Canva Reviews: Is It Worth It for Your Business?

Canva is one of those tools everyone seems to recommend, but does it actually deliver? After years of using it for client work and digging through thousands of user reviews, here's the unfiltered take on whether Canva is right for your business.

The short answer: Canva is excellent for most small businesses and marketers who need quick, professional-looking graphics without hiring a designer. But it has real limitations that might make it a poor fit for some use cases.

Canva Pricing Breakdown

Let's start with what everyone wants to know—what does Canva actually cost?

Important note: Canva Teams is no longer available for new sign-ups. New users looking for team features will need to look at Canva Business, which replaced Teams for new subscribers.

For a deeper dive into costs, check out our Canva pricing and Canva cost guides.

What Users Actually Like About Canva

Based on reviews across Capterra, GetApp, and Trustpilot, here's what consistently gets praise:

Dead Simple to Use

This is Canva's biggest strength. The drag-and-drop interface means you don't need any design experience to create decent-looking graphics. One reviewer on Capterra summed it up: "You can edit your images easily and feel like a ninja designer."

The learning curve is almost non-existent compared to Adobe products. If you've ever used PowerPoint, you can use Canva.

Massive Template Library

The free plan gives you access to over 2 million templates. Pro unlocks 100+ million premium templates, photos, and elements. For social media posts, presentations, flyers, and basic marketing materials, you'll rarely need to start from scratch.

Real-Time Collaboration

Teams can work on the same design simultaneously with comments and feedback. This is genuinely useful for agencies and marketing teams who need quick turnarounds without endless email chains.

AI Features That Actually Work

Canva's Magic Studio includes background removal, Magic Resize (resize designs for different platforms with one click), and AI-generated images. While AI-generated images aren't always high-resolution, the background remover alone would cost $10/month in standalone tools.

Want to learn more about using these features? Check out our Canva tutorial and how to use Canva guides.

What Users Hate About Canva

Now for the complaints that show up repeatedly in reviews:

The Free Version Is a Tease

Premium elements are everywhere in the free version. You'll constantly see templates and graphics with little crowns, tempting you to upgrade. Multiple reviewers on Software Advice noted that "many of the best templates, graphics, fonts, and tools are locked behind the paid version."

If you're trying to create professional-level work on the free plan, expect frustration.

Limited Export Options

This is a real issue for anyone working with professional designers. Canva's export formats are limited—you can't export projects that can be easily edited in Photoshop or Illustrator. One review noted that Canva's "functionality doesn't configure well to PDF's, which will often make your designs turn out terrible once you've exported them."

If you need to hand off work to a designer later, this could be a dealbreaker.

Video Editing Is Frustrating

Multiple reviews mention issues with video editing, including a 1GB video upload limit that many users find "ridiculously small" for a paid platform. Upload speeds are slow, and the video editing capabilities lag behind the rest of the platform.

Customer Support Issues

This is where Canva takes the most heat. Support is email-only—no phone support available. Trustpilot reviews specifically cite concerns about billing issues and difficulties getting refunds. Several users report unexpected charges after trial periods and struggles canceling subscriptions.

One BBB complaint noted they were "charged for several months now for $15 per month even though I've already canceled the subscription." Whether this is user error or a billing problem, it comes up often enough to be worth noting.

No Offline Access

Canva requires an internet connection for everything. You can't work on designs offline, which is annoying if you travel or have spotty internet. Once exported, files work fine—but you need to be online to create or edit.

Who Should Use Canva?

Canva is a great fit for:

Canva is NOT a good fit for:

Canva vs. the Alternatives

Wondering how Canva stacks up against competitors? Here's the quick take:

Review Scores Across Platforms

Here's how Canva scores across major review platforms:

The pattern is clear: Users love the product itself but have frustrations with billing and customer support. If you're careful about managing your subscription and don't need phone support, the core product is solid.

Is Canva Pro Worth It?

At $12.99/month, Canva Pro is worth it if you:

Start with the Canva free trial (30 days) to test Pro features before committing. And check our Canva discount and Canva coupon pages for any current deals.

The Bottom Line

Canva is genuinely useful software that democratizes design for non-designers. The free version is surprisingly capable, and Pro offers legitimate value for the price. Just go in with realistic expectations: it's not a replacement for professional design tools, video editing is limited, and customer support is email-only.

For most small businesses and marketers, Canva will save you time and money on graphics. Just set a calendar reminder before your trial ends.

Try Canva Free →