good
Canva is so much more than 'just' a logo maker, but logo creation is definitely one of the platform's many strengths. Because it's a lot more versatile than its rivals, however, it also requires a bit more creative talent.
Try Canva now *
Logo Customization
9.4 / 10
Support
8.6 / 10
Logo Usage
8.6 / 10
Logo Design
8.0 / 10
Logo Design

Canva Logo Maker Review: Logo Creation Made Easy?

Author
Martin Gschwentner
Translation
D Bare
Last update
12. Aug 2023
Ad disclaimer: For links on this page, EXPERTE.com may earn a commission from the provider. This supports our work and has no influence on our editorial rating.

A good logo is hard to forget. It should generate trust in a brand, its products, and services, but also be in line with the company's identity and vision. As such, quite a bit of effort and money goes into crafting the perfect logo for a business.

Until now that is: With logo makers, anyone, even without a background in design, can create a professional-looking logo in a matter of minutes. One of the most well-known of these platforms is Canva, which we'll be reviewing here.

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What Is Canva?

Canva* is so much more than a logo maker, being a comprehensive and beginner-friendly design platform that allows practically anyone to create all sorts of graphics, presentations, and even videos. Originally founded in 2013 in Perth (Australia), it registered 750,000 users in its first year. These days, that number has ballooned to around 55 million, showing just how strongly the intuitive service has latched onto the importance of visual content.

It shouldn't come as much of a surprise that Canva has entered the world of logo design. Below, we'll take a closer look at how Canva performs and how it stacks up against other logo creation tools.

Canva Logo Maker Review

Review
8.7
good
Visit Website*
Logo Customization
9.4 / 10
Support
8.6 / 10
Logo Usage
8.6 / 10
Logo Design
8.0 / 10
  • Comprehensive graphic design platform

  • Offers more than 11,000 templates

  • Powerful editor providing extensive design options

  • Lacks automatic AI-assisted logo creation

  • More complex editor than other logo makers

1.

Create a Logo

Canva's homepage contains thousands of templates for all sorts of graphics, so head over to the "Logo" area. There, you'll find a brief tutorial, a few tips, and some FAQs. To get started, click on the "Create a Logo" button.

You don't need any design know-how to use Canva's logo maker.

To the Point

When starting out with most logo makers, you'll answer a series of questions to refine the selection of logos that are subsequently presented to you. After that, you'll pick your favorites and be able to edit them. Canva takes a different approach, fast-tracking you to its editor, where you can create and adjust your logo.

But don't worry, you'll have plenty of templates to start from. Click on "Templates" in the menu off to the left that you use to switch between the editor's different features and tools. The platform offers a huge selection of templates, sorting them by branch, including "Hospital logos", "Food/drink logos", or less common categories like "Church logos", and "DJ logos". We even found templates for animated logos, which were unique in our sample.

Canva offers plenty of logo templates for all sorts of categories.

Icon or Text-Based?

Canva offers 11,766 templates, some of which are free, with others requiring a premium subscription to use. The designs are high quality and feature a nice mix of icons (which run the risk of being copied by other businesses) and more simple designs. It's possible to adjust any template's font, layout, and shape to your heart's content.

Canva's logo designs are versatile and of high quality.

Unleash the Canva Engine's Full Power

That covers most logo parameters since everything else is done directly in the editor. As such, Canva again takes a different approach than its peers. After all Canva's logo maker isn't a piece of specially designed software, but part of its platform that uses logo templates. This also explains why you can add new slides or pages to your logo, even though these are more relevant to designing a presentation.

All Canva users start with the same selection of logos, and there aren't any AI tools to filter these. However, since AI assistance with other platforms rarely matched our preferences and wasn't precise, its absence from Canva wasn't a big deal. Canva could expand its categories though, as the Technology options weren't too impressive, especially among free templates. If you want to save a logo, you'll need to register with the platform.

Should you be able to make do without the AI "curated" selection that other logo makers present, you'll find a nice variety of high-quality logo templates on Canva. All of these are easy to adjust to your preferences in the editor. But more on that in the next section.

Visit Website*
Logo Design
8.0 / 10
2.

Logo Customization

Canva really flexes its muscles in terms of logo customization. Even though it 'only' works with templates, Canva's editor is a full-fledged graphic design program. You don't just get digital pens or brushes, but everything else that you might expect from an image processor. The platform's editor does less hand-holding than its competitors, and users get plenty of freedom. To be on the safe side, select a ready-made template and adjust its text and colors.

Generally speaking, Canva's editor made a favorable impression on us owing to its intuitive drag-and-drop functionality. It's possible to directly select elements, and move, copy, delete, enlarge, minimize, or rotate them at will. You can also change their color scheme.

Canva's editor is a comprehensive graphic design program.

Ready-Made Elements and Custom Uploads

As mentioned above, to the left of the editor's menu, you can select between different templates and tools. For lines, shapes, frames, diagrams, and audio or video files, click on "Elements". You can upload your own media by clicking on "Uploads". It's even possible to integrate other services, like Instagram, to access photos. Once again though, these features are more relevant for presentations than logo design.

You can also upload files and use them in Canva's editor.

In the "Text" area, you'll find different fonts and stylized text, suitable for a logo without any extra elements. This is also where you add effects to the text, like shadows, curves, or outlines.

Canva offer classic fonts and stylized text for logos.

Harmonized Color Combinations

The "Styles" tool is also worth checking out. Compared to its competitors, Canva's editor is fairly complex. You won't be able to automatically apply a layout to each template, however, you can load pre-made color combinations. Simply save your brand's colors, and they'll be available for any graphics you decide to make with the platform.

You can choose different styles to create a visually harmonious logo.

Third-Party Integrations

Another nifty aspect of Canva is that you can upload and modify any logos you already have. PNG, SVG, and JPG files are supported. Beyond that, third-party integrations are also offered for stock photo databases like Pexels or Pixabay. Make sure that you own the legal rights to any graphics and photos featured in your logo.

Canva offers a number of third-party integrations.

Intuitive, but Complex When Compared to Other Logo Makers

For anyone who wants to be guided through logo creation, Canva isn't the best option. You'll have to come to terms with a full-fledged editor. Even though it's intuitive, there's so much freedom that it's recommended for users with design know-how. Of course, anyone can use the platform's numerous templates and edit text or other superficial elements, but there are more straightforward logo makers that offer this.

Our logo made with Canva.

All the same, Canva's drag-and-drop editor is of a different caliber than most of the other logo makers we assessed, making it possible to create truly unique logos.

Visit Website*
Logo Customization
9.4 / 10
3.

Usage

Logos that you've made with Canva can be used for both commercial and non-commercial purposes. Available stock content like images, graphics, fonts, and illustrations are licensed according to Canva's One Design Use License, which comes with a few limitations.

Generally speaking, you can use your logo in marketing materials, on social networks, or to sell your goods and services. You can only trademark your logo and secure its exclusive rights if you've created it entirely from scratch in Canva's editor. This doesn't apply if you've used one of the templates. Even then, you'll be able to freely, but not exclusively use your logo.

Logo Files Made to Order

Click on "Download" in the menu to the upper right to get files of your logo. A range of different file types like PNG, PDF (standard and print), JPG, GIF, and MP4-Video are available. Pro subscribers can also download a scalable SVG vector graphic, the size of which you can adjust without quality loss. Should you want to print your logo, this is important.

Pro subscribers can take advantage of additional download settings.

Pro subscribers can set the logo's size (from 250x250 px up to 1,500x1,500 px), download a version with a transparent background, or compress the file. If compressing, be aware that the logo's quality will be reduced.

Unlike its competitors, Canva does not offer an all-in-one package of logo files with different formats, like those optimized for profile pictures or social media banners. The platform does provide templates for all of these, which makes it easy to adjust your logo for social media, business cards, or flyers.

Taken together, Canva offers many options for the logos you create, and if a Pro subscriber, you can take full advantage of these.

Visit Website*
Logo Usage
8.6 / 10
4.

Help & Support

Canva's help center contains comprehensive articles and step-by-step guides with links and screenshots that are neatly categorized. Since Canva is more than just a logo maker, its help center covers a wide range of topics and features. As its logo maker is built around the same engine as the rest of Canva's editors, you probably won't notice though. Lengthy entries are included on the legal situation surrounding logos you create with the platform.

Canva's help center provides step-by-step guides, complete with screenshots and useful links.

Direct support is also available, although access to it is hidden in a separate article. There you'll find links for leaving a message with the Canva team, but don't expect to get a hotline number or live chat interface as neither is provided. The platform promises to answer Pro subscribers within 24 hours, whereby non-paying users have to wait up to a week. We waited around seven hours for an answer to our query.

Visit Website*
Support
8.6 / 10
5.

Pricing

Canva is available for free, however, you will have to make do with a few limitations in terms of features and templates. Vector graphics and transparent logo file downloads are restricted to paying customers. Full access to all of the platform's features and downloads can be unlocked with a Pro subscription, and shared by up to five people. Monthly and yearly (more affordable) subscriptions are available..

Below, we've supplied a current overview of Canva's pricing:

FreePro
Price $0.00 $119.99
Contract Period (Months) 0 12
Logo Design
No Subscription
Commercial Use
Export Logo
PNG
PNG (transparent)
SVG
Favicon
Social Media

So, how does Canva stack up in terms of price against its competitors? In the table below, we've included a rate for each provider in our sample that includes logo downloads with a transparent background:

1.
Shopify
Free
$0.00
yearly price
2.
Placeit
Single
$9.95
yearly price
3.
Fiverr
Essential
$30.00
yearly price
4.
Tailor Brands
Basic
$47.88
yearly price
5.
Wix
Basic
$49.00
yearly price
6.
Looka
Premium
$65.00
yearly price
7.
Canva
Pro
$119.99
yearly price

According to this, Canva is pricier than other logo makers. Keep in mind that the platform is more than just a logo maker and that its free version is highly usable. All the same, it would be nice if a cut-rate price was offered to anyone interested in only making a logo.

Conclusion

Review
8.7
good
Visit Website*
Logo Customization
9.4 / 10
Support
8.6 / 10
Logo Usage
8.6 / 10
Logo Design
8.0 / 10

We have to say it again: Canva is much more than a logo maker as its popularity clearly demonstrates. There are better options for step-by-step logo creation though. It does offer many logo templates, but customizing these is trickier than with other services we assessed. Users get creative freedom but need design skills to use it. The lack of AI-assisted logo selection isn't an issue as this is typically inaccurate anyways.

With all of that in mind, as well as its relatively high Pro subscription price (needed to download transparent logo files), Canva is only recommended if you intend to do more than just make logos.

Canva Logo Maker
Canva Logo Maker
(15,177,912 )
Canva is so much more than 'just' a logo maker, but logo creation is definitely one of the platform's many strengths. Because it's a lot more versatile than its rivals, however, it also requires a bit more creative talent.
comprehensive graphic design platform
offers more than 11,000 templates
powerful editor with extensive options
free plan
fairly complex to use
8.7
good
Plan
Free
One-off Price
-
Transparent (.png)
✗ No
Vector (.svg)
✗ No
Canva Free
$0.00
Visit Website*

User Reviews

People love Canva: On the review portals that we checked, the design platform averages "very good" scores. There are some critics though, particularly on Trustpilot, where the platform's service was bashed.

Customer Ratings
4.8 / 5
15,177,912 Bewertungen
Visit Website*
We analyzed the reviews and ratings from various portals and found 15,177,912 ratings with an overall rating of 4.8 out of 5 .

Alternatives

The logical alternative to Canva is Placeit, as like Canva, it's also a full-fledged design solution (and not just a logo maker). The only downside is that you'll get less creative freedom.

If Canva's editor is overkill for your logo needs, but you still want to have a free hand when crafting your logo, then look no further than Wix. With its drag-and-drop editor and plenty of customization, you'll be able to make a strong logo for your business.

Below, we've provided more of the best alternatives to Canva:

Best Overall 2024
Wix Logo Maker
Wix Logo Maker
(92,328 )
The Wix logo maker builds on the strengths of its website builder, and makes logo creation easy with its intuitive drag-and-drop editor. Even beginners should be able to create professional looking logos in no time.
well-performing, intuitive editor
easy to use
competitively priced
part of Wix
preselected logos disappointing
8.9
good
Plan
Basic
One-off Price
✓ Yes
Transparent (.png)
✓ Yes
Vector (.svg)
✗ No
Wix Basic
$49.00
yearly price
Visit Website*
Looka Logo Maker
Looka Logo Maker
(30,617 )
Looka makes creating logos simple as pie, but it restricts your creativity more than some of its rivals. We like that fact that you don't need to create an account to design your logo – only to buy it once you're done.
simple and fast logo creation
solid choice of design variations
either one-off price or subscription
editor lacks drag and drop
useless 'basic' plan
7.7
good
Plan
Basic
One-off Price
✓ Yes
Transparent (.png)
✗ No
Vector (.svg)
✗ No
Looka Basic
$20.00
yearly price
Visit Website*
Fiverr Logo Maker
Fiverr Logo Maker
(337,632 )
Fiverr's logo maker offers a nice selection of symbols and layouts, but it's not as versatile as some of its competitors. Despite the drag-and-drop approach, personalization is quite limited
create a logo in minutes
intuitive to use
quality logos from Fiverr designers
designs could be more versatile
limited customization options
7.3
good
Plan
Essential
One-off Price
✓ Yes
Transparent (.png)
✓ Yes
Vector (.svg)
✗ No
Fiverr Essential
$30.00
yearly price
Visit Website*
Tailor Brands Logo Maker
Tailor Brands Logo Maker
(7,805 )
Tailor Brands takes users by the hand, so even beginners without design expertise can create professional-looking logos in minutes. But because your creative freedom is quite limited, the results can be pretty generic.
easy to use
three types of logos
inflexible editor
few customization options
only available as a subscription
7.1
good
Plan
Basic
One-off Price
✗ No
Transparent (.png)
✓ Yes
Vector (.svg)
✗ No
Tailor Brands Basic
$47.88
yearly price
Visit Website*
Placeit Logo Maker
Placeit Logo Maker
(1,497 )
Placeit shines as a creative platform for mock-ups and design templates – its logo maker is more of a 'handy little extra'. You can quickly create a nice looking logo, but the customization options are quite limited.
fast and easy logo creation
lots of design and mockup features
unimpressive editing options
lacks 'smart' AI-aided customization
few download options
6.4
satisfactory
Plan
Single
One-off Price
✓ Yes
Transparent (.png)
✓ Yes
Vector (.svg)
✗ No
Placeit Single
$9.95
yearly price
Visit Website*
Top Logo Maker 2024
Sponsored
from $4.08
per month
Wix
from $0.00
per month
Canva
from $1.67
per month
Looka
from $2.50
per month
Fiverr
show all
Author (German Version): Martin Gschwentner
Martin Gschwentner majored in American Studies and Media Studies in Germany, the USA and France and works as a freelance editor in Paris. He is a doctoral student at the Institute for English and American Studies at the University of Paris Diderot, where he is researching the influence of money on US politics. On EXPERTE.com he writes about IT security, data protection and software for the self-employed and small businesses.
Translation: D Bare
* Ad disclaimer: For links marked with an asterisk, EXPERTE.com may earn a commission from the provider. The commission has no influence on our editorial rating.
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