free, Canva just threw a massive wrench into Adobe’s long-running monopoly. It’s like if someone released a Tesla for free, and all you had to pay for were the seat warmers. It’s both genius and a little chaotic.
Of course, there’s a catch. There’s always a catch. The free Affinity app gives you all the main tools - photo editing, layout, vector design - but some advanced AI-powered features will still require a Canva subscription. Think background removal, generative fill, that kind of stuff. The difference is, you can still do almost everything without paying.
So what’s the big deal?
This move matters because Adobe has been sitting on top of the creative world for decades. Every designer, illustrator, and photo editor you’ve ever met has a love-hate relationship with Adobe. They love the tools - Photoshop and Illustrator are absolute legends - but they hate the way Adobe treats its users.
Adobe’s subscription model has turned what used to be a one-time purchase into a lifetime financial commitment. If you stop paying, you lose access to your own work. It’s the digital equivalent of buying a house and realizing you’re actually renting the keys.
Affinity’s decision to go free is like someone kicking open the fire exit in a very expensive building. Suddenly, creative people have options again. Students, hobbyists, small studios, anyone who couldn’t justify the monthly cost can now access real design tools. And honestly, that’s huge.
But is it actually good?
Yes - surprisingly, yes. The Affinity suite has always been praised for being sleek, fast, and incredibly capable. It’s not some watered-down version of the “real thing.” It’s powerful software that professionals actually use. The new unified app lets you switch between photo editing, vector work, and page layout in the same file - something Adobe users have been begging for since forever.
The reviews say it’s stable, beautifully designed, and very user-friendly. Plus, it can open and export Photoshop files, Illustrator files, and even handle big print layouts.
Why this is bigger than just design
Making powerful creative tools free democratizes creativity in a way we haven’t seen in years. Think about it - Photoshop used to be the ultimate symbol of digital creativity. Now, anyone with a laptop can access tools of the same quality without spending a cent. That’s not just cool, it’s kind of revolutionary.
Of course, Canva didn’t do this out of the goodness of its corporate heart. They’re building an empire. By giving the pro tools away, they bring millions of users into their ecosystem, and some of those users will pay for extra features later. It’s a long game. But it’s one that could permanently shift how creative software works.
The bottom line
Adobe’s not going anywhere - they still own the industry in terms of scale, brand, and deep professional tools. But this move from Affinity is a wake-up call. The era of locking creativity behind paywalls might finally be cracking.
For designers, it’s a win. For students and freelancers, it’s a miracle. And for Adobe? It’s a reason to start checking the rearview mirror.
So yeah, if you’ve ever wanted to mess around with digital art, photo editing, or layout design - now’s the time. The tools are free, the possibilities are wide open, and honestly? It’s about time creativity stopped coming with a subscription fee.
