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Free alternatives to Canva

Best free option: Polotno Studio (Strong). Switching saves about $120 USD a year.

Canva, Canva Pro, one person, annual plan

$120 USDa year

$142 CAD

Every pick below has a free version.

Runs on
  • Windows
  • macOS
  • Web
  • iOS
  • Android
Key file formats
.pub.pdf

Filter alternatives

3 alternatives

Strong

1 tool

Covers most of the same work, with trade-offs noted on each card.

  1. Rank 1: Polotno Studio

    Best for a free no-sign-up editor in the browser

    License: Free tier
    • macOS
    • Web
    Status: Verified
    • PDF: saves only, partial fidelity. Exports print-ready PDF with CMYK and bleed; PDF import is not listed

    Free with no sign-up. Work stays in the browser unless you sign in to save and sync. Paid plans add credits and the automation API. Free version: Free with no sign-up. The free plan adds 100 credits and 100 MB of cloud storage a month; Starter is US$19 a month.

Situational

2 tools

Right for specific needs, or not yet mature enough to recommend widely.

  1. Rank 2: Affinity

    Best for designers who want an offline layout app

    License: Freeware
    • Windows
    • macOS
    Status: Verified
    • PSD: opens and saves, partial fidelity. Layers and adjustment layers import; smart objects are rasterized unless smart-object import is turned on
    • PSB: opens only, partial fidelity. Opens PSB files
    • TIFF: opens and saves, full fidelity
    • PNG: opens and saves, full fidelity
    • JPG: opens and saves, full fidelity
    • +5 more

    Free since 30 Oct 2025 with a Canva account, for Windows and macOS. A professional design app rather than a template tool.

  2. Rank 3: Photopea

    Best for editing images in a browser, not templates

    License: Free tier
    • Web
    Status: Verified
    • PSD: opens and saves, partial fidelity. Keeps layers, adjustment layers, smart objects and styles; some newer Photoshop features are lost
    • TIFF: opens and saves, full fidelity
    • PNG: opens and saves, full fidelity
    • JPG: opens and saves, full fidelity
    • WEBP: opens and saves, full fidelity

    A Photoshop-style image editor that is free with ads. Better for retouching than for social posts or documents. Free version: Every editing tool is free with ads. Premium removes the ads and adds cloud storage and AI credits.

Sponsor this page: $149 for 30 days. Sponsors appear above the ranking, labeled; the ranking itself is not for sale.

Feature parity

How each alternative covers what people use Canva for. Numbers link to editor notes.

Feature parity with Canva
FeaturePolotno StudioAffinityPhotopea
Content
Large template libraryPartialNote 1NoNote 2NoNote 3
Stock photos, video and graphicsPartialNote 4NoNote 5NoNote 6
Branding
Brand kit for fonts, colors and logosPartialNote 7NoNote 8NoNote 9
Editing
Background remover and magic resizePartialNote 10NoNote 11PartialNote 12
Collaboration
Real-time collaboration and commentsNoNote 13NoNote 14NoNote 15
AI
AI image and design generationPartialNote 16NoNote 17NoNote 18
Output
Print export with bleed and CMYKYesNote 19YesNote 20PartialNote 21
Parity score50%14%14%
  1. Polotno Studio, Large template library: Searchable templates that load in one click; a smaller library
  2. Affinity, Large template library: Built for drawing and layout, not template-based design
  3. Photopea, Large template library: No template library
  4. Polotno Studio, Stock photos, video and graphics: Assets and custom libraries; less content than Canva
  5. Affinity, Stock photos, video and graphics: No stock library
  6. Photopea, Stock photos, video and graphics: No stock library
  7. Polotno Studio, Brand kit for fonts, colors and logos: Brand kit tab; cloud save needs an account
  8. Affinity, Brand kit for fonts, colors and logos: No brand kit
  9. Photopea, Brand kit for fonts, colors and logos: No brand kit
  10. Polotno Studio, Background remover and magic resize: Remove background and resize tools; the free plan includes 100 credits a month
  11. Affinity, Background remover and magic resize: Select Subject needs a paid Canva plan
  12. Photopea, Background remover and magic resize: Selection and resize tools; no Canva-style magic resize
  13. Polotno Studio, Real-time collaboration and comments: Local-first editor with no live co-editing documented
  14. Affinity, Real-time collaboration and comments: Single-user desktop app
  15. Photopea, Real-time collaboration and comments: Single-user editor
  16. Polotno Studio, AI image and design generation: AI tools run on monthly credits; the free plan includes 100
  17. Affinity, AI image and design generation: Generative tools need a paid Canva plan
  18. Photopea, AI image and design generation: AI credits are part of the paid Premium plan
  19. Polotno Studio, Print export with bleed and CMYK: PDF, PNG and SVG export with bleed and CMYK support
  20. Affinity, Print export with bleed and CMYK: CMYK, ICC profiles and PDF/X export
  21. Photopea, Print export with bleed and CMYK: CMYK mode and PDF export

Not covered by any free alternative yet: Large template library, Stock photos, video and graphics, Brand kit for fonts, colors and logos, Background remover and magic resize, Real-time collaboration and comments, AI image and design generation. See all feature gaps

File formats

Can each alternative open and save Canva files?

Opening and saving Canva files
FormatPolotno StudioAffinityPhotopea
.pubNoNote 1NoNo
.pdfSaves onlyNote 2Partial fidelityOpens and savesFull fidelityNo
  1. Polotno Studio, .pub: Cannot open PUB files
  2. Polotno Studio, .pdf: Exports print-ready PDF with CMYK and bleed; PDF import is not listed

What switching saves

Switching saves about $120 USD / $142 CAD a year. Prices checked .

Based on Canva Pro, one person, annual plan. Price source.

About this page

Last verified . Ranking: tier first, then the published score.

Something wrong or out of date? Report outdated info.

Canva is a product of Canva, named here for comparison only. Platforms listed for Canva: Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android.