Why Photoshop Is More Value Than Canva Pro for Creatives

Canva’s simplicity makes it the preferred tool for many. Photoshop, on the other hand, is not for the faint of heart—it’s feature-rich and has a steep learning curve. But it can provide more bang for your buck.

1

The price is not that different

The Canva Pro plan, priced at USD 12.99 per month, seems like an excellent value for creatives. If you buy the annual plan, you can save money at a reduced price of 119.88 USD, about 10 dollars a month.

The Canva Pro plan unlocks dozens of tools. It allows you to access many premium stock photos, brand kits, design elements, templates and the most loved ones magic background remover. You can also export your files to high quality formats.

While these are nice to have, I prefer the Adobe Photography plan. It costs only 2 dollars more, at 14.99 per month. To save money, you can buy the annual plan for 120 USD, the same price as Canva’s Pro account billed annually. I like the photography plan because it allows me edit photos with Lightroom.

Canva’s basic photo editing leaves a lot to be desired. It is suitable for quick touch-ups, but not for extensive editing, which is not for me as a photographer. With the photography plan, I open the photos in Lightroom, edit them, and then take them to Photoshop to design posters, flyers and more. Canva remains my go-to for quick jobs, but even then, I trust their free version.

2

More Creative Freedom

​​​​​​Canva can be a useful tool for quickly creating professional-looking designs, but it is not enough if you have a particular creative vision. For example, you only have the option to write on a curved path in Canva. With Photoshop, your path choices are limitless.

Although you have a ton of fonts to choose from, you’re limited to basic effects in Canva. The only way to achieve a specific effect is to select a font that looks like what you want.

If you have worked with the fx option in Photoshop for your texts, you know exactly how much Canva’s text effects are missing.

You have much more control as a designer with Photoshop. You can make your text look shiny and 3D or add shadows and outlines as precisely as you want.

The most annoying problem I have found is the inability to hide layers in Canva. Of course, there are solutions, but that takes too many steps. I want something quick and straightforward. Keeping a design element hidden in case you change your mind later is incredibly useful.

In Photoshop, all it takes is one click. If you are a serious designer, you know the importance of this. You need flexibility to hide and reveal layers while bringing your vision alive in your projects.

3

A reliable desktop experience

​​​​​​Canva is a web application, so all you need is a computer and an internet connection. While this is great for the occasional design, you can benefit from dedicated desktop-based software and a solid workflow.

I like to work with Photoshop everywhere, from coffee shops to libraries to the subway in my city. Although there is always Wi-Fi or my personal hotspot, I do not have to worry about network lags or unexpected disruptions during the trip. Having software means having a powerful computer with enough processing power and storage, but as a creator, you probably already have one.

4

Adobe’s seamless ecosystem

​​​​​​Canva is a standalone application, while Photoshop is one of the many Adobe programs. So you can seamlessly integrate your workflow with different software.

For example, I edit my photos in Lightroom and transfer them directly to Photoshop. There is no need to export the image. Once you’ve finished editing and saved, the edited images will automatically appear in Lightroom. Even if I move between software, the process is simple and quick.

The integration becomes even more powerful if you use other Adobe tools. A Photoshop (.psd) file can be linked directly to InDesign, Premiere Pro, or After Effects. Updates made to the original file are instantly reflected in all projects. This interconnected ecosystem is a massive advantage for those juggling multiple tools.

5

Discover to Advance Creatively

Most of us often prefer to keep things simple. Using Canva allows us to become designers without much sweat, which is good if you design things sporadically. In this case, a free Canva account is all you really need.

Using an industry standard tool like Photoshop is the way to go if you are serious about design and want to improve your skills. Your money is better spent on the Adobe plan than a Canva Pro account.

Learning graphic design with Photoshop will help you better understand the basics. For example, templates in Canva make life easier, but they don’t help you visualize designs. But, Photoshop forces you to think critically about design principles like alignment, hierarchy, and white space. I often encourage my students to use patterns as inspiration and design on a blank page.

Also, it’s easier to transfer what you’ve learned to other tools like Illustrator and InDesign. When you learn one Adobe app, you can learn other apps quickly. Video editing will be much easier– because Adobe Premiere Pro is much less complicated once you master Photoshop. The same goes for Adobe After Effects as well.

6

Photoshop helps you in the long run

Both programs are more or less similarly priced and are excellent value for money. However, learning slightly complex software like Photoshop will give you the confidence to pursue graphic design more seriously.

Photoshop can be intimidating for a beginner, but with practice, it gets easier. Setting aside time each day for active practice can help you familiarize yourself with the various tools and learn the necessary shortcuts. In the meantime, keep using the free Canva account for your quick designs and as a means of inspiration.

At the end of the day, these are just tools, and the real designer is you. So, spend your time and money on growing your creative skills instead of focusing too much on the latest bells and whistles.