Best Canva AI Alternatives for Graphic Design

Canva is the go-to design tool for non-designers, and for good reason. But it is not perfect for every use case. Some teams need tighter Adobe ecosystem integration. Others want more control over layout and typography. And some are looking for cheaper options with comparable templates. We spent several weeks using seven Canva alternatives for real design work — social media graphics, presentations, infographics, and marketing collateral — to find which ones actually hold up. For more details, check out our AI presentation tools. For more details, check out our Gamma AI alternatives. We also cover this topic in our guide to Canva AI alternatives in 2026.

TL;DR: Top 3 Picks

1. Adobe Express — Best for users already in the Adobe ecosystem. Superior fonts, stock photos, and AI image generation through Firefly.
2. Figma — Best for teams that need professional design collaboration with developer handoff. Overkill for simple social posts, perfect for product teams.
3. VistaCreate — Best budget-friendly Canva alternative with a generous free tier and Pro plan at just $10/month.

Canva Alternative Comparison Table

Tool	Starting Price	Free Plan	Templates	AI Features	Best For
Adobe Express	$9.99/mo	Yes	220,000+	Firefly AI, Generative Fill	Adobe ecosystem users
Figma	$15/editor/mo (annual)	Yes (3 files)	Community templates	Figma AI (beta)	Product design teams
Visme	$29/mo	Yes (limited)	1,000+	AI presentation gen	Infographics, presentations
Piktochart	$14/mo (annual)	Yes (60 AI credits)	Most templates	AI visual generation	Infographics, reports
VistaCreate	$10/mo (annual)	Yes (50K+ templates)	200,000+	Background remover	Budget-conscious creators
Snappa	$10/mo (annual)	Yes (3 downloads)	6,000+	Background removal	Social media marketers
Stencil	$9/mo (annual)	Yes (10 images)	800	None	Quick social graphics

Detailed Reviews

1. Adobe Express

Adobe Express is Adobe’s direct answer to Canva, and it benefits from deep integration with the Creative Cloud. The standout advantage is access to 20,000 Adobe Fonts (versus Canva’s ~2,000) and over 160 million royalty-free stock photos from Adobe Stock on paid plans. The AI features, powered by Adobe Firefly, include Generative Fill, text-to-image creation, and smart background removal. See also: best free AI image generators in 2026. You might also want to explore our picks for AI image generators.

Key Features

• 220,000+ templates (free), 350,000+ (premium)
• Adobe Firefly AI: Generative Fill, text-to-image, background removal
• 20,000 Adobe Fonts
• 160 million+ royalty-free stock photos (paid plans)
• Content scheduling for social media
• Creative Cloud integration (Photoshop, Illustrator)
• Brand kit with logos, colors, fonts
• AI credits system for generation features

Pricing

Plan	Monthly Price	Key Features
Free	$0	100K templates, basic fonts, 5 GB storage
Premium	$9.99	All templates, Adobe Fonts, Stock, 100 GB
Teams	Custom (2+ seats)	Shared brand kits, team management

A 14-day free trial is available for the Premium plan.

Pros

• Best font selection of any design tool (20,000 fonts)
• Adobe Stock integration is unmatched
• Firefly AI features outperform Canva’s AI
• Seamless handoff to Photoshop and Illustrator
• Competitive pricing at $9.99/month

Cons

• Fewer templates than Canva (220K vs 1.6M)
• Learning curve for users coming from Canva
• AI credit system limits generation features
• Content scheduling limited to one account on free plan

---

2. Figma

Figma is not a traditional Canva alternative — it is a professional design and prototyping tool. We include it here because teams that outgrow Canva often look at Figma next, especially product teams that need design-to-developer handoff. If you need social media graphics or quick flyers, Canva is easier. If you need UI design, design systems, or collaborative product design, Figma is in another league. For a deeper look, see our roundup of AI logo design tools.

Key Features

• Real-time collaborative design (multiplayer editing)
• Component-based design systems
• Auto Layout for responsive designs
• Dev Mode for developer handoff
• FigJam whiteboard for brainstorming
• Figma Slides for presentations
• Community templates and plugins
• Figma AI (beta): AI-powered design assistance

Pricing

Plan	Monthly Price	Annual Price	Key Features
Starter (Free)	$0	$0	3 design files, 3 FigJam files
Professional	$25/editor	$15/editor	Unlimited files, version history
Organization	N/A	$45/editor	Team libraries, SSO
Enterprise	N/A	$75/editor	Advanced security, analytics

As of March 2025, all paid seats include access to Figma Design, Dev Mode, FigJam, and Figma Slides. Education plans are free for verified students and educators.

Pros

• Best collaborative design experience
• Real-time multiplayer editing
• Design systems and component libraries
• Dev Mode makes developer handoff seamless
• Massive community plugin ecosystem

Cons

• Steep learning curve for non-designers
• Overkill for simple social media graphics
• Free plan limited to 3 files
• Pricing increased significantly in 2025
• No built-in stock photo library

---

3. Visme

Visme focuses on data visualization and business communication. While it can handle social media graphics, its real strength is infographics, reports, proposals, and data-driven presentations. The platform includes chart builders, data widgets, and interactive elements that Canva does not offer. We also cover this topic in our guide to AI presentation tools.

Key Features

• Infographic and data visualization builder
• Interactive presentations with animations
• Chart and data widget tools
• Brand kit management
• SCORM export for e-learning (Enterprise)
• AI-powered presentation generation
• Collaboration with in-project comments
• Embed interactive content on websites

Pricing

Plan	Monthly Price	Annual Price	Key Features
Basic (Free)	$0	$0	Limited projects, basic templates
Starter	$29	~$14/mo	Downloads, full templates, assets
Pro	$59	~$25/mo	Unlimited projects, Brand Kit
Enterprise	Custom	Custom	SCORM, approvals, permissions

Student plans are $30/semester, educator plans $60/semester. Nonprofit discounts available.

Pros

• Best for infographics and data visualization
• Interactive presentations with embedded content
• SCORM support for e-learning
• Strong brand kit management
• Professional templates for business use

Cons

• More expensive than Canva for basic design
• Free plan is very limited
• Fewer templates than Canva
• Interface is more complex than needed for simple designs
• Collaboration features cost extra

---

4. Piktochart

Piktochart is an infographic-focused design tool that has expanded into presentations, posters, and reports. Its strongest feature is the AI-powered text-to-visual conversion: upload a document or paste text, and Piktochart generates a visual layout. This works well for turning meeting notes, reports, or data into shareable graphics.

Key Features

• AI-powered text-to-visual generation
• Infographic, poster, and report templates
• Data visualization with chart builders
• Brand asset kits (Pro and above)
• Export to PNG, PDF, and HTML
• Education and nonprofit pricing
• AI credits system for generation

Pricing

Plan	Monthly Price	Annual Price	AI Credits
Free	$0	$0	60/mo
Pro	$29	$14/mo ($168/yr)	500/mo
Business	$49	Custom	Unlimited branding
Enterprise	Custom	Custom	All features

Education Pro is $39.99/year. Nonprofit plan is $60/year. Team pricing scales by user count.

Pros

• Text-to-visual AI conversion is unique and useful
• Excellent for infographics and data reports
• Very affordable Education and Nonprofit plans
• Clean, focused interface
• Good PDF and HTML export options

Cons

• Fewer template designs than Canva
• AI credits system means generation is metered
• Free plan has watermarked downloads
• Limited to specific content types (less versatile than Canva)
• No video editing capabilities

---

5. VistaCreate (formerly Crello)

VistaCreate is the closest Canva competitor in terms of feature set and pricing. It was formerly known as Crello before being acquired by Vista (the company behind VistaPrint). The free plan is generous, including 50,000+ templates and 1 million royalty-free assets with unlimited downloads. The Pro plan at $10/month (annual) undercuts Canva Pro by $5/month.

Key Features

• 50,000+ static and animated templates (free)
• 200,000+ templates on Pro
• 70 million+ royalty-free photos and videos (Pro)
• Animated design support
• Background remover
• Brand kit functionality
• Team sharing for up to 10 members (Pro)
• Priority support on Pro

Pricing

Plan	Monthly Price	Annual Price	Key Features
Starter (Free)	$0	$0	50K templates, 1M assets, unlimited downloads
Pro	$13	$10/mo	200K+ templates, 70M+ assets, team sharing

A 14-day free trial is available for the Pro plan.

Pros

• Most affordable Canva alternative ($10/mo annual)
• Generous free plan with unlimited downloads
• Strong animated template collection
• Up to 10 team members on Pro
• Background remover included on all plans

Cons

• Fewer templates than Canva overall
• Interface is similar but slightly less polished
• Less comprehensive AI features
• Smaller community and fewer third-party integrations
• Free plan becoming more limited over time

---

6. Snappa

Snappa is built for speed. It strips away advanced features and focuses on helping you create social media graphics, blog headers, and display ads in minutes. The interface is intentionally simple, with pre-set dimensions for every major platform (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter/X, LinkedIn, YouTube, Pinterest).

Key Features

• Pre-set dimensions for all major social platforms
• 6,000+ templates
• 5 million+ HD stock photos and graphics
• One-click background removal
• Custom font uploads (Pro and Team)
• Buffer integration for social publishing
• Resize designs with a single click

Pricing

Plan	Monthly Price	Annual Price	Key Features
Starter (Free)	$0	$0	3 downloads/mo
Pro	$15	$10/mo	Unlimited downloads, custom fonts
Team	$30	$20/mo	5 users, shared folders

Custom team plans are available for larger groups.

Pros

• Fastest tool for creating social media graphics
• Dead-simple interface with no learning curve
• 5 million+ stock photos included
• Affordable pricing
• Instant resize for different platforms

Cons

• Only 3 downloads per month on free plan
• Far fewer templates than Canva (6K vs 1.6M)
• No video editing or animation
• No mobile app (desktop browser only)
• Limited advanced design features

---

7. Stencil

Stencil is the most stripped-down tool on this list. It is owned by Namecheap and designed for creating quick social media images. With over 5 million stock photos, 2 million icons, and 2,500 Google Fonts, it has enough assets for basic graphic creation. But it lacks the depth and polish of Canva or Adobe Express. If you’re exploring options, check out our guide to AI photo editors.

Key Features

• 5 million+ royalty-free stock photos
• 2 million+ icons
• 2,500 Google Fonts
• Logo and watermark tools
• 800 templates
• SMS sharing for mobile
• Browser extension for quick edits

Pricing

Plan	Monthly Price	Annual Price	Images/Month
Free	$0	$0	10
Pro	$15	$9/mo	50
Unlimited	$12	$12/mo	Unlimited

7-day money-back guarantee on all paid plans. Note: Unlimited is priced lower than Pro on monthly billing.

Pros

• Simple and fast for basic social images
• Large stock photo and icon library
• Affordable pricing
• Good browser extension
• Royalty-free assets with no attribution needed

Cons

• Only 800 templates (far behind competitors)
• No AI features
• No video or animation support
• Limited design capabilities compared to Canva
• Fewer users means a smaller community

---

How We Evaluated These Design Tools

We created the same three deliverables in each tool: a branded Instagram post, a multi-page PDF report, and a presentation deck. We measured time-to-completion, template quality, export flexibility, and how easy it was for a non-designer to produce professional-looking output.

Speed ranking (fastest to slowest for a social media graphic): Snappa (2 min) > Stencil (3 min) > VistaCreate (4 min) > Canva (4 min) > Adobe Express (5 min) > Piktochart (6 min) > Visme (7 min) > Figma (10+ min). For more details, check out our Midjourney alternatives.

Snappa and Stencil won on speed because they strip out complexity. Pick a size, grab a template, swap text, export. Figma was slowest because it is a design tool, not a template tool — you get more control but need more time and skill.

Template quality: Adobe Express and VistaCreate had the most visually polished templates overall. Canva’s quantity advantage (1.6 million templates) means you find something for almost any niche, but quality is inconsistent — many templates feel overused. Figma relies on community templates which range from excellent to rough.

Export flexibility: Figma leads with design-to-code handoff. Adobe Express and Canva both export to PNG, JPG, PDF, SVG, and video. Visme adds interactive HTML embeds, which is a unique capability for web-based reports. Piktochart handles PDF and HTML well. Snappa and Stencil are limited to standard image formats. For more details, check out our AI image upscalers.

FAQ

Is Adobe Express better than Canva?

It depends on your needs. Adobe Express has superior fonts (20,000 vs 2,000), better stock photos, and stronger AI through Firefly. Canva has more templates (1.6M vs 220K), is easier to use, and has a more mature collaboration ecosystem. For most casual users, Canva is simpler. For users already in the Adobe ecosystem or those who value typography, Adobe Express is the better pick.

What is the cheapest Canva alternative?

VistaCreate at $10/month (annual) is the cheapest full-featured Canva alternative. Stencil Unlimited at $12/month and Snappa Pro at $10/month (annual) are also affordable but offer fewer features. For zero cost, VistaCreate’s free plan offers the most with 50,000+ templates and unlimited downloads.

Can Figma replace Canva?

Figma can do everything Canva does and more, but it is designed for professional designers. Non-designers will find Figma’s learning curve steep. Figma is a better choice for product teams that need UI design, prototyping, and developer handoff. For social media graphics and marketing materials, Canva remains easier and faster.

Which Canva alternative is best for infographics?

Visme and Piktochart are both purpose-built for infographics and data visualization. Visme offers more interactive elements and embedding options. Piktochart excels at converting text documents into visuals using AI. Both outperform Canva for data-heavy visual content.

Do these tools have AI features like Canva?

Adobe Express leads with Firefly AI (Generative Fill, text-to-image). Piktochart has AI text-to-visual conversion. Visme offers AI presentation generation. Figma AI is in beta. VistaCreate, Snappa, and Stencil have minimal or no AI features as of early 2026. If AI design is a priority, Adobe Express and Piktochart offer the most.

Conclusion

If you are leaving Canva, your best replacement depends on what Canva was not doing well enough. Need better fonts and AI? Adobe Express is the move. Need professional design collaboration? Figma is the answer. Want something almost identical to Canva but cheaper? VistaCreate at $10/month is the closest match. For infographics and data visualization, pick Visme or Piktochart. And for quick social media graphics with zero bloat, Snappa gets the job done fast.

For more AI tool comparisons, explore our guides on best AI presentation tools and best AI image generators.