If you’re looking for a powerful, fast, and easy-to-use professional design app without paying an expensive subscription, Affinity Designer is probably one of the first names you’ve heard. Its popularity has skyrocketed after the announcement that all Affinity apps can now be used for free.
But that brings up a big question: is Affinity Designer really free? Let’s break it down.
Affinity is a suite of professional design apps that was originally known as a strong competitor to Adobe. It stood out for its fast performance, one-time license model, and robust feature set. After being acquired by Canva, Affinity gained even more attention because it can now be used for free, without limitations on core features.
The combination of zero cost and professional-grade tools quickly attracted graphic designers, illustrators, photographers, and even beginners who are just starting to learn design.
Yes, Affinity Designer can now be used for free after a major shift in its business model. All users—from students to professionals—can access the main design features without paying a subscription fee. You can jump straight into creating illustrations, vector designs, or layouts without worrying about costs.
That said, there are still some additional features that fall under a premium category, so it’s important to understand the limits from the start. Affinity’s decision to make all of its apps—Designer, Photo, and Publisher—free after joining the Canva ecosystem surprised the design world. This move isn’t just a marketing play, but an effort to make professional design tools accessible to anyone who wants to create without financial barriers.
Even though it’s free, Affinity Designer still offers a very complete set of tools for modern design needs. You can create illustrations, logos, icons, posters, and even UI designs without major limitations.
Affinity Designer has a highly responsive vector engine. You can build complex shapes, detailed illustrations, and professional-quality logos with high precision and smooth performance.
Besides vector work, the app also supports raster image editing. You can retouch photos, add effects, adjust colors, and combine visual elements in one workspace.
Designing layouts like posters, banners, or branding materials is also easy. The artboard feature is flexible and comfortable to use, especially for multi-page or multi-asset projects.
Even though Affinity Designer offers a lot for free, there are still some premium elements you should know about. These are usually add-ons, extra creative assets, or AI-based services that come with higher operational costs.
These premium features don’t get in the way of basic design work, so you can still create freely without spending anything. But if you need advanced assets or automation features, you might want to consider paid options.
For many people, Adobe is still considered the industry standard because of its mature and deeply integrated ecosystem. However, Affinity stands out as a lighter, faster alternative—and now it’s completely free. If your work depends heavily on cross-app workflows like Photoshop to Illustrator or After Effects, Adobe may still have the edge.
But if you want a powerful design app without subscription fees and you mainly focus on illustration, vector design, or simple layouts, Affinity Designer can be a much more efficient choice. Many independent creators and students are switching because they no longer have to think about expensive monthly costs.
Using Affinity Designer for free comes with plenty of advantages, especially if you want to start creating without a big budget. Still, like any app, there are a few downsides to consider.
Affinity Designer is now one of the most interesting free design apps you can use without worrying about costs. With strong vector, raster, and layout features, it’s a great option whether you want to work professionally or simply learn design without spending money.
If you’re looking for a lightweight, fast, and flexible workflow across devices, Affinity Designer is absolutely worth trying. But if your work relies on a large industry ecosystem and complex app integrations, Adobe may still be the better fit. In the end, it all comes down to your needs and how you like to work.