[2][3] The first Serif product to be released was called PageStar: a simple, low-cost advertisement layout program for Windows 2.0.

[4] In subsequent years, this was accompanied by other software products in the 'Plus' range, including DrawPlus (1994),[5] PhotoPlus (1999),[6] WebPlus (2000),[7] and MoviePlus (2003).

[15] Affinity Designer is considered an Adobe Illustrator alternative and is cross-platform with versions available for iPadOS, macOS and Windows.

[25] It has been described as an alternative to Adobe InDesign,[26][27] due to its primary focus on desktop publishing workflows for both printed and online media, including common features from this industry, such as master pages, OpenType support, linked text frames, and end-to-end support for the CMYK color model.

[1][29] This acquisition was named as part of Canva's strategy to expand its global footprint and enhance its software offerings.