Canva, one of the most popular web-based design platform, has made waves in the digital design industry by acquiring the Affinity creative software suite, posing a significant challenge to Adobe’s dominance. The deal, announced by Canva on Tuesday, grants the company ownership of Affinity Designer, Photo, and Publisher—three widely-used creative applications for Windows, Mac, and iPad, offering features akin to Adobe’s Illustrator, Photoshop, and InDesign software.
While the official figures of the acquisition remain undisclosed, Canva already boasts around 170 million monthly global users as of January 2024. But here’s the twist: they didn’t have dedicated applications for professionals like illustrators, photographers, and video editors. That’s where the Affinity acquisition comes in—it’s like Canva’s way of saying, “Hey, pros, we’ve got something for you too
Bloomberg reports its value to be in the range of “several hundred million [British] pounds.” This strategic move aligns with Canva’s aim to appeal to a broader range of creative professionals.
Canva showed its intent to empower professional designers with this acquisition, . Affinity applications, despite having a smaller user base compared to Adobe, have garnered a dedicated following by offering one-time purchases without ongoing subscription fees—an attractive alternative to Adobe’s subscription-based model.
According to Canva, Affinity applications boast over three million users worldwide. While the applications will remain separate from Canva’s platform, there are plans for some integration in the future. Cameron Adams Canva co-founder highlighted the potential for synergies between the two platforms while emphasizing the distinctiveness of each product.
With the addition of Affinity and its team to its roster, Canva now stands better poised to compete with Adobe in the creative software market. Canva’s user-friendly design combined with the capabilities of Affinity software presents a compelling option for professionals seeking alternatives to Adobe’s offerings.