Canva vs Figma

Canva and Figma are both AI Design Tools tools. Below: what each costs, what it does well, its biggest catches, and who should pick which, all from public sources rather than our own testing.

Side by side

CanvaFigma
CategoryAI Design Tools · Graphic DesignAI Design Tools · UI/UX Design
PricingFree tier: yes. Pro $144/yr (~$12/mo) or $18/mo monthly. Business $250/yr per person. (checked Oct 10, 2026)Free tier: yes. Professional Full seat $16/mo billed annually ($20 monthly); Dev $12, Collab $3. (checked Oct 10, 2026)
Pros
  • The free plan covers a lot of everyday design
  • Pro unlocks premium templates, one-click resize, translate and background removal
  • Brand Kits and social scheduling come built in on Pro
  • The standard for collaborative UI design
  • A free plan exists, with daily AI credits
  • Full seats include 3,000 AI credits/mo for Make and agents
Catches
  • Pro went from $12.99 to $15 to $18/mo in roughly 18 months
  • AI use is capped ('10x more than Free' on Pro), and extra AI is a paid add-on
  • Business is billed per person ($250/yr each), so team costs add up
  • AI credits reset monthly, don't roll over, and can't be shared
  • Forum complaints about opaque credit burn and surprise AI-credit charges
  • Seats add up: Full $16/mo annual, plus Dev and Collab seats
Best forNon-designers making social posts, decks and marketing assets fast.Product design teams.
Skip it ifYou need pro-grade vector or print work. Use a dedicated design tool.You only need light graphics. Use Canva.

Which should you pick?

Pick Canva if…

you fit this: non-designers making social posts, decks and marketing assets fast.

But not if: you need pro-grade vector or print work. Use a dedicated design tool.

Watch out for: Pro went from $12.99 to $15 to $18/mo in roughly 18 months.

Pick Figma if…

you fit this: product design teams.

But not if: you only need light graphics. Use Canva.

Watch out for: AI credits reset monthly, don't roll over, and can't be shared.

More options

Sources

Canva

Figma

Pros, catches and prices are compiled from public sources (official pricing and docs pages, published reviews, user reports), not hands-on testing. Prices change often, so check the vendor page before you buy.