Affinity’s professional graphic design applications are now available for permanent free download on the Apple App Store for iPad.
The suite includes Affinity Photo, Affinity Publisher and Affinity Designer, giving users a chance to access the tools without any subscription fees.
The announcement follows Serif’s sale of Affinity to Canva in 2024. At that time, users were only offered a seven-day trial across iPad, personal computers (PCs) and Mac.
The new development suggests that iPad users can now keep the apps for free, although some speculate it may be the result of a technical error rather than a planned policy.
To secure a permanent licence, users must first download the app free from the App Store and activate the seven-day trial.
Returning to the Affinity Photo page on the App Store will show a licence option labelled ‘Affinity Photo 2 for iPad licence.’
Downloading it again registers the app for permanent use. Affinity has long been marketed as a one-time purchase alternative to Adobe’s subscription-based services such as Photoshop, Illustrator and Premiere. On iPad, the interface and workflow are like Adobe’s apps, but Affinity traditionally charges a single fee (USD$18.49), while Adobe requires monthly payments (USD$9.99 – 22.99/month).