Yes, Affinity really is free. You can use every tool in the Pixel, Vector, and Layout studios, plus all of the customization and export features, as much as you want, with no restrictions or payment needed. If you’re on a Canva premium plan, you’ll also be able to unlock Canva’s powerful AI tools within Affinity.
You must log in or # to comment.
So when will the ads start to pop up?
It’s already functionally an ad for Canva’s premium services.
The “ad” is a single button that you can turn off. For now it’s fine.
Oh god, how are they financing its development? Selling my personal data? Training AI on my data? Nagware? Not giving us a Linux version, ever?
The best possible scenario is that they’re just using it to entice people to pay for a premium subscription and will leave it that way. But the chances are that once they’ve pulled enough people in with the offer of free software, they’ll alter the deal.
Considering you can turn off telemetry and never need to connect it to the internet after activation, I’m assuming that - like how Adobe uses cheap education licenses to on-ramp people onto their platform - this is largely intended to drive professionals towards Canva and their various other products. They take a loss on this product to become the de-facto standard image/vector/publishing application.
They take a loss on this product to become the de-facto standard image/vector/publishing application.
For now they take the loss to break the Adobe monopoly.
never support anything by canva
never support anything by canva
Getting Affinity without ever paying is hardly supporting them. At least it’s a stopgap until Krita finally fixes their text tool which is honestly the sole reason why I bought Affinity 1 and 2. (In case anyone wonders: Yes, I also donated to Krita.)
Why not?
they’re a horrible ai slop company
If you have to sign up to use it, it isn’t free.
AI training?
AI training?
When created a Canva account for Affinity 3, the setting “train AI using information about your general usage which includes fonts, colours, search queries and instructions you input. This does NOT include any of your uploaded images, videos, or designs” was on, “Allow your content to improve AI” was off.
For now it’s configurable at https://www.canva.com/account/privacy-preferences and I think they’ll have a hard landing on the face if they ever change it.
