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When Canva introduced that Affinity Photo had been relaunched as a part of a very free Affinity Studio suite, the images neighborhood’s response was a combination of enjoyment and scepticism. After a long time of paying a whole lot, and even hundreds for skilled modifying software program, many merely could not consider {that a} Photoshop-class software might genuinely be free ceaselessly.
Now, Cameron Adams, Canva’s co-founder and chief product officer, has responded on to these issues in a YouTube video addressing what he calls “one big question that’s being asked: how the hell is that even possible?”
His answer is unequivocal. “Let me be absolutely clear,” Adams says in the video. “There is no catch. We don’t sell your data. We don’t train AI features on your files. We don’t monetise your creativity behind the scenes. Your work stays yours always.”
The announcement represents a seismic shift in the creative software landscape. The new Affinity combines what were previously three separate paid applications – Affinity Photo, Designer, and Publisher – into a single unified platform offering photo editing, vector design, and page layout capabilities. Since its launch, the software has already attracted over a million downloads in its first week.
So why, exactly, is Canva forgoing all the revenue that Affinity was previously bringing them?
Why make it free?
Adams frames the decision as both philosophical and strategic. “We believe every designer deserves access to tools that respect their craft,” he explains. “Because the industry needs a shift from gatekeeping to generosity. And because we’ve built a sustainable business model at Canva that allows us to support this kind of access without compromising on product quality or user trust.”
He’s keen to emphasise that this isn’t temporary. “This isn’t a marketing stunt,” Adams insists. “It is a long-term bet on creative freedom.” He describes it as an extension of Affinity’s founding principles: “Affinity has always stood for fairness, choice, independence, and program power.”
For photographers worried about privacy and data usage in an AI-driven age, Adams offers specific reassurances. Your creative work in Affinity remains secure, runs on your device, and is not accessed to train AI features. This addresses a growing concern among professionals about how their images might be used by software companies to develop machine learning models.
The business model explained
The free model hasn’t emerged from altruism alone, of course. Adams is transparent about the commercial logic underpinning the decision. “Everyone with a Canva premium plan will be able to access Canva AI and other select Canva features within Affinity,” he explains. “But the Affinity app that you all know and love with all of its professional-grade features and updates will be free forever.”
The strategy revolves around what Adams calls a “craft and scale” approach. Professional photographers and designers create high-end work in Affinity, then those projects often need to be scaled and distributed across organisations using Canva. “When more pros use Affinity, more teams end up using Canva,” Adams explains. “Pro designers lead the visual workflow. If they build in Affinity, they’re more likely to scale in Canva. And when they do, marketing, sales, and the rest of the business will follow. That is how it grows.”
This model represents a fundamental departure from traditional creative software economics, which typically charged individual professionals substantial fees for desktop applications. Instead, Canva is betting that giving away professional tools will drive adoption of its broader collaboration platform at the enterprise level.
What photographers get
Above: see Cameron Adams’ full YouTube video for your self
The core Affinity providing contains all of the professional-grade instruments photographers want: complete uncooked processing, superior adjustment layers, refined masking, HDR merging, panorama stitching, focus stacking, and even astronomical picture stacking. The interface has been redesigned round customisable “studios” for pixel modifying, vector work, and structure, permitting photographers to configure precisely the workspace they want.
The solely options requiring a paid Canva premium account are AI-powered instruments like Generative Fill, Expand & Edit, and Remove Background, accessed by the brand new Canva AI Studio. For many photographers preferring conventional hands-on modifying with out AI help, this limitation is irrelevant.
The software program works offline as soon as activated with a free Canva account, addressing issues about fixed connectivity necessities. While assist documentation, inventory libraries, and Canva AI options want an web connection, core modifying performance would not.
Trust by transparency
Adams acknowledges that Canva and Affinity face a problem in profitable over a sceptical skilled neighborhood. “We know trust is earned,” he says. “So ask questions, kick the tyres, hold us to a high standard because that is exactly what we would do.”
This direct enchantment to skilled scrutiny displays an understanding that photographers who’ve spent years mastering Adobe workflows won’t switch lightly. The software needs to prove itself not just as capable but as trustworthy, particularly given widespread concerns about how AI companies handle creative work.
For photographers considering the move, the pitch is compelling: professional-grade photo editing with all the power of applications that previously cost hundreds, now available at no cost.
The million downloads in the first week suggest that message is resonating. Whether Affinity can convert those downloads into long-term users – and whether those users eventually drive Canva adoption in their organisations – remains to be seen.
But for now, as Adams emphasises, the core promise is simple: “Affinity for creatives by creatives.” And it’s free. Honestly.
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