Verdict
Canva turns a template into a finished poster, invitation or Instagram post in minutes, and the free plan includes 1.6 million templates plus up to 200 basic AI uses. The new Canva AI 2.0 chatbot has annoyed long-time users who lost one-click edits in October 2026. User designs are not used for AI training unless the owner switches it on.
Best for
Quick cards, posters and social posts from templates
Skip if
Professional print or brand design work needing fine control
Key facts
- Category
- Images, art & design
- Made by
- Canva Pty Ltd
- Based in
- Australia
- Launched
- 2013
- Works on
- iPhone, Android, Web, Windows, Mac
- In the UK
- Yes
- Price from
- £8.33 a month
- Free plan
- Free plan with 1.6M+ templates, 4.7M+ photos and graphics, 5GB storage and up to 200 Standard or 20 Premium AI uses (no Ultra AI)
Pricing
| Plan | Price | Billed |
|---|---|---|
| Canva Pro (one person) | £100 | year |
| Canva Business (per person) | £180 | year |
What it does
- designs social posts, presentations, documents, websites and videos from templates
- edits photos and removes backgrounds
- generates images, designs, video and music with AI
- resizes and translates designs
- schedules social content
- keeps brand kits and templates for teams
Ratings
What people say
Users still praise Canva for free, fast everyday design, but user filled with complaints in October 2026 after the Canva AI 2.0 chatbot replaced simple one-click edits, with some tools later restored. Store ratings (4.84 from 376,673 on the UK App Store) are far rosier than this recent user reviews mood.
“I just wanted to let yall know to just use Canva.”
Individual user review, 25 February 2026 · source
“It's only been a month since Canva Create launched, and it's amazing.”
Post on X, 19 May 2026 · source
“I went to extend a background of a professional studio portrait, and the only option was Magic Background. It is a full-on AI chatbot. … it did, but changed the person's face to a horrifying AI face (think Chucky doll).”
Individual user review, 6 October 2026 · source
“Their AI is useless.”
Individual user review, 7 October 2026 · source
“Today the old tools were back, hooray!”
Individual user review, 8 October 2026 · source
Press reviews
- PCMag 2025-09-12
4.5/5 Outstanding and Editors' Choice; easy for any skill level with an excellent free version, though constraining for professional designers.
- Creative Bloq 2025-03-27
Canva Pro is worth the jump from free for regular users; Dream Lab images can look 'a little on the cutesy side'.
- TechRadar 2023-07-19
Impressive and beginner-friendly design suite; best features need a subscription (older review, pre-AI 2.0).
Privacy
- Trains on your data
- Not by default for personal accounts, per co-founder Cameron Adams (Feb 2025); a Privacy Settings switch controls it. Education and Business/Enterprise content is never used. Canva does train on Creator-contributed templates unless the Creator opts out, plus licensed stock.
- Opt-out
- Privacy Settings > AI training controls (on canva.com privacy preferences page); Creators opt out via a separate form
- Retention
- Profile and user content kept for 'a commercially reasonable time' after account closure; Education student accounts deleted after 12 months inactive plus 3 months' notice
- Incidents
- Sept 2024: Canva raised some Teams subscriptions by up to 300%, citing AI features (The Verge). Oct 2026: user backlash in user reviews after AI 2.0 chatbot replaced one-click edits. Artist/copyright: Canva trains on contributor templates unless creators opt out. No 2025-26 breach, fine or lawsuit found in web searches of news for Canva (results were about Instructure's Canvas, a different company).
- Age limit
- Under-13s (or local minimum age) may not sign up themselves; children use Canva Education under teacher supervision
Official videos
- Introducing Canva AI 2.0 | Canva Create 2026 2026-04-17
FAQ
Is Canva free?
Yes. The free plan includes over 1.6 million templates, 5GB of storage and up to 200 Standard or 20 Premium AI uses. Pro costs £100 a year in the UK.
Does Canva use my designs to train its AI?
Not by default for personal accounts, according to Canva's co-founder, and there is a switch in Privacy Settings. Education and Business accounts are excluded entirely. Templates made by Canva's Creators are used unless those Creators opt out.
Can children use Canva?
Under-13s cannot sign up on their own. Schools can give pupils free access through Canva Education, where student content is not used for AI training.
Why are people complaining about Canva AI?
In October 2026 some one-click tools such as background extension were replaced by the Canva AI chatbot, and users in user reviews reported it changing faces, fonts and logos. Some users later said the old tools had returned.
Canva or Adobe Express?
Both make templated cards and social posts. PCMag rates Canva 4.5/5 and Adobe Express 4.0/5, and says Canva's templates and features have pulled ahead.
Scores are based on published evidence, not lab tests. How we score.
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