# Affinity Publisher 2 for iPad — Page layout design, publishing

> Professional page layout and design software for iPad. (iPhone/iPad app by Serif (Europe) Ltd..)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/affinity-publisher-2-for-ipad/id1606942224 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Serif (Europe) Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/536107177)
- Category: Graphics & Design, Productivity
- Price: Free with in-app purchases
- Rating: 4.58/5 from 581 App Store ratings · 132 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 15.0 · 1.7 GB
- Languages: English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Chinese, Spanish
- Released: 2022-11-09
- Data updated: 2026-08-27
- Monetization: paid
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/affinity-publisher-2-for-ipad/id1606942224/reviews.md

## What is Affinity Publisher 2 for iPad?

Work wherever and whenever you want without compromise, with Affinity Publisher 2 for iPad, the on-the-go version of our award-winning desktop publishing software. This equally powerful page layout and design app has everything you need to create books, brochures, posters, reports, letters, portfolios, magazine layouts, book covers, ebooks, and so much more. 

OPTIMIZED FOR IPAD
• Fully integrated and optimized iPad gesture controls to speed up your workflow
• Command controller hosting on-screen modifiers 
• Quick Menu for context-sensitive access to commands
• Context bar for all tools
• Sliders for various attributes 
• Zoom to fit/zoom to previous, snapping, and preview mode options
• Metal accelerated to achieve blazing-fast performance, even when editing large images
• Sensitive to pressure, tilt, and angle, the app harnesses the full power and precision of Apple Pencil
• Full iCloud drive integration allows for seamless file management, storage, and sharing
• External display support with separate configuration options 

PROFESSIONAL LAYOUT TOOLS
• Facing page spreads
• Live master pages
• Advanced guides, grids, and snapping
• Tables and custom table formats
• Wrap text around any object or image 
• Create text frames of any shape
• Link multiple text frames together across your document
• Footnotes, sidenotes, and endnotes 

ADVANCED TYPOGRAPHY
• Full control over character and paragraph styles
• Comprehensive OpenType support
• Write text along any path
• Advanced flow options and hyphenation

PERFECT IMAGES & GRAPHICS
• Link or embed images in your document
• Place PSD, AI, PDF, JPG, TIFF, PNG, DWG, or Affinity files
• Correct and enhance images with non-destructive adjustment layers 
• Precision engineered pen and node tools for creating vector curves and shapes
• Boolean operations to add, subtract, combine, and divide shapes

BUILT FOR PRODUCTIVITY
• Section manager to organize your documents
• Savable undo history with alternate futures 
• Smart master pages 
• Automatically generate indexes and table of contents
• Manage and create anchors
• Save documents as template files to re-use time and time again 
• Collate your document alongside all used image and font resources into a folder using the Package feature 
• PDF passthrough 
• Autoflow of multiple images and multi-page PDFs
• Running headers
• Cross-references

ADVANCED OPTIONS FOR PLACING CONTENT & IMPORT/EXPORT
• IDML & XLSX import
• Import/export from Adobe InDesign ® and other programs
• Layer visibility override for placed linked files (PDF/DWG/DXF/PSD and Affinity files)
• Place linked web images using URLs
• Dropbox API integration to retain placed resource linkage across multiple devices
• AutoCAD DWG/DXF import, place, and edit (maintaining layer structure and scaling)

PROFESSIONAL OUTPUT
• End-to-end CMYK, PANTONE© and spot color
• Live preflight checking
• PDF/X-1a, PDF/X-3, PDF/X-4 output for professional printed works

FULL INTEGRATION WITH OTHER AFFINITY APPS
• Instantly switch to the advanced photo editing features of Affinity Photo and precise vector tools of Affinity Designer without leaving Affinity Publisher with StudioLink
• The most fluid workflow ever conceived in a creative suite of applications

## Key features

- Optimized iPad gesture controls
- Professional layout tools
- Advanced typography controls
- Image and graphics editing
- Productivity features
- Import/export options
- Professional output formats

## Pricing and in-app purchases

Base price: Free.

**One-time purchases**

| Purchase | Price | Type |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Free 7-Day Trial | Free | one-time |
| Publisher 2 for iPad License | Free | one-time |
| Affinity V2 Universal License | $164.99 | one-time |
| Affinity Collection for iPad | $36.99 | one-time |


## What do users think of Affinity Publisher 2 for iPad?

Overall sentiment: mixed

**Pros**

- 🚀 Powerful, desktop-level design
- 👍 Seamless integration with other Affinity apps
- 🚀 Smooth and responsive on iPad
- 💡 Universal license for all platforms
- 👍 Intuitive and clean user interface

**Cons**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🐛 Stability and reliability issues
- 🐛 Compatibility problems with external keyboards
- 🐛 Glitches with linked images and text
- 🐛 Lack of precision and customization options

**Commonly reported bugs**

- Crashing when working with large files
- Corrupted layers and lost work
- Printing issues and scaling problems
- Inconsistent behavior with text formatting and layout
- Laggy performance and freezes when scrolling through font lists

**Most requested features**

- Support for right-to-left text (Arabic, Persian, etc.)
- More templates and pre-designed layouts
- Improved file management and renaming capabilities
- Better support for large, complex documents
- Enhanced keyboard shortcuts and power user features

## Recent user reviews (10 of 132)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/affinity-publisher-2-for-ipad/id1606942224/reviews.md

### 2/5 — Frustratingly hard work.

*2026-06-10, version 2.6.4*

I have considerable experience with various publishing software but recently bought this for personal home use. I am finding it hit and miss as to whether I can place pictures, and having spent time setting the font speciations, I start typing and it just seems to do want it wants. And where is the undo?

### 5/5 — Ugh!

*2026-05-05, version 2.6.4*

You guys are taking foreeeever to release the new iPad update! I’m melting here guys!!

### 5/5 — Affinity Publisher

*2026-04-18, version 2.6.4*

Having previously been a professional graphic artist for 16 years and in need of a professional suite of graphic design and publishing Apps I discovered Affinity Suite. All three Apps are excellent, packed with features, great support and community, a wealth of official andthird party filters, textures etc.

The user interface is excellent too and very easy to transition to from the likes of Ad**e (which is my background). The one off payment licence option is incredible value and allows you to download all the versions you want (Mac, iPad, PC etc).

I use mostly Designer for vector illustrating and Publisher for (no surprise here) publishing illustrated books. Photo is also excellent but I’ve yet to properly delve into it. I’m still learning the Apps using the excellent Workbooks as reference when I get stuck. 

I can’t recommend this suite enough.

### 5/5 — Affinity is Perfect Intergration

*2026-04-03, version 2.6.4*

The tool set is unbelievably extensive. The integration of publisher, design and photo is the best feature. Being able to move in and out of these modes without leaving the file is so productive. Looking forward to the upcoming Canva version for iPad.

### 5/5 — Diseño editorial profesional en iPad, sin limites

*2026-03-18, version 2.6.4*

Affinity Publisher 2 en iPad es increíble. Tiene todo lo necesario para trabajar diagramación profesional sin depender de una computadora. El control de tipografía, grids y estilos es muy completo, y el rendimiento es excelente.

Perfecta para diseñadores, creadores de contenido y cualquier persona que quiera llevar sus ideas a un nivel más profesional desde el iPad.

### 4/5 — I can still access my paid version

*2026-02-01, version 2.6.4*

Update: 
I found a notice in my account button saying “your license is active and will never expire”, so despite the ‘get’ button for in-app purchases being active, the app DOES recognize my previous purchases, yay. I bought the entire suite of apps when they were on sale. I am not happy that these apps appear to have since moved to a subscription model, but I am happy that as of now they are recognizing I bought an earlier version with no need to buy in-app purchases. Thank you for that.

### 2/5 — iPad OS 26 is here… time for real software now

*2026-01-20, version 2.6.4*

Over the years I have purchased the entire Affinity suite for my Mac, Windows PC, and my iPad Pros. For some reason, with the exception of ArtPro, art software developers like Serif feel that the iPad Pro is some lesser or unworthy tool unable to support a full set of functionality and abilities, such as pull down menus and the full feature set of the Mac and Windows versions. I don’t know why that is… the first iPad Pro I bought was more powerful than the Mac G5 dualie I was using in the 2000’s to make a living with Adobe Creative Suite and QuarkXPress, and it was its own Wacom tablet. The idea that you need to dumb down your software for iPad Pros is erroneous. If I could do something in Indesign in 2005 on my Mac G5 but not on my iPad Pro, its because of poor programming and lack of vision of the developer, not the device. (See ArtPro above.) The current one I have now is an iPad Pro M5 with iPadOS 26. Full multitasking support, pull down menus at the OS level, and it has a third-party keyboard/trackpad case I bought for $60 along with its Apple Pencil Pro and that wonderful touch screen. It has 16 gigs of RAM and 1 TB of internal space. And, Publisher 2 for iPad Pro has no easily discoverable way to create column guides on a master page, something I was doing in Aldus PageMaker on a Mac Plus in the late ‘80’s. In fact it was a struggle to dig deep and find where the Master Pages panel was. Why? Why such litttle belief in the iPad Pro? The hardware is better than a comparable MacBook Pro… where is the touch screen and stylus on one of those? This thing is great! Quit treating the iPad like a toy. I now own a high end MacMini and an iPad Pro instead of a laptop trying to do both insufficiently. Those two work together better than a single laptop, and it only costs a little more for big gains. All we need now is the software. Please fix.  Lead the change. I’ll buy it.

### 4/5 — Pretty good, but buggy.

*2026-01-19, version 2.6.4*

Definitely better than InDesign in terms of value, but the UI is buggy. It’s not as smooth or intuitive as it should be. I work on my iPad, so there are some touch gestures and stuff but I’d much rather work it like a laptop.

### 3/5 — Good but buggy

*2025-12-23, version 2.6.4*

Can be frustrating as its not stable. Quite often i have to re start the app. On Two occasions ive had to delete and re install. Even scrolling through the font list on an M4 ipad Pro is laggy and quite often the names get corrupted. Still probably the best for iOS but i also get issue’s desktop.

### 4/5 — Crashes

*2025-11-29, version 2.6.4*

It’s a great program but seems to crash a lot

## Frequently asked questions about Affinity Publisher 2 for iPad

### What can I create with this app?

You can create a wide range of professional documents including books, brochures, posters, reports, letters, portfolios, magazine layouts, book covers, and ebooks. The app provides comprehensive tools for all these design and publishing needs.

### Is this app optimized for iPad?

Yes, the app is fully integrated and optimized for iPad, featuring gesture controls, on-screen modifiers, and context-sensitive menus to speed up your workflow. It also harnesses the full power of Apple Pencil for precision.

### What are the advanced typography features?

The app offers full control over character and paragraph styles, comprehensive OpenType support, and the ability to write text along any path. It also includes advanced flow options and hyphenation for professional text formatting.

### What file formats can I import and export?

You can import IDML & XLSX files and import/export from Adobe InDesign and other programs. It supports placing various image formats like PSD, AI, PDF, JPG, TIFF, PNG, DWG, and Affinity files, and can export in professional print-ready formats like PDF/X-1a, PDF/X-3, and PDF/X-4.

### Is this a one-time purchase or a subscription?

Based on the provided information, this application is a paid app, implying a one-time purchase for access to its full features.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 2.6.4 — 2025-09-23

- Bug fixes and stability improvements.
More info in the 'News and Information' section of the Support Forums,
access forums via the Help menu.

### 2.6.3 — 2025-05-14

- Bug fixes and stability improvements.




More info in the 'News and Information' section of the Support Forums,
access forums via the Help menu.

### 2.6.2 — 2025-04-02

Affinity 2.6 brings exciting updates to Publisher, most notably Advanced Page Management features to help improve your workflow. Free for all V2 customers, this latest update includes:  
• Multi-Page Spreads – spreads can now contain more than two pages, making it easy to create trifold, gatefold, accordion-fold and other page arrangements 
• Page Reflow Control – new options including Reflow Pages, Reflow Through Spread and Spread Wrapping when adding pages help you manage your pages better 
• Page migration improvements, including four new page move options: Anchor Toward Spine, Reapply Masters, Move Master Content and Split Masters 
• Other general advanced page management improvements 
• Color Picker improvements – when using the Color Picker on the Color Panel, your picked color will be automatically applied to the selected object, so you’re no longer required to select the color well 
• Reading Order Panel – to improve the accessibility of PDFs produced in Affinity, this new panel gives you control over the order in which screen readers and other assistive technology read PDF content 
• Many more improvements and bug fixes

### 2.6.1 — 2025-02-27

Affinity 2.6 brings exciting updates to Publisher, most notably Advanced Page Management features to help improve your workflow. Free for all V2 customers, this latest update includes:  
• Multi-Page Spreads – spreads can now contain more than two pages, making it easy to create trifold, gatefold, accordion-fold and other page arrangements 
• Page Reflow Control – new options including Reflow Pages, Reflow Through Spread and Spread Wrapping when adding pages help you manage your pages better 
• Page migration improvements, including four new page move options: Anchor Toward Spine, Reapply Masters, Move Master Content and Split Masters 
• Other general advanced page management improvements 
• Color Picker improvements – when using the Color Picker on the Color Panel, your picked color will be automatically applied to the selected object, so you’re no longer required to select the color well 
• Reading Order Panel – to improve the accessibility of PDFs produced in Affinity, this new panel gives you control over the order in which screen readers and other assistive technology read PDF content 
• Many more improvements and bug fixes

### 2.6.0 — 2025-02-19

Affinity 2.6 brings exciting updates to Publisher, most notably Advanced Page Management features to help improve your workflow. Free for all V2 customers, this latest update includes:  
• Multi-Page Spreads – spreads can now contain more than two pages, making it easy to create trifold, gatefold, accordion-fold and other page arrangements 
• Page Reflow Control – new options including Reflow Pages, Reflow Through Spread and Spread Wrapping when adding pages help you manage your pages better 
• Page migration improvements, including four new page move options: Anchor Toward Spine, Reapply Masters, Move Master Content and Split Masters 
• Other general advanced page management improvements 
• Color Picker improvements – when using the Color Picker on the Color Panel, your picked color will be automatically applied to the selected object, so you’re no longer required to select the color well 
• Reading Order Panel – to improve the accessibility of PDFs produced in Affinity, this new panel gives you control over the order in which screen readers and other assistive technology read PDF content 
• Many more improvements and bug fixes

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## More apps by Serif (Europe) Ltd.

- [Affinity Photo 2 for iPad](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/affinity-photo-2-for-ipad/id1616823773)
- [Affinity Designer 2 for iPad](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/affinity-designer-2-for-ipad/id1616833418)

All apps by Serif (Europe) Ltd.: https://appshunter.io/developer/536107177

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-27.*
