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Canva is undoubtedly one of the most popular design tools available today. However, it lacks several key features that I consider essential, so I prefer to use an alternative tool that offers better functionality; Figma. Let’s explore these features that keep me from making the switch to Canva.
1The Canva User Interface Is Too Cluttered
Figma has been my go-to design toolfor quite some time. Opening it feels like unveiling a fresh canvas, with all the art supplies neatly arranged and ready to use—accessible whenever needed, yet tucked away to keep distractions away. It’s sleek, minimal, and allows for focus. In contrast, Canva feels more cluttered to me, filled with distractions.
The reason for this difference lies in the purpose these tools serve. Figma is a tool that is made with professional designers in mind, therefore, its interface is highly adapted for unobstructed workflow when creating web designs, prototypes, and even posters and brochures. Even for someone like me who isn’t a professional designer, I still get to enjoy the focused interface in Figma.
On the other hand, Canva is built for quick, simple creations with a focus on its drag-and-drop interface, making it accessible to a broader audience—even for those who only need to design once in a while. This is great for someone who doesn’t design frequently, but for someone who does, it quickly becomes a limitation.
For example, when you open Figma, you will find it has a clean, uncluttered workspace and puts emphasis on design over tools. The interface has a lot of open space, minimal toolbars, and tools only open when needed. I find this reduces a lot of visual noise and helps me stay focused.
Canva’s interface seems clean at first glance—but has hidden complications. There are more decorative elements that make the interface feel cramped, such as fonts and template suggestions. These pre-made fonts and graphics are convenient for last-minute design but serve as a distraction when creating something unique. And, there’s no option to temporarily hide these assets either, so they remain visible every time you use the app.
Additionally, these assets can be tempting to try, but more often than not, finding something suitable for a design is a challenge. When trying to use Canva, I often found myself wasting time comparing the pre-made fonts, only to realize I didn’t like any of them.
2Figma Plugins and Assets Are a Game Changer
One of the most interesting features for me on Figma is its plugins and asset libraries—they are simply a delight to use. Not only do they add functionality to the app, but many of these plugins come free of charge. It’s as if you have a toolkit with all the right nuts and bolts for all your daily tasks in one place.
For example, I find myself using thebackground remover toolfrequently, and for that, I don’t need to use any additional app, it’s just a click away. Although Canva also offers a background removal tool, for that I would have toget Canva Pro.
With Figma, you get to access several plugins to add illustrations or even royalty-free images, all inside the app. Helping me save time and focus exclusively on creating my design.
Additionally, I was pleasantly shocked when I visited the Figma Asset Community, which is a platform within Figma where users can share and use assets created by other users. Not only are there thousands of assets available, but you will find these assets are of high quality, and the majority are for free. It truly is a community that has assets created by professionals for anyone to use.
On the flip side, whenever I have searched for illustrations or icons on Canva, I have been left frustrated. Those available for free are straight-up boring and generic, and to get my hands on anything interesting, there’s no other option but to pay up.
3Figma Makes Workflow Smoother and More Efficient
Designing is inherently an iterative process that involves multiple minor and major adjustments before the final version is complete. In Figma, this process is smooth and efficient, with minimal redundancy. While Canva offers some of these features, they are quite limited in terms of flexibility.
This is best explained with the version history feature, which saves snapshots of my progress as my design evolves. In Figma, by just going to version history, I can browse through and see what changes I made at different points in time, and understand how the design is progressing. And, if I made changes that I didn’t like, I could easily revert to the previous version and make a fresh start from there.
This feature was extremely handy when I was doing an internship, where I had to create a board game design and also present my design process. With Figma, I just had to share the file, and it had the history of all the changes I made to the design.
Canva also offers version history, but it is available only if you get Canva Pro.
Auto Layout is another feature in Figma that makes workflow easier. It allows you to create responsive designs that adapt to content changes and saves you from manually resizing elements when content changes.
Suppose you need to adjust the spacing between elements (text, images, icons) or resize elements; the Auto Layout feature ensures that everything adjusts automatically when resizing, without having to do it manually and reposition each element. For example, if you have a title, subtitle, and image that need to stay evenly spaced, Auto Layout will keep the spacing consistent, no matter how you adjust the content.
4Canva’s Free Tier Has Too Many Limitations
Using Canva often meansopting for Canva Pro, as the free version can be downright frustrating. While it makes grand promises of free templates and designs, it rarely delivers. To make matters worse, most graphics and illustrations are marked with gold stamps, restricting access to many of the options you want to use.
Figma also offers a paid plan, but it’s only necessary when working in a collaborative environment, and most of its core features are available for free. With Figma, you know exactly what you’re getting, and you have the room to customize the experience to your liking with plugins and asset libraries.
Most people might see Figma as a professional tool designed for large, serious design projects. However, I have a different perspective. To me, Figma is an all-rounder, just as suitable for creative and simple projects. I say this because I once created a silly comic strip for a group presentation in just a few minutes using Figma.
On the flip side, with Canva, I spent days working on a simple brochure for a class project, dealing with frustrating mistakes and clashing with my partner along the way. It felt like no matter what we tried, we couldn’t create the design we had in mind. In my experience, Canva shines when it comes to last-minute social media posts and brochures, and that’s where it ends.
