Canva is an easy to use graphic design and video editing platform that lets users create, design, and publish original artwork using a simple drag-and-drop editor. The platform comes with thousands of design templates and layouts for numerous projects, including social media posts, presentations, videos, posters, flyers and more.
Canva is also often used as Photo Editing of choice in Marketing and Ecommerce tech stacks.
Capabilities |
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Segment |
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Deployment | Cloud / SaaS / Web-Based, Mobile Android, Mobile iPad, Mobile iPhone |
Support | 24/7 (Live rep), Chat, Email/Help Desk, FAQs/Forum, Knowledge Base, Phone Support |
Training | Documentation |
Languages | English |
Are you a non-designer looking for graphic design software? If you need to create designs for your business, Canva is one of the top rated tools to choose. In this post, we’ll explore Canva’s pricing, features, and alternatives.
Canva is an online graphic design tool used by 55 million monthly active users to create visual content for offline and online marketing. Over 9,400 Capterra reviewers have given Canva an average rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars.
Canva offers hundreds of thousands of templates and elements you can use to create designs for personal or business use. Customize your visual content with your brand kit and media from your own library.
Canva offers three pricing plans. The Free plan includes the following.
The Pro plan starts at $12.99 per month (or $119.99 per year) for up to five people. It includes everything from the Free plan plus the following.
The Enterprise plan starts at $150 for five people. It includes everything from the Pro plan plus the following.
To get started on Canva, you will need to create an account using your email address, Google, Facebook, or Apple. You will then choose your account type between student, teacher, small business, large company, non-profit, or personal. Templates and additional resources will be recommended based on your chosen account type.
You can choose to start a free trial of Canva Pro or begin with the free version to see if it’s the right graphic design tool.
For your first design, Canva will suggest different post types to choose. Based on the type of account you set up, you will see template categories like social media posts, documents, presentations, marketing, events, ads, launch your business, build your online brand, etc.
Begin by choosing the type of post you want to create or searching for something more specific. Search by social network name, for example, to see a list of templates by post type on each network.
Next, you will be able to choose a template. Templates come ready to go, with customizable photos, text, and additional elements.
You can start your design by choosing a template, searching for a template, or working with a blank template.
Canva has a lot to choose from, so start with a specific search. If you’re in the horticulture business, you’ll find plenty of templates for a variety of post types just by searching for plants.
You may not find the perfect template, and that’s ok. Remember there are plenty of ways to customize any template. So choose the best fit and move on to Elements.
Inside the Canva designer, the Elements tab gives you access to lines and shapes, graphics, photos, videos, audio, charts, photo frames, and photo grids. You can use the search box on the Elements tab to search everything on Canva.
Again, Canva has a large library of elements to choose from, so be specific in your search query. You may also want to search in the following tabs to see various elements separately in the search results.
The Photos tab allows you to choose from millions of free, paid, and Pro-only stock photos.
You can replace photos on your templates to create a new look or to match a particular template to your industry.
Alternatively, you can use photos from another stock photography site or your own photos. Simply upload them in the Uploads tab.
Once you choose a photo, you can use Canva’s photo editing features to add filters, adjust the photo’s settings (brightness, contrast, saturation, etc.), crop, animate, and change the transparency.
Canva Pro subscribers have access to the Background Remover. This will remove backgrounds from stock photos in the Canva library as well as photos you upload to the Uploads tab.
The Text tab allows you to add headings, normal text, and fancy graphical text to your design.
When you click on the text on a template, you’ll see options to adjust the font, font size, color, format, spacing, text effects (like shadows), and change the transparency.
Canva Pro subscribers can set brand fonts via the Brand Kit or the Styles tab. Enterprise-level controls will ensure that your team keeps visual content on brand.
Creating an animated image or video? Search for audio elements to add to capture user’s attention in social news feeds.
Alternatively, if you want to use audio from another stock site or your own audio tracks, you can upload them in the Uploads tab.
Want to create video content? Choose from thousands of free and Pro-only stock video clips. You’ll find videos that range from a few seconds to two minutes long.
Similar to photos and audio, if you want to use videos from another stock site or your own videos, you can upload them in the Uploads tab.
Once you choose a video, you can use Canva’s video editing features to trim the video, flip it, and change the transparency.
In the Background tab, you’ll find free photos specifically geared to act as backgrounds on your designs. Change out the background on a template to give it a more custom feel.
The Styles tab allows you to change the look and feel of your template quickly with different color palettes and font combinations. If you have a Canva Pro subscription, you can upload your brand’s custom colors and fonts to keep designs on brand.
If you have a Canva Pro subscription, you’ll have a Logos tab. Here, you can upload variations of your brand logo to use throughout your designs.
You can also create logos with Canva. Note that you can’t trademark logos with stock content in them.
Free users of Canva can download their designs or share their designs to multiple platforms including Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Slack, and Tumblr.
Canva Pro subscribers can use the Magic Resizer to create multiple post formats from one design. For example, you can start by designing an Instagram post. Canva’s Magic Resizer can resize it for posts on other networks, Stories, Reels, and other formats.
Canva Pro subscribers can also use Canva’s Content Planner to schedule updates to up to eight profiles/accounts on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Slack, and Tumblr.
Canva Pro subscribers can work in teams to improve the visual content workflow. Designs can be created inside Canva and sent to the appropriate team members for approval. Teams can make comments, edits, revisions, and keep track via the version history.
If you create a design for offline marketing, Canva has a Print division to compete with companies like VistaPrint. They will print your designs on banners, wall art, mugs, t-shirts, business cards, stickers, invitations, cards, flyers, and more.
Canva Print is perfect for any business that wants customers to do some word of mouth marketing for them. Create designs people would want to stick on, wear, etc. Hand out business cards that people want to keep and share.
Canva offers their own mobile app on the Apple and Google Play stores. Canva has earned a 4.9 out of five stars from over 3 million Apple users and a 4.7 out of five stars from over 188,000 Google users.
With that said, the mobile app doesn’t have all of the features you’ll find on the desktop browser version. Fortunately, you can access most of them via a mobile browser by going to the Canva website and bypassing the app.
In addition to mobile apps, Canva has apps and integrations that allow you to access elements from third parties. You can add maps from Google Maps, Emojis, photos from Google Drive and Dropbox, YouTube videos, Flickr photos, Bitmojis, and other popular visual content elements.
Review networks like TrustRadius allow people to leave specific pros and cons about their Canva experience. Amongst the over 500 reviews, here are some of the highlights from the pros and cons users have identified.
If Canva doesn’t sound like the right fit for you, you may be interested in trying the following Canva alternatives.
Adobe has a suite of tools for beginner to advanced level graphic designers, photo editors, and video makers. One tool, Adobe Spark, is a Canva-like tool that makes it easy to create social graphics and videos. They offer a free plan and paid plans with premium features starting at $9.99 per month.
Those with graphic design skills may prefer tools like Lightroom and Photoshop for photo editing ($9.99 – $20.99 per month), Adobe Illustrator for vector graphics ($20.99 per month), or Adobe Premiere Pro for video editing ($20.99 per month).
Alternatively, you can get access to all Adobe tools for your visual content needs for $52.99 per month.
PicMonkey is a Canva alternative that boasts better photo editing features and no hidden fees for premium templates or elements. With that said, PicMonkey does not offer a free plan. Their pricing starts at $7.99 per month for basic features.
Crello is a free graphic design tool that is similar to Canva. It includes thousands of templates and features like the photo background remover and brand kits. The app on the Apple store has an average rating of 4.7 stars from over 600 users.
Piktochart is a graphic design tool that focuses on infographics, presentations, and reports. Their goal is to help you turn data-heavy content into a compelling visual story. They offer a free forever plan plus pricing for premium features starting at $24.17 per month.
If you are a GoDaddy customer, you can access their free tool, GoDaddy Studio. This tool gives you access to thousands of customizable templates.
Similar to Canva, no design skill is necessary to create professional graphics. The app on the Apple store has an average rating of 4.8 stars from over 94,000 users.
Yes, Canva does have a free plan that you can choose to create professional designs.
No, Canva does not place a watermark on your finalized images. You will only see a watermark on copyrighted stock elements in the Canva library unless you purchase the media or a Canva Pro or Enterprise subscription.
If you see a watermark on a previous design, it is because you had a Pro subscription and used a Pro-only template or element.
Yes, all free elements included in the Canva free subscription can be used for commercial and non-commercial use.
Non-designers can use Canva to design a wide variety of visual content for online and offline marketing. They include social media graphics, presentations, business cards, reports, infographics, and much more.
Canva markets itself as an easy to use design tool for non-designers. Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator are geared towards intermediate to advanced level photo editors and graphic designers.
Yes, Canva offers an easy to use video tool for visual content creators who aren’t video experts.
Definitely, when you consider the number of Pro-only templates and elements. You can always start with the free version or cancel after the 30-day free trial if you’re unsure about the platform.
Yes, unless it has any stock elements in it.
Yes, if it doesn’t include unaltered Canva media. You can read more about licensing, trademarks, and commercial usage of Canva content here.
Canva offers several free resources for designers.
If you want to five even deeper into graphic design, Adobe offers some insightful free guides as well. There are tips for various design types (tattoos, backgrounds, newsletters, logos, etc.) and use of graphic design principles, colors, and symbols.
Overall, Canva is an excellent solution for creators who need visual content. If you’re an experienced graphic designer, you will find their platform lacking in customization and other features – particularly vectors. But if you don’t have a lot of design experience, you’ll find Canva easier to use than advanced graphic design tools like Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator for most projects.
I love all the different layout options and the ease of customization throughout the entire app. I can upload my own photos or use theirs as well as completely design my own images or use their hundreds and hundreds of different templates, categorized by theme.
Sometimes, I have a hard time resizing or positioning elements. One example, I laid out the text justified to the left and the preview was correct. When I went to download the image, one of the text elements was cut off. I had to "misalign" that specific element in order to have it align correctly. Might have just been a glitch but it was annoying!
I am a professional graphic designer and sometime, I just don' t have the creative juices or time to create a graphic from scratch. I love the option Canva gives me to create beautiful graphics with little to know brain power! :)
I use Canva for all my social media. It is extremely user-friendly and has a lot of wonderful templates and graphics. I also LOVE the video editing!
Sometimes the graphics I'd like to use are only available in the Pro subscription.
I use Canva for marketing, and I can make professional quality graphics with Canva's tools!
No editing skills are required to master Canva, it provides templates for any content and an extensive collection of Elements such as graphics, shapes, and pictures, the most attractive fact is that it is very cheap when compared to others
The one thing I found not helpful is the title section, which is not providing impressive text art or fonts according to me, suggest adding more fonts and text art in the title section
It helps me a lot in removing the image background and creating thumbnails for videos, it saves a lot of my time editing images and increases productivity and performance
Best thing about canva is that already predefined frame sizes are available for all platforms Like insta and youtube thumbnails. And it is organised in categories, and get wide range of elements that we can use in our post. Best platform for beginner graphic designers.
I found one disadvantage that is most frequented elements and photos are paid. Like if you are using instagram element then you get some of free only. And according to me its also limited when you are using it for Website designing part. They have less templates for website design.
Its solved the main problem that is frame size, it's already defined in canva so we can use directly without defining manually. Before canva i have to see what frame size i need for instagram post or youtube thumbnail.
1- One of the best things about Canva is its user-friendly interface, which makes designing accessible to everyone. 2- Another noteworthy aspect of Canva is its extensive library of stock photos, illustrations, and icons. 3-The platform enables real-time collaboration, allowing multiple users to work together on the same design.
NOTHING MUCH BUT Pricing structure may be prohibitive for budget-conscious users, with desirable features locked behind paid subscriptions also Navigating the extensive library of templates and design assets can be time-consuming and overwhelming.
Canva's vast design library offers users a wide range of templates, images, fonts, and design elements, eliminating the need for extensive research or expensive stock image subscriptions. Its benefiting me by providing various design needs, offering templates and design elements for social media graphics, presentations, marketing collateral, personal branding, educational resources, and event promotions.
This program is user-friendly and makes me look good in my job. I'm able to make graphics quickly and since I do it often, that matters to me.
The only feature missing for me is a way to easily remove objects from photos.
I make graphics almost on a daily basis, and Canva makes it possible to do it quickly and easily. The results are beautiful and professional-looking.
I like many things about Canva; Firstly, I don't need a lot of graphic designing knowledge. Just some design sense does the job. Second, it's straightforward and has many templates to edit, make presentations or designs, and more.
Canva keeps updating and changing its UI, and I must keep up with the changing trends. Other than that, they have provided me with great quick design-making tools.
In my advertising work presentations, I have to design many graphics, and Canva gives me great templates for everything, saving me a lot of time to focus on other things.
Awesome features. It has a lot of templates, free images, sounds, typos. Useful to create brand kit.
I cannot share easily the designs between differents teams.
Show in a beautiful way our services to clients
I think the new AI integrations work great for starting with a new project, also it gives you great ideas for ads, text, slides. Also the Ai for videos works fine when you want to match audio with the videos you upload for the project.
I don't like how you need to look for some options; you must go through several clicks before finding the right app you want to use.
We use it to create tiktok videos faster, images for facebook ads, images for linkedin ads, all of them for the agency and for clients.
Desde mi experiencia, puedo decir que me gusta casi todo de Canva. Es una excelente herramienta de diseño gráfico que compite muy bien en su campo. Desde el borrado mágico, la eliminación de fondo, la generación de imagen por texto y su excelente editor, hacen que Canva sea una de mis herramientas favoritas y de las más útiles. Además, cuenta con una colaboración sencilla y efectiva.
Es cierto que se pueden encontrar algunas áreas de oportunidad. La principal, desde mi punto de vista, es el procesamiento de la información y lo lento que a veces es trabajar con las herramientas que ofrece, lo que genera que a veces sea tedioso trabajar en proyectos grandes o que contienen una cantidad considerable de elementos.
Canva resuelve el problema de tener una herramienta de diseño gráfico intuitiva con la cual no tener grandes complicaciones a la hora de usarla, agregando una interfaz de usuario agradable. Esto beneficia enormemente mi espacio de trabajo, ya que puedo tener un flujo constante y sencillo de trabajo. Además, la colaboración reduce la carga de trabajo y ahorra tiempo.
What I love best about using Canva is how much money it can save an individual. With Canva, I can create business cards, flyers, greeting cards, and more, and I can download them and send them to myself if I don't want to pay.
What I lease like about Canva is when trying to create a website using Canva, it may be a little tricky. Another thing I dislike about Canva is that the features work much better on a computer or laptop rather than on a smaller device such as a phone.
The business issue I was previously experiencing before using Canva was finding a website that allowed me to create good quality banners and promotional flyers to gain clientele for my organization.
Es un software que ofrece muchas herramientas para crear presentaciones interesantes, es muy fácil de usar, tiene muchas opciones gratuitas y plantillas listas, que además se pueden editar. Hay plantillas para todo, desde redes sociales, hasta temas más profesionales. Ofrece muchas alternativas de exportación y no es costoso.
Me gusta mucho Canva. Estoy satisfecha con lo que ofrece, así que no tengo quejas.
Soy muy nueva usando Canva, pero puedo decir que es una gran herramienta sobre todo para aquellos que, como yo, no somos personas tan creativas. Nos ayuda a crear presentaciones interesantes y llamativas para nuestro trabajo, tiene plantillas que se adaptan a lo que quiero transmitir y es muy fácil de usar, no es para nada complicado.
I love all the design ideas. It is hard for me to create an idea without looking at someone else's creation first so the templates are a life saver for me.
The only trouble I have is sharing designs within my team. If I create something on my "Team," the default is they can't see it so I have to manually go in and share it with them. I would prefer the default be shared with everyone and hide something specific if I want it private.
I don't have to hire a designer to design flyers, Instagram content, and presentations. We are able to work on projects at the same time and changes are made accordingly.
Here's what I love about Canva: 1. Sky is the limit: You can do anything in Canva, whether designing infographics, social media posts, presentations, docs, etc. 2. Amazing end-products: No matter what you're building, the result will be top-notch. Last time, we used it for designing presentations, and the results were just excellent. 3. AI features: Canva has rolled out some fantastic AI features which can do stuff for you. For example, you can give it a prompt, and it can generate stunning designs for you. 4. Apps: Canva has dedicated apps for nearly all major platforms. Being a Windows plus Android user, the apps are well-built and bug-free. 5. Excellent collaboration: The team plan is impressive. The collaboration features are top-notch. There's no delay, and the latency is pretty low. 6. Templates - Templates makes it easy to use. Designing is ridiculously fast, and completing a design takes 90% less time. 7. Integrations: Canva is well-integrated with leading software out there. Be it Sharepoint, or your favorite cloud storage solution, it has got you covered. 8. Mockups: You can create some fantastic mockups with Canva, and the options it gives are endless.
There's very little to dislike in Canva. Based on my tenure of use, here's the list: 1. Uses CPU for processing: Canva supports video editing, which can tax the CPU. Canva does it locally, and it's not done over the cloud. 2. Lack of dedicated apps: Canva has a great mobile app; the Windows app is just a wrapper over the web app. It's not horrible, but it could be better.
Here's the list of problems Canva is solving: 1. It helps us build presentations fast. And thanks to the templates, the time to design one is reduced by 90%. 2. It helps us to build high-performing social media posts and ads. 3. It helps us to brainstorm via flowcharts and whiteboards. 4. It helps us design quick videos for social media use. 5. It allows us to design infographics.
collection of existing designs, templates, vectors, fonts, and pretty much everything. It makes life easier by providing the essentials like layers, font styles, grouping, and stuff.
file manager or viewer seems a bit cluttered. not simple to navigate especially if you're not keeping folders for your every project. sometimes feels laggy too because of all the file loading stuff and animation.
the dead-simple process of making logos and web graphics. I work as a web developer so I want the end result with minimal effort, Canva just does that. not just logos resumes are top-notch too. I make all my resumes from canva.
The best I like about Canva is its wide-ranging selection of professionally designed layouts including a number of design requirements, including social media posts, presentations, leaflets, infographics, and much more. The variety and quality of layouts readily available give a strong foundation for individuals, permitting them to make visually attractive content without starting from the beginning.
While Canva has a totally free edition, it does consist of some restrictions when it comes to use of premium layouts, stock media, and superior functions. Individuals searching for a lot more customization alternatives or use of a broader range of resources might need to upgrade to a paid membership plan.
Canva is a good application for making professional-looking designs with no prior design expertise. As it is cost-effective, simple to use, and it has a number of functions, now we need not depend on outsourcing the designing work. With the use of this application, we can make great graphics in a few minutes with the use of readymade templates.
The best thing is its extensive collection of professionally designed design templates. These templates cover a variety of design requirements, from social media posts to presentations, enabling users to rapidly kickstart their tasks and customize them to their preferences. The drag-and-drop user interface can make it effortless to add and change elements, making the design process intuitive and satisfying. like about Canva
While Canva provides a range of features, some individuals may find certain superior design options to be limited. While Canva covers most layout needs, professional designers may sometimes want more sophisticated applications or customization options.
Canva deals with the problem of designing fascinating visual content for several purposes without making use of extensive designing skills or costly application. Its user-friendly user interface, pre-designed layouts, and huge collection of assets make simpler the design process, making it possible for users to make professional-looking layouts easily.
It's a complete design tool where you can find templates, examples, inspiration and IA to boost your creations and make your job easier.
Sometimes it's frustrating to see a lot of resources that demand a pro subscription to use them because they appear mixed with the free resources.
I need a fast tool to create designs for my projects, and Canva helps me with that
- Canva is a wonderful tool for beginners to create high quality graphic designs. - The UI is super simple and easy to explore. - One can have access to a vast collection of well designed templates, which makes it effortless to choose one and start working on their desired design right away.
- Canva is a great tool for any type of content creation. - There is nothing I personally dislike about canva. However, Most of the well designed templates and graphic elements are not included in free version of canva. - But i'll definitely say that investing in pro version is worthwhile.
Canva is beneficial to me with the following features... - The one click background removal is so accurate that i don't need any other tool to do so. - Canva's AI image enhancer takes the image quality to the next level. - I can even edit videos and animate the elements as well.
It's extremely easy to use with many helpful features to create content for use on social media with ease!
Sometimes features can be quite difficult to use - especially if they are more technical!
Creating time consuming content on other software which can be harder to make