Canva ProSuite: 7 Essential Features (2026)

Canva ProSuite is Canva’s new bundled plan that combines four professional creative apps — Affinity, Cavalry, Flourish, and Leonardo — under one account, launched on September 17, 2026 with more than 100 new features. It targets designers, animators, and data storytellers who outgrew Canva’s basic templates. Affinity and Cavalry stay fully free even without a paid plan.

If you have used Canva mainly for social posts and presentations, ProSuite is a different tier entirely. It is aimed at people who need pixel-level photo editing, vector illustration, 2D motion graphics, and data visualization — work that used to require separate subscriptions from Adobe, Datawrapper, or standalone AI image generators.

This guide covers what is actually inside Canva ProSuite, what stays free versus what needs a paid plan, the specific features added in the September 2026 update, how it stacks up against Adobe Creative Cloud, and who should bother switching at all.

What Is Canva ProSuite?

Canva ProSuite is a unified offer that connects four previously separate acquisitions — Affinity (graphic design and photo editing), Cavalry (2D motion graphics), Flourish (data visualization), and Leonardo (generative AI image models) — into a single account and, for paid tiers, a single subscription (Canva Newsroom, September 2026).

Canva has owned Affinity since 2024 and picked up Cavalry, Flourish, and Leonardo through later acquisitions. Before ProSuite, each app lived on its own site with its own sign-in and, in some cases, its own separate pricing. ProSuite is the plumbing work that ties them together so a designer can move a vector export from Affinity into Cavalry for animation, or pull a Leonardo-generated image straight into a Flourish chart, without re-uploading files between platforms.

The name applies to the bundle itself, not to a single new app. There is no “ProSuite” download — instead, your existing Canva login now unlocks access to Affinity and Cavalry as free desktop apps, with Flourish and extra AI features layered in on paid plans.

The rollout is described as ongoing rather than finished: Canva says more integration updates will land “as each product matures,” according to Creative Bloq’s coverage of the launch. Expect the feature set to keep expanding through late 2026 rather than arriving all at once.

What Apps Are Included in Canva ProSuite?

Four apps make up the suite, and each one replaces a job that used to need a dedicated, separately billed tool.

Affinity handles photo editing, vector illustration, and page layout in one app, roughly comparable to running Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign together. It is the most mature of the four, having existed as a standalone paid app for years before Canva’s acquisition, and it carries the deepest feature set: layer-based photo retouching, non-destructive vector tools, and print-ready layout with master pages.

Cavalry is 2D motion graphics and animation software built for designers who need moving graphics — animated logos, explainer graphics, social video overlays — without learning a full compositing tool like After Effects. Its timeline and keyframe system is built around design-tool logic rather than a film-editing workflow, which is why designers coming from Affinity or Illustrator tend to pick it up faster than they would After Effects.

Flourish is a data visualization builder for interactive charts, maps, and story-driven graphics, used by newsrooms and data teams to turn spreadsheets into publishable, embeddable visuals. It is the one app in the bundle gated behind Canva’s top-tier plan rather than offered free.

Leonardo is a generative AI image platform for concept art, product mockups, and image-to-image editing. Inside ProSuite, Leonardo outputs can be pulled directly into an Affinity canvas or a Flourish chart background instead of being downloaded and re-uploaded across separate sites.

September’s update added new Mask and Deform tools for image editing in Affinity, a Blend Tool for creating smooth transitions between vector shapes, and a full Scripting Studio for automating repetitive design tasks, per Creative Bloq’s report on the release. Flourish’s Graph Editor was reworked in the same update, alongside a new Metaballs shape and Lighting, Twist, and Ripple filters for image effects.

Is Canva ProSuite Free to Use?

Yes — Affinity and Cavalry stay completely free, with no stripped-back version and no feature gate. Canva describes it as “the full professional-grade Affinity experience,” and that free tier is not a trial. You only pay if you want Canva’s cloud AI tools, team features, or access to Flourish.

Two paid tiers unlock the rest. Canva Pro is built for individuals; Canva Business adds team management and Flourish access. Here is how the tiers break down:

In short: Flourish is the only major component locked behind the top tier. If your work is mostly photo editing, illustration, or animation, the free Affinity and Cavalry apps alone may cover it, and you never need to enter a card number.

It is worth noting that “free” here means the desktop apps themselves, not every feature inside them. Cloud-rendered AI tools — generative fill, automatic masking, and the new upscaling models — run on Canva’s servers and are metered by subscription tier, so a free-tier user can edit files fully but will hit a wall on AI-heavy workflows.

What’s New in the Canva ProSuite September 2026 Update?

The September 2026 release is described as the biggest single update across the four apps since Canva began combining them, with more than 100 new features shipping at once, according to Creative Bloq’s coverage of the launch.

For paying subscribers, the update adds new AI models — both local and cloud-based — for image upscaling, automatic matte generation, and SDR-to-HDR conversion. These sit inside Affinity’s existing toolset rather than requiring a separate app, so an editor can upscale a low-resolution photo without exporting it to another program first.

Free-tier changes matter just as much here. Affinity’s RAW photo processing was strengthened in version 3.3, a change that ships to every user regardless of subscription, as reported by PetaPixel’s coverage of the Affinity 3.3 release. That detail separates ProSuite from a typical freemium model — the free app is still getting meaningful, non-cosmetic updates rather than being frozen to push upgrades.

Flourish’s changes lean more visual than technical: the Metaballs shape and the Lighting, Twist, and Ripple filters are aimed at making data graphics look less like spreadsheet exports and more like designed illustrations, while the reworked Graph Editor is meant to cut down the manual formatting that data teams previously had to do by hand.

How Does Canva ProSuite Compare to Adobe Creative Cloud?

Adobe Creative Cloud bundles Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, and After Effects for a recurring subscription that starts well above Canva Pro’s price once you need more than one app. Canva ProSuite covers similar ground — photo editing and illustration through Affinity, motion graphics through Cavalry — but keeps the core apps free and only charges for AI features, storage, and team tools.

The trade-off is maturity. Adobe’s tools have decades of plugin ecosystems, tutorials, and enterprise integrations behind them. Affinity and Cavalry are newer, smaller, and still filling gaps — Cavalry, for instance, does not yet match After Effects’ plugin library, and Affinity’s macro and scripting support is younger than Photoshop’s.

File compatibility is another practical difference. Affinity can open and export PSD, AI, and PDF files directly, which makes it realistic to move between Adobe and Affinity mid-project rather than committing entirely to one ecosystem. That flexibility is part of why some studios run both side by side instead of treating the switch as all-or-nothing.

For freelancers and small studios watching subscription costs, ProSuite is a genuine alternative to a full Adobe seat. For large teams with existing Adobe plugin workflows and shared asset libraries built around Creative Cloud, switching entirely is a bigger undertaking than the price difference alone would suggest.

Who Should Use Canva ProSuite?

Freelance designers who already use Canva for client presentations get the clearest upgrade path. Affinity handles the detailed photo and vector work Canva’s own template editor was never built for, at no extra cost beyond the account you already have.

Small studios doing motion work can test Cavalry against After Effects without a new line item, since Cavalry stays free regardless of tier. Data journalists and analysts get the most value from Canva Business specifically, since Flourish — the interactive charting tool — is the one component locked behind that plan.

If your work rarely goes beyond social templates and basic photo touch-ups, standard Canva Pro without touching Affinity, Cavalry, or Flourish is still enough. There is no requirement to adopt the full suite just because it exists on your account.

What Are the Limitations Right Now?

Because ProSuite is a September 2026 launch, not every promised integration is live yet. Canva has said updates will continue rolling out per app rather than as one finished package, so some cross-app workflows — like exporting a Cavalry animation directly into a Flourish story — may still be manual for now.

Cavalry and Flourish also have smaller communities than Affinity, which has existed as a standalone product since 2019. That means fewer third-party tutorials and templates for the newer two apps compared to Affinity’s more established user base and documentation.

Support quality can also vary by app. Affinity’s support channels matured over years as a paid, standalone product, while Leonardo and Flourish were built by separate companies with their own support cultures before Canva acquired them. Expect some inconsistency in response times and documentation depth until Canva finishes folding the teams together.

Why Is Canva Doing This Now?

Canva has spent the past few years acquiring specialist tools rather than building competitors from scratch — Affinity for professional design, Flourish for data journalism, Leonardo for AI image generation, and Cavalry for motion. ProSuite is the point where that acquisition strategy turns into a single product story instead of four separate apps that happen to share a parent company.

The timing also lines up with Canva pushing further into professional and enterprise markets rather than staying purely a templates-and-social-graphics tool. Canva World Tour 2026, which returned on September 14 with a new AI Essentials Certification, points the same direction: Canva is positioning itself as a training ground for professional design skills, not just a quick-graphics app.

Keeping Affinity and Cavalry free is a deliberate wedge against Adobe’s subscription model. Every designer who installs the free apps becomes a candidate for the paid AI features layered on top, which is a lower-friction funnel than asking someone to commit to a paid plan before they have tried the software at all.

What If You Already Pay for Adobe or Figma?

You do not need to cancel an existing Adobe or Figma subscription to try Canva ProSuite — Affinity and Cavalry install as free standalone apps, so testing them costs nothing but time. A practical approach is to open one existing project file in Affinity and see whether the PSD or AI import holds up before touching your paid workflow at all.

Teams already deep into Adobe plugin ecosystems or Figma component libraries should treat ProSuite as a parallel option rather than an immediate replacement. The realistic first move is running Affinity or Cavalry on a single side project — a client mockup, an internal animation — before deciding whether it is worth restructuring a whole team’s workflow around it.

How Do You Get Started with Canva ProSuite?

Getting into Canva ProSuite does not require a new account if you already use Canva. Here is the fastest path:

1. Sign in to your existing Canva account, or create one for free.
2. Download Affinity and Cavalry directly — both install as free, standalone desktop apps with no trial limits.
3. Open a file in Affinity and check the new Mask, Deform, and Blend tools added in the September update.
4. If you need Flourish or Affinity’s cloud AI features, upgrade to Canva Pro or Canva Business from your account settings.
5. Link Leonardo inside Canva’s AI image panel to generate assets you can drop straight into Affinity or Flourish projects.

Because Affinity and Cavalry run as separate desktop installs rather than browser tabs, expect a real download and setup step — this is not a new Canva template category, it is two full applications joining your account.

For AI-specific workflows, our guide to AI tools for graphic designers covers how Leonardo compares to other generators, and our Canva AI 2.0 guide breaks down the AI features bundled into standard Canva Pro. If you rely on Canva’s template-based AI tools day to day, the Canva Magic Studio guide is a useful companion piece, and designers doing brand work may also want our Adobe Firefly logo design guide for a direct comparison against Leonardo.

Is It Worth Switching to Canva ProSuite?

For anyone currently paying for a single Adobe app just to do occasional photo edits or vector work, Canva ProSuite is worth at least a trial run — Affinity costs nothing to install and covers most of that ground. The risk is low because nothing is locked behind a card number until you specifically need Flourish or the cloud AI tools.

For studios with animation pipelines built around After Effects plugins, or data teams with existing Flourish alternatives already in place, the calculation is less obvious. The honest answer is to treat ProSuite as an addition to test alongside existing tools this quarter, not a forced replacement to commit to on day one.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Canva ProSuite really free?

Affinity and Cavalry are free with no trial limits or stripped features. You only need a paid Canva Pro or Business plan for Canva’s cloud AI tools, extra storage, team features, or access to Flourish.

What does Canva ProSuite include?

It bundles four apps under one Canva account: Affinity for photo editing and illustration, Cavalry for 2D motion graphics, Flourish for data visualization, and Leonardo for AI image generation.

Can I use Affinity without a Canva subscription?

Yes. Affinity runs as a free standalone app once linked to a Canva account. A paid plan only adds Affinity’s cloud-based AI features, such as generative fill and automatic masking.

Does Canva ProSuite replace Adobe Creative Cloud?

For many freelancers and small teams, yes — Affinity and Cavalry cover the core work of Photoshop, Illustrator, and After Effects. Larger studios with established Adobe plugin workflows will find switching a bigger project than the price difference suggests.

What is Leonardo in Canva ProSuite?

Leonardo is the generative AI image platform inside ProSuite, used for concept art, product mockups, and image-to-image editing that can feed directly into Affinity or Flourish projects.

How much does Canva Business cost with ProSuite?

Canva Business is €17 per user per month, or €170 per year. It includes everything in Canva Pro plus up to 100 brand kits, team management, a higher AI quota, and access to Flourish.