Canva Releases Free Affinity for iPad
The design app combines vector, photo, illustration and layout tools, with optional AI features behind a paid Canva Pro subscription.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Artificial Intelligence
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Canva has released Affinity for iPad as a free app for individuals, offering vector graphics, photo editing, illustration and page layout tools. Canva also added its AI Studio features to the app as a paid option requiring a Canva Pro subscription.
Why it matters
The release brings a full-featured design suite to the iPad at no cost for core tools, giving creators a new option in a crowded market. Canva's acquisition of Affinity developer Serif in 2024 and its pledge not to force users into subscriptions shape how the app is positioned.
Affinity for iPad is optimized for Apple Pencil Pro, supporting pressure sensitivity, tilt, barrel roll, squeeze and hover, and saves sketch, vector, photo and layout work in a single .af file. Its AI Studio adds Generative Expand, automatic motion blur and noise reduction, and image resolution scaling, though the extraction gives no performance benchmarks.
The players
Canva
Canva is an online design platform that has expanded its offerings through the acquisition of Affinity's developer, Serif, and now operates the Affinity suite.
Serif
Serif is the developer of the Affinity creative software suite, which Canva acquired in 2024.
The details
Affinity for iPad includes a Sketch Studio for freehand drawing and sketch-to-vector conversion, and it is compatible with all major design file types. Canva and Serif have pledged that users will not be pushed into subscribing to Affinity.
Timeline
2024: Canva acquired Affinity developer Serif.
Last year: Canva relaunched the Affinity suite as an all-in-one desktop app.
November 2, 2026: Affinity for iPad was announced and made available.
The Tech Race
Following its 2024 acquisition of Serif, Canva has moved to fold Affinity's professional tools into its own ecosystem, extending the rivalry with Adobe's creative software. The free-core, paid-AI model places Canva against competitors that bundle AI features into their subscription tiers.
Designers and hobbyists can use the core Affinity tools on their iPad without paying, but accessing the AI Studio features requires a Canva Pro subscription starting at $18 per month. Users who rely on AI editing should weigh that recurring cost against the free alternatives.
The takeaway
Users who want Affinity's core tools can start for free, while those who want the AI features should compare the $18 monthly Canva Pro cost against their own needs before subscribing.
Further reading
Explore more on Artificial Intelligence developments in creative software.
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