Canva Makes Affinity for iPad Free, AI Costs Extra
The free app brings full vector and photo tools to Apple Pencil users, while generative AI features sit behind a $18 monthly 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. This is a shipped product, and its core tools are free for anyone with a free Canva account.
Why it matters
Canva acquired Affinity developer Serif in 2024 and relaunched the Affinity suite as an all-in-one desktop app last year, and the iPad release extends that consolidation onto touch hardware. Canva and Serif have pledged not to force users into subscribing to Affinity.
The announced price of the AI tier is $18 per month for Canva Pro, while the base app carries no charge for individuals. The source provides no benchmark or performance figures for the AI Studio features, so their speed and output quality cannot be independently compared to rival tools.
The players
Canva
Canva is a design platform whose product stack now spans consumer design, AI generation tools, and the Affinity creative suite it acquired through Serif.
Serif
Serif is the developer of the Affinity creative software family, now owned by Canva.
The details
Affinity for iPad bundles vector graphics, photo editing, illustration, and page layout in one app, with a Sketch Studio for freehand drawing and sketch-to-vector conversion. It is built for touch and Apple Pencil Pro, supporting pressure, tilt, barrel roll, squeeze, and hover input. Sketch, vector, photo, and layout work can all be saved to the same .af file, which the company says is compatible with all major design file types. The paid AI Studio layer adds Generative Expand, automatic motion blur and noise reduction, and image resolution scaling.
Timeline
2024: Canva acquired Affinity developer Serif.
Last year (2025): Affinity relaunched as an all-in-one desktop app.
2 November 2026: Affinity for iPad was announced and made available.
The Tech Race
Canva's move places Affinity for iPad against tablet-native design software that has long been built around Apple Pencil input. The release shows the consolidation of separate creative tools into a single platform now extending across desktop and tablet.
Individuals with a free Canva account can download Affinity for iPad and use its core vector, photo, illustration, and layout tools at no cost. The AI Studio features, including Generative Expand and resolution scaling, require a Canva Pro subscription starting at $18 per month.
The takeaway
Watch whether Canva keeps its pledge not to force users onto subscriptions as the AI Studio tier matures. The practical marker is whether core Affinity for iPad features remain free after the first paid AI update cycle.
Further reading
For broader context on the AI tooling this release bundles, see the Artificial Intelligence section.
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