When graphic design platform-provider Canva bought the Affinity image-editing and publishing apps early last year, we had some major questions about how the companies’ priorities and products would mesh. How would Canva serve the users who preferred Affinity’s perpetually licensed apps to Adobe’s subscription-only software suite? And how would Affinity’s strong stance against generative AI be reconciled with Canva’s embrace of those technologies.
This week, Canva gave us definitive answers to all of those questions: a brand-new unified Affinity app that melds the Photo, Designer, and Publisher apps into a single piece of software called “Affinity by Canva” that is free to use with a Canva user account, but which gates generative AI features behind Canva’s existing paid subscription plans ($120 a year for individuals).
This does seem like mostly good news, in the near to mid term, for existing Affinity app users who admired Affinity’s anti-AI stance: All three apps’ core features are free to use, and the stuff you’re being asked to pay for is stuff you mostly don’t want anyway. But it may come as unwelcome news for those who like the predictability of pay-once-own-forever software or are nervous about where Canva might draw the line between “free” and “premium” features down the line.
It’s interesting to see Affinity’s shift to a freemium model, especially after the Canva acquisition. This change could open up new opportunities for users to explore their creative potential. Looking forward to seeing how this impacts the design community!
Absolutely, the freemium model could open up Affinity’s tools to a wider audience. It will be fascinating to see how this change impacts their user community and whether it attracts more casual users who may not have tried the paid versions.
I agree, the freemium model could definitely attract more users. It will also be interesting to see how Affinity differentiates itself from Canva in terms of features and user experience. This shift might push both platforms to innovate even further!