Canva has released Affinity for iPad, making the creative suite's professional design, photo editing and illustration tools available free to individual users on Apple tablets. The app adds a new Sketch Studio, support for Apple Pencil Pro features and optional AI tools tied to a Canva Pro subscription.
The app carries over the same vector graphics, photo editing, illustration and page layout tools as the desktop Affinity suite, optimized for touchscreens and the Apple Pencil. A new Sketch Studio is designed for freehand drawing and sketch-to-vector workflows, with masking tools and automatic conversion of rough sketches into cleaner geometric shapes. The app supports Apple Pencil Pro capabilities including natural gestures, pressure sensitivity, tilt, barrel roll, squeeze and hover.
"Affinity for iPad delivers the full power of Affinity, together with the versatility and portability of iPad," said Neil Ladkin, head of product design at Affinity, in the announcement.
The release follows last year's relaunch of the Affinity suite as an all-in-one desktop app. Canva acquired Serif, the company behind Affinity, in 2024, and some users were concerned the suite would move from one-time licenses to a subscription model and adopt Canva's generative AI technology, undercutting its appeal compared with rival design software Adobe. Canva and Serif pledged not to force users into subscribing, and the core tools remain free.
Projects can be saved to the same .af file, and the iPad version is compatible with all major design file types. Canva's AI Studio is included, with features such as Generative Expand for extending backgrounds, automatic motion blur and noise reduction, and image resolution scaling. The AI tools are optional and require a Canva Pro subscription, which starts at $18 per month. The free core tools require a free Canva account.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- Affinity has long offered a one-time purchase alternative to subscription-based creative software, and the free iPad release widens that option to mobile users.
- The split between free core tools and subscription-only AI features will test Canva's pledge not to force users into subscribing.
- The iPad launch takes Canva deeper into pro-grade design on Apple devices, competing with Adobe's subscription-based creative software.
Background
Canva, an Australian design company, acquired Serif, the developer behind the Affinity suite, in 2024. Affinity's desktop apps historically sold as one-time purchases, positioning them as a lower-cost alternative to Adobe's subscription model. The deal raised concerns among users that Affinity would move to subscriptions and adopt generative AI, and Canva and Serif promised they would not force users to subscribe. The new iPad app keeps that promise for its core tools.
Key Perspectives
Neil Ladkin, head of product design at Affinity: says the iPad app delivers the full power of Affinity with the versatility and portability of the iPad, and that development decisions were shaped by people who create on iPad themselves.
Some Affinity users: were concerned after the Canva acquisition that the suite would move to a subscription model and adopt generative AI, undercutting its appeal compared with Adobe.
Canva and Serif: pledged not to force users into subscribing, a commitment reflected in the free availability of the iPad app's core tools.
What to Watch
- Whether more Affinity features gradually shift behind the Canva Pro subscription, which currently gates the AI Studio.
- How the iPad app's Apple Pencil and touchscreen experience compares with rival creative software on Apple tablets.
- Whether Canva extends the free-core-tools approach to other platforms or products.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 12 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedAffinity for iPad has launched with core tools free for individuals.The Verge: “Affinity for iPad’s core sketch, vector, photo editing, and layout tools are completely free for individuals”
- SupportedThe iPad app brings Affinity tools to Apple tablets with Sketch Studio, Apple Pencil Pro support and optional AI tools.The Verge: “Affinity for iPad has a new Sketch Studio”
- SupportedThe iPad app provides the desktop suite’s vector, photo editing, illustration and page-layout tools in a format optimized for touchscreens and Apple Pencil.The Verge: “provides the same pro-grade tools for vector graphics, photo editing, illustration, and page layouts in a format optimized for Apple Pencil and touchscreens.”
- SupportedSketch Studio includes masking tools and converts rough sketches into cleaner geometric shapes.The Verge: “including optimized tools for masking and automatically converting rough sketches into cleaner geometric shapes.”
- SupportedThe app supports Apple Pencil Pro natural gestures, pressure sensitivity, tilt, barrel roll, squeeze and hover.The Verge: “The app also supports Apple Pencil Pro capabilities like natural gestures, pressure sensitivity, tilt, barrel roll, squeeze, and hover”
- SupportedNeil Ladkin, Affinity’s head of product design, said: “Affinity for iPad delivers the full power of Affinity, together with the versatility and portability of iPad,” in the announcement.The Verge: ““Affinity for iPad delivers the full power of Affinity, together with the versatility and portability of iPad,” Affinity product design head Neil Ladkin said in the announcement.”
- SupportedThe iPad release follows last year’s relaunch of Affinity as an all-in-one desktop app.The Verge: “After relaunching the Affinity creative suite as an all-in-one desktop app last year”
- SupportedCanva acquired Serif in 2024, and some users feared Affinity would shift to subscriptions and adopt Canva’s generative AI, reducing its appeal against Adobe.The Verge: “When Canva acquired Affinity-developer Serif in 2024, some users were concerned that Affinity would move from a one-time license to a subscription model and adopt Canva’s generative AI tech, eradicating a large part of the creative suite’s appeal compared to rival design software provider Adobe.”
- SupportedCanva and Serif pledged not to force users to subscribe, and the core tools remain free to individuals with a free Canva account.The Verge: “Canva and Serif pledged not to force users into subscribing to the service, and so far that’s still the case. Affinity for iPad’s core sketch, vector, photo editing, and layout tools are completely free for individuals, though they require a free Canva account.”
- SupportedProjects can be saved to the same .af file, and the iPad app is compatible with all major design file types.The Verge: “Sketch, vector design, photo editing, and layout projects can all be saved to the same .af file”
- SupportedCanva AI Studio includes Generative Expand, automatic motion blur, noise reduction and image resolution scaling.The Verge: “Canva has added its AI Studio to the app, which includes features like Generative Expand for extending backgrounds, automatic motion blur and noise reduction, and image resolution scaling.”
- SupportedThe optional AI tools require Canva Pro, which starts at $18 per month; the free core tools require a free Canva account.The Verge: “The suite of AI tools is optional and requires a Canva Pro subscription to access, which starts at $18 per month.”
