Canva and Figma solve different problems more than they compete head to head: Canva is built for fast, templated marketing and social content, while Figma is…
Web, iOS, Android, Mac, Windows, Desktop App, Mobile App
Mac, Windows
Team collaboration
Yes
Yes
Not documented
AI features
Yes
Yes
Not documented
Public API
Yes
Yes
Not documented
Standout Differences
Canva wins on template breadth
Canva ships with more than 250,000 templates spanning social media, presentations, documents, video, and print, aimed squarely at non-designers.
Canva
Figma pioneered real-time multiplayer design
Figma's Rust-based multiplayer servers let multiple people edit the same design file simultaneously with live cursors, a workflow that remains its core strength for product teams.
Figma
Lunacy is the only one built to run fully offline
Unlike the fully browser-based Figma, Lunacy is a native desktop app for Windows, macOS, and Linux that works without an internet connection.
Lunacy
AI tooling has landed in all three
Canva's Magic Studio, Figma Make, and Lunacy's built-in AI background remover and upscaler all bring generative AI into the design workflow, though each is scoped differently.
Canva, Figma, Lunacy
Free plans differ in generosity
Canva and Lunacy both offer usable free tiers with large asset libraries, while Figma's free Starter plan caps users at just 3 design files.
Canva, Lunacy, Figma
Feature-by-Feature
Core Design Tools
Feature
Canva
Figma
Lunacy
Precision vector and UI design editing
Limited
Available
Available
Large built-in template library
Available
Not documented
Not documented
Collaboration
Feature
Canva
Figma
Lunacy
Real-time multiplayer editing
Not documented
Available
Limited
Developer handoff tools (specs and code extraction)
Not documented
Available
Not documented
AI and Automation
Feature
Canva
Figma
Lunacy
Built-in generative AI design tools
Available
Available
Available
Platform and Pricing
Feature
Canva
Figma
Lunacy
Usable free plan without heavy feature gating
Available
Limited
Available
Native offline desktop app
Limited
Unavailable
Available
Pricing Compared
Starting price reflects the lowest paid tier, not the full cost for every team size or usage level.
Canva
Free — $0 N/A
Pro — $15/month or $120/year Monthly or annual
Business — $20/user/month or $200/user/year Monthly or annual
Professional — $16/month (Full seat) Monthly or annual
Organization — $55/month (Full seat) Annual only
Enterprise — $90/month (Full seat) Annual only
Lunacy
Free — $0 N/A
Personal Cloud — $4.99/month ($47.99/year) Monthly or annual
Professional Team — $4.99/seat/month Monthly
Assets and AI Subscription — $9.99/month ($95.99/year) Monthly or annual
Pros & Cons
Canva
Pros
Free plan is genuinely usable with a large template and asset library
Magic Studio AI tools speed up common design and copywriting tasks
Cross-platform apps for web, iOS, Android, Mac, and Windows
Free Pro-equivalent access for verified teachers, students, and nonprofits
Broad integration ecosystem via the apps marketplace
Cons
Less precise, pixel-level control than professional tools like Photoshop or Illustrator
Enterprise plan requires a roughly 150-seat minimum and custom pricing
AI Pass add-on is a significant extra cost on top of Pro or Business
Most features require an internet connection, limiting offline design work
Figma
Pros
Pioneering real-time multiplayer collaboration makes team design work dramatically faster than file-based desktop tools
Fully browser-based and cross-platform, requiring no installation and working consistently across operating systems
Extensive plugin ecosystem and Dev Mode significantly streamline design-to-development handoff
Broad product suite covering design, whiteboarding, presentations, and AI-assisted prototyping in one connected platform
Cons
Organization and Enterprise tiers require annual billing, which may not suit teams wanting monthly flexibility
Stock has been highly volatile since its 2025 IPO, reflecting broader uncertainty despite the product's strong market position
Full-featured seats are notably more expensive than Dev or Collab seats, which can add up for larger design-heavy teams
Reliance on a constant internet connection, being fully browser-based, can be a limitation in low-connectivity environments
Lunacy
Pros
Core design editor is free for personal and commercial use with no major feature gating
Native desktop apps for Windows, macOS, and Linux with full offline support
Built-in access to a massive free icon, photo, and illustration library
Includes AI tools like background removal and upscaling at no extra base cost
Native .sketch file compatibility helps teams collaborate across platforms
Cons
Smaller collaborative and plugin ecosystem than Figma
Cloud collaboration and full asset library access require paid add-ons
Backed by a much smaller company than venture-funded competitors like Figma
Less brand recognition and community content compared to Figma or Sketch
Real-time multiplayer collaboration is less mature than browser-first competitors
Use Cases
Choose Canva: Marketers, social media managers, and non-designers who need to produce templated visual content quickly
Choose Figma: Product design teams that need real-time collaborative UI design, prototyping, and developer handoff
Choose Lunacy: Individuals and small teams who want a free, offline-capable native desktop UI design tool with built-in AI and asset libraries
Canva
Social Media & Marketing Content — Small business owners and marketers produce on-brand social posts and ads without hiring a designer.
Team Brand Management — Mid-sized companies use Brand Kits and approval workflows to standardize visual assets across many contributors.
Classroom & Student Projects — Teachers and students create presentations, worksheets, and assignments using free Canva for Education access.
Figma
Collaborative UI and product design — Design teams use Figma's real-time multiplayer editing to work together on interface designs, components, and design systems without exporting or emailing files.
Design-to-development handoff — Developers use Dev Mode to inspect finished designs, extract specifications and code snippets, and implement interfaces accurately based on the design file.
Team workshops and brainstorming — Cross-functional teams use FigJam's real-time whiteboarding for retrospectives, brainstorming sessions, and workshop facilitation beyond structured interface design.
Lunacy
Free UI and product design — Designers use Lunacy to create app and website interfaces with vector tools and prototyping at no cost.
Cross-platform Sketch file collaboration — Windows and Linux users open and edit .sketch files created by Mac-based team members using Sketch.
Offline design work — Designers who need to work without an internet connection use Lunacy's native desktop app instead of browser-based tools.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Canva a real alternative to Figma for UI design?
Not really. Canva is built for fast, templated marketing and social content with less precise, pixel-level control, while Figma is purpose-built for UI design, component systems, and developer handoff. They overlap in being visual design tools but target different core jobs.
Does Lunacy work without an internet connection?
Yes. Lunacy is a native desktop app for Windows, macOS, and Linux that works fully offline, unlike Figma, which is entirely browser-based and depends on a constant internet connection.
Which of the three has the most generous free plan?
Canva and Lunacy both offer full-featured free tiers with large template or asset libraries. Figma's free Starter plan is more limited, capping users at just 3 design files, 3 FigJam files, and 3 Slides files.
Can Lunacy open Figma design files?
That is not documented. Lunacy does have native compatibility with .sketch files, letting it open, edit, and save files created in Sketch, which is a different capability from Figma file compatibility.
Which tool is best for a product team designing an app together?
Figma, thanks to its real-time multiplayer editing, component and variable systems, and Dev Mode for developer handoff, all of which are built specifically around collaborative product design workflows.
Do all three tools include AI-powered design features?
Yes, though scoped differently: Canva offers the Magic Studio suite including Magic Write and Magic Design, Figma offers the prompt-to-prototype Figma Make tool, and Lunacy includes a built-in AI background remover, image upscaler, and avatar generator.