A product team needs editable interface structure and prototypes
Components, auto layout and design collaboration support repeated changes across related screens.
Figma vs Canva
A social post and an interactive product screen can look similar as exported images, yet require very different working files. Figma and Canva overlap in visual design, but the person who receives your work often determines which one is the sensible starting point.
Which software fits your needs
A content team needs recurring graphics and presentations
Its brand resources and output options suit finished materials that people can reuse and revise.
The short answer
Choose Figma when reusable interface components, layout behavior and prototypes are part of the deliverable. Choose Canva when the recurring job is producing branded content or presentations. Their wider product suites overlap, so compare the specific workflow you need.
Prices and billing terms
Published prices keep their original currency and billing terms. Taxes, promotions and checkout prices can differ.
Figma
Starter
Free
Free plan
AvailabilityUSD public pricing
Unlimited drafts; shared team design work has file and page limits.
SourceProfessional Full seat — annual
USD 192.00/year
Billed annually per Full seat
AvailabilityUSD public pricing
Calculated from $16 per month with Annual selected in the official rendered HTML. This is not a monthly renewal quote.
SourceOrganization Full seat — annual
USD 660.00/year
Billed annually per Full seat
AvailabilityUSD public pricing
Calculated from $55 per month billed annually. Other seat types have different costs.
SourceEnterprise Full seat — annual
USD 1,080.00/year
Billed annually per Full seat
AvailabilityUSD public pricing
Calculated from $90 per month billed annually; optional add-ons are separate.
SourceCanva
Free
Free
No subscription charge
AvailabilityUS public page
5 GB storage and one limited Brand Kit.
SourcePro — annual
USD 144.00/year
Billed yearly for one person
AvailabilityUnited States; tax excluded
100 GB storage and 5 Brand Kits. Pro is for one user.
SourceBusiness — annual
USD 250.00/year
Billed yearly per person
AvailabilityUnited States; tax excluded
500 GB storage and 100 Brand Kits; count paid people separately.
SourceEnterprise
Check current price
Sales quote
AvailabilityRegion dependent
Custom organizational terms.
SourceThe details, side by side
13 features
Documented differences. An unverified answer means we do not have enough evidence.
Platforms
Figma
Desktop apps cover Windows and macOS with browser access and separate mobile apps.
Vendor documentedSource
Offline use
Figma
Only loaded pages remain available during a lost connection; offline changes synchronize later.
Vendor documentedSource
Canva
Prepare existing designs on each device. Supported routes include desktop browsers, desktop app and Android; iOS/iPad apps are excluded.
Vendor documentedSource
Collaboration
Figma
Starter supports collaborative work on up to three files with three pages each and unlimited participants.
Vendor documentedSource
Canva
The current plan comparison documents live collaboration, comments and link sharing; Business adds team administration.
Vendor documentedSource
Export
Canva
JPG, PNG, SVG, PDF and presentation exports are documented. Some quality, transparency and CMYK controls require eligible plans.
Vendor documentedSource
Project portability
Figma
An offline .fig snapshot omits unloaded pages, comments and version history; importing it creates a new file.
Vendor documentedSource
Canva
PPTX and DOCX can look different after export; fonts may need installation and animated content is not preserved fully.
Vendor documentedSource
Free plan limits
AI features
Figma
Starter has up to 500 monthly AI credits with a daily cap. Professional Full seats list 3,000 monthly credits.
Vendor documentedSource
Canva
AI tools draw at different rates from a shared allowance. Free lists up to 20 uses; paid plans and add-ons differ.
Vendor documentedSource
Seat type
Figma
A paid Full seat includes Figma Design editing. Dev and Collab seats have different product access and do not provide equivalent Design editing.
Vendor documentedSource
Canva
Not yet verified for this product.
Reusable structures
Figma
Figma Design documents components, auto layout, styles and interactive prototypes.
Vendor documentedSource
Canva
Not yet verified for this product.
Viewer cost
Figma
Paid-plan files can be shared with viewers and commenters without buying them additional paid seats.
Vendor documentedSource
Canva
Not yet verified for this product.
Offline limits
Figma
Not yet verified for this product.
Canva
No new designs offline. Offline use is limited to 14 days and videos do not play until reconnecting.
Vendor documentedSource
Brand management
Figma
Not yet verified for this product.
Library reuse
Figma
Not yet verified for this product.
Canva
Canva permits specified commercial designs but prohibits reselling its library content as standalone stock.
Vendor documentedSource
| Feature | Figma | Canva |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Desktop apps cover Windows and macOS with browser access and separate mobile apps. Vendor documentedSource | Browser access plus desktop and mobile apps; offline support is narrower than general app availability. |
| Offline use | Only loaded pages remain available during a lost connection; offline changes synchronize later. Vendor documentedSource | Prepare existing designs on each device. Supported routes include desktop browsers, desktop app and Android; iOS/iPad apps are excluded. Vendor documentedSource |
| Collaboration | Starter supports collaborative work on up to three files with three pages each and unlimited participants. Vendor documentedSource | The current plan comparison documents live collaboration, comments and link sharing; Business adds team administration. Vendor documentedSource |
| Export | Static exports and local .fig copies are supported. Owners can restrict copying or sharing. | JPG, PNG, SVG, PDF and presentation exports are documented. Some quality, transparency and CMYK controls require eligible plans. Vendor documentedSource |
| Project portability | An offline .fig snapshot omits unloaded pages, comments and version history; importing it creates a new file. Vendor documentedSource | PPTX and DOCX can look different after export; fonts may need installation and animated content is not preserved fully. Vendor documentedSource |
| Free plan limits | Starter drafts are unlimited but do not support editing with others; shared team files provide the limited collaboration space. | Free lists 5 GB storage and one Brand Kit limited to three colors. Vendor documentedSource |
| AI features | Starter has up to 500 monthly AI credits with a daily cap. Professional Full seats list 3,000 monthly credits. Vendor documentedSource | AI tools draw at different rates from a shared allowance. Free lists up to 20 uses; paid plans and add-ons differ. Vendor documentedSource |
| Seat type | A paid Full seat includes Figma Design editing. Dev and Collab seats have different product access and do not provide equivalent Design editing. Vendor documentedSource | Not yet verified for this product. |
| Reusable structures | Figma Design documents components, auto layout, styles and interactive prototypes. Vendor documentedSource | Not yet verified for this product. |
| Viewer cost | Paid-plan files can be shared with viewers and commenters without buying them additional paid seats. Vendor documentedSource | Not yet verified for this product. |
| Offline limits | Not yet verified for this product. | No new designs offline. Offline use is limited to 14 days and videos do not play until reconnecting. Vendor documentedSource |
| Brand management | Not yet verified for this product. | Pro lists 5 Brand Kits. Business lists 100 plus approvals. Vendor documentedSource |
| Library reuse | Not yet verified for this product. | Canva permits specified commercial designs but prohibits reselling its library content as standalone stock. Vendor documentedSource |
Start with what must remain editable
For an interface project, the working relationships between elements matter as much as the visible image. A component may need to appear in several screens and respond when its text changes. Figma documents components, auto layout and interactive prototypes for this kind of work. Canva's Brand Kits support consistent content through reusable identity choices. Decide what the next editor must change: the structure of an interface or the words and images in a finished communication. That distinction is more useful than a universal ranking of design applications.
Source 1Source 2Avoid treating either suite as a single feature
Figma's current pricing page covers a wider product family than interface design alone. Canva also reaches beyond one-page social graphics. This comparison therefore does not claim that Figma cannot make marketing visuals or that Canva cannot participate in a product team's work. The recommendation is about the recurring deliverable. List three files you actually produce and the people who receive them. If only one task needs interface structure, it may deserve its own workflow rather than forcing every piece of content into the same application.
Source 1Source 2Check seats before multiplying the price
The verified Figma Professional Full seat is advertised at $16 per month with annual billing selected, which equals $192 for a year. A Dev or Collab seat is not equivalent access to Figma Design editing. Viewers and commenters can access paid-plan files without another paid seat. Canva's verified US Pro card is $144 annually for one person. Calculate who needs to edit, who only reviews and which product they need. A simple price multiplied by every person in a meeting can produce a misleading budget.
Source 1Source 2Source 3Free access has different collaboration boundaries
Figma Starter allows unlimited drafts, but those drafts are not the place for shared editing. Its documented shared-team allowance is three files with three pages each. Canva Free provides its own storage and brand-resource limits. A useful trial should therefore include another editor and a real revision cycle, not just a private blank canvas. Check who can enter the working file, whether feedback remains attached to the right version and what happens when you move the work into a shared area. This comparison did not run that collaborative trial.
Source 1Source 2Source 3Prepare for disconnected work deliberately
Neither product should be assumed to provide unrestricted offline work. Figma's guidance centers on pages already loaded while connected. Canva's newer offline feature requires preparation of existing designs on a supported device and does not permit creating new designs while disconnected. That can be enough for a specific correction during travel, but it is different from starting an entire project away from the internet. Rehearse the intended task before relying on it. Device support also matters: Canva excludes its iOS and iPad apps from the documented offline feature.
Source 1Source 2Preserve the working file when delivering an image
A static export answers a delivery need; it does not preserve every behavior of the source project. Keep a Figma working file when components or prototypes are part of the handoff. Keep the Canva design when future brand revisions matter. Canva also documents that Office exports can lose or change elements, so inspect a presentation in the application where it will be delivered. Ask the recipient which editable format they require before rebuilding a large library. Export compatibility should be demonstrated on representative work rather than inferred from a format name.
Source 1Source 2Source 3Our take
Use Figma for a workflow whose value depends on interface structure and shared design systems. Use Canva for repeatable finished content and brand materials. If a team produces both, verify a small handoff before deciding that one subscription should replace the other.
Common questions
Is Figma only useful for app interfaces?
No. Its suite includes broader visual tools. Interface systems are the clearest reason to favor Figma in this comparison, not a limit on everything it can create.
Should every reviewer have a paid Figma seat?
No. The pricing page distinguishes free viewing and commenting from paid editing access. Assign seats according to the required work.
Check the sources
Evidence used for this comparison. A checked date records when we reviewed the source, not a promise that the vendor has made no changes since.
- Figma downloads (opens in a new tab)
www.figma.com
- Figma static export (opens in a new tab)
help.figma.com
- Figma pricing FAQ (opens in a new tab)
www.figma.com · Some suite beta timing text is old; those dated beta terms are not used as current entitlements.
- Figma files and drafts (opens in a new tab)
help.figma.com
- Figma offline limits (opens in a new tab)
help.figma.com
- Figma plans and seats (opens in a new tab)
www.figma.com · Rendered HTML aria-label confirmed Annual selected for the $16 Professional Full seat quote.
- Canva app downloads (opens in a new tab)
www.canva.com
- Canva download formats (opens in a new tab)
www.canva.com · Help retains some older plan labels; exact export entitlement should be checked in the relevant plan.
- Canva offline editing (opens in a new tab)
www.canva.com
- Canva plans and pricing (opens in a new tab)
www.canva.com · US annual prices rendered live; excludes tax.
Keep comparing
Canva vs Adobe Express: choosing a content workflow
Graphic design · Shortlist Canva for a reusable content workspace with its current brand tools. Shortlist Express when Adobe asset handoffs or a monthly Premium commitment fit your work. Start with the free plans and one real deliverable rather than paying for a longer feature list.
Affinity vs Adobe Photoshop: free desktop editing and file handoffs
Graphic design · Affinity is a serious candidate when you want local photo work without a recurring payment for the core editor. Photoshop deserves priority when a client's editable PSD requirements or an established Adobe workflow determine the handoff. Verify the actual files before switching.
GIMP vs Photoshop: choose by files and workflow
Graphic design · Choose GIMP when an open-source desktop workflow fits the job and you can validate the handoff. Choose Photoshop when a specific Adobe capability or client requirement justifies the subscription. Keep GIMP's native XCF archive separate from files exported for other applications.