Affinity Designer — A vector and raster design app from the Affinity suite, now folded into Canva's free all-in-one Affinity app for macOS and Windows.
By Noahlast updated pricing verified
Affinity Designer screenshots & video
Affinity Designer in 20 seconds
Best for: Mac and Windows users who want a full vector/raster/layout design suite without any subscription cost
Pricing: Free for Mac and Windows with the full Pixel, Vector, and Layout toolset; AI features require a Canva account.
- Affinity (formerly separate Designer, Photo, and Publisher apps) became completely free for Mac and Windows in October 2025 after Canva's relaunch.
- The app imports PSD, AI, IDML, and DWG files with layers preserved.
- Legacy iPad apps (Designer 2, Photo 2, Publisher 2) remain free downloads while a unified iPad app is still pending.
- Affinity holds a 4.7/5 rating from 455 reviews on Capterra.
- Generative AI tools inside Affinity require signing in with a Canva account.
Limitations: Unified iPad version had not shipped as of mid-2026.; Standalone Designer/Photo/Publisher branding was retired in favor of one merged app.; No official Linux support.
Top alternatives: Adobe Illustrator, CorelDRAW, Inkscape, Lunacy — full list
What is Affinity Designer?
Affinity Designer was originally a standalone vector graphics editor built by Serif as a one-time-purchase alternative to Adobe Illustrator. After Canva acquired Serif in 2024, Affinity Designer, Affinity Photo, and Affinity Publisher were discontinued as separate products and merged into a single Affinity app for macOS and Windows, released free in October 2025. The unified app keeps Designer's vector tools — curve editing, boolean shape operations, gradients, and image tracing — alongside Photo's RAW development and Publisher's page layout in one non-destructive workspace. It imports PSD, AI, IDML, and DWG files with layers intact and exports to standard print and web formats. There is no subscription and no locked feature tier for individuals; Canva only gates its generative AI tools behind a Canva account. iPad users can still download the legacy Designer 2, Photo 2, and Publisher 2 apps for free while Canva finishes a unified iPad release.
Affinity Designer is Serif's vector and raster illustration tool, now merged into the unified Affinity app that Canva relaunched as completely free for Mac and Windows in October 2025. The new app combines the former Designer, Photo, and Publisher studios into one program with no subscription, no in-app purchases, and no feature gating for individuals; only optional AI generation tools route through a Canva account. It imports layered PSD, AI, IDML, and DWG files, handles non-destructive photo editing, and does press-ready page layout in a single workspace, running natively on Apple Silicon and Intel Macs as well as mid-range Windows PCs. The legacy standalone iPad apps (Designer 2, Photo 2, Publisher 2) remain free downloads until Canva ships a unified iPad version, which was still pending as of mid-2026.
Standout feature: Combines vector, raster photo editing, and page layout in one free app with no in-app purchases or subscription for individuals
Biggest weakness: The standalone Designer, Photo, and Publisher products were discontinued in October 2025 and folded into a single app tied to a Canva account for sign-in and AI features, and a dedicated unified iPad app had still not shipped as of mid-2026, leaving iPad users on the older Designer 2 app in the meantime.
Pros
- Full vector, raster, and page-layout toolset is free for Mac and Windows with no subscription or feature gate.
- Imports PSD, AI, IDML, and DWG files with layer structure preserved.
- Runs natively on Apple Silicon and Intel Macs plus mid-range Windows PCs.
- No recurring cost compared to Adobe Illustrator's subscription model.
Cons
- Standalone Affinity Designer was discontinued in October 2025 in favor of the merged Affinity app, so the product name now refers to a feature set inside a different app.
- Unified iPad app still had not shipped as of mid-2026, well over a year after the relaunch was announced.
- Generative AI features require a Canva account and may depend on Canva's own paid tiers.
- No official Linux support.
Affinity Designer pricing
Free · verified from the vendor's pricing page
| Plan | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Affinity (all studios) | Free | Completely free for Mac and Windows with full access to the Pixel, Vector, and Layout studios; no restrictions on core editing or export features. |
| Canva AI add-ons | Custom | Generative AI tools inside Affinity require signing in with a Canva account; availability depends on Canva's own plans. |
What reviewers say
Scores belong to their platforms; we display them with attribution and never fold them into our own ratings.