Canva vs. Microsoft Powerpoint

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Canva
Score 9.1 out of 10
N/A
Canva is a popular, simple online graphic design tool. Users can import images, use templates to design banners and logos, or pay to use Canva's premium stock images/paid templates (elements starting at $1).
$12.95
per month
Microsoft Powerpoint
Score 8.0 out of 10
N/A
Microsoft PowerPoint is a presentation software designed to allow users to create slide-based presentations including video and images, as well as slide transitions and animations.
$139.99
Pricing
CanvaMicrosoft Powerpoint
Editions & Modules
Pro
$12.95
per month
Enterprise
$30.00
Per Month Per User
One Time Purchase
$139.99
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
CanvaMicrosoft Powerpoint
Free Trial
NoNo
Free/Freemium Version
YesNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional Details
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
CanvaMicrosoft Powerpoint
Considered Both Products
Canva
Chose Canva
Despite that fact that PowerPoint wasn't completely replaced by Canva, it's now used as a base for sketches and drafts. Presentations are much easier to prepare in Canva, taking advantage of their templates. PowerPoint required more time and edition just to create a standard …
Chose Canva
You can just about forget about using Publisher or PowerPoint once you start using Canva! Canva blows them out of the water! PosterMyWall is good for posters, just like it says in its name. If you are not a graphic designer by nature, then Photoshop is not for the …
Microsoft Powerpoint
Chose Microsoft Powerpoint
Canva: The animations and effects are very limited and hard to customize unless you are a Canva Expert. Too many of the items are only available to premium subscribers (which can be highly frustrating). Some of the stock images, icons, etc., will be copied to your …
Chose Microsoft Powerpoint
Both Google Slides and Canva are way more complex to use than Microsoft Powerpoint. They have specific symbols that are hard to memorize, many tools are hidden, they are harder to navigate, and shortcuts are not customizable, which makes everything less efficient. Google Slides
Chose Microsoft Powerpoint
Google Slides is like a Microsoft Powerpoint lite. It has similar functionality in enabling you to add items easily to a slide deck and has good shareability for businesses that use Google apps. It lacks some of the sophistication of Microsoft Powerpoint - I find slide decks …
Chose Microsoft Powerpoint
Microsoft PowerPoint is just unbeatable when it comes to presenting. The software is reliable in terms of experience and security (we have multiple threats on the internet). The other reason why I use mostly Microsoft PowerPoint instead of Apple Keynote is because of the rich …
Chose Microsoft Powerpoint
I think Microsoft PowerPoint is significantly better than other programs I have used, such as Google Slides or Prezi. It's straightforward, easy, not overloaded with design, which you can pick your own. Functionalities make sense and have just enough flexibility to avoid …
Chose Microsoft Powerpoint
I do believe that PowerPoint is in the top 3 programs with concerns about its ease, ability, and functionality. It is and will remain, my go-to program for designs and presentations.
Chose Microsoft Powerpoint
I used PowerPoint for 3 years and I like it because it has a lot of features to organize a slide show. And we can combine text, graphics, multimedia to make a presentation. In PowerPoint presentations you can reduce the paragraph size in bullet points. I mainly use it to make …
Best Alternatives
CanvaMicrosoft Powerpoint
Small Businesses
CorelDRAW Graphics Suite
CorelDRAW Graphics Suite
Score 7.3 out of 10
Canva
Canva
Score 9.1 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
GIMP
GIMP
Score 8.3 out of 10
Mentimeter
Mentimeter
Score 8.3 out of 10
Enterprises
CorelDRAW Graphics Suite
CorelDRAW Graphics Suite
Score 7.3 out of 10
Mentimeter
Mentimeter
Score 8.3 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
CanvaMicrosoft Powerpoint
Likelihood to Recommend
9.6
(174 ratings)
9.3
(63 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
8.0
(7 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Usability
10.0
(14 ratings)
8.9
(10 ratings)
Availability
10.0
(1 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
Performance
10.0
(1 ratings)
8.0
(1 ratings)
Support Rating
6.9
(15 ratings)
8.5
(4 ratings)
Implementation Rating
10.0
(2 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Product Scalability
10.0
(1 ratings)
7.0
(1 ratings)
User Testimonials
CanvaMicrosoft Powerpoint
Likelihood to Recommend
Canva
They are suited to serve the non-profit space, offering premium features at no charge for up to 50 users. They provide tools for non-graphic designers that help to create appealing and attractive pieces. For those who are unsure about where to start with a project, Canva offers templates that can be edited to suit the current need.
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Microsoft
The learning curve with Microsoft Powerpoint is not too steep, and most everyone can create really nice-looking presentations. The thing I like most about the new advancements in Microsoft Powerpoint comes to formatting. If you are creating a newsletter, don't get bogged down by all of the annoying formatting rules and issues you would have if creating in Publisher or Word. Microsoft Powerpoint makes it very simple. You can add text boxes and move them anywhere on the page. The templates are a nice touch, but they could use more, as most of these are outdated. I believe there are many free websites for downloading more templates.
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Pros
Canva
  • It helps you find the right design and helps you start with the right template
  • It helps in creating for all platforms, basically you need to create the design only once and Canva takes care of the rest by resizing the design for whichever platform you want to publish it to.
  • It also comes with a content planner which is extremely helpful for obvious reasons. It relieves you from the hassle of posting when the right time hits.
  • There's a Brand feature which is also extremely fascinating as it helps you store all your brand information (even color) at the same place.
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Microsoft
  • Insert Photos from my computer and from the web with ease.
  • Auto arrangement of graphics and texts is made available through suggested formatting.
  • Spell check as I type is very valuable to me. It autocorrects many words. I like for my presentation to be accurate.
  • The ability to change any font or any size of font is very valuable to me.
  • The ability to cut and past from Microsoft Word is valuable to me. It also allows me to import tables I have already created in Word.
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Cons
Canva
  • I have a hard time coming up with any improvements, perhaps increase the number of free elements to use in design.
  • Maybe, Canva should check if you start editing a previous document to see if you want to change the current design or create a new one as a clone of the current document (design).
  • I'm sorry, I really can't think of a 3rd. Overall, I really like working in Canva.
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Microsoft
  • 3D objects that can be manipulated in slideshows by presenters
  • AI tool to cleanup presentations
  • AI tool to create graphics
  • AI tool to create photo-realistic images
  • AI tool to create vector art
  • AI tool to create videos
  • Blender 3D object importer
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Likelihood to Renew
Canva
The ease of use makes Canva a powerful tool for manipulating images, creating original content, and testing ideas without requiring the involvement of graphic design or more time-intensive image editing software such as Photoshop. While it doesn't have the full functionality of a mature software, such as Photoshop, The speed and simplicity of Canva makes it a necessity in a business of any size
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Microsoft
No answers on this topic
Usability
Canva
It is super easy to use, but it could be limiting if you're on a small device. It is easier on a bigger device because you can resize graphics and text easier than with your fingers on a small device. I do think it's perfect and easy for non-designers who don't have any training. As long as you have a good eye for visuals, Canva is a wonderful substitute for graphics programs on-the-go.
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Microsoft
It’s great overall! I can think of a few improvements that would make it a 10, for example: better Smart Art graphs, automatic distribution of columns and rows in tables, and being able to more easily save templates for graphs. For example, if I could determine that a same brand name in all graphs would have a specific color, it would be great
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Reliability and Availability
Canva
I have yet to encounter Canva being offline in at least 6 years of using it regularly. They also announce well in advance if there may be upgrades to the code and the hours during which there may be issues accessing the service.
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Microsoft
I've never had any issues with its availability. As it is installed on my machine, it's ready when I need it, online or offline. Creating large slide decks with complex elements like video and audio doesn't affect its stability. The only limitation would be the capability of your own computer, as far as I can tell.
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Performance
Canva
I haven't ever had issues with a slow-loading site and there haven't been any lag issues within the software. There have been maybe a handful of times over the past six years where I have tried to upload a large image and it will slow down as it loads the last megabyte, but I have yet to have the system time out or require any interference by me
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Microsoft
The performance is very strong. It loads reasonably quickly. Large presentations load relatively quickly too, given their complexity, and once loaded each slide is readily available. It's easy to scroll up and down through your slide deck and go to the slide you want. Videos, pictures and music all load on demand, controllable by clicks.
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Support Rating
Canva
Overall, Canva is easy to use, easy to train others to use, allows for creativity with a professional look without enormous associated costs. The mobile apps works almost as easily, but at a minimum allows for easy review and downloading in a pinch. Really, anyone can learn to use Canva quickly and will immediately benefit from the results.
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Microsoft
I have never had to use the actual support. Most of my questions are "how to" questions and there is a rich internet full of users sharing their tips and tricks with this application. Sometimes I find the answers on Microsoft support site but often I don't
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Implementation Rating
Canva
Remember to download the mobile app onto your phone for easy image manipulation on the go. Adding company colors, logos, and typefaces to your company account is an easy process. When images are uploaded, these can also be shared between accounts within a company, as can canvases you've created for easy editing among teams.
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Microsoft
No answers on this topic
Alternatives Considered
Canva
Canva is faster and easy to use. There aren't complex menus like Adobe products and everything is generally intuitive. Menus are mostly open and visible or relatively small. Small changes to the program add to it's usability rather than detract. I also appreciate that Canva helps the user become more creative through use. By giving you editable examples through templates you can choose to re-design something ir create something from scratch w/ a similar concept or feel. Canva often gives me ideas that I can implement into my design or into the entire project even. I also like how Canva is intuitive in it's approach. The program gives you suggestions when it comes to graphics, etc. without getting in your way if you know what you already want
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Microsoft
Adobe Illustrator is an excellent software but it's not easy to use for [everyone without] having any training or previous experience in working with illustrator. Microsoft Powerpoint is very easy to use and it's fantastic as it saves time more than illustrator. Another thing is it takes small space while illustrator takes a significant amount of space in the business machine
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Scalability
Canva
Very easy to add accounts and share content between them. Collaboration is also easy to manage and can be done on a project-by-project basis. The cloud-based software means it is incredibly fast to add a coworker and have them editing images within minutes. A live internet connection is required to access Canva so this is something to consider if expecting to use the software while on journeys without access to wifi etc
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Microsoft
Scaling up use of Microsoft Powerpoint would be a simple case of buying further licences. The software is intuitive and therefore training demands from scaling it to more departments or more individuals would be relatively straightforward. Google Slides may be easier to share among those organisations that use Google's suite of apps, however.
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Return on Investment
Canva
  • As far as ROI is concerned, Canva has proven itself time and time again as having a positive impact for business.
  • Just yesterday, I had to prepare an hour-long presentation on the fly; the great reviews of the presentation and the materials (all made in Canva) only served to advertise for Canva and it proves that Canva is a smart investment.
  • I don't think in the time that I have been a Canva pro user that I can say that my ROI has been negatively impacted. Highest recommendation. The software more the casually pays for itself time and time again.
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Microsoft
  • Helped reduce time we spend modifying and sharing back and forth different versions.
  • Saved us the frustration of having to work with an online program with limited functionalities.
  • Macros make it easy to share data in one excel file and automatically update presentation.
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ScreenShots