Canva Pro is the premium version of the website/application Canva. You can access it by subscribing for $18.99 CAD per month or $149.99 CAD a year1. However, if you are a teacher or part of a registered non-profit organization, you can request Canva Pro for free.
That upgraded version provides a great range of functions. For example: premium templates, 100+ million premium photo stock, Magic Studio (AI-powered tools), set a brand identity, and much more2.
My different opinions on Canva Pro
As an avid user of Canva for school, trying Canva Pro felt unnecessary at first. Afterward, I started working with a start-up and getting involved in student associations. Therefore, having the premium Canva became more interesting and needed.
1. Canva Pro in a school context
I do not think Canva Pro is necessary for schoolwork and presentations you will give throughout your course. Canva is already offering free templates, add-ons for your design, fonts, and other functionalities that are fairly good for a free website/application. It also allows you to export your work in different formats, you can collaborate with your team, and present directly from the website instead of exporting it to PowerPoint. All of these features do not require a premium subscription; hence, I do not think it is necessary to get it to do schoolwork.
2. Canva Pro in a student association context
I started designing posts for a student association without Canva Pro and found my way around it. I used other websites and apps to create something I would be proud of. For example, removing the background of a picture required me to go to Remove BG. This took a bit longer than just having the tool on Canva (which the premium version provides).
Moreover, finding good-quality pictures on the internet was a tough task. And some of the free photos on Canva are not what you are looking for. Sometimes, I had to use Procreate to recreate designs that were too pixelated which took more time. When Canva Pro offers a bank of good-quality photos, this process seems obsolete.
Even if the process is long, it is possible and you just need to be ready to put that effort in or work around it. Thus, subscribing to Canva Pro when being in charge of communication in a student association is useful and could benefit you, but it is not required.
3. In a working context
When I started working with a start-up, I did not realize how demanding it would be. I had to create and manage their social media accounts. I had to be innovative and find creative ways to keep the audience engaged. This meant that I had to post often and create original content. This is when I debated on getting Canva Pro to help me. The 30-day trial they give is great when you are not ready to make the move yet.
The most useful tool in this context is the brand identity tool, you can define your visual identity, logos, colors, fonts, brand voice, pictures, icons, and illustrations. This makes it easier when you need to create and don’t need to look up the specific color you usually use because it’s already there.
You can also easily stick to your communication plan with the possibility of posting a design on a desired date and time and on a specified platform.
Therefore, using Canva Pro when working with a start-up or any company can make your work easier and faster, but also better. There are a lot of functions that are designed for that purpose, more templates, and add-ons that come with the subscription.
Overall, getting the premium version of Canva really depends on what you intend to do with it. You could get it as a student if that is what you please, but this article was about how I use Canva and my personal experience with it. Canva Pro is a great tool no matter what your goals are and is also intuitive to use compared to other designing apps.
