Canva vs Microsoft Designer (2026): Which AI App Is Better?

Both are popular ai design & ui tools. Here is how Canva and Microsoft Designer stack up on price, strengths and weaknesses, and which one we would pick.

Canva

Design anything with Magic Studio's AI tools built in

9.0 /10

Pricing: Free plan, paid from $15/mo

Pros

Enormous template library
AI tools for images, text and video in one place
Strong free plan

Cons

Output can look like everyone else's
Pro price rose in 2024

Visit Canva ↗

Microsoft Designer

Free AI graphic design and image generation from Microsoft

7.4 /10

Pricing: Free

Pros

Free
Fast image generation
Simple templates

Cons

Limited layout control
Fewer assets than Canva

Visit Microsoft Designer ↗

Canva vs Microsoft Designer at a glance

	Canva	Microsoft Designer
Editor score	9.0 / 10	7.4 / 10
Pricing model	Freemium	Free
Starting price	$15/mo	Free
Reader upvotes	0	0
Best for	graphic design, magic studio, templates	graphic design, image generation, free

Our pick

Canva edges it with a score of 9.0 versus 7.4. Canva is the better fit if you value: enormous template library, ai tools for images, text and video in one place. Choose Microsoft Designer instead if you need: free, fast image generation.