Affinity’s new all-in-one creative app is finally coming to the iPad, nearly a year after Canva launched the redesigned desktop version for Mac and Windows. Creatives have been asking for the iPad release ever since, especially because files created in the new Affinity app cannot be opened in the older V2 iPad apps.
Affinity already has Photo, Designer, and Publisher apps on iPad, but the new release combines those tools into the same unified app that Canva launched on desktop last year.
Affinity makes a lot of sense on iPad
The iPad is already a natural device for drawing and visual work because you can work directly on the canvas with an Apple Pencil instead of using a mouse and separate drawing tablet. Affinity takes advantage of that by supporting pressure, tilt, and barrel roll, so an idea can start as a sketch and then be refined into proper vector artwork in the same file.
Affinity says the iPad app can also handle RAW photo editing, detailed vector work, typography, and print-ready page layouts. For a designer, this opens the possibility of taking a project from the first drawing through to finished artwork without moving back to a Mac or PC just to access the full set of tools. It also supports PSD, AI, INDD, IDML, PDF, SVG, and other common creative formats, making it easier to bring existing professional work onto the tablet.
The app is free despite the “pre-order” label
Affinity for iPad is free for individuals. Its core photo, vector, layout, and sketching tools do not require a subscription, although Canva AI Studio features require a premium Canva plan. The software will be available to download from November 3, 2026.
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