Canva is hands down one of the best online design tools for non-designers. However, it comes with a few restrictions, and the recent price hike has left many users reconsidering their options.

In this article, we’ll help you explore the 5 best and free Canva alternatives that may better fit your needs and budget. We’ll break down their key features and compare their strengths side by side.

Top 5 Canva Alternatives

1. Adobe Express
2. VistaCreate
3. BeFunky
4. Photopea
5. Kittl

1. Adobe Express

The first and most well-deserved spot for a Canva alternative goes to Adobe Express. It’s one of the best tools that we have been using for years to create social media graphics, YouTube thumbnails, and even short videos for ads. We find everything we need from an intuitive dashboard to advanced editing capabilities that consistently meet our requirements.

Key Features of Adobe Express

i) Seamless Sync with Adobe Products

The biggest advantage of this tool is that it allows you to stay in sync with every other Adobe product. So let’s say your team created a logo in Photoshop or illustrations in Illustrator, you’ll be able to easily pull those assets into Adobe Express and make quick edits.

If you aren’t using any other Adobe product, this can also be a great entry point to get yourself familiar with this ecosystem.

ii) Allows Quick Edits

One of my personal favorite features of Adobe Express is that it allows you to make some quick edits without opening a whole dashboard.

If you need to remove a background, just click on the given option (as shown in the image above), upload your image, and voilà – job well done. Whereas in Canva, you’ll have to open the image inside a design dashboard and then apply the background remover, which adds a few extra steps to what could have been a quick task.

iii) Built-in Adobe Fonts & Assets

We are big fans of Adobe Fonts, and our Adobe Express subscription gives us unrestricted access to this library. Now, to be fair, Canva also offers a solid font collection and even lets you upload custom fonts. But Adobe Fonts stand out for their quality – they’re professionally created and widely used by designers.

iv) Easy PDF Editing

The most useful feature of this tool for our team has been the ability to edit PDFs. We can easily add or update content, replace images, and even translate text directly within the file. It saves us time and, more importantly, prevents formatting issues.

v) AI-Powered Design Tools

Adobe Express gives you access to a growing set of AI-powered design tools. We know the opinions around AI in the design world are mixed, but honestly, it can save time in certain areas. In this tool, you can use it to generate templates, remove background, and experiment with different design styles.

I tried generating some templates using short prompts, and the results were surprisingly good.

I felt the layouts were usable right away and only needed minor tweaks to match the final look I wanted.

Another strong plus is the flexibility in AI image generation. Adobe Express lets you choose which AI model you want to use when generating images. However, in the free plan, you’ll only get to use Firefly Image 4 (Adobe’s own AI model).

Furthermore, this table gives you a quick overview of how these AI features stack against Canva:

Limitations of Adobe Express

i) Fewer Templates

At the time I am writing this article, Adobe Express offers 191,974 free templates. That’s a lot if you’re a small business or solo content creator. However, when compared to Canva, which offers 1.6 million free templates, it’s still a smaller library.

Who Is It Best For?

Adobe Express is a good fit for:

• Teams already using Adobe tools like Photoshop or Illustrator
• Small business owners who need quick, professional-looking designs
• Marketers working on promos, social media graphics, display ads, and branded visuals
• Anyone who needs fast edits like resizing, background removal, or layout tweaks

Why is it a Good Canva Alternative?

Adobe Express can be considered a strong alternative to Canva because it combines an easy-to-use interface with the reliability of Adobe’s ecosystem. It offers high-quality fonts and assets, useful AI-powered tools for quick edits, and advanced video editing features.

While it lacks in terms of template variety, it more than makes up for it with better design control and robust collaboration features.

2. VistaCreate

VistaCreate was born to compete head-on with Canva. That’s why many of the features, workflows, and even the interface feel familiar between the two tools. This also makes it easier to switch when you’re looking for an alternative.

Key Features of VistaCreate

i) Ease of Use

You just need your email address to sign up for VistaCreate. Once you’re inside, you’re welcomed by a clean, well-organized dashboard. I was easily able to find everything as the templates are arranged into clear categories, and popular design formats are displayed upfront.

If I picked a template, VistaCreate opens its drag-and-drop editor, which feels very similar to Canva.

There’s a big canvas in the center and a side panel filled with customization options. One feature I really liked is that you can upload your entire brand kit to VistaCreate, even on the free plan. This is something Canva only offers to paid users.

When it comes to actual use, I tested the tool by editing a podcast cover template. I made a few changes to the text, added some new elements, and changed the illustrations. The entire process felt smooth, and the interface was responsive, with no glitches or lag throughout.

ii) Templates & Stock Photos

Similar to Canva, VistaCreate also offers a large library of ready-made templates. While browsing through the platform, I found plenty of options for almost everything, from social media posts, flyers, brochures, and invitation cards to eBooks. There are also templates for animated designs, including logos, YouTube intro/outro, and Instagram Reels.

Although the place where VistaCreate truly shines is the stock assets library. They have acquired Depositphotos, which allows them to offer access to millions of unique stock photos and videos.

iii) Storage

While both tools offer cloud storage, VistaCreate gives you 10 GB on the free plan, which is more generous compared to Canva’s 5 GB limit. Even on paid plans, VistaCreate provides unlimited storage, while Canva offers 1TB per user.

Limitations of VistaCreate

i) Lack of Video Editing Features

VistaCreate offers video and animation features, but they are fairly basic and best suited for beginners. For example, you can’t add transitions between video clips, adjust playback speed, or apply video filters. It can make the tool feel restrictive for people who want to produce a lot of advanced video content.

ii) Difficult Cancellation Process

One downside worth noting is the cancellation experience. You don’t have to worry if you plan to use the free version, but keep in mind that the paid subscriptions renew automatically. Some users report that there’s no clear option to cancel. Instead, you’ll have to go back and forth with the support team to complete the process.

Who Is It Best For?

VistaCreate is best suited for creators and businesses that want an easy-to-use design tool without the complexity of advanced software. It will work particularly well for:

• Social media creators who need static and animated posts
• Small business owners creating flyers, ads, and promotional graphics
• Marketers producing quick visuals for campaigns
• Beginners and non-designers who want a Canva-like experience

Why is it a Good Canva Alternative?

Most of VistaCreate’s features go head-to-head with Canva, which makes it a great option if you’re considering switching. The interface feels familiar, and the core design capabilities work in a similar way, so you won’t need much time to adjust.

You also get a variety of templates and an even better stock assets library. While the video editing features are limited, VistaCreate performs really well for graphic design tasks. You can fine-tune designs down to small details, including adding filters, adjusting colors, and customizing elements without any friction.

3. BeFunky

BeFunky is slightly different, but it can be considered a good Canva alternative. I remember using it for personal projects like making collages and editing my photos, even before I started using Canva and Adobe for office work. Years later, I feel the tool stayed consistent with its strengths and continues to handle everyday creative needs with ease.

Key Features of BeFunky

i) Advanced Photo Editing Suite

This tool is best known for its photo editing capabilities. It offers a robust set of tools for retouching, color correction, touch-ups, and image enhancement. You also get one-click effects and filters that make it easy to enhance your visual content.

ii) Simple Editor

With BeFunky, you get a clean and uncluttered editor. There’s the main canvas in the center, which, by the way, is noticeably larger compared to many other tools. I personally like this size because it makes me feel I have more room to work.

Then there’s a left sidebar that lets you add images, edit text, adjust colors, resize elements, and apply effects. The bottom bar has the option to edit layers and view history (one of my favorite features).

iii) Template Collection

BeFunky has a smaller and less talked-about template collection, but that’s exactly what makes it interesting. I found so many unique designs that don’t feel overused or repetitive, like most Canva templates. It’s definitely worth digging in!

iv) Batch Processing

This is one of the most useful editing features that I haven’t seen in any other design tool. It allows you to apply the same edits, effects, or adjustments to multiple photos at once. This is incredibly useful for brands that want visual consistency and creators aiming for aesthetically aligned Instagram grids.

Limitations of BeFunky

i) Lacks Advanced Editing

Unlike other Canva alternatives, BeFunky doesn’t offer advanced design features like brand kits, smart resizing for different platforms, or page rulers/design grids. Therefore, I won’t recommend it to people looking for more control and precision in their work.

ii) Limited Collaboration Tools

BeFunky is built mainly for personal projects and solo creators, so collaboration isn’t really part of the experience. The tool doesn’t support real-time collaboration, shared workspaces, or even link-based editing. This makes it a not-so-great choice for teams or anyone who needs to collaborate with clients or colleagues regularly.

Who Is It Best For?

BeFunky is best suited for:

• People who primarily need an awesome collage maker
• New brand owners who want to create simple designs without dealing with complex tools
• Solo creators and influencers looking for photo editing and touch-up features

Why is it a Good Canva Alternative?

We recommend BeFunky as a free alternative to Canva for those who want quick, creative designs without complexity. The interface is simple and beginner-friendly, and it truly shines with advanced photo editing features that include artistic effects and filters. The collage maker is also quite handy, making it perfect for personal projects and social media content.

4. Photopea

Photopea is an advanced web-based editor made for business owners, marketers, and, in general, non-designers. While a lot of people consider it a Photoshop alternative, we feel it makes one of the best Canva alternatives too.

Key Features of Photopea

i) Advanced Editing Capabilities

Photopea is made to offer precise, professional-level editing. It offers a bunch of tools, all of which are strategically placed around the interface.

The left side has all the core editing tools, such as selection tools, brush tools, cloning tools, crop options, and text tools. Whereas the right side has panels for layers, masks, adjustments, and properties.

You can get started by directly uploading an image in almost any format (including PSD and SVG). One feature I really like is the ability to open multiple images at the same time. This makes it easy to work across files – copy elements from one image, paste them into another, and edit everything together without constantly switching tools or exporting files.

ii) Supports Multiple File Formats

Photopea supports almost every file format, including PSD, XCF, TIFF, PNG, JPEG, and more. This is a huge advantage over other design tools, including Canva, which mainly supports basic file formats.

iii) Good Collection of Templates and Plugins

Photopea is best for users who want to edit or design from scratch. Yet I feel the need to address the often-overlooked availability of templates and plugins that make getting started faster and easier.

The collection is also updated regularly to align with current design needs.

iv) Runs Offline

Another useful feature of this tool is that it can run offline. You can upload the designs and continue working even without an active internet connection. Just bear in mind that since the progress isn’t auto-saved, you’ll have to manually save your files to avoid losing any work.

Limitations of Photopea

i) Not Mobile-Friendly

Photopea does run on mobile devices, but I personally do not like the experience. The interface isn’t optimized for smaller screens. You’ll have difficulty using a lot of tools for precise editing. It’s far better suited for desktop or laptop use.

ii) Runs Ad

Unfortunately, the free version of Photopea displays ads, which can be annoying and distracting. You can work around the issue by using an ad blocker, but even then, you’ll see an empty space on the right side where ads are supposed to be.

Who Is It Best For?

Photopea will be best suited for:

• Users familiar with Photoshop-style interfaces and workflows
• Designers who want advanced editing control without installing heavy software
• People who prefer designing from scratch rather than relying heavily on templates

Why is it a Good Canva Alternative?

Photopea is a great Canva alternative as it offers more control and flexibility. Unlike other design tools, it doesn’t rely heavily on pre-designed templates. Instead, it offers more of a blank canvas. This allows you to build layouts from scratch, fine-tune every detail, and work with professional tools like layers, masks, and advanced selections.

5. Kittl

Kittl started out as a typography editing tool, but it later evolved into a powerful browser-based design platform. Today, a lot of people consider it a solid Canva alternative because both tools offer robust editing features, a drag-and-drop interface, and ready-made templates.

Key Features of Kittl

i) Advanced Typography Customization

No other design tool can beat Kittl when it comes to typography. The options available are unique and highly customizable. You’ll find a wide range of styles from bold, stylized lettering to vintage and retro.

I played around with text transformations, shadows, and decorative effects. A good thing is that all these can be used together, which is another thing we can’t really do in Canva. I genuinely enjoyed the level of control.

Another thing I want to point out is how easy all this was. You get anchor point manipulation and intuitive controls, which make the process feel less intimidating, even for a beginner.

ii) Print-Focused Features

Kittl feels like the platform was built with physical products in mind. The templates, typography style, and mockups are designed to sell.

While I was reading reviews, I found that many t-shirt designers and people working in the print-on-demand space preferred Kittl’s typography quality and unique design collection. They appreciate how the styles feel distinctive and less overused compared to other tools.

When it comes to the technical side, Kittl supports SVG and high-resolution PNG exports, so your designs don’t lose quality when scaling or going to print. You also get useful artboard presets for major POD suppliers like Printful, Printify, and Redbubble.

iii) Vector Manipulation

One of the most useful features of Kittl for me is vector manipulation. I’ve always been frustrated with Canva as it only lets me resize shapes and vector graphics. So I was beyond impressed when I found that Kittl lets you go deeper than that.

This can be done with almost any graphic; just by double-clicking, you get editable anchor points (touchpoints) that can be dragged and adjusted to reshape the vector. It gives you much more freedom to customize graphics.

iv) Multiple Artboard

Kittl gives you the ability to work with multiple artboards inside one large canvas. This way, you won’t be limited to a single page layout like in Canva.

It feels more flexible, especially for people who are creating variations of the same design. For example, if you’re working on multiple t-shirt design ideas or social media posts for different platforms.

Limitations of Kittl

i) Fewer Templates

Kittl is often praised for its unique artistic template collection. I also found many great designs while browsing. That said, when you compare this to Canva, it still falls short in terms of sheer quantity. Canva offers an extremely large template library covering almost every possible use case, whereas Kittl’s collection is more curated and niche.

ii) Slight Learning Curve

Although Kittl uses a drag-and-drop editor much like other design tools, it still has a slight learning curve. There are some features, including advanced editing controls and layered effects, that might take a bit of time to fully understand.

Who Is It Best For?

Kittl is a great tool for:

• Designers who love vintage aesthetics and stylized typography
• Brands that want to build a unique branding
• Merch creators and print-on-demand sellers designing t-shirts, posters, and product labels
• Businesses that require print-ready and scalable formats like SVG for professional production

Why is it a Good Canva Alternative?

Kittl is one of the best alternatives to Canva because it offers more artistic freedom and control. It also takes you away from cookie-cutter templates, helping you create designs that feel more original. And of course, it stands out with its advanced typography customization, vector editing capabilities, and multi-artboard workflow.

Summing Up

There are plenty of Canva alternatives out there that cater to different design needs. We will encourage you to never stop exploring because, who knows, you might stumble upon something really great!

However, if you feel that even after trying all these tools, nothing is working out, and you’re spending too much time designing, consider delegating some tasks. Sign up for our unlimited graphic design services and let our experts handle the heavy lifting for you!