Amidst ‘Big Changes,’ Affinity Gives Away iPad Apps While Halting Sales on Desktop

By Pauleth Ip 3 October 2025 5 min read Add us on

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Affinity Photo, Designer, and Publisher are popular and cost-effective alternatives to Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign that many photographers, illustrators, and graphic designers have come to rely on. Earlier today, keen-eyed Redditor u/Artaherzadeh shared on the r/ipad Sub-Reddit that perpetual licenses for Affinity Designer 2, Photo 2, and Publisher 2 for iPadOS had been discounted from the normal cost of US$18.49 to free. Upon reading this, I headed over to Affinity’s homepage to see whether the same was true for their desktop counterparts. Instead of finding similar discounts for the desktop versions of the Affinity suite, their respective product pages appeared to have been scrubbed from the site. Instead, I was greeted with the following splash page:

Screenshot of Affinity's homepage with message that reads "Creative Freedom Is Coming"

The headline “Creative Freedom Is Coming” is followed by a call to sign up for more details, along with a date: October 30. This not-so-cryptic teaser is likely hinting that Version 3 of Affinity’s creative suite will be launching on, you guessed it, October 30. Upon signing up for the mailing list, you’ll receive the following message in your email:

“You’ve chosen to see the future first. Now you’re at the front of the queue for what’s next.

This isn’t just another update. It’s the beginning of something new. A shift in how creative freedom is defined.

Want a glimpse before it begins?

Keep an eye on our social channels. We’ll be sharing glimpses of what’s about to unfold. You’ll find the links in the footer.

The future is close. You’ll see it first.”

Sadly, going further down the rabbit hole through Affinity’s various social channels only leads to a variation of the teaser seen on the homepage, and the links accompanying the social posts just take you back to the Affinity homepage.

True creative freedom is just around the corner.

Be there when it happens: https://t.co/LYvbNzO2yw pic.twitter.com/NevIXd96a7
— Affinity (@Affinity) October 1, 2025

Diving through the comments on the X post confirms that Affinity had indeed disabled their web storefront.

“We are not currently accepting new orders while we prepare for some big changes. This is only temporary though. If you want to be one of the first people to find out about these changes, you can sign up here to know first: https://hello.affinity.serif.com/future.”

We are not currently accepting new orders while we prepare for some big changes. This is only temporary though. If you want to be one of the first people to find out about these changes, you can sign up here to know first: https://t.co/LjcHjENbb2.
— Affinity (@Affinity) October 2, 2025

In another comment, Affinity also alluded to transitioning between versions, giving weight to the theory that a Version 3 release is imminent:

“We’re making space for what’s next. This short pause lets us transition cleanly without confusion between versions. Existing customers keep full access to their apps. This only affects new purchases and trials.”

We’re making space for what’s next. This short pause lets us transition cleanly without confusion between versions. Existing customers keep full access to their apps. This only affects new purchases and trials.
— Affinity (@Affinity) October 1, 2025

There’s no telling how long the licenses for the iPad versions of Affinity Designer 2, Affinity Photo 2, and Affinity Publisher 2 will remain gratis, so readers are encouraged to take advantage of the offer before they expire. Simply follow the instructions below:

On your iPad, download Affinity Designer 2, Photo 2, and Publisher 2 from the App Store
Once the apps finish downloading, open them and click on the Account button (look for the green icon) on the lower left
You’ll be prompted to either create a new Affinity account or log in to your existing account
Logging in will activate a 7-day trial
Click on Buy Now to “purchase” the app for the princely sum of US$0.00
Follow the onscreen prompts to complete the “purchase” and register it to your account
Once the registration is complete, it should read “Your license is active, and will nevere expire.” under My license on the Account screen
Rinse and repeat for the other two apps

Before this discount went into effect, the perpetual licenses for the iPad apps used to cost US$18.49 each, while the desktop versions would set you back US$69.99 apiece. Affinity also offered a “Universal License” which bundled perpetual licenses for all three Affinity desktop programs at a discounted price of US$164.99.

While new software releases usually garner considerable excitement, many users have taken to Affinity’s abovementioned social posts to voice their concerns and frustrations. It’s of note that a considerable number of Affinity converts are former Adobe customers. Having grown frustrated with Adobe’s subscription-only business model, chronic price increases, and draconian anti-consumer practices, they migrated to Affinity in favor of their perpetual licensing model. However, many users fear that Canva’s acquisition of Affinity last year may spell the end for their treasured perpetual licenses.

Ashley Hewson, Affinity’s CEO, issued the following public statement at the time of the acquisition: “Since the inception of Affinity, our mission has been to empower creatives with tools that unleash their full potential, fostering a community where innovation and artistry flourish. We’ve worked tirelessly to challenge the status quo, delivering professional-grade creative software that is both accessible and affordable. None of that changes today.”

Hewson continues, “In Canva, we’ve found a kindred spirit who can help us take Affinity to new levels. Their extra resources will mean we can deliver much more, much faster. Beyond that, we can forge new horizons for Affinity products, opening up a world of possibilities which previously would never have been achievable. Canva’s revolutionary approach to design democratization and commitment to empowering everyone to create aligns perfectly with our core values and vision.”

In a follow-up statement by “the Affinity and Canva Teams,” they issued the following pledges:

Affinity & Canva's four pledges to the community

Despite these pledges, many users have expressed concerns that, under Canva’s stewardship, Affinity may be following in Adobe’s footsteps:

Hopefully not a push to a subscription only model. It's the most important advantage in your favor over Adobe.
— Nick (@nicartis) October 1, 2025

So, has the time of being the last good guys finally come to an expected end? pic.twitter.com/Ar9A1LmpDq
— Michal Rotter (@TheRotterik) October 2, 2025

please don't kill perpetual license, please don't kill perpetual license, please don't kill perpetual license, please don't kill perpetual license, please don't kill perpetual license, please don't kill perpetual license, please don't kill perpetual license
— C G (@CG6278457511597) October 1, 2025

At press time, neither Affinity nor Canva has released any additional information regarding what’s to come on October 30. My money’s on Affinity unveiling the next version of Affinity Photo, Designer, and Publisher. Whether it’ll be a one-time purchase or part of a subscription plan, however, is anyone’s guess. Watch this space.

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