Canva Acquires Affinity To Fill the Adobe-Sized Holes In Its Design Suite (theverge.com)
(Tuesday March 26, 2024 @06:40PM (BeauHD)
from the not-to-be-underestimated-deals dept.)
- Reference: 0173390369
- News link: https://tech.slashdot.org/story/24/03/26/2013227/canva-acquires-affinity-to-fill-the-adobe-sized-holes-in-its-design-suite
- Source link: https://www.theverge.com/2024/3/26/24112277/canva-affinity-acquisition-design-software-suite-adobe-rival
Web-based design platform Canva has [1]acquired the Affinity creative software suite for an undisclosed sum , though Bloomberg [2]reports that it's valued at "several hundred million [British] pounds." The Verge reports that the acquisition helps the company "[position] itself as a challenger to Adobe's grip over the digital design industry." From the report:
> Canva [3]announced the deal on Tuesday, which gives the company ownership over Affinity Designer, Photo, and Publisher -- three popular creative applications for Windows, Mac, and iPad that provide similar features to Adobe's Illustrator, Photoshop, and InDesign software, respectively. [T]he acquisition makes sense as the Australian-based company tries to attract more creative professionals. As of [4]January this year , Canva's design platform attracted around 170 million monthly global users. That's a lot of people who probably aren't using equivalent Adobe software like Express, but unlike Adobe, Canva doesn't have its own design applications that target creative professionals like illustrators, photographers, and video editors.
>
> Affinity apps are used by over three million global users according to Canva -- that's a fraction of Adobe's user base, but Affinity shouldn't be underestimated here. The decision to make its Affinity applications a one-time-purchase with no ongoing subscription fees has earned it a loyal fanbase, especially with creatives who are actively looking for alternatives to Adobe's subscription-based design ecosystem. In an interview with the [5]Sydney Morning Herald , Canva co-founder Cameron Adams said that Affinity applications will remain separate from Canva's platform, but that some small integrations should be expected over time. "Our product teams have already started chatting and we have some immediate plans for lightweight integration, but we think the products themselves will always be separate," said Adams.
[1] https://www.theverge.com/2024/3/26/24112277/canva-affinity-acquisition-design-software-suite-adobe-rival
[2] https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-03-26/canva-acquires-affinity-design-suite-in-push-to-rival-adobe?embedded-checkout=true
[3] https://www.canva.com/newsroom/news/affinity/
[4] https://www.canva.com/newsroom/news/canva-us-growth/
[5] https://www.smh.com.au/technology/canva-has-designs-on-the-pros-following-its-largest-ever-acquisition-20240325-p5fezk.html
> Canva [3]announced the deal on Tuesday, which gives the company ownership over Affinity Designer, Photo, and Publisher -- three popular creative applications for Windows, Mac, and iPad that provide similar features to Adobe's Illustrator, Photoshop, and InDesign software, respectively. [T]he acquisition makes sense as the Australian-based company tries to attract more creative professionals. As of [4]January this year , Canva's design platform attracted around 170 million monthly global users. That's a lot of people who probably aren't using equivalent Adobe software like Express, but unlike Adobe, Canva doesn't have its own design applications that target creative professionals like illustrators, photographers, and video editors.
>
> Affinity apps are used by over three million global users according to Canva -- that's a fraction of Adobe's user base, but Affinity shouldn't be underestimated here. The decision to make its Affinity applications a one-time-purchase with no ongoing subscription fees has earned it a loyal fanbase, especially with creatives who are actively looking for alternatives to Adobe's subscription-based design ecosystem. In an interview with the [5]Sydney Morning Herald , Canva co-founder Cameron Adams said that Affinity applications will remain separate from Canva's platform, but that some small integrations should be expected over time. "Our product teams have already started chatting and we have some immediate plans for lightweight integration, but we think the products themselves will always be separate," said Adams.
[1] https://www.theverge.com/2024/3/26/24112277/canva-affinity-acquisition-design-software-suite-adobe-rival
[2] https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-03-26/canva-acquires-affinity-design-suite-in-push-to-rival-adobe?embedded-checkout=true
[3] https://www.canva.com/newsroom/news/affinity/
[4] https://www.canva.com/newsroom/news/canva-us-growth/
[5] https://www.smh.com.au/technology/canva-has-designs-on-the-pros-following-its-largest-ever-acquisition-20240325-p5fezk.html
So sad. (Score:2)
by jddj ( 1085169 )
We see this story again and again. A company innovates, gets swallowed up by a richer company and the lights go out.
As an Affinity customer, I'm just waiting for the end now.
Re: (Score:2)
by ebunga ( 95613 )
The cycle of enshittification continues.
Re: So sad. (Score:2)
by jddj ( 1085169 )
I truly wish there was a worthwhile and widely-accepted creative suite (photo, design, publish) on Linux. I think that's one of a very few gaps holding the platform back on the desktop.
Will Canva change pricing to subscription? (Score:2)
I sure hope not! They'd immediately lose me as a customer.
Re: Will Canva change pricing to subscription? (Score:1)
Canva is a web based app. If anything Affinity was just competition in the low end designer market. Off course they are going to kill it off and tell you to subsidize their garbage JavaScript platform as they have the same features.
Affinity had the chance to open source and they didnâ(TM)t several years ago, had they done so, they wouldâ(TM)ve broken in the market and actually capable of challenging Adobe. Instead they created a decent product and then sat on their behinds to count the money.
Re: (Score:2)
I was just looking at possibly getting an Adobe subscription, because I'm tired of using GIMP. I had no clue the costs have gotten so high, $90/mo!
Re: (Score:3)
You should be able to get just Photoshop for $20/mon. I believe $90/mon is for all the Creative Suite products.
Re: (Score:2)
They most certainly will. Everything Canva currently offers is subscription-based.