Canva Pro hit $120/year and the free tier kept shrinking. Polotno Studio is web-based, has a similar drag-and-drop editor, and lets you use it for one-off social posts without a subscription.
What you gain
- Web-based editor with templates, shapes, fonts, and image library
- Free for personal use with most core features
- Brand kits and team features on Pro at a lower price than Canva
- API access for embedding into your own product
What you give up
The template library is much smaller than Canva’s, so you’ll spend more time starting from scratch. No built-in AI image generation. Magic Resize and the breadth of Canva’s photo and video features aren’t matched. Mobile experience is web-only.
The math
Polotno Studio Pro runs $20/month or about $240/year, comparable to Canva Pro but with API access included. Canva Pro is $120/year. Free tier covers one-off social media posts.
Who should switch
Developers building design features into their own apps, and freelancers who do simple graphics a few times a week. If you live on Canva’s templates or use Magic Edit daily, the swap will hurt.