Affinity

The roots of Affinity trace back to a British company called Serif (Europe) Ltd, based in Nottingham, UK. Founded in 1987 by a small team of engineers—led by visionaries like Gary Bates and Jim Bryce—the company spent decades building affordable alternatives to high-end software. However, the modern "Affinity Era" began in 2014 when they decided to stop updating their legacy "Plus" range and build a brand-new suite from scratch. Under the leadership of CEO Ash Hewson, Affinity quickly became a darling of the design world, winning multiple Apple Design Awards and building a fanatical user base.

The biggest turning point in the company's history occurred in March 2024, when the Australian design giant Canva acquired Serif for several hundred million dollars. This move combined Serif's deep technical engineering with Canva’s massive global platform. The leadership teams from both companies, including Canva co-founders Melanie Perkins and Cliff Obrecht, pledged that Affinity would retain its professional soul while gaining the resources of a multi-billion dollar company.

By 2026, this partnership has bore its most significant fruit: the unified Affinity 3.0 platform. The original Serif team still handles the heavy lifting of the core engine in the UK, ensuring that the software remains fast and precise. Meanwhile, Canva’s AI teams in Sydney have integrated their "Magic" technologies into the suite. It is a unique blend of British engineering and Australian innovation, aimed squarely at breaking the monopoly that has dominated the creative software market for decades.

In 2026, the answer to "Who is Affinity for?" has expanded dramatically. Because the core software is now free, it has become the default choice for students and aspiring creators. For a young artist starting their journey, not having to pay a $50/month subscription is a life-changing advantage. It allows them to learn professional-level skills using the same tools used in top studios without the financial pressure.

However, it remains a serious tool for Professional Freelancers and Boutique Agencies. These are the people who value "craft" and "ownership." They don't want to "rent" their tools; they want software that works offline, supports CMYK printing, and handles 32-bit color depth for high-end photography. The unified app is a massive time-saver for solo designers who often have to switch between logo design, photo editing, and social media layout multiple times an hour.

• • Photographers: Who need advanced RAW processing and non-destructive layering.
• • Illustrators: Who want to mix vector precision with organic, pixel-based textures.
• • Marketing Teams: Who need to produce high-quality assets at volume while staying integrated with Canva’s collaboration tools.

The capabilities of the 2026 version of Affinity are truly "all-in-one." It has replaced the need for three separate programs by using "Studios". Within a single project, you can jump into the Vector Studio to create icons and typography with mathematical precision. Then, with a single click, you switch to the Pixel Studio to apply brushes, masks, and filters to images. Finally, the Layout Studio handles multi-page document management, master pages, and typographic flow for print or digital publishing.

One of its most impressive feats is the 10,000,000% zoom. This isn't just a marketing number; it allows for a level of detail that is literally microscopic, ensuring that your designs are pixel-perfect even when scaled up to the size of a skyscraper. The software supports all the "boring but essential" professional needs: global colors, advanced snapping, unlimited layers, and live filters that don't destroy your original image data.

In the 2026 unified version, the integration with the Canva AI Studio adds another layer of power. While the core tools are manual and precise, the AI tools can handle the "grunt work." This includes Generative Fill (to expand a canvas or change an object), one-click background removal, and advanced ML-based image upscaling. It also supports "Image Trace," allowing you to convert photos or sketches into clean, scalable vector paths instantly.

The 2026 pricing model is a significant departure from the past. For a long time, Affinity was known for its "one-time purchase" model. While that was popular, the new "Freemium" model is even more accessible. The Affinity Core app is now Free for all individual users on Windows and Mac. This includes all the professional editing, vector, and layout tools.

To access the "magic" AI features, you need a Canva Pro subscription, which costs roughly $12.99 per month (or about $100 per year). This subscription unlocks the Canva AI Studio inside the Affinity interface, giving you access to Generative Fill, Background Removal, and high-end AI upscaling. For large agencies or corporate teams, there are Team Plans that offer centralized license management and shared brand kits, usually priced via custom quotes or as part of a Canva for Teams enterprise package.

• • Affinity Core: $0 (Full pro tools, no AI).
• • AI Studio Add-on: $12.99/mo (Requires Canva Pro).
• • Legacy V2 users who paid for a license still have their software, but new features are primarily being added to the free unified app.

While "Free Forever" sounds amazing, there are practical things you need to be aware of. First is the Account Requirement. To use the new 2026 version, you must have a Canva account and stay logged in periodically for validation. For users who value total privacy and strictly offline workflows, this can be a hurdle. Your local files are not accessed for AI training, but the software does need that "handshake" with the server.

Second, pay attention to the AI Paywall. It can be frustrating to find a perfect tool in the interface only to realize it has a "crown" icon next to it, indicating it requires a Canva Pro subscription. If you are a designer who hates AI and wants to do everything by hand, this won't bother you. But if you were expecting a 100% free equivalent to Adobe's Firefly AI features, you will be disappointed.

Finally, remember that Affinity is not an Asset Manager. Unlike Adobe Lightroom or Bridge, it doesn't have a way to organize thousands of photos. It is an editor, not a catalog. You will still need a separate way to manage your files, such as a simple folder system or a dedicated tool like Darktable or Adobe Bridge. Also, while the file compatibility is excellent, some highly complex Adobe Illustrator files with proprietary "mesh" gradients might not look 100% perfect upon import.

If Affinity’s new "Canva-led" direction isn't for you, there are several solid alternatives in 2026. Adobe Creative Cloud remains the industry standard for large agencies and specialized retouching. If you need 100% "industry standard" compatibility and high-end video/motion integration, Adobe is still the king. For vector-focused designers, Framer has become a huge rival, especially for those building websites and digital interfaces rather than print materials.

Frequently asked questions

Can I open my old Photoshop and Illustrator files?
Mostly, yes. Affinity has some of the best import engines in the world. You can open a PSD and keep your layers, blend modes, and groups intact. For Illustrator files, it works best if the file was saved with "PDF Compatibility" turned on. It is designed specifically to make leaving Adobe as painless as possible.

Do I need to be online to use the free version?
You need to be online once to download it and log in with your Canva account for activation. After that, you can stay offline for weeks at a time. You only need to reconnect occasionally for software updates or if you want to use the cloud-based AI "Studio" features.

What happened to the separate Photo, Designer, and Publisher apps?
In 2026, they've been unified into a single application. You no longer have to buy three different licenses. Instead, you just switch between "Personas" at the top of the screen to change your toolset. It's much faster and means you can have a vector logo and a retouched photo in the exact same document without any importing or exporting.

Is there a free trial for the AI features?
Since the core app is free, there isn't a traditional "software trial." However, Canva often offers a 30-day free trial of Canva Pro, which will temporarily unlock all the AI features inside Affinity so you can see if they are worth the monthly cost for your specific workflow.