Affinity’s Adobe-rivaling creative suite is now free for six months

Design software developer Serif has launched a new six-month free trial for its Affinity creative suite, which is well regarded as being one of the few viable alternatives to Adobe’s professional design apps. The offer is available for Affinity Photo, Affinity Designer, and Affinity Publisher starting today on Mac, Windows PC, and iPad.

Affinity uses a one-time purchase pricing model that has earned it a loyal fanbase among creatives who are sick of paying for recurring subscriptions. Prices start at $69.99 for Affinity’s individual desktop apps or $164.99 for the entire suite, with a separate deal currently offering customers 50 percent off all perpetual licenses.

This discount, alongside the six-month free trial, is potentially geared at soothing concerns that Affinity would change its pricing model after being acquired by Canva earlier this year. “We’re saying ‘try everything and pay nothing’ because we understand making a change can be a big step, particularly for busy professionals,” said Affinity CEO Ashley Hewson. “Anyone who takes the trial is under absolutely no obligation to buy.”

In a Decoder interview published today, Canva CEO Melanie Perkins declined to describe its offering as a full alternative to Adobe’s Creative Cloud. However, she said the design market “has been a little bit of a one-horse race, and I don’t think that works out well for anyone...I think that being able to have another alternative in the market for professional designers benefits everyone.”