And then it went to six months: Affinity suite (Photo, Designer, Publisher) six months for free
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It’s October 30 (October 31 in Australia where Canva is headquartered), and, despite setting expectations that today is the big day, we still get this:
I’m not terribly impressed, Canva.
[I had inadvertently posted this to another thread. Sorry for any confusion.]
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17:00 GMT
Of course I had to find the (unofficial!) Reddit community through Affinity’s now read-only forum to discover this information. There’s a zero chance that I’m going to use their Discord.
I’d be very surprised to be surprised (in a good way) by today’s keynote.
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I’ve just joined the subreddit–thanks for the idea.
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Yep. An all-in-one free suite. You need to log into Canva (just like in the Canva desktop app) to use it, so no offline usage.
Here’s what they say about the cost:
Is Affinity graphic design software really free?
Yes, Affinity really is free. You can use every tool in the Pixel, Vector, and Layout studios, plus all of the customization and export features, as much as you want, with no restrictions or payment needed. The app will also receive free updates with new features and improvements added.
If you’re on a Canva premium plan (Pro, Business, Enterprise, Education), you’ll also be able to unlock Canva’s powerful AI tools within Affinity via the Canva AI Studio.
Well, I’m off to get it. I guess my timing was pretty good after all. 
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Take THAT, Adobe!
Seriously, I think Adobe is going to have to run to catch up, starting with ditching its subscription model. Or lose its market dominance.
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I’m still going to watch the Canva Keynote; but I don’t like the need to login. I’ll also take a look at the TOS/EULA to see if they claim rights to anything produced by this.
I will still look at alternatives (Acorn, Graphic Converter.)
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It’s a trap, guys. Do you really think they paid $380 million to make you a gift?
Canva’s pro plans (for individuals) start at $12/m or $110/y. No perpetual licenses.
The only way to make this work (for them) is by selling something. Either your user data (not sustainable), your work (training “A.I.” models) or, over time, moving the interesting features behind the paywall.
Right now there’s just the bullshit that nobody asked for. But that also means that nobody pays for it.
So, what are they selling? 
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I’d be VERY curious to see how this all-in-one app compares to the old Affinity Suite, according to veteran users of the legacy software.
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You’re right. You’re right. I was caught up in the moment. Deep breath. Deep breath…
They’re selling an optional subscription to Canva. No?
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Which explains why you have to login to use it.
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Yes. But if it’s so optional that nobody needs it, nobody buys it. So they have to make the free option less attractive, but then it’s no longer optional.
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I read absolutely everything, too. (Did I mention I’m a lawyer?) Okay, I’m back to my normal, skeptical self.
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Canva already had a “freemium” model, being free for casual users and making their money from “professionals.” They appear to be betting that they can extend that model to the desktop.
Maybe, maybe not.
For now, at least, I’m a sufficiently casual user to just stick with V2, which is fully downloaded and updated.
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Agreed. And I do want to read the licensing.
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“Canvanauts?” Oh, my..
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