Canva vs Affinity Publisher

Adobe Photoshop

GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program)

Adobe Illustrator

Adobe Photoshop is an image editing and graphic designing software that helps businesses streamline photo editing and compositing processes and create digital paintings and animations. The artificial-intelligence (AI)-enabled platform lets designers invite external stakeholders to edit documents and share projects via live streaming functionality.

GIMP is an open-source image manipulation software that enables businesses, graphic designers, scientists, illustrators, and photographers to edit and retouch images, design icons, create free-hand artworks, and convert files into various formats.

Adobe Illustrator CC is a industry-standard software in vector drawing tools and applications for digital graphics in print, web, apps, and video animations

Managing Editor

Customer support is slow when it comes to account problems, and some features require you to pay if you want advanced editing.

The customer representatives at Canva were unbelievably accommodating and helpful in the process of refunding my money for the business cards and helping me choose a design that would be more easily read on my business cards.

Founder

The way the customer service agent attended to me when I made mistake in my monthly subscription was very excellent, that's one of the reasons I can't stop using canva

Graphic design and video editing tool for creating and publishing marketing material, presentations, social media content, and a range of printed products, using a drag-and-drop editor and a library of customizable templates.

Access Controls/Permissions

Analytics

Animation

Approval Process Control

Artwork Management

Asset Categorization

Asset Library

Asset Sharing

Audio File Management

Autosave

Brainstorming

Brand Guidelines

CAD Tools

Change Management

CMS Integration

Collaboration Tools

Content Import/Export

Content Library

Content Management

Content Sharing

Custom Fonts

Customizable Branding

Customizable Templates

Customization

Dashboard

Data Import/Export

Data Visualization

Design Management

Design Templates

Digital Asset Management

Digital Signage

Download

Drag & Drop

Dynamic QR Codes

Email Distribution

Employee Photos

File Management

File Sharing

Image Editing

Image Embedding

Image Library

Media Library

Media Management

Mind Maps

Mobile App

Multi-Channel Marketing

Multi-Language

Multiple Output Formats

Multiple QR Code Types

Offline Editing

Offline Presenting

Org Chart Creation

Pattern, Color & Art Storage

Pre-built Templates

Presentation Tools

Preview Functionality

Printing Services Integration

Print Management

Project Management

Publishing/Sharing

QR Code Generation

Real Time Editing

Search/Filter

Smart Chart Legend

Social Media Integration

Step-by-Step Wizard

Template Management

Templates

Text Editing

Version Control

Video Editing

Video Support

Visual Discovery

Watermarking

Website Publishing Options

Workflow Management

Reviews for Canva come from a wide variety of industries, including marketing and advertising (10% of reviewers), education management (5%), and health, wellness and fitness (5%). The most frequent use case for Canva cited by reviewers is graphic design (72% of reviewers).

Users and use cases

Reviewers appreciate Canva’s generous free plan and affordable pricing, and they value special offers for nonprofits and educators. Some users report that premium features can be costly, and they find the subscription model restrictive for tight budgets.

Value for money

The Canva integrations most frequently cited by reviewers are: Google Drive (a cloud storage product rated 4.7 out of 5 for its integration with Canva), Instagram (a social networking product, 4.6), and Adobe Photoshop (a photo editing product, 4.4).

Integrations

Canva is a graphic design program with key features that include design templates, content import/export, customizable templates, drag-and-drop functionality, customizable branding, image editing, and more.

Canva

Web-based

Android

iPhone

iPad

Windows

Adobe Express

PicMonkey

VistaCreate

Microsoft PowerPoint

CorelDRAW

Adobe Creative Cloud

Pixlr

Snappa

Fotor

Affinity Designer

Google Slides

Piktochart

The Brief

PosterMyWall

Visme

Figma

Canva Free

Canva Pro

Canva Teams

Canva Enterprise

Slow and unresponsive support

Owner

This lack of customer service and lack of respect in replying and the lack of ability to contact a PERSON will for-ever sour Canva in my use from here.   When my contract is up, I will not be renewing.

Senior Digital Marketing Specialist

Customer support is missing in terms of chat and on-call service even for paid customers.

42% of reviewers feel negative about Canva’s customer support. Users report difficulty reaching a real person, with most interactions handled by automated responses or generic emails. Reviewers say support is slow to resolve issues, especially for account or billing problems. Some users indicate that there is no phone or chat support, and responses can take days or never arrive. They find it frustrating to navigate support resources, and some feel that even paid customers do not receive adequate assistance.

Limited and frustrating mobile experience

36% of reviewers feel negative about Canva’s mobile app. Users report that the app lacks many features available on the desktop version and is less user-friendly. Reviewers say editing on a small screen is challenging, with frequent glitches, crashes, and synchronization issues between devices. Some users indicate that the mobile interface is confusing, and precision editing is difficult. They often prefer to switch to a computer for complex tasks, finding the app suitable only for minor edits.

Restrictive resizing and layout tools

Content creator

I designed a banner for my YouTube page and the platform was very easy and fun to use, but I had a problem with the sizes because I specify the banner size and when I transfer it to the platform, I find that I have to lose part of the design or have to make the size manually by reducing and enlarging some of the design contents.

There is only one thing I didn't like and due to this I made 4 start on its functions is that There resize option is not much good let's say,  if I have my canvas size 1200*600 and I took one image from canva library of 600*600 then it's very difficult to make them fit, however, you can stretch it up to 1200px image some part of the image will hide.

38% of reviewers feel negative about Canva’s resizing features. Users report frustration with the inability to freely adjust dimensions or customize page layouts, especially when working with templates. Reviewers say resizing is often a paid feature, and manual adjustments can be time-consuming. Some users indicate that lack of rulers, gridlines, and precise controls makes alignment and spacing difficult. They find that resizing images or elements can lead to quality loss or awkward layouts.

Limited and inconsistent export options

40% of reviewers feel negative about Canva’s file download capabilities. Users report restrictions on export formats, such as the inability to download in PSD, EPS, or CMYK for professional printing. Reviewers say file quality can be inconsistent, with some downloads appearing pixelated or not matching on-screen designs. Some users indicate that bulk downloads are cumbersome, and downloading high-resolution or layered files is not possible. They find that print vendors often require additional adjustments to Canva exports.

Performance and reliability problems

volunteer

One problem with this app is that it has many bugs. Whenever I aligned the title in center, this app automatically realigned it to right.

71% of reviewers feel negative about Canva’s bugs and issues. Users report frequent glitches, slow loading times, and occasional crashes, especially with large or complex designs. Reviewers indicate that unsaved work can be lost due to unexpected timeouts or browser refreshes. Some users say the platform consumes significant system resources, causing slowdowns when multiple tabs are open. They find collaboration features sometimes unreliable, and note that internet connectivity is required, making offline work impossible.

Custom cards and invitations

97% of reviewers feel positive about Canva’s cards and invitations functionality. Reviewers indicate that the platform offers a vast selection of templates for events, holidays, and business purposes. Users say they can easily personalize invitations, thank-you cards, and announcements for both professional and personal occasions. Some users report that Canva helps them save money by allowing them to design and print their own cards, while others appreciate the flexibility to create unique, branded materials for events and promotions.

Quick, attractive presentations

Professora

Canva is an efficient and practical application that offers many sophisticated layout options for creating presentations, graphics, resumes, brochures, invitations and much more.

96% of reviewers feel positive about Canva’s presentation tools. Users say Canva provides a variety of well-designed templates that make it easy to create visually appealing slideshows and educational materials. Reviewers appreciate the intuitive layout tools and the ability to collaborate with others on presentations. Some users report that Canva saves them significant time compared to traditional design software, and they value the creative options for animations, infographics, and dynamic data presentation.

Efficient flyer and poster creation

Associate Director of Communications

It was a way to ensure our brand standards were up to par, templates were pre-approved and team members were empowered to work on their own flyers, posters or designs, etc., and not have to wait for turn-around times.

97% of reviewers feel positive about Canva’s flyer and poster design features. Users say the abundance of templates and drag-and-drop tools make it simple to create professional marketing materials. Reviewers appreciate that even those without design experience can produce eye-catching flyers, posters, and banners. They find the customization options helpful for maintaining brand standards and saving time. Some users report that Canva’s cloud storage and free access to templates are especially valuable for occasional or small business needs, eliminating the need for expensive design software.

Canva has everything in one place—photo editing, AI text and image tools, animation, background remover, stock photos, and more.

My favorite aspect is the image editing magic where one can pull set text and images from an image to remove or edit.

The drag-and-drop interface is super simple, so you can create things like flyers, social media posts, business cards, and product listings without needing advanced skills.

Executive Assistant

The drag-and-drop tools, customizable templates, and clear interface make creating professional-looking designs fast and stress-free. Whether you’re working on social media graphics, presentations, or personal projects, Canva makes the entire process easy, efficient, and genuinely enjoyable.

Graphic and Web Design Specialist

It allows most people to be able to create digital graphics or single-page flyers, on brand, without knowing complicated software like Photoshop.

Office Finance Manager

In addition to customizing layout, the built-in ability to upload logos, photos, and icons allows for further personalization of each template.

Content creator and Social Media Manager

I have learned to use the application for a wide variety of purposes that serve me well—both for my business (creating content, editing photos, making Reels, videos, and cover images) and for personal use (designing gift cards, creating a resume for job hunting, or making items for my baby's shower—such as a printed menu with a QR code, an invitation list, and more).

Digital Media Specialist

The drag-and-drop interface, combined with a wide range of templates, fonts, and design elements, allows for efficient content creation without needing advanced design experience.

Fullstack web developper

The drag-and-drop interface lets users create designs easily while the extensive collection of ready-made templates helps me design graphics and presentations and basic UI mockups.

American accent coach

I make all of my slide decks in Canva and have even used it for video editing, in addition to all of the social media graphics, photo editing, fliers, business cards, and invitations I've used it for.

Developer

The drag-and-drop interface makes designing swift, even for a novice, and saves lots of time with its huge library of templates, icons, fonts, and stock images.

System Analyst

Users can find it difficult to perform precise tasks like complex layer management, advanced typography control (such as specific kerning adjustments), or creating complex vector graphics from scratch.

Freelance professional Email marketing, Logo making, copywriting, content marketing, and social media marketing

Being a user of canva for some year now and I love the fact that is can be used both on laptop and phone, due to the nature of my work I tend to need a design or logo design for a brand with Canva I could create a logo within mins at the same spot with my phone, canva provide all necessary template and element needed in creating a successful logo or design.

Licensed Massage Therapist

The resizing and exporting options and that it automatically saves to a zip file, it makes it a little bit harder to streamline if you need to export multiple illustrations etc

Content creation

It’s user-friendly, efficient, and offers a wide range of templates and tools that make creating professional designs quick and easy. While it has some limitations in advanced editing, it’s excellent for most design needs.

Wellness Entrepreneur

It allows you to create amazing creative and professional materials that look amazing without the time and use of Photoshop that once upon a time was necessary.

Canva is one of my favourite must have tools for creating all of my design materials and professional documents for personal, professional, and educational endeavours.

Business Analyst

Media editing : Inside the Canva application there are some image editing toolslike cropping ,applying filters,and the magic eraser as well.

Senior Advisor

Canva Premium has an extensive and easy-to-use library of quality templates, themes, images, elements, and audio files, to name a few.

The platform is intuitive and versatile, and it allows me to produce high-quality designs in a fraction of the time it once took.

Digital Marketing Manager

It's great for creating all kinds of graphics, and the Canva AI image generation feature is especially useful when you need visuals fast.

Web Developer

Great tool for editing pdf or using as canvass for initial quick design or visualization of web design that can be used as a template.

Executive Director

The platform is intuitive and versatile, making it easy to create professional-quality graphics for social media, marketing, and even our museum exhibits.

onwer

While it’s great for most tasks, it lacks some of the advanced features found in professional tools like Adobe Illustrator or Photoshop (e.g., complex vector editing or advanced layering).

Graphic Designer

What stands out most is how much it lowers the 'barrier to entry' for design, I can go from a blank page to a professional-looking project in a fraction of the time it would take in more complex software.

The huge library of templates and assets is especially helpful for quickly producing content for social media, presentations, and marketing materials.

Another useful feature is the ability to integrate it with Social Media and post from inside of Canva, with scheduling available as well.

It has become my go-to tool for quick and high-quality visual content. Whether I am making a YouTube thumbnail, a Facebook post, or a professional presentation, Canva handles it smoothly.

Tech Support Specialist

Canva allows for dynamic project creation and even has AI prompt writing to help you achieve what you are looking to create.

Canva vs Affinity Publisher Comparison (2026)

Canva

Affinity Publisher

Overview

Video & Screenshots

Pricing

User reviews

Key features

Integrations

Alternatives