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| Logo: Affinity |
Affinity, a platform of creative apps developed by UK-based Serif, is mixing things up ahead of “big changes” coming on October 30. The website no longer offers a way to purchase its software, and the company’s iPad apps are now free.
A message on the Affinity homepage says “Creative Freedom Is Coming” and invites users to sign up to “be the first to know” about changes coming on October 30. After entering an email address, an automated email says, “This isn’t just another update. It’s the beginning of something new. A shift in how creative freedom is defined.”
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| A screenshot of the Affinity website. |
The company also posted a similar message to X, formerly Twitter, which has drawn more than 200 replies at the time of writing. In its responses to users, Affinity shared that there will be a keynote with more details. Additionally, it added some important information for current users: “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
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
The website no longer offers a way to purchase the desktop versions of Affinity Photo, Designer or Publisher, and the programs have also been pulled from third-party marketplaces, such as the Apple Mac App Store. That’s a very unusual move for a company even before a major update. Even more confusing, the iPad apps are still available in the App Store and are listed for free. They used to be $18.49 apiece.
Another layer of concern is that, as of October 6, the website’s forums were moved to read-only mode. A post explains that the forum will remain searchable, but a support form is the best way to reach the team now, and Discord is the new community space.
Canva purchased Affinity in March of 2024, and this shift suggests that we may finally be figuring out what Canva’s plans for the company’s products are. Affinity Photo and its other apps have been the go-to perpetual license option for photographers who want to avoid Adobe’s subscription fees. That is not true of Canva, though, which operates on a subscription model.
At the time of writing, no additional information was available. Affinity said on X that it will be teasing information on its social media accounts as October 30 gets closer, so for now, we wait and watch to see what these changes entail.
Our DPREVIEW Tribute:
After nearly 25 years of operation, DPReview closed on 10 April 2023. This difficult decision was part of the annual operating plan review that parent company, Amazon, shared earlier this year.
Over the course of 25 years, DP Review built up a reputation as being one of the most informative places to go for information about that new camera or lens you’re after. DP Review began as an independent reviews site based in the UK in 1998, the brainchild of Philip and Joanna Askey, but it was eventually purchased by Amazon in 2007 and relocated over to Seattle in the USA in 2010.
Cheers DPReview – thanks for the great work and content that guided photographers, videographers and techno junkies the world over!