Canva and Figma both promise that you can make good-looking work without being a designer, but they approach the job in very different ways. This comparison looks at what each vendor documents about plans, AI limits, collaboration and data controls, so you can shortlist with facts rather than reputation.
It is written for non-designers: people who need to produce visuals, presentations or simple mockups as part of another job. It does not rank the two tools or give scores, because we have not run our own tests.
How we researched this: we did not run hands-on tests for this article. It is based on the vendor’s own documentation and public sources, checked on 11 November 2026. Features and prices change, so confirm details on the vendor’s site before you buy.
Key takeaways
- Canva is documented around templates and per-person plans; Figma is documented around design files, seat types and developer hand-off.
- Figma charges per editor and offers free View seats; Canva lists per-person prices for Pro and Business.
- Both meter AI use. Canva lists monthly allowances by plan, and Figma uses shared credits per seat.
- Figma states AI content training is on by default for Starter and Professional and off for Organization and Enterprise. We could not confirm Canva’s position from an official page.
- Prices and limits change often, so confirm them on each vendor page and test both on a real task first.
Why compare Canva and Figma at all
Canva and Figma are often mentioned together because both run in a browser, both let several people work on the same file, and both now ship AI features. They were built for different jobs, though. Canva presents itself around making finished graphics, documents and presentations from templates. Figma is organised around design files, shared components and hand-off to developers, and its pricing is built around seats for editors, developers and viewers.
For a non-designer, such as a marketer, founder, teacher or operations lead, the useful question is not which tool is better in the abstract. It is which one fits the work you actually do each week, and what it will cost once more than one person is involved. This article sets out what the vendors document, shows where the two differ, and gives you a way to test both yourself. If you are new to judging tools like this, our guide on how to choose an AI tool covers the general approach.
A note on scope
Both products are broad and change quickly. We only describe what we could read on official pages. Where an official page would not load for us, we say so rather than fill the gap.
Quick overview table
| Question | Canva | Figma |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes. Canva lists Free at US$0 with 5GB storage and a limited AI allowance. | Yes. Starter is free, with unlimited files in Drafts and co-editing on up to 3 files. |
| Main paid tiers | Pro, Business, Enterprise. Canva Teams is no longer available to new sign-ups. | Professional, Organization, Enterprise. |
| How seats work | Pro is priced for one person. Business is priced per person for teams. | Paid per editor (Full seat). Dev, Collab and View seats exist, and View is free. |
| AI usage model | Monthly AI allowances that vary by plan, with add-ons for more. | Shared monthly AI credits per seat, with more credits available to buy. |
| AI training on your content | We could not confirm this from an official page. | On by default for Starter and Professional, off by default for Organization and Enterprise. |
Canva figures come from Canva’s own pricing explainer page and Figma figures from Figma’s pricing page, pricing FAQ and help centre, all checked on 11 November 2026. Confirm current figures on each vendor page before you decide.
Criteria that matter for non-designers
Instead of a long feature checklist, we suggest five criteria. They are the ones most likely to change your decision if you do not have design training.
- What you produce. Social posts, presentations and print items, or interface mockups and prototypes.
- Who else touches the file. Just you, a small team, or a company with developers and approvals.
- How the pricing scales. Per person, per editor, or by usage.
- How AI is metered. Allowances, credits and what happens when you run out.
- What you can control about your data. Especially whether your content can be used to train AI models.
Canva: plans and AI allowances
Canva’s pricing explainer page describes four plans. Free is US$0 for one person, with 5GB of storage, one Brand Kit with three colours and a limited AI allowance. Pro is listed at US$180 per year for one person, with 100GB of storage, five Brand Kits and a larger AI allowance. Business is listed at US$250 per year per person for individuals and teams, adding team admin tools, 100 Brand Kits with approvals, 500GB of storage and a 10% print discount. Enterprise has no public price and adds SSO and SCIM for larger teams. The page says yearly billing is discounted by about 16% and that Canva Teams is no longer available for new sign-ups or upgrades.
| Plan | Price listed | Storage | Monthly AI allowance (as listed) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | US$0 | 5GB | Up to 200 Standard or 20 Premium AI uses |
| Pro | US$180 per year, one person | 100GB | Up to 2,000 Standard, 200 Premium or 20 Ultra uses |
| Business | US$250 per year, per person | 500GB | Up to 4,000 Standard, 400 Premium or 40 Ultra uses |
| Enterprise | Contact sales | 1TB | Same tier as Business, per the page |
The page explains that allowances are shared across tool tiers and reset monthly, that higher-tier tools use more of the allowance, and that some AI design tools do not count towards it. Pro and Business can add an AI Pass, and Business can buy one-time top-ups. Several features are marked “Coming soon”, so check what is live for your account.
Affinity
Separately, Canva announced on 30 October 2025 that its Affinity design app is free, according to a report from marketing-interactive. Affinity targets photo editing, vector design and layout, so it matters more to people who want professional-style tools than to most non-designers.
Figma: plans, seats and credits
Figma’s pricing page lists Starter as free, Professional at US$12 per editor per month billed annually (US$15 billed monthly), and Organization at US$45 per editor per month billed annually. Professional and Organization include unlimited free viewers. Figma’s pricing FAQ explains that you cannot buy Figma Design on its own, because it comes with the Full seat.
| Seat | What the FAQ says it includes |
|---|---|
| Full | Figma Design, Dev Mode, Figma Slides, FigJam and Figma Sites |
| Dev | Dev Mode, Slides and FigJam, plus view and comment access in Design files |
| Collab | Slides and FigJam, plus view and comment access in Design files |
| View | Free, with view and comment access to Design, Slides and FigJam |
On AI, the FAQ says credits are shared across all Figma AI features. Full seats get 3,000 monthly credits on Professional and 3,500 on Organization. Collab, Dev and View seats and Starter users get 500. Additional credits can be bought. Using Figma Make to ship into your team’s codebase is described as free during beta.
Cancelling Professional
The FAQ says that cancelling a Professional plan means downgrading to a Starter team, which limits you to 3 collaborative files and removes paid features such as the team component library and unlimited version history. That is worth knowing before you build a team library.
Recent product direction
Figma’s what’s-new page and trade coverage describe Config 2026 announcements around code layers, shaders, motion and agent workflows. A diginomica report dated 29 June 2026 said the Figma agent was generally available, while Figma’s own what’s-new page described the agent as a gradual beta rollout for paid full-seat users. Because the two sources differ, we do not state a status. Check your account.
The direction is clear enough for buyers: Figma is adding code and agent features aimed at product teams. Canva’s explainer lists AI features and several “Coming soon” items. Neither direction tells you whether a feature will suit your workflow, which is why a short trial matters.
Pricing models side by side
The two vendors count different things. Canva’s paid plans are priced per person, with AI measured in monthly uses. Figma charges per editor, gives viewers free access, and meters AI in credits shared per seat. That has practical effects.
| Situation | Canva | Figma |
|---|---|---|
| One person making graphics | Free or Pro, per Canva’s listed plans | Starter or one Professional editor seat |
| Many people who only review | Check how Business seats are counted for your team | Free View seats with view and comment access |
| Heavy AI use | Upgrade, buy AI Pass, or top up on Business | Buy additional credits |
| Billing detail | Yearly billing about 16% cheaper per Canva | Annual plans invoiced quarterly; seats added mid-term billed monthly unless added to the annual plan |
Our guide on how to read an AI tool’s pricing page explains how to translate allowances and credits into a monthly cost for your own usage.
Privacy and data
Figma’s help centre states that content training is on by default for Starter and Professional, where team admins can turn it off, and off by default for Organization and Enterprise, where it currently cannot be turned on. It also says content training does not affect access to AI features, and that access is controlled by a separate admin setting.
For Canva we found third-party pages discussing its AI terms, but we could not load Canva’s own policy or Shield pages, so we cannot state what its terms say about training on your content. If this matters to you, read Canva’s AI product terms and privacy policy directly and ask support in writing. Our guide on protecting company data when using AI tools lists questions to ask any vendor.
Who each suits
Canva may suit you if
- You mainly produce social graphics, slides, documents or print items from templates.
- You want a simple per-person price and Brand Kits for consistent colours and fonts.
- You work alone or in a small team without developers.
Figma may suit you if
- You work with developers or product teams and need design files, shared components and Dev Mode.
- You have many reviewers, since viewers are free.
- You want admin control over whether content is used for AI training, and your plan allows it.
Look elsewhere or test further if
- Your main need is professional print or photo editing, where Affinity or other tools may fit better.
- You need written confirmation of data handling that we could not verify.
How to run your own test
Because we did not test either product, run a short trial yourself. Our guides on testing an AI tool before you pay and comparing AI tools side by side fairly give a longer method. A quick version:
- Pick three real tasks, such as a social post, a one-page flyer and a short slide deck.
- Do each task in both tools on free plans, and time how long each takes.
- Invite one colleague to comment, and note how easy review and edits are.
- Use the AI features for the same task and see how fast your allowance or credits move.
- Check the admin and privacy settings for your plan.
Decision checklist
- Do I need templates and quick output, or components and developer hand-off?
- How many people edit, and how many only review?
- What will AI use cost me at my real volume?
- Have I read the vendor’s own data and AI training terms?
- Have I confirmed current prices on each vendor page?
Frequently asked questions
Is Canva easier than Figma for beginners?
We did not test either tool, so we cannot judge ease of use. Canva describes template-driven creation of graphics and documents, while Figma describes design files, components and developer tools. Try the same task in both on free plans.
Is Figma free?
Figma lists a free Starter plan. Its FAQ says it gives unlimited files in Drafts and co-editing on up to 3 files, with 3 pages per file. Paid features need Professional or above.
Does Canva have a free plan?
Yes. Canva lists a Free plan at US$0 with 5GB of storage, one Brand Kit and a limited AI allowance.
Can my team use Canva Teams?
Canva says Canva Teams is no longer available for new sign-ups or upgrades. Its explainer lists Business as the team plan.
Do these tools train AI on my designs?
Figma says content training is on by default for Starter and Professional and off for Organization and Enterprise. We could not confirm Canva’s position from an official page, so read its terms directly.
Which is cheaper?
It depends on who edits and how much AI you use. Figma charges per editor and Canva lists per-person prices, so the same team can cost different amounts. Work out your own numbers on the vendor pages.
Conclusion
Canva and Figma overlap, but the documented differences are real: Canva leans towards template-led production with per-person plans, and Figma towards shared design files with editor seats, free viewers and developer tools. Choose on the work you do, who needs access, and what you can verify about data handling. Start with how to choose an AI tool, then run the short test above and read both vendors’ current terms before paying.
Sources
- Canva, pricing explainer, accessed 11 November 2026
- Figma, pricing, accessed 11 November 2026
- Figma, pricing FAQ, accessed 11 November 2026
- Figma Help Center, control AI features and content training settings, accessed 11 November 2026
- Figma, what’s new, accessed 11 November 2026
- diginomica, Config 2026 report (29 June 2026), accessed 11 November 2026
- marketing-interactive, Canva Affinity, accessed 11 November 2026
