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.
