Canva and Figma both land near $15/month for their entry paid plans, but they price for completely different audiences. Canva charges per user for an all-in-one content creator; Figma charges per editor for professional product design. The cheaper option depends entirely on what — and who — you’re designing for.
This guide compares every plan, the per-seat rules that matter, and which platform is better value for your team.
Pricing Overview
Canva Pricing (2026)
| Plan | Price | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Individuals, casual use |
| Pro | $15/user/mo ($120/yr) | Freelancers, creators |
| Teams | $10/user/mo ($100/yr, min 3) | Marketing teams, agencies |
| Enterprise | Custom | Large organizations |
Figma Pricing (2026)
| Plan | Price | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Free (Starter) | $0 | Individuals, students |
| Professional | $15/editor/mo | Designers, small teams |
| Organization | $45/editor/mo | Design teams, advanced management |
| Enterprise | $75/editor/mo | Large orgs with security needs |
Both bill annually for listed prices. Figma charges per editor — viewers are free.
The Key Difference: Per User vs Per Editor
This single distinction drives most of the cost gap.
Canva bills per user, and its Teams plan ($10/user, min 3) is actually cheaper than Pro ($15) — Canva discounts for teams. Everyone who logs in is a seat, but the per-seat price is low and the tool covers a huge range of content (social, docs, presentations, video, print).
Figma bills per editor. Anyone who views or comments is free; you only pay for people who actively design. A team with 3 designers and 20 stakeholders pays for 3 editors. But Figma’s editor seats get expensive fast at the Organization ($45) and Enterprise ($75) tiers.
So Canva is cheaper for broad content creation across a whole team, while Figma can be cheaper when only a few people design and everyone else just reviews.
Cost Scenario: A 5-Person Marketing Team (All Create Content)
- Canva Teams: 5 × $10 = $50/month
- Figma Professional: 5 × $15 = $75/month
Canva is 33% cheaper here because all five need to create, and Canva’s team rate is lower.
Now a product team: 3 designers + 10 reviewers.
- Figma Professional: 3 editors × $15 = $45/month (10 viewers free)
- Canva Pro: 13 × $15 = $195/month (everyone’s a seat)
Figma is 4x+ cheaper here, because the editor model excludes the 10 reviewers entirely.
The lesson: count how many people actually create versus review. That ratio decides the winner.
Free Plan Comparison
- Canva Free: Huge template library, 5 GB storage — genuinely usable for casual content creation.
- Figma Free (Starter): Limited to a few files/projects, but the full design editor — great for solo designers and students.
Both free tiers are strong for individuals. Canva’s wins for content variety; Figma’s wins for serious solo design work.
Where Each Tool Wins on Value
- Canva is unbeatable value for content marketing — social posts, decks, video, and print from one cheap subscription that non-designers can use.
- Figma is the standard for product/UI design — its editor model keeps costs sane when only a few people design, and nothing matches it for interface work.
They’re not really substitutes; the “cheaper” one is whichever matches your actual job.
Verdict
Choose Canva if your whole team creates marketing content and you want the lowest per-seat cost. The $10 Teams rate across many content types is excellent value.
Choose Figma if you do professional UI/product design with a small number of editors and many reviewers. The per-editor model makes it surprisingly cost-efficient — until you scale to Organization or Enterprise tiers.
Full breakdowns: Canva pricing and Figma pricing. Building a broader stack? Compare Notion vs ClickUp pricing for your docs and project tools too.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Canva or Figma cheaper?
It depends on your team. Canva’s Teams plan ($10/user) is cheaper when everyone creates content. Figma’s per-editor model is cheaper when only a few people design and the rest just review.
Does Figma charge for viewers?
No. Figma only bills “editors” who actively design. Viewers and commenters are free, which keeps costs low for teams with many reviewers.
Why is Canva Teams cheaper than Canva Pro?
Canva discounts its Teams plan ($10/user, minimum 3 seats) below the individual Pro plan ($15) to encourage team adoption.
Which is better for UI design?
Figma. It’s the industry standard for product and interface design. Canva is built for marketing and content creation, not detailed UI work.