Ahead of a mysterious October 30 announcement, Affinity’s full suite of iPad apps — Affinity Photo, Affinity Designer, and Affinity Publisher — have suddenly become completely free to download and keep. If you’re an iPad user, you might want to act fast before this deal disappears.
A Surprise Move from Serif (and Canva)
Since Canva acquired Serif in 2024, the company has offered extended free trials across Mac and iPad. This new development, however, appears to be something different — the iPad apps are now free, seemingly forever. Whether this is a permanent offer or a slip-up remains unclear.
Affinity has been teasing a major announcement scheduled for October 30, described only as “true creative freedom.” No official statement has confirmed the free iPad giveaway, adding to the air of mystery.
How to Claim the Free Apps
All three Affinity apps can be downloaded from the iPad App Store. Here’s how to grab them:
- Download Affinity Designer 2, Affinity Publisher 2, and Affinity Photo 2 from the App Store.
- Open each app and sign in or create an Affinity account.
- Tap Account, then Buy Now.
- Confirm the purchase — it will show as $0.
- Follow the prompt to register the app with your Affinity account.
Initially, the apps will appear as seven-day trials, but once “purchased” at $0, they become yours permanently. You’ll need an Affinity account to complete registration, but after that, you own the full apps for good.
The Bigger Picture — and Some Red Flags
Despite excitement around the free offer, there are troubling signs that Serif’s independence may be fading. Since Canva’s acquisition:
- Serif’s YouTube channel and plug-in store have been shut down.
- The user forums went read-only as of October 6.
- The once-popular universal license is no longer available.
- The Affinity website has quietly removed pages referencing the current V2 apps, leaving only indirect download
links accessible via Google.
These moves hint that a major shift — or rebranding — could be coming with the October 30 announcement.
Mac Versions Removed
While the iPad editions are currently free, the situation differs for Mac users. The Mac versions of Affinity apps have been removed from the Mac App Store in both the UK and the US. Where still available in other regions, they remain full price.
What Happens Next?
The free iPad offer remains active as of October 16, but its longevity is uncertain. Whether this is a farewell promotion, a sneak peek at a new pricing model, or an internal mistake — we’ll know more after the October 30 reveal.
For now, if you use an iPad, this might be your last chance to download Affinity’s remarkable creative tools before anything changes.
