You’ve been scrolling through Canva templates all week, and somehow, everything starts to look the same. The layouts blend together, and the AI suggestions don’t quite match your style.
But great design shouldn’t feel generic.
The Canva AI alternatives on this list bring a fresh perspective—with smarter automation, better customization, and creative freedom that feels more you.
Ready to find your next favorite tool? Let’s dive in! 👇
11 Best Canva AI Alternatives for Designers
- Top Canva AI Alternatives at a Glance
- Why Go For a Canva AI Alternative?
- The Best Canva AI Alternatives
- 1. ClickUp (Best for design task workflows and AI-powered creative collaboration)
- 2. Snappa (Best for social media graphics)
- 3. Fotor AI (Best for AI photo enhancement)
- 4. Adobe Express (Best for brand consistency)
- 5. Visme (Best for data visualization)
- 6. Figma AI (Best for collaborative design)
- 7. Piktochart (Best for infographic creation)
- 8. Designs.ai (Best for AI-generated designs)
- 9. Pixlr (Best for quick photo editing)
- 10. Design Wizard (Best for marketing templates)
- 11. PicMonkey (Best for photo collages)
Summarize this article for me pleaseTop Canva AI Alternatives at a Glance
Here are some of the best Canva alternatives to consider if you want stronger AI features and more control over your designs.
| Tool | Best for | Best features | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|
| ClickUp | Creative teams needing structured workflows Team size: Solo → Enterprise | AI briefs, Whiteboard-to-task conversion, Figma embeds, Automations, Creative review flows | Free forever; Customization available for enterprises |
| Snappa | Fast social media graphics Team size: Small teams, solopreneurs | Magic Resize, Graphics Autopilot, Brand kit, Social scheduling | Free, paid from $15/mo |
| Fotor AI | AI photo enhancement + artistic filters Team size: Any | Portrait retouching, AI Photo Colorizer, AI cutout, art generator | Free, Pro from $10.99/mo |
| Adobe Express | Brand-consistent assets with Adobe ecosystem Team size: Creative pros, marketing teams | Adobe Stock access, Quick Actions, video tools, CC libraries | Free, Premium $9.99/mo |
| Visme | Data-driven visuals + presentations Team size: Business & education teams | Smart charts, Interactive maps, Screen recording, Animation controls | Free, Pro $59/mo |
| Figma AI | Collaborative UI/UX design Team size: Product, design, dev teams | Auto Layout, Make Design AI, design systems, interactive prototypes | Free, Professional from $20/mo |
| Piktochart | Infographics & reports Team size: Biz, nonprofit, educators | Interactive visuals, block editor, data import, branded templates | Free, Pro $29/mo |
| Designs.ai | AI-generated brand kits & visuals Team size: Small teams, creators | Logo generator, video maker, Designmaker, color matcher | Plans from $29/mo |
| Pixlr | Quick browser-based photo edits Team size: Any | AI Cutout, batch edit, double exposure, template designer | Free, Premium $9.99/mo |
| Design Wizard | Marketing templates & quick promos Team size: Small biz, marketers | Campaign-based templates, social scheduling, motion graphics | Free, Pro $9.99/mo |
| PicMonkey | Photo collages & portrait retouching Team size: SMBs, creators | Smart collage layouts, touch-up tools, borders/frames | Free trial, paid from $7.99/mo |
Summarize this article for me pleaseWhy Go For a Canva AI Alternative?
Canva AI is built for fast, accessible content creation, but it may not always align with every creative or professional need. Here’s why you might want to explore a Canva AI alternative:
- Limited creative flexibility: The AI often leans heavily on graphic design templates. That can make it hard to create designs that feel truly unique or tailored to your brand
- Generic output quality: AI-generated text and visuals can feel too broad or basic, especially for niche or high-quality projects
- Minimal control over AI suggestions: You get limited control over how the AI generates or refines content. That’s frustrating when you need very specific results
- Paywall-heavy features: Many AI tools for designers—such as Magic Write, image generation, or advanced background removal—require paid plans.
- Not ideal for complex workflows: For team collaborations or larger content projects, Canva’s AI tools may not have the depth or structure you need
🔍 Did You Know? 74% of artists have experimented with AI tools like ChatGPT to create or enhance their art.
Summarize this article for me pleaseThe Best Canva AI Alternatives
If you’ve hit a creative ceiling, these Canva AI alternatives offer more range, better control, and smarter results without compromising speed.
How we review software at ClickUp
Our editorial team follows a transparent, research-backed, and vendor-neutral process, so you can trust that our recommendations are based on real product value.
Here’s a detailed rundown of how we review software at ClickUp.
1. ClickUp (Best for design task workflows and AI-powered creative collaboration)
ClickUp is a powerful Canva AI alternative that picks up where quick visual tools leave off. It brings structure to creative work and layers in AI so teams can move faster without losing context.
Get control over your design process
You might be handling five different design tasks in a day, from mockups for a sales deck to last-minute ad banners. ClickUp for Design Teams helps you stay on top of them all.
Let’s say you’re leading a rebrand. You can break down the entire project into ClickUp Tasks for logo concepts, updated brand colors, landing page visuals, and asset handoffs. Assign owners, set deadlines, and move tasks through review stages—all from one place.
Your team knows exactly what’s next, and you don’t waste time chasing updates.
Turn early ideas into clear execution plans
ClickUp Whiteboards make it easy to gather input, sketch concepts, and map layouts without losing the link between ideation and delivery. While Canva AI’s creative canvas doesn’t connect to task workflows, ClickUp lets you turn sticky notes, wireframes, and sections into trackable work items.
Suppose your team is kicking off a travel app launch campaign. On the Whiteboard, you plan a scroll-based landing page with location-based visuals, promo banners, and a testimonial slider. Once the direction is clear, assign each visual component as a separate Task for designers and illustrators already connected to the project timeline.
This is also where ClickUp Brain adds value. It’s an AI engine built into ClickUp that helps teams write, create, and organize work faster.
For your travel app brainstorm, you can prompt ClickUp Brain with something like: ‘Generate a header visual for a summer travel campaign with bright colors featuring young solo travelers and famous landmarks.’
ClickUp Brain will return an image concept right inside your Whiteboard. This keeps early ideation fast, focused, and instantly actionable.
If you’re still exploring layout options, try ClickUp’s Design Brief Whiteboard Template. This whiteboard template helps you visually map sections like banners, CTA blocks, or testimonials.
Keep creative planning moving with AI
The AI design collaboration software also supports your team through the parts of the design workflow that usually slow things down.
During kickoff, you can use it to generate a detailed creative brief based on a few key inputs.
For instance, if your team is launching a summer campaign for a travel booking app, you can plug in the objective (increase downloads), audience (millennial solo travellers), and tone (optimistic, lighthearted).
AI will draft a complete creative brief inside ClickUp Docs, including suggested asset types and messaging angles.
Once your team begins building assets, ClickUp Brain helps simplify versioning and feedback.
If your motion designer uploads a revised Instagram story and the marketing lead leaves notes across three comments, ask AI to pull key changes into the task. It will update the description and generate subtasks so editors know what to fix, and reviewers can approve the next version without confusion.
To make this even faster, the ClickUp Creative and Design Template gives you a ready-made task structure for managing briefs, asset reviews, deadlines, and approvals.
You can also use AI in any task or comment thread to write quick copy options like alternate CTAs, in-app banner text, or even alt text.
ClickUp best features
- Standardize requests: Use the ready-made ClickUp Design Request Template to collect goals, timelines, file specs, and review checkpoints so designers always start with the full brief
- Keep design files visible: Add live Figma embeds directly into tasks, making it easier for collaborators to view, comment, and track changes without leaving ClickUp
- Centralize specs and guidelines: Store brand references, dimensions, and design notes in Docs that stay connected to the task
- Collaborate across teams and roles: Bring marketing, product, and design together in one space to leave feedback, assign updates, and move work forward without delays
- Automate review cycles: Set triggers to assign reviewers, shift tasks to the next stage, or ping teammates when assets are ready with ClickUp Automation
ClickUp limitations
- ClickUp lacks a native asset library or digital asset management (DAM) feature
ClickUp pricing
free forever
Best for individual users
Free Free
Key Features:
60MB Storage
Unlimited Tasks
Unlimited Free Plan Members
unlimited
Best for small teams
$7 $10
Everything in Free +
Unlimited Storage
Unlimited Folders and Spaces
Unlimited Integrations
business
Best for mid-sized teams
$12 $19
Everything in Unlimited +
Google SSO
Unlimited Message History
Unlimited Mind Maps
enterprise
Best for many large teams
Get a custom demo and see how ClickUp aligns with your goals.
Everything in Business +
White Labeling
Conditional Logic in Forms
Subtasks in Multiple Lists
* Prices when billed annually
The world's most complete work AI, starting at $9 per month
ClickUp Brain is a no Brainer. One AI to manage your work, at a fraction of the cost.
ClickUp ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.7/5 (10,000+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.6/5 (4,000+ reviews)
What are real-life users saying about ClickUp?
Here’s what stood out from a recent G2 review:
🧠 Fun Fact: Ai-Da, the world’s first ultra-realistic robot artist, has had solo shows in major galleries, and her works have sparked debates about what it means to be a creator.
2. Snappa (Best for social media graphics)
via Snappa
Most web design tools force you to guess dimensions for different platforms, but Snappa eliminates this entirely. The Canva AI alternative focuses specifically on social media content creation, offering preset sizes for every major platform from Instagram stories to LinkedIn banners.
What makes this tool particularly practical is its Buffer integration, allowing direct scheduling without switching between applications. However, the template selection remains limited compared to broader design platforms.
Snappa best features
- Adapt designs across 30+ social media formats instantly with the Magic Resize feature
- Get design improvement suggestions from the built-in Graphics Autopilot
- Apply brand colors consistently using the brand kit color palette storage
Snappa limitations
- Limited custom drawing tools make creating original graphics from scratch difficult
- The template library focuses heavily on social media, lacking print design options
- No advanced layer management or blending mode capabilities
- Font selection remains restricted compared to other design platforms
Snappa pricing
- Free
- Pro: $15/month
- Team: $30/month
Snappa ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.6/5 (35+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.4/5 (25+ reviews)
What are real-life users saying about Snappa?
A helpful review on G2 explains it well:
📮 ClickUp Insight: 11% of our respondents leverage AI primarily for brainstorming and ideation. But what happens to these brilliant ideas afterward? This is where you need an AI-powered whiteboard, like ClickUp Whiteboards, which helps you instantly turn ideas from the brainstorming session into tasks.
And if you can’t quite explain a concept, simply ask the AI image generator to create a visual based on your prompt. It’s the everything app for work that enables you to ideate, visualize, and execute faster!
3. Fotor AI (Best for AI photo enhancement)
via Fotor AI
Fotor AI’s AI Portrait feature can detect faces and apply targeted enhancements like teeth whitening and skin smoothing. Beyond basic editing, the Canva AI alternative includes an art generator that transforms photos into artistic styles using text prompts.
Nevertheless, the AI processing can be slow during peak usage times. Furthermore, some advanced editing features require premium subscriptions that add up quickly.
Fotor AI best features
- Automatically adjust lighting, contrast, and saturation based on image content using AI Scene Enhancement
- Restore black and white photos to full color with its AI Photo Colorizer
- Remove complex backgrounds using AI-powered cutout tools that handle fine details
- Enhance portrait quality with AI-driven skin retouching and facial feature improvements
Fotor AI limitations
- Limited file format support compared to professional photo editing software
- Batch processing capabilities are restricted on lower-tier plans
Fotor AI pricing
- Free
- Fotor Pro: $10.99/month
- Fotor Pro+: $23.99/month
Fotor AI ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.2/5 (320+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.6/5 (1,035+ reviews)
What are real-life users saying about Fotor AI?
One G2 review puts it this way:
4. Adobe Express (Best for brand consistency)
via Adobe Express
Unlike standalone design team collaboration tools, Adobe Express integrates seamlessly into the Creative Cloud ecosystem. This connection allows instant access to Adobe Stock’s extensive library and Creative Cloud Libraries for brand assets.
The Canva AI alternative’s Quick Actions feature handles common tasks like removing backgrounds or resizing images in seconds.
Adobe Express best features
- Access Adobe Stock’s premium collection of over 200 million assets directly in the editor
- Create animated graphics and video content using timeline-based editing tools
- Generate QR codes directly within designs for print and digital marketing materials
Adobe Express limitations
- An Adobe Creative Cloud subscription is required for accessing premium customizable templates and stock images
- Limited offline functionality compared to desktop Creative Suite applications
- Some users report slower loading times when working with large image files
Adobe Express pricing
- Free
- Adobe Express Premium: $9.99/month.
- Adobe Firefly Pro: $19.99/month
- Adobe Express Teams: $4.99/user/month
Adobe Express ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.5/5 (390+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.6/5 (1,210+ reviews)
What are real-life users saying about Adobe Express?
Real talk from a G2 review:
💡 Pro Tip: Try prompt chaining. Generate something basic, then describe what you like about it and turn that into your next prompt.
5. Visme (Best for data visualization)
via Visme
Where other design project management tools treat charts as afterthoughts, Visme builds them into the core experience. The platform connects directly to Google Sheets and Microsoft Excel files, updating charts automatically when data changes.
Its Interactive Map allows clickable regions for presenting geographic data. Yet, the learning curve can be steep for users expecting simple drag-and-drop functionality.
Visme best features
- Establish seamless graphic design workflow approval processes for team collaboration
- Start screen recordings directly within presentations for tutorial content
- Control Animation Timeline settings to create complex presentation sequences
Visme limitations
- Free version includes Visme branding on all exported content
- Limited template variety outside of business and educational themes
- Collaboration features require higher-tier subscriptions for teams
Visme pricing
- Free
- Starter: $29/month
- Pro: $59/month
- Enterprise: Custom pricing
Visme ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.5/5 (445+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.5/5 (715+ reviews)
What are real-life users saying about Visme?
According to one G2 reviewer:
🧠 Fun Fact: British artist Harold Cohen created AARON, one of the earliest AI art programs, in the early ’70s. It could draw autonomously and Cohen treated it as his artistic partner for over 40 years.
6. Figma AI (Best for collaborative design)
via Figma AI
Figma AI’s Auto Layout feature automatically adjusts designs when content changes, maintaining consistent spacing and alignment. Its Component System lets teams create reusable design elements that update across all instances.
Still, the browser-based interface can feel sluggish when handling complex files with many artboards. Additionally, the AI features are still in beta and occasionally produce inconsistent results.
Figma AI best features
- Enable real-time collaboration where multiple designers edit simultaneously with live cursors
- Create design systems with master components that propagate changes across all instances
- Generate design variations using Make Design AI for rapid prototyping
- Develop interactive prototypes with advanced transitions and micro-interactions
Figma AI limitations
- Figma’s Make Code feature creates React code that’s often disorganized and out of sync with source designs
- If your design system has non-standard components, Figma AI may not interpret them correctly
Figma AI pricing
- Free
- Professional
- Collab seat: $5/month
- Dev seat: $15/month
- Full seat: $20/month
- Organization (billed annually)
- Collab seat: $5/month
- Dev seat: $25/month
- Full seat: $55/month
- Enterprise (billed annually)
- Collab seat: $5/month
- Dev seat: $35/month
- Full seat: $90/month
Figma AI ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.7/5 (1,215+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.7/5 (815+ reviews)
What are real-life users saying about Figma AI?
From a G2 review:
💡 Pro Tip: Maintain a prompt journal in ClickUp Docs. Seriously. Write down what worked, what didn’t, and any weird stuff the AI came up with. It speeds up your process way more than winging it every time.
7. Piktochart (Best for infographic creation)
via Piktochart
Rather than starting with blank canvases, Piktochart provides structured templates specifically for information design. This Canva AI alternative’s block-based editor lets you swap content sections without redesigning entire layouts. Its icon search function includes over one million icons organized by category and style.
The catch? Exporting high-resolution files requires premium subscriptions.
Piktochart best features
- Populate charts from spreadsheet data with efficient data import tools
- Design interactive infographics with clickable elements and hover effects
- Customize branded templates that use your color scheme and fonts
Piktochart limitations
- Limited customization compared to general-purpose design tools
- Collaboration features lag behind other Canva AI alternatives like ClickUp and Figma
Piktochart pricing
- Individuals and businesses
- Free
- Pro: $29/month per user
- Business: $49/month per user
- Enterprise: Custom pricing
- Teachers and students
- Free
- Education: $39/month per user (billed annually)
- Campus: Custom pricing
- Nonprofits
- Free
- Nonprofit: $60/month per user (billed annually)
Piktochart ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.4/5 (160+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.7/5 (195+ reviews)
What are real-life users saying about Piktochart?
Here’s a firsthand perspective from a G2 review:
📖 Also Read: Canva vs. Figma—Which App Is Best for Designers?
8. Designs.ai (Best for AI-generated designs)
via Designs.ai
Designs.ai generates complete brand packages from simple text descriptions. The platform’s Logomaker AI creates multiple logo variations based on your industry and style preferences.
Its videomaker can produce marketing videos using AI-generated scripts and visuals. However, its customization options for using AI in graphic design remain limited once initial concepts have been generated.
Designs.ai best features
- Create brand guidelines including logos, color palettes, and font combinations from text descriptions
- Launch the Designmaker to produce social media graphics, banners, and print materials automatically
- Extract and apply color schemes from uploaded reference images with the color matcher
- Construct website mockups using AI-generated layouts based on your industry and preferences
Designs.ai limitations
- The template variety remains smaller than established Canva alternatives
- Free plan imposes restrictions like inability to download designs, export certain formats, and lack of premium templates
- Generating even short videos can be time-consuming, with some workflows taking several minutes per clip
Designs.ai pricing
- Basic: $29/month
- Pro: $69/month
- Enterprise: $199/month
Designs.ai ratings and reviews
- G2: Not enough reviews
- Capterra: Not enough reviews
What are real-life users saying about Designs.ai?
See what this G2 reviewer had to say:
9. Pixlr (Best for quick photo editing)
via Pixlr
Pixlr runs entirely in web browsers while maintaining professional editing capabilities. The platform offers both Express (simple) and Advanced (complex) editing modes within the same interface.
Its AI Cutout tool handles intricate selections like hair and transparent objects automatically. Nevertheless, saving projects requires account creation, which some users find inconvenient.
Pixlr best features
- Process multiple images simultaneously with identical adjustments using the batch editor
- Use the Double Exposure feature for creative photo blending effects
- Integrate the template designer to create social media graphics using your edited photos
Pixlr limitations
- The free version includes frequent advertisements that disrupt the editing workflow
- Limited cloud storage compared to dedicated photo management platforms
- Despite being beginner-friendly, the interface can be intimidating and inconsistent, with some keyboard shortcuts not behaving as expected
Pixlr pricing
- Free trial
- Plus: $2.49/month
- Premium: $9.99/month
- Team: $16.99/month
- Enterprise: Custom pricing
Pixlr ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.4/5 (730+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.4/5 (115+ reviews)
What are real-life users saying about Pixlr?
This is how one user described their experience:
10. Design Wizard (Best for marketing templates)
via Design Wizard
Design Wizard adapts designs for multiple advertising platforms automatically. Its video templates include motion graphics optimized for social media engagement.
However, the template style tends toward corporate aesthetics that may not suit creative brands. Plus, the stock photo library, though large, lacks the quality of premium services.
Design Wizard best features
- Navigate campaign templates organized by marketing objectives, like lead generation and brand awareness
- Animate motion graphics using pre-animated templates for social media video content
- Schedule social posts directly to multiple platforms from within the design interface
Design Wizard limitations
- Custom design options are restricted, making it difficult to create unique or highly tailored visuals
- Free designs may include watermarks, and each download often costs credits, even for edits of previously created designs
- Grid-snapping and alignment options are weak or missing
Design Wizard pricing
- Free
- Pro: $9.99/month
Design Wizard ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.3/5 (20+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.3/5 (25+ reviews)
What are real-life users saying about Design Wizard?
One review puts it this way:
📖 Also Read: How to Use AI in Canva for Creative Professionals
11. PicMonkey (Best for photo collages)
via PicMonkey
Where most editors treat collages as simple image placement, PicMonkey offers sophisticated layout algorithms. The Canva AI alternative’s touch-up tools include advanced portrait editing like teeth whitening and eye brightening.
Its Frames and Borders collection includes artistic options that complement various photo styles.
PicMonkey best features
- Arrange dynamic collages using smart layout algorithms that automatically arrange photos attractively
- Explore the graphics library, which is updated regularly with seasonal and trending design elements
- Organize and share design projects with team members with the hub feature
PicMonkey limitations
- Limited video editing capabilities despite marketing emphasis on multimedia content
- Fewer advanced photo manipulation tools compared to professional editing software
- Exporting images sometimes leads to blurry or pixelated results
- Not ideal for working on multiple images or layered designs—you often need to save one and re-import it to edit another
PicMonkey pricing
- Free trial
- Basic: $7.99/month
- Pro: $12.99/month
- Business: $23/month
PicMonkey ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.4/5 (405+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.5/5 (1,140+ reviews)
What are real-life users saying about PicMonkey?
Here is what a G2 review says about PicMonkey:
🔍 Did You Know? 20.7% of artists feel that keeping the creative process a true collaboration between humans and AI is crucial for making art that stays fresh and engaging.
Summarize this article for me pleaseSwitch Gears and Start Designing in ClickUp
Creative work slows down when teams need to chase files, dig through messages, or guess the latest feedback. Without a clear system, great ideas get lost and timelines keep slipping.
ClickUp brings structure to every part of the design process. Teams can manage briefs, track changes, assign deadlines, and gather feedback in one place. Templates reduce setup time. Docs collect inputs without confusion. Whiteboards give everyone a shared space to align before execution begins.
Sign up for ClickUp today! ✅
Everything you need to stay organized and get work done.
