It’s official, Affinity is coming to Linux.
Affinity told users on its X account that a Linux version is ‘in active development’, but does not currently have a release date in mind.
Affinity is a free design app (not open-source) that handles vector illustration, raster image work, photo processing and page layout. It now has a scripting studio that uses JavaScript to automate repetitive jobs.
It’s not a low-budget knockoff either. It’s a fully-fledged rival to Adobe’s Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign software. It currently runs on Windows, macOS and iPadOS, but with today’s news, official Linux support is on the way.
Canva owns Affinity, having bought out its British developer, Serif, in 2024.
Affinity v3 was released in October 2025. It replaced three paid apps (Photo, Designer and Publisher) with a unified app that’s free to use (with a Canva sign-in). Canva AI features need a paid plan, but Canva AI can be disabled in-app.
It’s already possible to run Affinity on Linux via WINE. It works well. But the official seal of approval is, obviously, better.
Not that everyone will be thrilled; many are continuing to hold out hope for the ArtCraft suite of Adobe software clones. One upside to Canva’s Affinity is that it’s not a moonshot; it’s working, functional and already well rounded.