Figma vs. Canva in 2025: The Ultimate Comparison

Figma and Canva are two of the most popular design tools in 2025, each catering to different audiences and use cases. Here’s a quick breakdown to help you decide:

• Figma: Best for professional designers, UI/UX projects, and teams working on complex designs. It offers advanced prototyping, real-time collaboration, and web publishing features like Figma Sites. Pricing starts at $15/month for the Professional plan.
• Canva: Perfect for beginners, small businesses, and quick content creation like social media graphics and presentations. It provides millions of templates, stock assets, and AI tools like Magic Studio. Pricing starts at $12.99/month for the Pro plan.

Quick Comparison

Bottom Line: Choose Figma for advanced design projects and team workflows. Opt for Canva if you need quick, polished designs with minimal effort.

Figma vs Canva | Which is Best for You? 2025

What is Figma

Figma has grown far beyond its origins as a UI design tool. Today, it serves as a comprehensive platform for creative work and collaboration, acting as a cornerstone for design teams around the globe. Initially introduced as a browser-based tool, Figma now provides a robust ecosystem where designers, developers, and marketers can collaborate effortlessly on intricate digital projects.

By eliminating the need for desktop software, Figma allows teams to work together in real time, no matter their operating system or physical location. This flexibility has made it a go-to solution for companies of all sizes, from startups to Fortune 500 giants. Let’s dive into its standout features, recent updates for 2025, and its most effective use cases.

Key Features That Make Figma Stand Out

At its heart, Figma offers a powerful design toolkit that supports the entire creative process - from early sketches to polished prototypes. Its strengths lie in UI/UX design, offering precise tools for creating interfaces, wireframes, and user flows. The platform’s vector editing tools and prototyping features bring static designs to life with animations and interactive elements.

Figma also boasts an extensive plugin library, featuring thousands of community-built extensions. These plugins tackle everything from accessibility checks to content generation, streamlining workflows without requiring users to switch between multiple tools.

Collaboration in real time is one of Figma’s most celebrated features. Multiple team members can work on the same file simultaneously, and the integrated commenting system allows for feedback directly on design elements, speeding up the review process.

"Figma has become the center of our universe, with more communication and collaboration happening within the design files themselves." – Stan Yeung, Product Designer, Dropbox

Another standout feature is its component system, which helps maintain visual consistency across projects. Reusable elements, known as components, automatically update across all instances when changes are made, ensuring designs stay cohesive.

What’s New in 2025?

Figma has introduced several game-changing updates this year, enhancing its capabilities across design, prototyping, and collaboration.

• Figma Sites: Launched in May 2025, this feature lets designers create and publish fully responsive websites directly from their design files. With over 50 prebuilt templates and mobile-friendly breakpoints, it’s now easier than ever to go from concept to live site.
• Figma Make: Powered by Claude 3.7, this AI-driven prototyping tool allows users to make changes with simple text commands. For instance, typing "add a button here that says publish" instantly creates the requested element.
• Figma Draw: This update introduces advanced vector editing features like lasso selection, shape builder tools, and dynamic vector brushes. It even supports text-on-path functionality, making it a great choice for detailed illustrations.
• Figma Grid: Enhancements to Auto Layout now include fixed track sizing and multi-cell spanning, allowing for more sophisticated, responsive layouts.
• Figma Buzz: This feature automates the creation of marketing materials by converting designs into editable templates. Locked regions ensure brand consistency while allowing for customization.

Additionally, performance improvements - such as faster JavaScript handling and enhanced collaboration tools like CMS commenting and cross-platform notifications - have made the platform even more efficient.

Where Figma Shines

Figma is particularly well-suited for professional UI/UX design projects, where precision and teamwork are essential. Teams working on mobile apps, websites, or intricate digital interfaces benefit from its advanced prototyping and handoff features, which ensure design integrity through development.

Large enterprises often rely on Figma for their design systems. Its component libraries and design token management enable teams to maintain consistency across multiple products by centralizing and automating updates.

The platform is also a favorite among cross-functional teams. By Q4 2024, many of Figma’s active users identified as developers or product managers, highlighting its appeal beyond traditional design roles.

Figma’s prototyping engine is a powerful tool for creating interactive designs, making it ideal for user testing and stakeholder presentations. With the introduction of Figma Sites, it now supports web development projects that require quick turnarounds - perfect for marketing campaigns, portfolios, and landing pages.

"Figma is the only tool where you can do everything in one place and that centralization is critical." – Dustin Tanner, Design Systems Lead, Cash App

For teams needing tailored solutions, Figma’s plugin ecosystem and API integrations allow for custom tools that fit seamlessly into any workflow. Whether you’re building a design system or creating a one-off project, Figma has the flexibility to adapt to your needs.

What is Canva

Canva is a platform that has made visual content creation accessible to everyone, regardless of design experience. What started as a simple drag-and-drop tool has evolved into a full-fledged visual communication platform used by over 100 million people worldwide. Its popularity stems from its straightforward yet powerful design tools.

The platform meets a growing workplace demand: 92% of business leaders report that even employees without formal design training are now expected to have some level of design skills. Canva addresses this by providing intuitive tools that allow teams to create professional-quality content quickly, without relying on specialized design staff.

In 2025, Canva continues to expand its reach, appealing to a broader audience while staying true to its core principles of simplicity, speed, and collaboration. While professional designers might turn to more complex software for intricate projects, Canva focuses on delivering an efficient solution for businesses that need visually consistent, branded content at scale.

Main Features and Benefits

Canva’s popularity lies in its template-first approach, offering thousands of professionally designed templates for everything from social media posts to presentations, marketing assets, and business documents. Users can select a template and easily customize it with their own text, images, and branding.

The Brand Kit feature ensures that businesses maintain visual consistency by allowing them to upload logos, set brand colors, and define typography guidelines. Additionally, Brand Templates provide pre-approved layouts that balance customization with adherence to brand standards.

Collaboration is another key strength. Canva allows multiple team members to work on the same project simultaneously, with tools for commenting, suggesting edits, and managing approvals - all within the platform. Because it’s web-based, designs are accessible from any device, and its built-in social media integration makes publishing content seamless.

The platform has delivered measurable results for businesses. For example, FedEx reduced brand review requests by 77%, while Movement Gyms saw a 42% drop in internal design requests and a 30% boost in creative output.

These features, combined with Canva’s ongoing updates, continue to make the platform an essential tool for modern teams.

2025 Updates and Changes

In 2025, Canva has taken significant strides in enhancing its platform, particularly with the integration of advanced AI tools. Users have embraced Magic Studio, which has been used over 16 billion times. This AI-powered assistant helps users brainstorm ideas, generate content, and refine designs faster than ever before.

The Visual Suite 2.0 allows creators to manage multiple formats within a single project, ensuring all variations stay consistent across different channels. Meanwhile, Canva Code introduces interactive elements like animations and clickable features, all created through simple text prompts - no programming skills required. For managing data at scale, Canva Sheets combines spreadsheet functionality with AI-driven content creation.

The updated Photo Editor brings studio-level image editing directly into Canva’s workflow. Features like AI-powered background removal, lighting adjustments, and professional-grade effects make it easier than ever to create polished visuals.

Accessibility has also been a priority. In January 2025, Canva released updated Web and iOS App Accessibility Conformance Reports, demonstrating its dedication to inclusive design.

"Inclusivity and accessibility are not 'add-ons' to Canva. They're a core part of our product, our brand, and how we operate as a team." – Andrew Green, Head of Design, Canva

Best Use Cases

Canva shines in situations where speed and simplicity are more important than advanced customization. Small businesses and entrepreneurs benefit from its user-friendly templates for creating marketing materials, social media graphics, and basic branding elements quickly.

Marketing teams appreciate Canva’s ability to produce campaign materials on tight deadlines. Its social media integrations and template variety make it easy to maintain consistent posting schedules across multiple platforms.

Non-profits and educational institutions often rely on Canva’s free and affordable plans to create professional-quality materials without straining their budgets. Its collaboration tools also make it easier for distributed teams to work together efficiently.

For presentations, Canva’s ready-to-use templates save time and deliver visually appealing results. Larger organizations, too, find value in Canva’s ability to scale content creation while maintaining brand consistency across teams.

Figma vs Canva: Side-by-Side Comparison

What We Compared

We evaluated Figma and Canva based on their user interface, learning curve, template options, collaboration features, and prototyping capabilities.

Canva's drag-and-drop interface is designed for simplicity, making it perfect for beginners. Meanwhile, Figma's interface is more advanced, catering to experienced designers. According to user reviews on Software Advice, Canva scores 4.7/5 for ease of use, while Figma follows closely with 4.5/5.

For non-designers, Canva is the go-to choice, while Figma is better suited for users with prior design experience.

When it comes to templates, Canva offers an extensive library with over 5 million templates on paid plans (2.2 million available for free). Figma, on the other hand, provides 300+ high-quality professional templates .

Collaboration is another area where these platforms differ. Figma allows free, real-time multi-user editing with features like audio commenting and cursor tracking. Canva requires a teams pro plan for live collaboration .

The table below highlights these differences in detail.

Feature Comparison Table

Software Advice ratings also reflect these differences, with Figma scoring 4.6/5 compared to Canva's 4.5/5, underscoring Figma's advanced features.

Madeline P, a Marketing Coordinator, shared her thoughts on Canva:

"Easy to use for a great price. I love being creative on Canva and seeing how I can make a template my own."

Similarly, George M, an MD, highlighted Figma's strengths:

"The templates, the ease to customize and what I love most the UI. Figma is simply beautiful."

Ultimately, the right choice depends on your design experience and the specific needs of your project.

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Pricing Breakdown

2025 Pricing Plans

Let’s dive into how Figma and Canva have adjusted their pricing strategies for 2025, reflecting their evolving features and target audiences. Both platforms have restructured their pricing models, with Figma introducing a streamlined seat-based system and Canva revising its Teams plan pricing.

Figma’s 2025 pricing is built around a seat-based model with three user categories: full access, developer, and collaborator seats. The platform offers four main tiers:

• Starter Plan: Free, ideal for personal projects.
• Professional Plan: $15 per user per month (or $12 with annual billing), tailored for small to medium teams needing advanced prototyping tools.
• Organization Plan: $45 per user per month (billed annually), designed for larger teams.
• Enterprise Plan: $75 per user per month (billed annually), aimed at companies requiring advanced security and customization.

Canva’s pricing, on the other hand, follows a "pay as you grow" model, catering to both individuals and teams. Key pricing tiers include:

• Free Plan: Perfect for casual users.
• Pro Plan: $12.99 per month (or $119.99 annually) offers access to a broad range of templates, stock assets, and AI tools for marketing and social media content.
• Teams Plan: $14.99 per month for up to 5 users, making it budget-friendly for small businesses.
• Enterprise Plan: Custom pricing based on specific needs like security, administration, and team management.

Both platforms offer free trials for their paid plans, with Canva extending free access to verified educational institutions and non-profits. Discounts are available with annual subscriptions on both platforms.

Price Comparison Table

Here’s a quick look at how Figma and Canva stack up in terms of pricing and target users:

Figma’s pricing reflects its focus on professional design teams, offering advanced tools for real-time collaboration and design systems. Canva, with its competitive pricing, appeals to entrepreneurs and content creators looking for quick, polished designs without needing extensive design expertise. Both platforms provide a 30-day free trial for paid plans, making it easy for users to explore their features.

"Figma is great and I would highly recommend it to anyone working on any type of project before investing too much time into the project itself. Figma provides great clarification"

"It's just perfect for small businesses. On the one hand because it's a great price and on the other hand because it's extremely easy to use"

Web Design and Template Customization

Web Design Capabilities

Figma stands out for its collaborative design tools, offering detailed wireframes, mockups, and interactive prototypes. With the introduction of Figma Sites in 2025, teams can now publish live websites directly from the design canvas. However, early evaluations reveal challenges like low Lighthouse scores, limited accessibility, and weaker SEO performance.

Canva, on the other hand, focuses on simplicity and speed. It provides an extensive collection of templates tailored to industries like events, portfolios, restaurants, and retail. Its website builder offers fully responsive templates, making it a great option for beginners or teams aiming for quick, content-driven designs.

The best platform for your project depends on its complexity and your team's structure. Figma suits projects requiring detailed collaboration and precision, while Canva is ideal for straightforward, fast-paced design needs.

Next, let’s explore how both platforms work with Temlis templates to simplify web design.

Working with Temlis Templates

Both Figma and Canva integrate effectively with Temlis premium templates designed for Webflow and Framer. Figma, in particular, has streamlined its integration with Webflow through dedicated plugins that sync components, variables, and styles between the two platforms. Designers can select frames in Figma and import them as reusable elements in Webflow, making it easier to customize Temlis templates. For the best results, designers should use tools like Auto Layout, maintain clear layer naming, adopt a mobile-first approach, and utilize bridge tools like Finsweet's Client-First, Relume Library, or pxCode to convert structured Figma layouts into Webflow-compatible frameworks.

Canva takes a more straightforward approach. Its drag-and-drop interface and extensive library of templates align well with various Temlis categories, such as fitness, wellness, business, and portfolio designs. While it may lack the precision of Figma, Canva allows team members to quickly update templates without requiring advanced design skills.

Data highlights Webflow’s prominence, with over 720,000 websites powered by the platform compared to Framer’s 17,000+. This makes the Figma-to-Webflow workflow particularly advantageous for teams working with Temlis templates, as it combines Figma’s design accuracy with Webflow’s powerful hosting capabilities. Figma’s component system also enables the creation of reusable elements that mirror Webflow Symbols and CMS collections, making it ideal for complex premium Temlis templates, which range in price from $49 to $129. Meanwhile, Canva’s user-friendly interface allows teams to customize Temlis templates quickly and produce marketing assets efficiently.

Ultimately, the right platform depends on your team’s technical expertise and the specific needs of your project.

Team Collaboration and 2025 Trends

Team Features

When it comes to collaboration, Figma takes the lead with its real-time co-editing capabilities, helping teams achieve design cycles that are 40% faster. It also offers several standout tools for team coordination. For example, its branching feature allows teams to explore multiple design directions without disrupting the main project. Audio comments make it easy to share feedback directly within the design environment, while granular permissions and detailed version histories streamline project management for complex workflows.

On the other hand, Canva offers a more straightforward approach to collaboration. It supports real-time editing with multiple users and lets you assign roles to team members. Canva also makes it easy to combine design elements into pre-designed templates. However, its commenting system, while simple and user-friendly, doesn’t match the advanced workflow integrations Figma provides.

The main difference lies in how each platform handles complexity. Figma’s robust features are ideal for intricate design projects that require precise coordination, while Canva is better suited for quick, straightforward content creation where deep design expertise isn’t a must. These collaborative tools are paving the way for a new wave of AI-driven trends that promise to reshape how teams work together.

Current Industry Trends

Both Figma and Canva are leaning heavily into AI to redefine design workflows as we approach 2025. Figma has rolled out tools like Figma Make, which converts prompts into code, enhanced AI-powered image generation and editing, and AI features in FigJam to support brainstorming sessions. These updates reflect a broader shift in Figma’s user base, where roughly two-thirds of monthly active users are now outside traditional design roles, with 30% identifying as developers.

Canva has responded with its own AI suite, Magic Studio, which has already been used over 16 billion times. The platform also introduced Canva Sheets, featuring AI tools like Magic Insights and Magic Formulas, and Canva Code, which allows users to create interactive experiences without needing coding skills.

The rise of remote work has also played a significant role in shaping these platforms. Figma’s 2024 "#DesignInFigma" campaign highlighted user workflows on social media, generating 8 million impressions and bringing in 400,000 new users. The campaign also introduced community-inspired tools that boosted retention by 12%, increased plugin shares by 20%, and reached 3 million creatives through collaborative tutorials.

"Collaboration fuels creativity. Figma's success lies in enabling real-time teamwork with flexible tools, using AI to enhance workflows." - The Product Brief

Agentic AI is emerging as a rapidly growing area, with the number of Figma users building agentic products doubling over the past year. Smaller companies are particularly embracing AI, with 61% of Figma users at businesses with fewer than 10 employees saying AI is critical to achieving market share goals.

Another significant trend is the push for cross-platform compatibility, which is crucial in today’s hybrid work setups. Since both Figma and Canva are cloud-based, teams can collaborate effortlessly across macOS, Windows, and Linux without worrying about installation issues. This accessibility aligns with the views of 95% of professionals, who believe design is just as important for AI-powered products as it is for traditional ones.

These trends underscore the ongoing evolution of design workflows. With AI integration, real-time collaboration tools, and seamless accessibility across devices, the future of design is becoming more inclusive and team-oriented, allowing for greater creativity and efficiency.

Final Verdict

As of 2025, Figma and Canva cater to different design needs, each excelling in its own way. Understanding their unique strengths can help you pick the right tool for your specific projects.

Go with Figma if you're tackling complex web design tasks, need advanced prototyping tools, or prioritize seamless team collaboration. With over 1,600 plugins and Figma Sites for direct web publishing, it’s a powerhouse for professional designers and development teams. Figma shines in UI/UX design and offers strong developer handoff features, making it perfect for building digital products.

Opt for Canva if simplicity and speed are what you need. With millions of free templates and more than 141 million stock assets available, Canva is ideal for creating social media graphics, presentations, and marketing materials. Its user-friendly interface works for all skill levels, and at $12.99 per month for the Pro plan, it’s a more budget-friendly option compared to Figma’s $15 Professional plan.

For US-based web designers using Temlis templates, Figma stands out with its powerful vector tools and real-time collaboration, perfect for intricate, high-quality projects. Meanwhile, Canva’s drag-and-drop ease allows for quick creation of marketing visuals or basic web graphics that pair well with Temlis-powered sites.

Both platforms are embracing AI to streamline workflows, though their approaches differ. Figma is evolving into a full-scale workflow solution, while Canva remains focused on making design accessible to everyone. Ultimately, your choice should reflect the complexity and speed of your project, balancing professional design capabilities with ease of use, as highlighted throughout this comparison.

FAQs

What are the main differences between Figma and Canva's collaboration tools in 2025?

In 2025, Figma continues to shine with its emphasis on real-time co-editing and advanced collaboration tools. Features like AI-powered suggestions and global design critiques make it a go-to choice for teams tackling complex, interactive projects. Its suite of tools is designed to promote transparency and ensure every team member has a voice in the creative process.

Meanwhile, Canva keeps teamwork simple and efficient. With features like easy link sharing, real-time comments, reactions, version control, and well-organized team folders, Canva is perfect for users focused on creating templates, marketing assets, or social media content. It’s all about streamlining collaboration for faster results.

Both platforms excel in bringing teams together but serve distinctly different workflows. The choice ultimately depends on the type of projects and collaboration style that best fits your team's needs.

How are AI tools used in Figma and Canva to improve design workflows in 2025?

In 2025, Figma and Canva both leverage AI tools to simplify and improve design workflows, but they cater to distinct creative needs.

Figma zeroes in on design automation, offering features like AI-powered prototyping, prompt-based app design, and tools that cut down on repetitive tasks. These capabilities help designers speed up their workflow while maintaining precision.

Canva takes a different route, focusing on content creation. Tools like Magic Design for generating layouts, Magic Write for AI-assisted text creation, and Magic Media for transforming visuals enable users to produce high-quality designs and media with ease.

While both platforms aim to make design more intuitive, Figma stands out in prototyping and automation, whereas Canva excels in media and content creation.

Which design platform offers better value for small businesses in 2025?

For small businesses looking to create polished designs without breaking the bank, Canva often stands out as the better choice. At $12.99 per month for its Pro plan, Canva offers a vast library of templates, easy-to-use tools, and features designed specifically for those without a design background. It's a great option for businesses that need professional results quickly and without a steep learning curve.

Meanwhile, Figma starts at $12 per editor per month and is geared more toward teams that require advanced design tools and seamless collaboration. While Figma is incredibly powerful, its capabilities may go beyond what small businesses need for basic design tasks. For those keeping a close eye on their budget, Canva tends to be the more practical and affordable solution.

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