Affinity Added 1 Million Users in Less Than a Week

Last week, Affinity announced a major change to its business model and product offering. All of its apps were being consolidated into one platform and, more importantly, it would be free to download and use. That move appears to have paid off as Affinity says it added one million new users in just six days — that’s unprecedented in the creative space.

“Since announcing Affinity’s new chapter last week, the response has been extraordinary. Over one million creatives worldwide — from designers and illustrators to photographers and students — have joined the platform, redefining what access to professional tools should look like,” Affinity says.

Last year, Canva acquired Affinity in a bid to expand its product offering and become a player in the professional creative space. While Canva has never called out Adobe specifically, the move to acquire Affinity and the subsequent decision to make the software free are all moves that further its ability to compete against the Silicon Valley behemoth.

“Making Affinity free is a continuation of Canva’s founding belief that great design should be accessible to everyone. It’s made possible by Canva’s sustainable business model — one built on offering powerful creative tools for free, while optional paid features like premium content, collaboration, and AI tools fund continued innovation. This approach has powered Canva’s growth for more than a decade and now enables Affinity to remain free, forever — while continuing to evolve for the world’s most ambitious creators,” Canva says.

Affinity’s move to free (with premium upgrades for those who want it) mirrors Blackmagic’s choice to make DaVinci Resolve free, a decision that has led to the video editor growing in popularity over the years to the point where it is the go-to video editor among content creators. The free-to-use strategy (with paid pro features) mixed with consistent, excellent annual free updates made Resolve a force that was impossible for competitors to ignore. It stands to reason that Canva has the same goals for Affinity.

It is important to note that Resolve’s popularity and huge user base were not acquired overnight. Resolve went free to use in 2011, but did not see explosive growth until about 2019. Affinity’s growth to one million users happened significantly faster than it did for Resolve.

Resolve reportedly first hit one million users in 2020, nine years after making its software free; Affinity did it in less than a week.

Image credits: Canva Affinity