Canva acquired Affinity to fill the Adobe size gap in the design suite.

Web-based design platform Canva has acquired the Affinity creative software suite, positioning itself as a challenger to Adobe's dominance in the digital design industry. Canva announced the deal on Tuesday, which gives it ownership of Affinity Designer, Photo, and Publisher. Affinity Designer, Photo, and Publisher are three popular creative applications for Windows, Mac, and iPad that offer functionality similar to Adobe's Illustrator, Photoshop, and InDesign software.

Official figures for the deal have not been disclosed, but Bloomberg reports that it is worth "hundreds of millions of [British] pounds". Still, the acquisition makes sense as the Australian-based company looks to attract more creative professionals. In January of this year, Canva's design platform attracted approximately 170 million monthly users worldwide. Many of you probably don't use equivalent Adobe software such as Express. But unlike Adobe, Canva doesn't have its own design application aimed at creative professionals like illustrators, photographers, and video editors.

“The past 10 years at Canva have focused on the 99% of knowledge workers with no design training, but truly empowering the world with design means that professional designers It also means empowering people,” Canva said in a press release announcing the deal. "We're excited to work with Affinity to leverage the input of every designer at every level and stage of design."

Canva says the Affinity app has more than 3 million users worldwide. It is used, but this is only a small part. Although one of the numbers for Adobe's user base, Affinity should not be underestimated here. The decision to offer the Affinity app as a one-time purchase with no ongoing subscription fees makes the company a great choice, especially for creators who are actively looking for an alternative to Adobe's subscription-based design ecosystem. has gained a loyal fan base among

In an interview with the Sydney Morning Herald, Canva co-founder Cameron Adams said that the Affinity application will remain separate from his Canva platform, but that he expects some small integrations over time. I said it would be done. "Our product teams have already started talking and we have some immediate plans for some light integration, but we expect the product itself to always be separate," Adams said.

Affinity and its 90 UK-based employees give Canva more opportunities to compete with Adobe in the broader creative software market. And given Canva's appeal as a platform for creatives focused on simplicity, there may be a real chance to attract professionals tired of lining Adobe's pockets.