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Canva has acquired Affinity in an effort to compete with Adobe

finance.yahoo.com

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Re: Canva has acquired Affinity in an effort to compete with Adobe

#161

Post by xoa »

While Affinity is a one-time purchase, I'll admit I was very, very disappointed when with the last version they switched from a normal product key to online-only activation requirement which was not at all clear at purchase time. So despite having purchased the whole v2 suite I ended up never using it and staying with v1, and their response was pretty junk as well. That said, I share concerns of other posters that this isn't going to make the trajectory any better. The email sent out by the CEO also gave me very strong "Our Incredible Journey" [0] vibes:

>"In Canva, we've found a kindred spirit who can help us take Affinity to new levels. Their extra resources will mean we can deliver much more, much faster. Beyond that, we can forge new horizons for Affinity products, opening up a world of possibilities that would never previously have been achievable.

>Canva's revolutionary approach to design democratisation and commitment to empowering everyone to create aligns perfectly with our core values and vision. This union is a testament to what can be achieved when two companies that share a common goal of making design accessible and enjoyable for everyone come together."

I can't speak for anyone else on HN but the whole thing (more resources! empowerment! design democratisation!) gives me some serious deja vu.

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0: https://ourincrediblejourney.tumblr.com/

Re: Canva has acquired Affinity in an effort to compete with Adobe

#162

Post by ghaff »

hollander wrote: post #149
paxys wrote: post #142

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Because no one wants to pay for products they like.

We don't want to pay for software? Look at the Appstore! Good products for reasonable prices are worth the money. Affinity offers a good product for a reasonable price. Adobe offers a better product but the subscription model is hated by many. For me Affinity products are good enough. Let's hope the current versions keep on working on Apple Silicon and Windows 11/12/etc. The current 2 version is good enough for me an…

I look at app stores and see a lot of "free to play" products. So many users have gotten so accustomed to not paying upfront for products (which historically could be substantial amounts) that the option is often no longer available.

Re: Canva has acquired Affinity in an effort to compete with Adobe

#163

Post by sofixa »

jsjohnst wrote: post #147
soapdog wrote: post #125

Why every product I like ends up being bought... argh, we can't have nice things.

Because not everyone can or should IPO. Once you get to a certain point in size, your investors will start pushing for an exit (where you have two main options, IPO or sell).

It's sad that management buyouts aren't more popular. It would probably make for more quality products not having to conform to expectations of the market or private equity.

Re: Canva has acquired Affinity in an effort to compete with Adobe

#165

Post by latexr »

jsjohnst wrote: post #147
soapdog wrote: post #125

Why every product I like ends up being bought... argh, we can't have nice things.

Because not everyone can or should IPO. Once you get to a certain point in size, your investors will start pushing for an exit (where you have two main options, IPO or sell).

What investors? As far as I know they were never VC funded. Affinity wasn’t a dinky startup, the parent company (Serif) was founded almost four decades ago.

Re: Canva has acquired Affinity in an effort to compete with Adobe

#166

Post by ramijames »

pelagicAustral wrote: post #158

I've been using Affinity products forever, in fact since before the Affinity era, then they were branded Serif (DrawPlus, PhotoPlus, etc)... They have been incredibly consistent over the years with the quality of their products, which is why I have purchased many licenses over the years and always recommended people to look into their software... Like others in the thread, I really do hope they don't change to subscr…

It really seems that the whole software world has decided to move to monthly payments. It really irks me. I don't want this.

Re: Canva has acquired Affinity in an effort to compete with Adobe

#169

Post by ricardobeat »

mortenjorck wrote: post #167

This would be a great time for Canva to reassure customers that they don’t intend to change Affinity‘s business model. Not to say such assurances are even a reliable indicator of future plans, but it would at least be a nice gesture.

That would be pointless as they will 100% be changing the business model. We’ve learned that over the past 20 years. RIP Affinity and one-time purchases.

Re: Canva has acquired Affinity in an effort to compete with Adobe

#170

Post by karaterobot »

I depend on Affinity products, and am not sure how to take this news. When Adobe tried to buy Figma, I knew both companies very well and knew equally well that Adobe would ruin Figma if they owned it. I'm glad that it didn't happen. But I don't know anything about Canva as a company. Product acquisitions usually have a certain trajectory, and my default assumption is that this will follow it: deeper, unasked-for integration with Canva's other products, a new pricing model, a brand new feature roadmap driven by the desire to make back their money, the departure of key figures from Affinity about a year from now. I hope I'm wrong though!
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