You want to create a beautiful Instagram post, but Photoshop is way too complicated. Or you need to put together a presentation that looks professional, but you have no design experience. Sound familiar? Then you’ve probably come across Canva.
But is Canva really as good as everyone says? And when should you choose an alternative instead? In this review I’ll walk you through everything: from the free version to the paid options, from the handy AI tools to the annoying bugs users complain about.
Canva: the company
Canva is an Australian company founded in 2013 by Melanie Perkins, Cliff Obrecht and Cameron Adams. The idea was simple: make design accessible to everyone, even for people without technical knowledge.
What started as a simple tool for social media graphics has grown into a complete design platform with more than 170 million users worldwide. From small entrepreneurs to large companies, everyone uses Canva for visual content.
The company continues to invest heavily in new features. In recent years, they have heavily focused on AI tools like Magic Studio, which lets you remove backgrounds or generate text with just a few clicks.
Who is Canva for?
Canva is especially popular with people who don’t have professional design experience but want to create beautiful visuals. Think of:
- Social media managers who need to create daily posts for Instagram, Facebook or LinkedIn
- Small business owners who want to design their own marketing materials without hiring an expensive designer
- Content creators who need YouTube thumbnails, podcast covers or blog headers
- Students and teachers who want to create presentations and infographics that look professional
- Teams that want to collaborate on designs without complicated software
Are you a professional graphic designer working on complex print projects? Then Canva is probably too limited. For pixel-perfect work and CMYK color profiles, you’re better off with Adobe InDesign or Affinity Publisher.
But for 90% of the online content you need, Canva is more than sufficient. And often even faster than professional software.
What can Canva do?
Canva is packed with features. You might already know some, others are new. These are the most important ones:
- Drag-and-drop editor – Drag elements to your canvas, adjust colors, change text. Everything works intuitively without a manual.
- Magic Studio (AI tools) – Let AI write text, generate backgrounds, or edit photos. The background remover works surprisingly well, even with complex objects.
- Templates for everything – Whether you need an Instagram Story, LinkedIn banner, flyer, or presentation: there are thousands of professional templates you can start using right away.
- Brand Kit – Upload your logo, set your brand colors and fonts, and use them consistently across all your designs. Handy when you want everything to look recognizable.
- Content Planner – Schedule your social media posts directly from Canva to Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and more. You no longer need to switch between tools.
- Stock library – Access to millions of photos, videos, illustrations, and icons. With a Pro account, you can make unlimited use of premium content.
- Real-time collaboration – Work simultaneously with your team on the same design. You see live what others are adjusting, just like in Google Docs.
- Magic Resize – Make your design suitable for other formats with one click. From Instagram post to Facebook banner without having to redo everything.
- Video editor – Edit videos with the same ease as static designs. Although users complain that recent updates are somewhat buggy here.
- Print on demand – Have your designs directly printed and shipped as business cards, flyers, or posters.
What makes Canva so strong is that everything is in one environment. You don’t have to switch between Photoshop for editing, Illustrator for graphics, and InDesign for layout. Everything happens in one interface.
What does Canva cost?
Canva has three pricing tiers. The good news: you can do a lot with the free version.
Canva Free (free)
The free version remains free forever. You get access to:
- Thousands of free templates
- Basic stock photos and elements
- The drag-and-drop editor
- 5GB storage
- Ability to share with up to 50 team members
What are you missing? Access to the full library of premium content (more than 100 million assets), the background remover, Magic Resize, advanced Brand Kit features, and extra storage.
For hobby use or when you’re just starting out, the free version is fine. But as soon as you get serious, you’ll quickly run into limitations.
Canva Pro
This is the most popular subscription. You pay just under €10 per month with an annual subscription (total €110 per year), or €12 per month if you pay monthly.
What you get extra:
- Full access to all premium templates and stock material
- Magic Studio AI-tools including background remover
- Magic Resize for all formats
- Brand Kit with unlimited brand styles
- Content Planner for social media
- 100GB storage
- Ability to save designs as templates
You can try Canva Pro free for 30 days. However, be aware: many users complain that they were unexpectedly charged after the trial period. So set a reminder if you only want to test.
What should you watch out for?
Canva is popular, but not perfect. These are the main pain points users encounter:
The trial period can be a hassle. Many people complain that they were automatically charged after the free 30-day trial without clear warning. So make sure you set a reminder if you only want to test, or cancel immediately after starting the trial.
Customer service is limited. You can only contact them via email or chatbots. No phone number, no live chat with real people. If you have an urgent problem, that can be frustrating.
The video editor has become buggy. Canva recently revamped the video editor, but users aren’t happy. Lots of complaints about crashes, slow performance, and features that don’t work as expected. For serious video work, you’re better off looking at DaVinci Resolve or Adobe Premiere.
Working offline is nearly impossible. Although Canva has apps for desktop and mobile, most of it only works online. No internet connection? Then you can do little to nothing.
Print output is limited. For professional printing, you’re missing CMYK color profiles and advanced export options. What looks beautiful on your screen can disappoint when it comes out of the printer.
You’re dependent on Canva’s servers. All your work is in the cloud. If Canva is down (happens rarely, but it happens), you can’t access your files. And if you ever stop your subscription, you lose access to premium elements in your old designs.
This might sound like a lot of criticism, but for most users, the benefits far outweigh these drawbacks. As long as you use Canva for what it’s intended for – quick, online content – you’ll have few problems.
What do others think?
The general sentiment about Canva is positive. Users are especially enthusiastic about the accessibility and speed with which you create professional-looking designs.
What people appreciate:
- The intuitive interface that has no learning curve
- Magic Studio AI-tools that truly save time
- Real-time collaboration within teams
- The massive template library so you don’t have to start from scratch
What people complain about:
- Unexpected costs after the trial period
- Lack of human customer service
- The buggy video editor since the last update
- Limited capabilities for offline work
On YouTube you’ll find extensive reviews. Style Factory discusses all pros and cons in detail, with special attention to the limitations for print work. Speak About Digital wonders if Canva is still the best choice in 2025, and concludes that for non-designers it’s still the most accessible option.
The consensus: Canva is fantastic for digital content and quick projects, but less suitable for complex print or video projects where you need pixel-perfect control.
Canva alternatives
Doesn’t Canva quite fit what you’re looking for? These are the best alternatives:
- Adobe Express – Offers similar quick design tools but integrates seamlessly with professional Adobe software. Choose this if you already work within the Adobe Creative Cloud ecosystem and sometimes need more advanced editing in Photoshop or Illustrator.
- VistaCreate – A direct alternative with a similar interface, specifically focused on social media templates. Choose this if you’re looking for an affordable alternative that’s purely focused on social media visuals and you don’t need all the extra features of Canva.
- Visme – Offers more advanced capabilities for data visualization and interactive content than Canva. Choose this if your focus is on creating infographics, charts and business presentations with lots of data.
Each of these tools has its own strengths. Adobe Express is ideal if you sometimes need more control, VistaCreate if you mainly create social media content, and Visme if you regularly work with data and presentations.
Frequently asked questions
Is Canva really free to use?
Yes, Canva offers a free plan that remains free forever. You get access to thousands of templates, basic tools, and a limited library of stock material. For many users, this is already more than enough to create beautiful designs.
What is the main difference between Canva Free and Pro?
Canva Pro unlocks the full library with millions of premium photos and elements, advanced AI tools like the background remover and Magic Resize, and offers more storage space (100GB instead of 5GB). If you regularly create designs, Pro is worth the investment.
Can I use my designs commercially?
Yes, you may use designs you create in Canva for commercial purposes, such as marketing materials and social media posts. However, pay attention to the licensing terms of the elements you use. Some stock photos have restrictions for commercial use.
Does Canva work offline too?
Limited. While there are desktop and mobile apps, most features only work online. You can view previously created designs, but editing and creating new designs requires an internet connection.
Can I try Canva Pro for free?
Yes, you get 30 days of free access to Canva Pro. However, note that you’ll be automatically switched to a paid subscription if you don’t cancel on time. So set a reminder if you only want to test it.
Conclusion
Canva has made design accessible to everyone. Where you previously needed Photoshop and a design education, you can now create professional-looking content in just a few minutes.
Is it perfect? No. The video editor could be better, customer service is limited, and it falls short for complex print projects. But for 90% of the digital content you need – social media posts, presentations, flyers, banners – Canva is the fastest and easiest solution.
The free version is already surprisingly complete. But if you regularly create designs, Canva Pro for €10 per month is a no-brainer. The time savings from Magic Resize and the background remover alone pay for themselves.
Just start with the free version. You’ll naturally notice when you hit the limitations. And then you can always upgrade.
