Canva has confirmed that users can now download the Affinity suite for Windows and Mac for free, but access to artificial intelligence (AI ) features incurs an additional charge. The announcement follows the initial release of the Affinity application for free download on Oct 30.
Affinity noted that beyond the current Windows and Mac offerings, Canva plans to introduce a new, comprehensive graphics application for the iPad in the future. This iPad iteration is designed to fully merge the capabilities of Designer, Photo and Publisher into one product, which will also be interoperable with the core Canva application.
The caveat to the free desktop software is the advanced functionality: users requiring AI features such as Generative Fill, Expand and Edit must subscribe to a paid tier. However, existing Canva Premium subscribers will reportedly be able to use these AI tools immediately.
Individuals who previously claimed the three standalone free versions of the applications are permitted to continue their usage indefinitely. They retain the flexibility to migrate to the new Affinity version whenever they choose. Canva has yet to confirm whether the older application versions will continue to receive any form of updates.
The author, drawing on prior experience with both Adobe and Affinity, suggests that while the operating systems are very similar, Adobe maintains a slight advantage in overall user convenience. The transition to the new Affinity programs was initially disorienting for the author due to unfamiliar menu terminologies, requiring significant time to locate features, at times searching in YouTube.
Specific workflow challenges were encountered. For instance, combining two images was found to be less direct than in Adobe; instead of a simple drag-and-drop action, the user was required to create a new layer on the primary image and then manually copy the second image into that composition.
Furthermore, the Actions system (Affinity’s equivalent of Macro) proved problematic; a recorded Macro intended to set an image length to 1500 pixels retained the settings of the source image and could not be universally applied across different photographs, as expected from Adobe’s system.
To summarise the comparison, Adobe appears to offer a more robust support infrastructure for its users. Nevertheless, for creators who prefer a more manual workflow and are budget-conscious, the Affinity programs now present a compelling and accessible option.