Affinity by Canva Review: Best Free Design Tool?

Affinity is a professional-grade design suite that combines vector, photo, and publishing tools — now under Canva’s umbrella. 

For designers in Malaysia, it’s a powerful alternative to Adobe, blending deep creative control with affordability. Here’s how it compares, what it offers, and whether it fits your workflow in 2025.

Comparison Table: Affinity vs Canva vs Adobe (2025)

What Is Affinity and How Has It Evolved in 2025?

Affinity is now a single app for all your design needs.

Previously offered as separate tools (Affinity Designer, Photo, and Publisher), the suite is now unified under one application. 

This change, driven by Canva’s acquisition of Serif (the developer behind Affinity), streamlines the design experience. Designers can now toggle between vector design, pixel editing, and layout creation within a single environment.

This is especially relevant in Malaysia where many designers handle diverse tasks — from logo creation for local brands to editing event photos or laying out product catalogues. 

Affinity reduces software switching and works smoothly even on mid-spec laptops.

How Does Affinity Compare to Canva?

Affinity gives designers more control, while Canva is faster for simple tasks.

Canva is widely used in Malaysia for its free access and quick templates, especially among SMEs and marketing teams. It’s excellent for social media graphics, digital posters, and presentations.

Affinity, however, is better suited to professional designers working on more complex jobs — such as packaging for halal products, multilingual brochures, or precise logo designs in vector. 

You can customise grids, adjust kerning for BM/Chinese typography, and export in formats that meet local printers’ requirements.

What Can You Do With Affinity as a Designer?

Create logos, edit photos, design layouts — all in one place.

Affinity supports a wide range of professional design tasks:

• Vector graphics: Ideal for creating brand identities for local businesses, NGOs, and startup logos.
• Photo editing: Useful for retouching wedding, product, or event photography — popular freelance niches in Malaysia.
• Layout and publishing: Supports bilingual or trilingual layouts for brochures, guides, and proposals.

Common Malaysian use cases:

• F&B branding (menus, labels, storefront designs)
• Annual reports or tender proposals (with page layout features)
• Print-ready materials in CMYK for local offset printing

Affinity’s offline functionality also suits areas with unreliable internet or when working remotely from locations outside major cities.

Is Affinity Free or Paid in 2025?

The core app is free, with optional Pro upgrades.

Canva now offers Affinity as a “free forever” product with base features, which is excellent for budget-conscious freelancers and students in Malaysia.

Advanced AI tools like background removal, generative fill, or auto-alignment are part of Canva Pro. As of 2025, Canva Pro pricing in Malaysia is affordable (monthly or annual payment options via FPX/GrabPay/credit card).

Alternatively, you can buy a one-time licence of Affinity for offline use — a useful option for schools, print shops, or designers who prefer a pay-once model.

When Should a Designer Use Affinity vs Adobe?

Use Affinity for full control, especially if cost is a factor.

Adobe remains the standard in agencies and large enterprises in Malaysia — especially for campaigns involving motion or web design. 

But Adobe’s subscription costs are high in MYR, which deters many small firms and individuals.

Affinity provides:

• Strong feature set for a one-time cost
• Local printer-friendly export options (PDF/X-1a, CMYK proofing)
• Fast rendering on budget laptops common among local freelancers or students

It also allows exporting in formats like AI, EPS, and PSD — so you can still collaborate with clients or vendors who use Adobe.

Also: Adobe Firefly Overview: Smartest AI Tool

Still Unsure if Affinity Fits Your Workflow?

Here’s when to choose Affinity, Canva, or Adobe as a Malaysian designer.

“I am a visual identity designer and have been using Affinity Designer for all client work for the last few months and my clients can’t tell the difference from when I used Adobe Illustrator.” — Reddit user

• Choose Affinity if you: work solo or in small teams, want advanced tools, and prefer one-time costs.
• Choose Canva if you: produce content quickly, work in marketing teams, or collaborate with non-designers.
• Stick with Adobe if you: need deep animation, motion design, or large-scale enterprise tools.
  
  

How Does Affinity Compare to Other Free Design Tools?

Is Affinity better than GIMP, Darktable, Photopea, or RawTherapee?

If you’re exploring free creative tools in Malaysia, these names will come up often — especially for students or startups. Here’s how they compare:

Affinity stands out because it covers multiple areas — vector, photo, and layout — in one app, unlike the others which are usually specialised in one area.

Final Thoughts — Is Affinity a Smart Choice for Designers in Malaysia (2025)?

For many local professionals, Affinity delivers Adobe-level features without Adobe-level pricing.

If you’re a designer, freelancer, or SME trying to grow your brand or reach, tools like Affinity can offer real leverage — especially when paired with the right creative strategy. That’s where agencies like PRESS can help. 

As a Malaysia PR agency and design partner, PRESS supports startups and growing businesses with campaigns that cut through.

It respects your hardware limitations, supports multilingual typography, and adapts to both freelance and agency environments. 

It’s also a strong entry point for those exploring free tools — with the added appeal of possible Canva integration in future. 

That makes it particularly compelling for students, freelancers, or new companies in Malaysia looking for affordable yet reliable design options.

In 2025, Affinity stands out as one of the most balanced and forward-looking tools available to Malaysian designers.