Canva is an easy-to-use, browser and app-based digital marketing and content creation tool. There are some great hidden features in Canva, and it's one of the most commonly used design tools for non-professional designers. However, there are some awesome alternatives if Canva just isn’t your style.

7 VistaCreate

Design tool with a print focus

VistaCreate is from the creators of the printing company, VistaPrint. While VistaPrint has often been seen as a cheaper printing solution with average results, it’s nice to have a tool with design features built in that you can integrate with the print house at the same time.

Within VistaCreate, you’ll have access to design templates — like in Canva — and other assets such as photos, videos, and vector graphics.

From the free version of VistaCreate, you get a lot compared to many other similar programs. You’ll have access to design templates, over a million stock assets, brand kit feature — which is a premium feature in Canva — 10GB of storage, and scheduling tools for social media. The paid plan includes all that and more, and it has a 14-day free trial before charging $10 per month.

6 Fotor

Affordable, multi-platform digital design tool

Fotor is an affordable digital design tool that can be found in your browser or via iOS and Android apps, similarly to Canva. It has a heavier focus on AI tools than Canva, with the ability to create similar design results with a wider imagination.

Fotor has a larger focus on being an image editor with its AI tools, but, like Canva, it also offers social media templates, element libraries, and other assets for digital marketing and content creation purposes.

Some of the AI tools found within Fotor include:

• AI image generator
• AI headshot generator
• Background removal
• Photo restorer
• Face swap
• AI video generator
• AI video watermark removal tool

Fotor’s pricing model is affordable, with a free Basic plan to start with. The Fotor Pro plan is only $3.33 per month. Even as a fun tool to test out new AI features, the price is like a gift to yourself.

5 Pixlr

Free online design tool

To compare Pixlr to Canva in the most positive way, you should consider price as an important factor. Pixlr is free, like Canva, but it has some premium subscription options for better features. Pixlr Plus removes ads and provides 80 AI credits for $1.99 per month. Pixlr Premium provides 1000 monthly AI credits, further access to template and element libraries, and privately saved generated images for $7.99 per month — $7 less than Canva Pro’s monthly option.

Within Pixlr, there are a handful of tools. These include:

• Pixlr Editor – a photo-editing tool
• Pixlr Express – an AI-based photo-editing tool
• Pixlr Designer – for editing templates and animations
• Remove BG – to remove your image’s background
• Batch Editor – for bulk design creation

Pixlr can be toggled to work offline, despite being a browser-based tool. This offers great options for working in more places where you can’t access an internet connection.

4 Microsoft Designer

Microsoft has content design options

Microsoft Designer was released publicly in 2023, and it initially had a simple interface with basic tools. It’s an AI-based browser tool focused on creating digital marketing assets, such as social media posts or adverts. Unlike most other creative tools, Designer is built into Microsoft Office software, including Word and PowerPoint.

There isn’t much personalization available in your Microsoft Designer creations. Its premise lies in an AI prompt box within different categories like posters, frames, social media posts, monograms, and stickers to name a few. Simply select the category, write a prompt, and see your creation.

Users have 15 limited AI credits per day, called Boosts, but with Copilot Pro you can add 100 more for almost-unlimited generation.

3 Figma

The gold-standard for digital design

Figma isn’t a direct alternative for Canva, since the tools are for slightly different design types. But for anyone using Canva for digital-based design, Figma would ultimately be the best alternative to use.

For UX/UI designers creating icons, web esthetics, and digital applications, Figma is a go-to tool. It can be used to create social media graphics and content too — pitting it easily alongside Canva as an alternative option. You can animate, create presentations, web graphics, and much more in Figma.

Figma has a free plan, as well as great subscription options for professionals and teams to use. It’s excellent for team collaboration with its FigJam add-on tool.

2 Kittl

AI-based content creation tools

Kittl is one of the fastest-growing graphic design startups in Europe. The German startup began in 2022 and has since grown to rival Canva and other creative software with its AI-based toolbox.

Not only is Kittl full of templates made by users, contributors, and AI, but it also has many built-in tools for creating trending and evergreen designs for digital content and marketing, as well as for printed materials like apparel.

Although Canva itself has its own printing section, it’s not the best option for printed designs. Kittl works with production partners for Kittl designers to dropship designs to customers, making Kittl an all-in-one design and production powerhouse.

You can use Kittl for free, but it really comes alive best once you subscribe to Kittl Pro. With the Pro subscription, you’ll have access to high quality and scale exported images, background transparency, and more liberal AI credits.

Free users are limited to only 20 AI credits with no renewal, but Pro users get 200 credits per month, and Expert users get 600 per month. Kittl does have many non-AI tools, but it offers one of the best AI logo generators and true AI vector generators, so the paid subscriptions are worth it for those tools alone.

1 Adobe Express

The big dogs compete well with Canva

Although there are a handful of things Canva does much better than Adobe Express, it’s a very tight match between the two software. Adobe Express is better priced and has the powerhouse of Adobe’s history in creative software to back it up.

Many of the same features are available in both Canva and Express, but Express benefits from cross-program work across other Adobe tools — especially if you have a Creative Cloud subscription.

Adobe Express boasts an easy-to-navigate and inviting interface, which contrasts positively against Canva’s 2024 “glow up” update, which is often complained about by Canva users as a downgrade in accessibility and enjoyment. Express feels familiar to Adobe users, but it’s logical to use for newbies.

Using Adobe Express, you can create designs from templates or upload your own design assets. It has great background removal tools, animation and video, layers, built-in apps, AI tools, and helpful export and import options for varied usage.

There are great alternatives to Canva

Canva is a helpful design tool for designers in a rush, without access to more deeply rooted design tools, or non-designers in need of creative visuals. But it’s not the only tool that offers similar features. With all the alternatives, you may find something better in price, tool compatibility, ease-of-use, or just a new preference in software. It’s inspiring to have options in your design journey.