If you’ve been anywhere near the design world lately, you’ve probably seen the Adobe vs Affinity debate all over your feed, and for good reason. With Canva’s recent acquisition and rebrand of Affinity into Affinity Studio, the competition between the two design giants has never been more interesting. Both platforms offer powerful creative tools, but they cater to very different types of designers. So, the real question is: which one actually fits your workflow (or budget) better?
What Is Adobe Creative Cloud?
Ah, Adobe, the OG of creative tools. Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, After Effects, Premiere Pro… if you’ve ever touched a design file, chances are one of Adobe’s apps had something to do with it.
Adobe Creative Cloud gives you access to 20+ apps for everything from photo editing and video production to UX design and motion graphics. It’s the industry standard — the toolkit agencies, studios, and printers expect you to use.
But there’s a catch: it comes at a hefty price. Adobe Creative Cloud costs around $70/month, and that subscription never ends. Stop paying, and you lose access.
That said, it’s not all bad news. Adobe still dominates when it comes to:
- Cross-app workflows (like linking a PSD file in InDesign).
- File compatibility across creative industries.
- Advanced AI tools like Generative Fill and Adobe Firefly.
If your workflow involves collaboration, client handoffs, or working with large teams, Adobe remains hard to beat.
What Is Affinity Studio by Canva?
Now let’s talk about the new kid on the block or, rather, the new version of a familiar favorite.
Affinity Studio by Canva is the evolution of the Affinity apps you probably already know and love: Affinity Designer (for vector work), Affinity Photo (for image editing), and Affinity Publisher (for layout design). Canva merged them into a single app called Affinity Studio, giving you seamless access to all three environments in one place.
And here’s the part that changed everything: it’s completely free.
You only need a Canva Pro subscription if you want to unlock the AI-powered features, but otherwise, the entire Affinity suite is yours at no cost.
Affinity Studio is lightweight, fast, and available on macOS, Windows, and iPad (coming soon), making it a flexible option for designers who don’t want to be locked into Adobe’s subscription ecosystem.
Want to read Canva’s official announcement? Check out Canva’s article on acquiring Affinity.
Adobe vs Affinity: Head-to-Head Comparison
Let’s break down how Adobe vs Affinity Studio by Canva actually compare, not just in features, but in how they feel to use day-to-day.
1. Pricing
This one’s a no-brainer.
- Adobe: Starts at $70/month for the full suite.
- Affinity Studio: Completely free, with Canva Pro needed only for AI tools.
For solo designers, that’s a huge difference. Over a year, you could save close to $840 by switching.
2. Features & Tools
- Adobe Creative Cloud: Offers a massive ecosystem, Photoshop, Illustrator, After Effects, Premiere Pro, XD, and more. It’s ideal for complex projects or multi-disciplinary creatives (think branding + video + motion).
- Affinity Studio: Covers the essentials beautifully. Design, photo editing, and layout, all in one program. It’s focused, efficient, and uncluttered.
If you mostly work on brand identities, social content, print design, or web mockups, Affinity Studio gives you everything you need, no bloat, no subscription, no stress.
3. Performance & Speed
Adobe’s apps have grown heavy over the years. They’re powerful, yes, but they can be sluggish even on newer machines.
Affinity Studio, on the other hand, is impressively lightweight. It opens instantly, handles large files without lag, and rarely crashes. You can even switch between Designer, Photo, and Publisher personas without closing your project.
It feels fast, modern, and intuitive, like Adobe without the extra weight.
4. Collaboration & Cloud Storage
Adobe has a strong head start here. Its Creative Cloud Libraries make it easy to share assets, sync fonts, and collaborate with teammates in real time.
Affinity Studio doesn’t have full collaboration yet, but Canva’s integration hints at where it’s heading. You can expect future updates to bring tighter links between Canva’s web-based tools and Affinity’s desktop app.
For now, if you’re a solo designer or only share final files, the lack of built-in cloud storage isn’t a dealbreaker.
5. Compatibility
Adobe owns the standard file formats, .AI, .PSD, .INDD, etc. Every printer, agency, and client expects them.
Affinity supports PSD, AI, and PDF imports and exports, but compatibility isn’t always perfect (especially when dealing with complex layers or effects).
So if you collaborate with Adobe users regularly, you might hit some friction. But if you handle your own projects start-to-finish? You’ll be fine.
Adobe vs Affinity Pros and Cons
Let’s summarize what you’re really weighing here.
Adobe Pros
✅ Industry-standard tools trusted worldwide
✅ Huge plugin ecosystem
✅ Seamless cross-app workflows
✅ Cloud storage and easy collaboration
Adobe Cons
❌ Expensive subscription model
❌ Requires powerful hardware
❌ Slower, bloated apps for simple tasks
Affinity Pros
✅ Completely free after Canva acquisition
✅ Lightweight, fast, and offline-friendly
✅ Perfect for solo designers and freelancers
✅ Combines three tools into one app
Affinity Cons
❌ No real-time collaboration (yet)
❌ Minor compatibility issues with Adobe files
❌ Lacks advanced automation and plugins
So, Which Should You Choose, Adobe or Affinity?
There isn’t one right answer, it depends on how you work.
Choose Adobe if:
You work with agencies, printers, or teams that rely on industry-standard files. You need advanced video, animation, or web tools. Or, you use Creative Cloud Libraries daily.
Choose Affinity Studio if:
You’re a freelancer, indie designer, or small studio that prefers simplicity and speed over bloated ecosystems. You want a free, professional-grade tool that doesn’t chain you to monthly payments.
And then there’s the hybrid approach, which might be the best of both worlds.
Use Affinity Studio for your personal projects or smaller clients. Use Adobe when collaboration, handoffs, or advanced editing comes into play.
If you’re reworking your client process, check out the Brand Strategy Template to refine your creative direction.
The Future of Design Software
Canva’s purchase of Affinity wasn’t just a business move, it was a power play. It signals a future where pro-level design tools are accessible to everyone, not just those willing to fork out hundreds per year.
Adobe, meanwhile, has been facing growing criticism for its pricing and slow updates. If Affinity Studio by Canva continues to evolve, Adobe might finally have to rethink its strategy.
For designers, that’s a win either way. More competition means better tools, better pricing, and more creative freedom.
When it comes down to it, the real winner of Adobe vs Affinity isn’t a company, it’s you.
Adobe still reigns supreme for large teams, agencies, and those who need deep integrations and file consistency. But Affinity Studio by Canva has completely changed the game for independent creatives.
It’s free, it’s fast, and it does 90% of what Adobe can do, without the price tag.
So if you’ve ever dreamed of breaking up with your Adobe subscription, now’s the time to test the waters. Download Affinity Studio, play around, and see how it fits into your workflow. You might find that you don’t miss that monthly bill one bit.
Ready to take your creative process to the next level? Explore my full collection of templates made to help you streamline your workflow and deliver client projects faster, no matter which design suite you use.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Affinity Studio a replacement for Adobe?
Not exactly. Affinity Studio can handle a ton of the same tasks as Adobe’s apps (photo editing, vector work, and layout design), but Adobe still leads when it comes to industry-standard workflows, advanced features, and third-party integrations. If you need a budget-friendly alternative that still feels professional, Affinity Studio is a solid pick. If you need complex, high-level tools, Adobe still wins.
Is Affinity Studio really free?
Yes, the core Affinity Studio app is completely free now. Canva Pro is only required if you want to use certain AI-powered features. Everything else, like the core tools, editing options, and creative workspace, is accessible without a subscription.
Can Affinity Studio open Adobe files?
Affinity Studio can open PSD, PDF, SVG, AI, IDML and other common formats.
Which one is better for beginners, Adobe or Affinity Studio?
Affinity Studio is much easier to learn, especially if you already use Canva. Adobe has a steeper learning curve but offers more control, more precision, and more advanced tools once you get comfortable. If you want something fast and user-friendly, go Affinity. If you want to level up your craft long-term, Adobe will feel worth it.
Do professionals still prefer Adobe over Affinity Studio?
A lot of pros still prefer Adobe because of its reliability, advanced tools, and long-standing industry adoption. But Affinity Studio has gained massive respect, especially with freelancers and small studios who want powerful tools without the subscription cost. It really comes down to the type of projects you work on. This might change in the future though.
Is it worth using both Adobe and Affinity Studio together?
Absolutely, lots of designers do this. You can keep Adobe for the heavy-duty work (especially if you’re collaborating with people who use Adobe files) and use Affinity Studio for quick edits, personal projects, or anything that doesn’t require Adobe compatibility. It gives you the best of both worlds.
Will Affinity Studio replace the original Affinity apps?
Yes. Affinity Studio merges Affinity Designer, Photo, and Publisher into one single app. This is part of the Affinity x Canva upgrade, designed to simplify your workflow and make switching between tools way faster.
Which one is better for working on a slower laptop?
Affinity Studio wins here. It runs super smoothly, even on older devices. Adobe apps are powerful, but they can be heavy and sometimes laggy if your machine doesn’t have the specs to support them.
Do either of them require internet to work?
Both Adobe and Affinity Studio can work offline, but Adobe needs occasional internet access to validate your subscription. Affinity Studio doesn’t, once it’s installed, you’re good.
What’s the best choice if I’m on a tight budget?
Affinity Studio by Canva, no question. It’s free, fast, and packed with tools you’ll actually use. If you’re watching your costs or just starting out, it’s an easy win.
2 Responses
Just a small correction, Affinity DOES open .ai files and very well actually! Even has the option to group blocks of text together or not etc. Opens cleaner than for example when opening a pdf with Illustrator (where everything becomes masked). I’d be slightly concerned if I was opening lets say an illustrator file with 50 artboards and I had to look through each one to see if it did anything funky, but otherwise if you have something like a 2 page flyer or a logo design file, it works really well! Try it out for sure!
Ohhh when I made this blog post I had issues opening .ai files. I’ll update this. Thanks! And yeah that’s true. I’ll check it out more to see if opening a pdf works better because that’ll be amazing.