Canva
The default design tool for non-designers: 3.6M templates, a capable video editor, Magic Studio AI, a content scheduler and an official MCP server, at £100 a year for Pro or £180 per person for Business, from a vendor whose commercial conduct towards small teams and partners has been poor.
How we testCanva (Canva Pty Ltd, Sydney; private, ~US$4bn ARR, 265M monthly users) remains the easiest way for a marketing team to produce social graphics, decks, one-pagers and short video without a designer: real-time collaboration, brand kits, Magic Studio (Magic Design, Magic Write, Magic Media image and short-video generation from its Leonardo.Ai acquisition), auto-captions, a screen and talking-head recorder, a Content Planner that schedules to LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, X, Pinterest and TikTok, Connect APIs, and an AI Connector/MCP server that works with Claude and ChatGPT on Pro and Business. The relaunched Affinity (Designer, Photo and Publisher as one free app since 30 October 2025) is a genuine bonus for anyone who wants proper vector and layout tools, though its AI features need a paid Canva plan.
Pricing is per person, ex-VAT: Pro £100 a year (US$180) or £13 month-to-month, Business £180 per person per year (US$250) or £18 monthly, Enterprise sales-led (a 56% monthly premium on Pro, 20% on Business). AI is metered (Pro: 200 Premium or 20 Ultra uses a month; Business 400/40) and an AI Pass for heavy users is US$100 per person per month. Video exports are capped at two hours and uploaded 4K is stored at 1080p. Trustpilot is 4.0 on 6,886 reviews, with 31% one-star: paywalled elements, auto-renewals and refund refusals.
First-party: we used Canva across the agency for years and, in our experience, the product was never the problem. The company's commercial behaviour was. The 2024 Teams repricing, up to roughly 300% for small teams, was communicated so badly that Canva had to publish a "Pricing Promise" and grandfather early adopters after the backlash; and the partner programme was cut to solo content creators, removing agencies like ours (the stated strategy at the time). That is why it sits mid-table despite the product.
Pros
- +Fastest design tool for non-designers, with video, recorder, scheduler and brand kits in one
- +MCP server and Connect APIs on self-serve plans; free Affinity for real vector/layout work
- +Trustpilot 4.0 on a huge sample
Cons
- −Commercial conduct: the 2024 Teams price rise and partial reversal, partner programme closed to agencies and review sites
- −AI metered with a US$100/month pass for heavy use; +56% month-to-month on Pro
- −1080p cap on uploaded 4K
Pricing
Minimum commitment: £13 (£13/mo × 1 seat × 1 month (no commitment)). The least you can spend before walking away; excludes numbers, minutes and add-ons.
Pro
£13/mo · month-to-month
£8.33/mo on an annual commitment
Month-to-month costs 56% more
- ✓Per person, ex-VAT; £100/yr (US$180) or £13/mo. 100 GB, 5 brand kits, 3.6M+ templates, 200 Premium / 20 Ultra AI uses/mo, Content Planner, 4K video export, MCP
Business
£18/mo · month-to-month
£15/mo on an annual commitment
Month-to-month costs 20% more
- ✓Per person, no seat minimum; £180/yr (US$250) or £18/mo. 500 GB, 100 brand kits, 400/40 AI uses, approvals, team roles, 10% print discount
Free
£0/mo · no commitment
Same price on any term
- ✓5 GB, 1 brand kit, free templates only, video ≤30 min at 1080p. AI Pass add-on US$100/person/mo; Enterprise by quote (100-seat minimum for IP indemnity)
Specifications
| Rating | 3.2 |
| Month-to-month (entry plan) | £13/mo |
| Annual commit, per month | £8.33/mo |
| Monthly premium | 56% |
| Minimum commitment* | £13 |
| Licensing | Free + subscription |
| Free tier | Limited (watermark/caps) |
| AI metering | Credits |
| Max export (entry plan) | 4K |
| Text-based editing | No |
| Remote recording | No |
| Colour grading | Basic |
| AI voice / dubbing | No |
| Collaboration | ✓ |
| API | ✓ |
| MCP server | ✓ |
| Linux | ✓ |
| Trustpilot (reviews) | 4.0 (6,886) |
| Primary use | Design |
| Platforms | Web, Windows, macOS +2 |
| AI transcription | ✓ |
| Screen recording | ✓ |
| Generative video | ✓ |
| Eye-contact correction | No |
| SSO (self-serve) | No |
| Commitment for annual rate (months) | 0 |
*How we calculate minimum commitment. Headline per-user prices hide the real cost of trying a platform. Total cost of ownership is licence × seats × term, plus usage, add-ons, setup fees and any early-exit charges. Our "minimum commitment" figure is the floor of that: the entry plan's committed rate × the minimum seats the vendor will sell × the months you must commit to (one month at the month-to-month rate where there is no commitment; the licence price where it is sold per year). It deliberately excludes usage, add-ons and prerequisite licences, so your real first bill will be higher, but never lower than this. One-off licences show the licence price; Camtasia is sold per year only. Prices are as shown to a UK buyer: Apple, Adobe (individual) and app-store prices include VAT, most SaaS vendors exclude it; see each profile.
Researched and drafted with AI assistance; reviewed and approved by Tim Meredith. How we use AI
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