Sasha Lantukh

People tolerate complexity. They don’t tolerate unfairness… in the long run.

March 20, 2026

For a long time, Adobe wasn’t just a tool — it was the environment. Still is in many ways.
You didn’t really choose it. It chose you.
And to be fair, it earned that. The products are powerful, the ecosystem deep, the industry aligned around it.

But something subtle changed over time.

I actually liked the subscription idea at first.
Continuous updates, access to everything, lower upfront cost.

Then the balance shifted.

The tools didn’t just improve — they accumulated.
Layers on layers. Complexity on complexity. Pricing tiers on top.
Small-print nudges into higher plans.

And somewhere along the way, the relationship started to feel… off.

Not because it’s expensive.
But because it’s hard to opt out without losing part of your working life.

People feel that. And it doesn’t feel great.

When Affinity arrived, it didn’t try to copy that model.
It brought back a more familiar idea of fairness.

Pay once, get the tools.
That alone felt like a reset.

But after Canva brought Affinity in, it became clear the “old new model” didn’t quite scale.
And realistically, subscriptions aren’t going anywhere.

This new approach is where it gets interesting.

Affinity apps become widely accessible, while new AI capabilities sit behind a subscription.
It quietly connects both worlds — pulling Affinity users toward Canva, and giving Canva users a path into more advanced tools without needing Adobe.

The key difference is expectation.

Canva users have always had a subscription — it’s affordable, and nothing changes there.
Affinity users keep the tools they know, and only pay if they want the new AI layer.

Nothing taken away. No sudden switches. No small-print traps.

Just a clear line between what’s included… and what’s new.

That’s what makes it feel fair.

I switched a few years ago after 15+ years in Adobe.

I still miss parts of Photoshop (and only photoshop). Some things are just hard to relearn.
But overall, it worked for me.

Less friction. Less overhead.
More clarity in what I’m paying for — and why.

It’ll be interesting to see where this goes.

If this model holds, it gives newer designers a different starting point —
one without the same kind of lock-in.

And that changes expectations.

When companies grow dominant, they optimise for extraction.
People tolerate it for a time — along with all the complexity it brings.

But not forever.

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