Affinity vector and raster software now free

[The Vector Doctor]

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www.affinity.studio

 

[TJnIA]

How can this be?
Seems legit though, what's the catch?

 

[WildWestDesigns]

How can this be?
Seems legit though, what's the catch?

This is just from my perspective, but one being have to have a Canva account (doesn't have to be paid, but do have to have an account with them as well).

There are features (which wouldn't appeal to me, but I'm probably in the minority) that are still locked behind the paywall.

This is a one way ticket for existing files. There is no backward compatibility. So if mixing/matching between old apps and new between different platforms, that could be an issue (I do think there is a lag between desktop and the more mobile platforms with regard to this update (or updating in general), but I could be wrong).

Of course, there are redesign UI concerns, but that happens from time to time regardless of the app.

 

[Solventinkjet]

How can this be?
Seems legit though, what's the catch?

They'll train their AI on your designs.

 

[WildWestDesigns]

They'll train their AI on your designs.

For what I read (again, I haven't seen an updated EULA, and that's where it really counts, if it's in the EULA and how it is in there), they don't train on local content, however, using the non-free "AI" (or what passes for "AI") features and/or uploading to Canva, that's were it is possible things can happen.

I just assume that anything that I put out there or use any program that has a company with a vested interest in "AI" is going to have some training pipeline setup. May or may not affect me, but I always assume that it is. Of course, if that worried, but still want to use those products, there are ways to "poison" the files that you create and how at this point in time "AI" can "learn" from them.

 

[Bobby H]

The short version: The "Affinity" app is a loss-leader to continually sell people on buying a premium/paid Canva subscription. Need clip art, templates. etc? Open thee wallet!

 

[mbasch]

It is also about market share. Adobe owns the market and Affinity has been trying for years to erode that with very limited success. If they can get a large group of initial users, they can gain take on adobe. My guess is that once they get critical mass for application adaptation, they'll start charging new folks who sign up. My suggestion is get in now while it is free. Adobe essentially has a monopoly and we see increasing prices for ne features few people need.

 

[cbdigital]

We've been an all-Affinity shop for a couple of years now, with zero regrets. Like many people, I had reservations about Canva acquiring Affinity last year, but so far, I haven't seen anything to complain about. V3 is exactly what I was hoping it would be, and the fact that it's free is just a bonus. For everyone asking how and why it would be made free, it's simple. This is a long game strategy for Canva; clearly, they want people to pay for Canva Pro, at $15 a month, but there's more to it than that.
1) Canva is built for marketers, not graphic designers. Affinity is built for designers, not marketers. The tools complement each other, and once they have two-way integration, it will remove some friction points. I know that 90% of the client files I receive daily are created in Canva. If I can just pull those into Affinity in the future and then make them press-ready, that's a win for me.
2) The current generation of marketers, as well as future generations of marketers, are cutting their teeth on Canva. If they ever want to level up, they can now stay in the Canva ecosystem instead of moving to Adobe. That's a win for Canva. It's no different than Apple giving away Emacs to schools 25 years ago; they were planting seeds that are now paying off in spades. Lifelong Canva customers.
3) It's a very similar approach to what Black Magic has done with DaVinci Resolve, and no one can deny that DaVinci Resolve has absolutely dominated Adobe in the video editing space over the last decade.
Canva has VERY publicly stated that they aren't training AI on Affinity user data, but why people keep saying that is beyond me. Anyway, we will continue to use Affinity happily and hope to for many years to come.