Choosing between Figma and Canva? Dive into our detailed analysis to make an informed decision for your design and frontend needs.
Irvin Zhan
•
2025-01-13
In the realm of digital design, Figma and Canva have emerged as two of the most popular tools. Each offers unique features and caters to different user needs, making the choice between them a matter of specific requirements and preferences.
This article delves into a detailed comparison of Figma and Canva, examining their features, pricing, and limitations. Whether you're a professional designer or a casual user, understanding these differences can help you make an informed decision.
Overview of Figma and Canva
What is Figma?
Figma is a collaborative interface design tool that enables design and development teams to work together on the same design file in real-time. It facilitates seamless collaboration and communication among team members.
Key features of Figma include design and prototyping in one place, a digital whiteboard for collaboration, and tools to translate designs into code. It also supports integration with various platforms and offers AI capabilities to enhance the design process.
What is Canva?
Canva is an online design platform that allows users to create a variety of visual content, including websites, presentations, and social media graphics. It offers a user-friendly interface with drag-and-drop functionality and a vast library of customizable templates.
Main features of Canva include real-time collaboration, AI-powered image editing, and the ability to use free or custom domains for websites. Additionally, it provides tools for brand management and website insights to track traffic and engagement.
Features of Figma & Canva
Similarities
Figma and Canva share several key features that make them popular choices for design and collaboration.
Real-time Collaboration: Both platforms allow multiple users to work on the same project simultaneously, enhancing teamwork and productivity.
AI Tools: Each offers AI-powered features to streamline design processes, such as Figma's AI for prototyping and Canva's Magic Write™ for text generation.
Drag-and-Drop Interface: Both tools provide user-friendly drag-and-drop functionality, making it easy to create and edit designs.
Customizable Templates: Figma and Canva offer a wide range of templates that can be tailored to fit specific needs, from websites to presentations.
Cross-Platform Access: Users can access and edit their projects from any device, whether it's a desktop or mobile, ensuring flexibility and convenience.
Differences
When comparing Figma and Canva, several distinct features set them apart.
Design and Prototyping: Figma allows users to design and prototype within a single platform, whereas Canva focuses more on creating visual content like websites and social media graphics.
Digital Whiteboard: Figma offers FigJam, a collaborative digital whiteboard for brainstorming, which Canva does not provide.
Website Building: Canva includes a website builder with customizable templates and free or custom domains, a feature not available in Figma.
Brand Management: Canva's Brand Kit helps maintain brand consistency across designs, while Figma does not have a dedicated brand management tool.
AI Text Generation: Canva's Magic Write™ generates text using AI, a feature not found in Figma.
Pricing of Figma & Canva
Figma Pricing
Figma offers a range of pricing plans tailored to different team needs and sizes.
Starter Team: Free
Figma editor
3 collaborative design files
Unlimited personal drafts
Basic file inspection
Professional Team: $15 per full seat per month (Save 20% when billed annually)
Everything in Starter, plus:
Unlimited Figma files
Team libraries
Advanced prototyping
View annotations
Advanced inspection
VS Code extension
Unlimited version history
Shared and private projects
Organization: $45 per full seat per month (or $25 per month for Dev Mode only, billed annually)
Everything in Professional, plus:
Org-wide libraries
Design system analytics
Branching and merging
Private plugins
Centralized file management
Unified admin and billing
Single sign-on
Enterprise: $75 per full seat per month (or $35 per month for Dev Mode only, billed annually)
Everything in Organization, plus:
Advanced design system theming
Sync variables to code via REST API
Default libraries by workspace
Set default code language
Pin and auto-run plugins
Dedicated workspaces for teams
Guest access controls
Seat management via SCIM
Idle session timeout
Advanced link sharing controls
Canva Pricing
Canva offers a variety of pricing plans to cater to different user needs, from individuals to large enterprises.
Canva Free: $0/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/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/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
Reviews of Figma & Canva
Figma Reviews
Overall, users have given Figma a rating of 4.5 out of 5. While many appreciate its collaborative features, some find the learning curve and occasional performance issues frustrating.
"Figma's interface can be overwhelming for new users, and it sometimes lags during peak usage hours." - Alex, 3.5/5
"The lack of offline functionality is a significant drawback, especially when working in areas with unstable internet." - Jamie, 3/5
Canva Reviews
Overall, users have given Canva a rating of 3.8 out of 5. While many appreciate its features, some find the interface and performance issues frustrating.
"The interface can be confusing, and it often crashes when handling larger projects." - Taylor, 3/5
"Customer support is slow to respond, and the mobile app lacks many features available on the desktop version." - Jordan, 2.5/5
Subframe, a Better Alternative to Figma and Canva
Subframe is a code-first design tool that enables users to build user interfaces quickly and efficiently. With features like a drag-and-drop visual editor, real-time collaboration, and pixel-perfect React + Tailwind code generation, Subframe is designed to streamline the UI design process for designers and developers alike.
Pros of Subframe
Subframe is a code-first design tool that enables users to build user interfaces quickly and efficiently.
Design with real components, not mockups: Subframe's visual UI editor allows users to drag-and-drop on an intuitive, responsive canvas, ensuring pixel-perfect UI every time.
Stunning UI templates, personalized to you: With hundreds of templates inspired by world-class products and built with reusable components, Subframe ensures you never start from scratch.
Skip handoff, get high-quality code: Subframe generates high-quality React and Tailwind code that can be easily integrated into your codebase, allowing you to focus on building rather than pixel-pushing CSS.
Real-time collaboration: Subframe supports real-time collaboration, making it easy for teams to work together seamlessly on the same project.
Start building UI visually for free: Subframe offers a free plan with no credit card required, allowing users to start building UI visually without any upfront cost.
Subframe's Pricing
At Subframe, we offer flexible pricing plans 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: Contact us for pricing
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 see Subframe in action? Book a demo today!
What Are Others Saying?
Users have given Subframe an overall rating of 5 out of 5. They particularly appreciate its ease of use, time-saving features, and high-quality code generation.
"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
"Finally something that's not just a mockup. Would give you 5 upvotes if I could!" - Aris Nakos
Why Choose Figma, Canva or Subframe?
If you're a professional designer or developer who needs advanced design tools and seamless integration with development workflows, Figma is the ideal choice. It caters to those who require real-time collaboration and detailed design inspection, making it perfect for teams and enterprises.
On the other hand, if you're looking for an easy-to-use platform with a wide range of customizable templates and AI-powered tools, Canva is your go-to. It's perfect for entrepreneurs, content creators, and beginners who need to create visually appealing content quickly without any coding knowledge.
As part of Subframe, we believe our tool is the best choice for those who want to build user interfaces with real components and high-quality code. Subframe is perfect for developers, designers, and teams who need to skip the handoff process and generate pixel-perfect React and Tailwind code efficiently.
Figma, Canva, or Subframe: Which is The Best Tool For You?
Choosing between Figma, Canva, and Subframe ultimately depends on your specific needs and preferences. Each tool offers unique features that cater to different aspects of design and collaboration, making them all excellent choices in their own right.
However, if you're looking for a tool that combines ease of use with high-quality code generation, we recommend giving Subframe a try. With its code-first approach and real-time collaboration features, Subframe is designed to streamline the UI design process, making it a standout option for developers and designers alike.
Join thousands of happy builders.
Subframe lets you build stunning UI with beautifully crafted components and a drag-and-drop visual editor.
