Affinity’s all-in-one creative app is finally heading to the iPad, bringing photo editing, vector design, sketching, and professional page layout together in a single workspace. After months of waiting for the tablet version of the redesigned Affinity app, iPad users can now pre-order it through Apple’s App Store ahead of its scheduled November 3, 2026 release.

Affinity announced the news on October 26, acknowledging the long wait for an iPad version. The company said it had been listening to requests from users, many of whom wanted to bring the new desktop app’s creative workflow to Apple’s tablet.

The upcoming release is particularly significant for people who want to move between different types of creative work without juggling separate applications. Instead of switching between dedicated photo-editing, vector-design, and publishing apps, users will be able to handle those tasks within one unified Affinity experience.

One app for photo editing, illustration, and page layout

Affinity for iPad is designed to bring professional creative tools to a touch-first interface, with Apple Pencil support playing a central role.

The app supports non-destructive photo editing, RAW image development, composites, selections, and retouching. For illustration and graphic design, users can sketch ideas and refine them into precise vector artwork, adjusting curves, paths, and nodes directly on the iPad.

Apple Pencil features include pressure sensitivity, tilt, and barrel rotation, allowing artists to vary their strokes and shading as they work. The ability to move from sketching to vector editing within the same file should also make it easier to develop an idea without interrupting the creative process.

The app also includes professional page-layout tools for arranging text, images, grids, and guides. Affinity says users can create everything from short brochures to books hundreds of pages long, with print-ready output and professional color controls.

File compatibility is another important part of the package. The App Store listing says Affinity supports formats including PSD, AI, INDD, IDML, PDF, and SVG, helping users bring existing creative projects into the app while preserving their layers and structure.

Affinity for iPad will be free to use

Perhaps the biggest news for users is the price. Affinity for iPad will be free for individuals, with no subscription required to use its core photo-editing, vector, sketching, and layout tools.

That follows the direction of the redesigned desktop Affinity app, which Canva made available for free. Users will still need a free Canva account to access Affinity, but paying for a premium subscription is not a requirement for the core creative features.

There is one important distinction: Canva AI Studio features require a premium Canva plan. These optional tools include AI-assisted capabilities for tasks such as removing backgrounds and improving images. Users who only need Affinity’s traditional creative tools can use those without paying for Canva’s premium AI features.

Release date and iPad compatibility

Affinity for iPad is listed as a free app with in-app purchases on the US App Store, with November 3, 2026 shown as its expected release date. Pre-orders are already available, allowing interested users to arrange for the app to download when it becomes available.

The listing requires iPadOS 18.0 or later. Users should check their iPad’s software version and available storage before installing, as the App Store currently lists the app at approximately 1.9GB.

The new app also matters to existing Affinity users because the redesigned desktop version introduced a different file workflow from the older Affinity V2 applications. Affinity has previously warned that older versions, including the existing V2 iPad apps, cannot open files created in the newer desktop app’s native format. The arrival of the new iPad version should make it easier for users to work across the updated creative suite, although anyone with existing projects should check the compatibility details before changing their workflow.

For artists, photographers, illustrators, and designers who prefer working directly on a tablet, Affinity’s upcoming iPad release could make the device a more practical alternative to a desktop for a wider range of creative tasks. With its core tools available for free, the November launch is worth watching even for users who have never tried Affinity before.