Canva has introduced Affinity for iPad, bringing the creative suite’s professional tools for vector graphics, photo editing, illustration and page layouts to Apple’s tablet. The app is optimized for touchscreens and Apple Pencil, and its core features are free for individual users with a free Canva account.
The iPad version includes a new Sketch Studio focused on freehand drawing and sketch-to-vector workflows. Its tools can help mask artwork and turn rough sketches into cleaner geometric shapes. Support for Apple Pencil Pro includes pressure sensitivity, tilt, barrel roll, squeeze, hover and gesture controls.
Projects created for sketching, vector design, photo editing and page layouts can be saved in the same .af file, reducing the need to export or convert work between different parts of the suite. Affinity for iPad also supports major design file formats.
Canva has integrated its AI Studio into the app, adding tools such as Generative Expand for extending image backgrounds, automatic motion blur and noise reduction, and image resolution scaling. These AI features are optional and require a Canva Pro subscription, which starts at $18 per month.
The launch follows Canva’s relaunch of Affinity as an all-in-one desktop application last year. After Canva acquired Affinity developer Serif in 2024, users raised concerns that the software could move from a one-time license to a subscription model and adopt Canva’s generative AI technology. Canva and Serif had pledged not to force users to subscribe, and the core Affinity for iPad tools remain available without a paid plan.
Sources: The Verge.