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.......I want free hugs!
I’ve been a paying affinity customer for years, and I’m not signing up for Canva.
I get it’s “free”, but I’m sketched out.
I'm not buying that it's free unless it's FOSS almost ever. Maybe it's just a "create an account so we can collect data on you" deal, but that still isn't free.
I was really hoping for Linux support some day. Now, I am totally fine sticking with GIMP.
Krita is also another good alternative, imo.
Isn't Krita more focused on digital painting than photo editing? I always end up going back to the GIMP because of that even though I use KDE.
Yep. It's 100% digital painting. All photo manipulation features are either minimal implementation or simply does not exist.
All the developement roadmap are often times trying to replicate Clip Studio Paint as it becomes the most used digital painting software for newer generation. Like comic/manga layout, integrated 3D pose, etc.
That's what I thought. People keep saying Krita is a great alternative to GIMP, Photoshop, and Affinity Photo, but photo editing is not its focus at all.
Oh god, how are they financing its development? Selling my personal data? Training AI on my data? Nagware? Not giving us a Linux version, ever?
I suspect that both they are using Affinity as a gateway drug For Canva Pro, and are super happy about taking even more customers from Adobe.
The best possible scenario is that they're just using it to entice people to pay for a premium subscription and will leave it that way. But the chances are that once they've pulled enough people in with the offer of free software, they'll alter the deal.
Considering you can turn off telemetry and never need to connect it to the internet after activation, I'm assuming that - like how Adobe uses cheap education licenses to on-ramp people onto their platform - this is largely intended to drive professionals towards Canva and their various other products. They take a loss on this product to become the de-facto standard image/vector/publishing application.
Oh god, how are they financing its development?
Canva's AI features are a subscription service. Existing Affinty features are now free.
"Free"
Lovely. \s They got brought by Canva and went down the Adobe rabbit hole.
I haven't followed this software and company before, what do you mean, what is the catch?
Adobe doesn't offer any of its software for free except acrobat reader, where you get nagged about paid features constantly, but it's easy to ignore.
Why shouldn't I recommend this over cracked Photoshop? Its features seems like closer to PS than Gimp or Krita.
They used to be anti-Adobe and claimed they'd never stoop to their level. This new free version offers Canva Premium plan, which unlocks cloud content. It's only going to get worse from here.
Less of an Adobe rabbit hole than an Adobe abandoned mineshaft.
It's weird that I can't just login using my existing Affinity ID, also Canva's privacy policy states clear as day under section 2 that they'll use your data to train AI models, and that policy applies to Affinity.
Edit: Data collection within Affinity seems to be opt-in for now.
I need to make sure I have my old Affinity installers. I'm sure I won't be able to activate in a few years because they decide to take down the authentication server.
Top ten answers on the board; we asked 100 users "How will Canva cover the costs of the software development if Affinity is free?"
If you’re on a Canva premium plan, you’ll also be able to unlock Canva’s powerful AI tools within Affinity.
So freemium, not free. Which is also fine, just saying.
Edit: Needs new Canva account. My Serif account didn't migrate. Be sure to turn off BS under https://www.canva.com/account/privacy-preferences
So this is basically v3, and they’re trying to gain critical mass adoption vs Adobe.
I’m happy with my v2 for now, but I have a hunch if I migrate to “3” I’ll be modifying my hosts file in the future.
This frustrates me so much.
I paid for v1 and v2 of the suite precisely because I’m willing to pay for a tool that works for me, predictably and reliably and with no compromise in goals. Now I’ll have to switch platforms yet again, because they’re going to monetize somehow, and if it’s not by taking my money, it’ll be by taking something else.
Is Inkscape a reasonable replacement for Illustrator yet? Is there an equivalent for InDesign?
I don’t want to get stuck in a Canvas walled garden, and I’m not going to pay rent to use software.
Still no Linux support. As someone who purchased the Affinity Suite, I'm not sure I like this shift in model. If they keep to just fencing off AI in premium and keep investing in the whole app, fine, but I don't have my hopes up.
Enshitification is inevitable. Ugh.
At least give us a Linux version.
Oh no. Affinity was a good paid alternative to the adobe shite, now this is going to turn down a subscription route after they get people hooked, isnt it?
Still no Linux support.
I will stick with FOSS stuff and when needed, Black Flag Adobe in Windows VM.
I use this at a center I volunteer at that works with the mentally disabled. Unsurprisingly, a lot of those people are old. Surprisingly, Canva is simple enough that I've been able to train the elderly, of all people, to use the program to make fliers or three-fold pamphlets for themselves. It's a good program for what it does, and the center pays for a premium subscription, so it's not something I personally need to worry much about.
Honestly, I'm fine with this in terms of the program's functionality, as long as Canva does't fuck with its user interface. It is pretty simple and intuitive, and I'd argue that the UI is quite possibly one of its strongest assets, seconded only by the massive amount of options/elements you can add to your project. And it's already apparent what AI is mostly used for within the program: making more graphic elements to slap onto your page, and more ready-made templates you can still go in and alter everything in at-will. And honestly, I'm fine with that.
Once canva bought affinity it was going to just go downhill eventually.
If a business charges nothing for a product then it is not the product. You are.
Sometimes that's harmless as in they're wanting you to try their service. Your business for other projects is still the product in that transaction.
Other times it's your personal data that is the product and they're wanting to then turn around and monetize that data.
But in both scenarios, you, or something of yours, is the product.
I have it installed on my laptop. I'm not using their AI web app.