Affinity Publisher

Name: Affinity Publisher
Brand: Affinity
Rating: 4.7 (133 reviews)

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Professional desktop publishing software for creating stunning layouts and designs.

Graphic Design UI/UX Design Design Systems

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4.7(133 across the web)

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Reviews onG2Capterra

133 reviews tracked

The Bottom Line

Entry price

Free, no paid tier

Biggest pro

Now completely free with no subscription or purchase required

Biggest con

Smaller plugin ecosystem compared to InDesign

TL;DR - Affinity Publisher

Professional desktop publishing app now free after Canva acquisition
Advanced layout, typography, and StudioLink integration with Photo and Designer
Available on macOS, Windows, and iPad with no subscription

Pricing: Free forever

Best for: Individuals & startups

4.7/5 across review platforms

What is Affinity Publisher?

Editorial review

Affinity Publisher is a professional desktop publishing application for creating books, magazines, brochures, posters, and marketing materials. It offers advanced typography, master pages, linked text frames, and precise layout tools rivaling Adobe InDesign. StudioLink technology lets users access Affinity Photo and Designer editing directly within Publisher. Originally a one-time purchase from Serif, the app became free in 2025 after Canva's acquisition, with no subscription required.

LCLouis CorneloupUpdated May 26, 2026 · how we evaluateSourceaffinity.serif.com ↗

Pros & Cons

Pros

Now completely free with no subscription or purchase required
Professional-grade features competitive with Adobe InDesign
StudioLink provides photo and vector editing within the layout app
One-time file format with no cloud dependency
Runs natively on macOS, Windows, and iPad
No recurring costs or feature-gated tiers

Cons

Smaller plugin ecosystem compared to InDesign
No native scripting support for automation workflows
Fewer third-party templates and resources available
Future development roadmap uncertain after Canva acquisition
No built-in IDML import for seamless InDesign migration

Ratings Across the Web

4.7(133 reviews)

Ratings aggregated from independent review platforms. Learn more

Preview

Key Features

Advanced page layout with master pages and facing spreadsFull OpenType typography with variable font supportLinked text frames with auto-flow across pagesStudioLink integration with Affinity Photo and DesignerProfessional PDF export with bleed and crop marksEPUB, SVG, TIFF, JPEG, and PNG export formatsTables with custom formatting and stylesFootnotes and endnotes with style controlData merge for personalized documentsAvailable on macOS, Windows, and iPad

Pricing

Free

Affinity Publisher is completely free to use with no hidden costs.

View pricing

Reviews

4.7/5

Across 133 verified user reviews on G2, Capterra

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Affinity Publisher FAQ

Is Affinity Publisher really free now?

Yes. After Canva acquired Serif in 2024, Affinity Publisher (along with Photo and Designer) became free to download and use in 2025. There are no subscriptions, ads, or feature restrictions.

Can Affinity Publisher replace Adobe InDesign?

For most desktop publishing tasks, yes. Affinity Publisher handles books, magazines, brochures, and marketing materials with professional layout tools. However, InDesign has deeper scripting support, more plugins, and broader industry adoption for production workflows.

What is StudioLink?

StudioLink is a technology that lets you access Affinity Photo (raster editing) and Affinity Designer (vector editing) tools directly within Publisher without switching applications. All three apps must be installed on the same device.

Does Affinity Publisher support EPUB export?

Yes. Publisher can export documents as EPUB files for e-book distribution, along with PDF (with professional print marks), SVG, TIFF, JPEG, and PNG formats.

Will Affinity Publisher continue to receive updates?

Canva has committed to maintaining the Affinity apps, though the long-term roadmap is unclear. Existing V2 licenses remain valid, and the free version includes all current features.

Source: affinity.serif.com

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