Affinity (formerly Affinity Publisher 2)

Affinity Publisher 2 was discontinued as a standalone product in October 2025 when Canva relaunched the entire Affinity suite as a single free application — combining Affinity Photo, Designer, and Publisher into one download, still marketed as "Affinity" (or "Affinity by Canva"). The unified app's Layout Studio replaces Publisher and carries forward the same book-formatting engine, so everything below still applies even though the standalone "Publisher 2" product no longer exists. As of August 2026 the app is on version 3.2.x, with regular updates since launch.

What You Get#

• Professional page layout: Precise typesetting, master pages, text frame linking, and full bleed/margin controls for print-ready output
• Integrated image and vector editing: Photo editing (Pixel Studio) and vector illustration (Vector Studio) are bundled in the same app — no switching tools to prepare cover artwork
• Print-ready PDF export: Supports PDF/X-1a, PDF/X-3, and PDF/X-4 with embedded ICC profiles, crop marks, and bleed settings required by KDP, IngramSpark, and other print-on-demand services
• Spine calculation: Build full wrap covers with accurate front, spine, and back in a single document; the 2.6 "Extend Spread" feature makes it easier to bleed artwork across the fold
• InDesign file compatibility: Imports .idml (InDesign Markup Language) files — not native .indd files. Authors adapting an InDesign template need to export it to IDML first (from InDesign or a third-party converter like Markzware) before opening it here

Who It's For#

• Authors with design skills: Affinity's layout tools have a genuine learning curve — beginners will spend hours on tutorials before producing publish-ready files
• Windows authors: Unlike Vellum (Mac-only) and most professional formatters, this runs on Windows with full feature parity. An iPad version has been promised as "coming soon" but had not shipped as of August 2026; there's still no official Linux build (community Wine/AppImage workarounds exist but are unofficial)
• Authors who want InDesign quality without the cost: Adobe InDesign's single-app plan runs about $22.99/month (billed annually); the Affinity layout tools are free

Pricing: Still completely free as of August 2026 — Canva co-founder Cameron Adams has publicly reaffirmed "there is no catch," and the core app remains free with no export limits, watermarks, or project caps. The catch worth knowing: using Affinity now requires signing in with a free Canva account (no credit card, but also no way to use the app anonymously or fully offline-only). AI-powered features — Generative Fill, "Expand & Edit," and AI background removal — require a paid Canva Pro ($18/month or $180/year) or Business plan; the core publishing, photo, and vector tools remain unrestricted and free.

Strengths#

• Zero cost with no limitations: Professional-grade software with no trial watermarks, no project limits, and no export restrictions — unlike free tiers of other tools
• Complete typography control: OpenType font features, precise kerning, ligatures, drop caps, and text frame linking across pages — capabilities that Canva and book-specific cover tools lack
• Active development: Backed by Canva's engineering resources; the app has shipped multiple point releases since its October 2025 launch (v3.2.x by mid-2026)
• Desktop-first: A real desktop application, not a browser tool — your files live on your machine, not in the cloud

Limitations#

• Steep learning curve: Mastering spine calculations, bleed settings, and print specifications for KDP or IngramSpark requires significant setup time — expect several hours of tutorials before your first publish-ready file
• No book-specific templates: Unlike BookBrush or Canva, there are no pre-built Amazon KDP or IngramSpark-sized cover templates; you configure dimensions manually
• AI features require a Canva subscription: Generative Fill and other AI tools cost extra — only the traditional design tools are free
• A Canva account is now mandatory: You can no longer buy a standalone perpetual license — old Affinity Publisher 2 licenses still work, but any new install requires creating and signing into a free Canva account, and Canva's terms reserve the right to run online entitlement checks and to suspend or modify access
• Not designed for fast one-off covers: The workflow mirrors InDesign — powerful and precise, but slower than browser-based tools for a single book cover

Reception Since the Canva Acquisition#

The free relaunch was broadly welcomed, but it came with friction. Some users on forums like r/AffinityPhoto pushed back on the mandatory Canva account requirement, and reviewers noted the app now transmits telemetry/usage data to Canva's servers (data collection is opt-in and disabled by default, and Canva says it does not sell user data or train AI models on Affinity project files). The new .af file format is also a one-way street — files saved in the new app can't be opened by the legacy Affinity Publisher 2 / v1 apps, so anyone straddling both should keep untouched backups of older files. No credible reporting suggests the free pricing itself is at risk; Canva has repeatedly reaffirmed the "free forever" commitment as of mid-2026.

Alternatives#

For faster setup with genre-specific templates, Canva offers KDP-sized book cover templates ready to customize. For Mac users wanting professional print output without learning desktop publishing software, Vellum handles both formatting and cover-ready exports in one workflow.