Choosing between Canva and Shopify? Dive into our detailed analysis to make an informed decision for your design and frontend needs.
Irvin Zhan
•
2025-01-13
In the digital age, choosing the right platform for your business can be a game-changer. This article delves into a detailed comparison between Canva and Shopify, examining their features, pricing, and limitations.
Whether you're a budding entrepreneur or a seasoned professional, understanding the strengths and weaknesses of these platforms will help you make an informed decision. Let's explore what each has to offer.
Overview of Canva and Shopify
What is Canva?
Canva is a versatile design platform that allows users to create a wide range of visual content, including websites, using easy-to-use tools, customizable templates, and a vast library of design elements. It caters to individuals, businesses, educators, and non-profits, providing solutions for design, branding, marketing, and collaboration.
Users can take advantage of free one-page website templates, drag-and-drop customization, and real-time collaboration. Additional features include AI tools for photo editing, a Brand Kit for applying brand elements, and options for free and custom domains with SSL certification.
What is Shopify?
Shopify is a commerce platform that allows businesses to create, customize, and manage their online stores. It supports selling products both online and in person, offers tools for marketing and customer engagement, and provides solutions for managing orders, shipping, and payments.
Key features include an online store editor, customizable themes, and a point of sale system for in-person sales. Shopify also offers tools for email marketing, social media integration, and customer insights, along with options for global sales and developer resources.
Features of Canva & Shopify
Similarities
Both Canva and Shopify offer a range of features that cater to businesses looking to establish an online presence.
Website Building: Both platforms provide tools for creating and customizing websites with drag-and-drop editors and customizable templates.
Branding Tools: Canva's Brand Kit and Shopify's theme customization allow users to apply consistent branding across their websites.
Collaboration: Real-time collaboration features are available on both platforms, enabling team members to work together seamlessly.
Domain and Hosting: Both offer options for custom domains and include web hosting services with SSL certification for secure connections.
Analytics: Built-in analytics tools help users track website performance and gain insights into visitor behavior.
Differences
Here are the biggest differences in features between Canva and Shopify:
Design Tools: Canva offers a wide range of design tools, including AI photo editing and customizable templates, which Shopify does not provide.
E-commerce Capabilities: Shopify excels in e-commerce functionalities, such as payment processing, inventory management, and multichannel selling, which are not available on Canva.
Financial Support: Shopify offers financial support options like loans and funding through Shopify Capital, a feature absent in Canva.
Developer Resources: Shopify provides extensive developer tools and APIs for building custom apps and themes, whereas Canva focuses more on user-friendly design tools without developer-specific resources.
Global Sales: Shopify includes features for international selling, such as Shopify Shipping and Shopify Markets, which Canva does not offer.
Pricing of Canva & Shopify
Canva Pricing
Understanding Canva's pricing structure is essential for selecting the plan that best fits your needs. Here is a straightforward breakdown of Canva's pricing plans:
Canva Free: $0 per month for one person
Easy drag-and-drop editor
1M+ professionally-designed templates
1000+ design types (social posts and more)
3M+ stock photos and graphics
AI-generated writing and designs
Design printing and delivery
5GB of cloud storage
Canva Pro: $15 per month for one person
Everything in Free, plus:
Unlimited premium templates
100M+ photos, videos, graphics, audio
1000 Brand Kits to manage your brand
Quickly resize and translate designs
Remove backgrounds in a click
Boost creativity with 20+ AI tools
Plan and schedule social content
1TB of cloud storage
Online customer support
Canva Teams: $10 per month per person (Minimum 3 people, $30/month)
Everything in Pro, plus:
Scale your brand and centralize assets
Ensure brand consistency with approvals
Edit, comment, and collaborate in real time
Generate on-brand copy with AI
Team reports and insights
Pay as you grow
1TB of cloud storage
Online customer support
AI Admin Controls
ISO 27001 certification and SOC 2 Type II compliance
Canva Enterprise: Custom pricing (Contact Sales for details)
Everything in Teams, plus:
Centrally manage multiple teams and brands
Set individual or group design approvals
Manage access to the Canva content and template library
IP indemnity content control
SSO
Automate license provisioning with SCIM
Custom apps and integrations
Priority customer support
Design support from Enterprise Studio creative team
Dedicated customer success manager
Shopify Pricing
Shopify offers a range of pricing plans to accommodate businesses of all sizes, each with its own set of features and benefits.
Plus Plan: Starting at $2,300 USD/month on a 3-year term
Everything in Advanced, plus:
Unlimited staff accounts
Most competitive card rates
40x checkout capacity
200 inventory locations
Reviews of Canva & Shopify
Canva Reviews
Overall, users have given Canva a mixed reception, with an average rating of 3.8 out of 5. While some appreciate its ease of use, others find the limitations and occasional glitches frustrating.
"The templates are limited, and the app can be slow at times." - Alex, 3/5
"Customer support is not very responsive, and some features are hard to find." - Jamie, 2.5/5
Shopify Reviews
Shopify has received an overall rating of 3.9 out of 5. Users have found the platform's complexity and occasional technical issues frustrating, while others appreciate its comprehensive features.
"The platform is quite complex, and the learning curve is steep." - Jordan, 3/5
"Technical issues can be a hassle, and customer support is not always helpful." - Taylor, 2.5/5
Subframe, a Better Alternative to Canva and Shopify
Subframe is a code-first design tool that enables users to build user interfaces (UI) quickly and efficiently. It offers a drag-and-drop visual editor, beautifully crafted components, and pixel-perfect React + Tailwind code, making it a favorite among designers and developers.
Pros of Subframe
Subframe is a code-first design tool that enables users to build user interfaces (UI) quickly and efficiently.
Design with real components: Subframe's visual UI editor allows users to drag-and-drop real components on a responsive canvas, ensuring pixel-perfect designs every time.
Stunning UI templates: With hundreds of templates inspired by world-class products and hand-crafted by designers, users never have to start from scratch.
High-quality code generation: Subframe generates high-quality React and Tailwind CSS code, allowing users to copy and paste directly into their codebase, saving time on pixel-pushing CSS.
Real-time collaboration: Multiple users can work on the same project simultaneously, making teamwork seamless and efficient.
Free to start: Users can begin building UI visually without needing a credit card, making it accessible for everyone.
Subframe's Pricing
At Subframe, we offer a range of pricing options to suit different needs:
Free Plan: $0 per user/month
1 project
Up to 3 page designs
Up to 3 team members
200+ UI templates & snippets
Pro Plan: $29 per user/month
Up to 3 projects
Unlimited page designs
Unlimited team members
Custom components
200+ UI templates & snippets
Custom Plan: Pricing upon contact
Unlimited projects
Unlimited page designs
Custom fonts
Integrate your own components
Dedicated Slack support
Figma plugin
For more details, visit our pricing page. Ready to take the next step? Book a demo with us today!
What Are Others Saying?
Users have given Subframe an overall rating of 5 out of 5. They appreciate its ease of use, especially with templates, and the quality of the generated code.
"I love how easy this is to get started, especially with templates." - Dakota
"Turning ideas into code is one of the most critical tasks I've ever had. Subframe is super useful and user-friendly." - Germán Merlo
"Now this I like. Congratulations. Finally something that's not just a mockup." - Aris Nakos
Why Choose Canva, Shopify or Subframe?
If you're looking for an easy-to-use platform to create visually appealing websites without any coding knowledge, Canva is your go-to choice. It's perfect for entrepreneurs, content creators, and small business owners who need a simple, cost-effective solution for their online presence.
On the other hand, if your primary goal is to build a robust e-commerce store with extensive tools for managing sales, marketing, and customer engagement, Shopify is the better option. It's ideal for growing businesses, large enterprises, and retailers who need a comprehensive platform to handle both online and offline sales.
At Subframe, we offer a unique blend of design flexibility and high-quality code generation, making it the best choice for those who want to build user interfaces quickly and efficiently. Whether you're a founder, designer, or developer, our code-first approach and real-time collaboration features will help you turn your ideas into reality with ease.
Canva, Shopify, or Subframe: Which is The Best Tool For You?
Choosing between Canva, Shopify, and Subframe ultimately depends on your specific needs and goals. Canva is perfect for those who want to create visually appealing websites without any coding knowledge, while Shopify excels in providing a comprehensive platform for managing e-commerce stores.
However, if you're looking for a tool that combines design flexibility with high-quality code generation, Subframe stands out as the best choice. With its code-first approach and real-time collaboration features, Subframe makes it easy for founders, designers, and developers to turn their ideas into reality efficiently. We recommend giving Subframe a try to experience the difference firsthand.
Join thousands of happy builders.
Subframe lets you build stunning UI with beautifully crafted components and a drag-and-drop visual editor.
