Canva released Affinity as an app for the iPad on November 2, 2026, as MacRumors reports. The app combines vector drawing, photo editing, page layout and freehand sketching in a single program and, according to Affinity, costs individuals nothing. To get started, you need iPadOS 18 and a Canva account.
What's in the app?
Affinity is divided into four studios: Sketch, Vector, Pixel and Layout. You switch between the studios within the same file, and every project ends up in a single .af file. According to MacRumors, the desktop version also opens this file.
The Sketch Studio is built for touch and Apple Pencil and, according to Affinity, comes with over 350 brushes. The Sketch to Shapes function converts drawn shapes into editable vectors. In the Pixel Studio, you'll find RAW development, non-destructive adjustments and a masking tool for difficult edges such as hair and fur. The Layout Studio handles multi-page documents with master pages and outputs print-ready files. The Apple Pencil Pro works with rotating, squeezing and hovering, and the app works offline.
What does the app cost, and what costs extra?
All tools of the four studios are open to individuals without restriction, along with adjustments and export. A free Canva account is enough to sign in, and Affinity promises updates at no extra charge. The German App Store lists the app with a German interface; the installation takes up 1.9 GB and requires iPadOS 18.0.
The AI tools belong to Canva AI Studio and require a Canva premium plan: Pro, Business, Enterprise or Education. According to MacRumors, these include Generative Expand, upscaling, noise reduction and Decompose Layer, which breaks a flat image down into editable layers. The subscriptions run as in-app purchases in the App Store, where the prices are listed. By its own statement, Affinity content does not flow into the training of the AI features.
What's missing at launch?
Several features of the desktop version are missing for now: Books, Batch, Data Merge, Quick Adjustments, the Info and Scope panels, macro recording and the Astrophotography Studio. According to Affinity, more features are to follow. The product page does not say which iPad models the app supports and refers to the system requirements in the Help Center.
Affinity for iPad at launch
Free app from Canva, in the App Store since November 2, 2026
- Four studios in one .af file
- Core tools free for individuals with a Canva account
- German interface, from iPadOS 18, also usable offline
- AI tools only with a Canva premium plan
- Batch, Data Merge, Books and macros missing for now
Affinity does not say which iPad models are supported
Sources: Affinity, MacRumors, App Store
The app imports third-party files from the formats PSD, AI, INDD, IDML, PDF and SVG, mostly with layers and structure preserved. However, Affinity itself warns of losses: with INDD and IDML, GREP styles, anchored objects and tables require manual work. The app partly simplifies Illustrator effects and masks, while Photoshop smart objects and advanced filters get flattened. You can export as JPEG, PNG, WebP, PDF, SVG, EPUB and INDD, as well as directly to Canva.
What this means for you
For Canva, the free app serves as an entry point to the subscription: the account is mandatory, export to Canva is built in, and the AI costs extra. Even so, it gives you a full-fledged drawing and layout environment with no purchase price, as long as you do without AI.
- Download the app with a free Canva account and test on a real project whether the four studios are enough for you without AI.
- If you work with Batch, Data Merge or macros, stick with the desktop version for now. These features are missing on the iPad.
- If you import InDesign, Illustrator or Photoshop files, test a copy beforehand and check tables, effects and smart objects.
- If you need the AI tools, compare their benefit with the price of a Canva subscription before you sign up for one.
Canva released Affinity for iPad on November 2, 2026, and MacRumors reported on the same day.
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