I’ve been using Canva Pro for 18 months. Here’s my honest review of whether the paid plan is worth it.
Spoiler: It depends on how you use it.
What is Canva Pro?
Canva Pro is the premium version of Canva’s free design tool. It costs $12.99/month (or $119.99/year if you pay annually).
The question is: is it worth $156/year?
What You Get With Canva Pro
Let me break down what you actually get with the upgrade:
- 100+ Million Premium Photos and Graphics
The free version has limited stock photos. Pro unlocks millions of professional images.
Real talk: I use this feature every single day. The photo library alone saves me $50/month in stock photo subscriptions.
- Background Remover Tool
This is a game-changer. Remove backgrounds from images in one click.
As someone who used to pay for Photoshop just for this feature ($10/month), this alone justifies the cost.
- Brand Kit
Save your brand colors, fonts, and logos. Apply them to any design instantly.
If you’re building a brand: This is essential. Worth the price for consistency alone.
- Resize Magic
Turn an Instagram post into a Pinterest pin in one click. Or a Facebook post into a LinkedIn banner.
Saves me 30 minutes per day. That’s 180 hours per year.
- 100GB Cloud Storage
Free plan gives you 5GB. Pro gives you 100GB.
I have 1,200+ designs saved. Couldn’t do this on the free plan.
- Unlimited Folders
Organize your designs by client, project, or category.
The free plan limits you to 2 folders. Pro is unlimited.
- Schedule Social Media Posts
Post directly to Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and more.
I don’t use this feature much (I prefer dedicated social media tools), but it’s there.
- Custom Templates
Create templates your team can use. Keep everyone on-brand.
Great if you have a team or virtual assistants.
What You DON’T Get
Let’s be clear about what Pro doesn’t include:
- No video editing (Canva has a separate video plan)
- No advanced animation
- No AI writing tools (ChatGPT is better anyway)
- Limited audio library
Who Should Get Canva Pro?
Get Canva Pro if you:
- ✅ Create content regularly (3+ times per week)
- ✅ Run a business or personal brand
- ✅ Need professional-looking graphics fast
- ✅ Don’t know Photoshop or Illustrator
- ✅ Work with a team or VA
Skip Canva Pro if you:
- ❌ Design once a month or less
- ❌ Have Adobe Creative Cloud
- ❌ Only need basic graphics
- ❌ Are on a tight budget
My Personal Experience
I use Canva Pro for:
- Pinterest pins (5 per blog post)
- Instagram posts
- Lead magnets and freebies
- YouTube thumbnails
- Blog post graphics
- Email headers
Time saved per month: 10+ hours
Cost of alternative tools: $50-100/month
For me, it’s a no-brainer.
Free vs Pro: The Real Comparison
Canva Free:
- 250,000 templates
- 5GB storage
- Basic photo editing
- 2 folders
- Limited stock photos
Canva Pro:
- Everything in Free, plus:
- 100+ million premium assets
- Background remover
- Brand kit
- Magic resize
- 100GB storage
- Unlimited folders
- Social media scheduler
The cost difference: $12.99/month
Is It Worth It?
Here’s my honest answer:
If you create content for your business weekly: Absolutely yes.
If you’re a casual user: Start with free and upgrade when you feel limited.
My verdict: 9/10
I’ve happily paid for Canva Pro for 18 months and will continue. It’s one of the best $13/month I spend.
The Background Remover Alone…
Seriously, this tool is magic. I used to:
- Upload image to remove.bg ($9/month)
- Download result
- Upload to Canva
- Design
Now I:
- Click “Background Remover” in Canva
- Done in 2 seconds
Worth $13/month? You bet.
How to Get the Best Deal
Don’t pay monthly. Pay annually and save $36/year.
Current price: $119.99/year (that’s $10/month instead of $12.99)
Also: Share with up to 5 team members at no extra cost. Split the cost and pay $2/month each.
Try the 30-Day Free Trial
Canva offers a free 30-day trial of Pro. Test these features:
- Background remover
- Resize magic
- Premium photos
- Brand kit
If you don’t use them much, cancel before the trial ends.
The Bottom Line
Canva Pro is worth it if you’re a content creator, business owner, or anyone who designs regularly.
It’s not worth it if you only design occasionally or already have Adobe Creative Cloud.
For me: Best $13/month I spend on my business.
Have you tried Canva Pro? What’s your experience?
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