Canva vs Lately.ai
Canva
- Platform: Visual design across social, print, web
- Best For: Designers and teams creating graphics and videos
- Strength: Intuitive templates and collaboration
- Users: 201M+ users
Starting at $12.99/month
Lately.ai
- Platform: Social media post generation and scheduling
- Best For: B2B teams repurposing content
- Strength: Neuroscience-based AI personalization
- Users: Enterprise-focused with 1K+ users
Starting at $14/month
Table of Contents
At a Glance
Content Creation
| Feature | Canva | Lately.ai |
|---|---|---|
| Drag-and-drop editor | ✓ Intuitive visual editor for graphics, videos, and documents | ✗ Text-based AI generation, no visual editing |
| Template library | ✓ Thousands of templates for social media and more | ✗ No templates; focuses on AI-generated posts |
| AI-powered generation | ✓ Magic Design and background remover | ✓ Neuroscience-driven post creation from longform |
| Content repurposing | ✗ Manual adaptation required | ✓ Automated from text, audio, video into social posts |
| Video editing | ✓ Basic editing with transitions and animations | ✗ Supports video input but no editing tools |
Social Media Specific
| Feature | Canva | Lately.ai |
|---|---|---|
| Channel-specific formatting | ✓ Templates optimized for social platforms | ✓ AI formats for major networks like LinkedIn, Twitter |
| Scheduling and calendar | ✓ Basic content planner in Pro | ✓ Full AI-powered scheduling and calendar management |
| Brand voice consistency | ✓ Brand Kits for visuals (logos, colors, fonts) | ✓ Voice Models trained on analytics for text tone |
| Stock media integration | ✓ Extensive photos, videos, icons | ✗ No stock media; focuses on text generation |
| Multilingual support | ✗ Limited language tools | ✓ Supports multiple languages and dialects |
Collaboration & Teams
| Feature | Canva | Lately.ai |
|---|---|---|
| Real-time collaboration | ✓ Commenting, shared folders, team workspaces | ✓ Team seats, governance for enterprises |
| Approval workflows | ✓ Basic commenting and sharing | ✓ Advanced governance and key messaging controls |
| Employee advocacy | ✗ No advocacy tools | ✓ Compliant employee sharing features |
| Multi-account management | ✓ Team folders and permissions | ✓ Governance for agencies and enterprises |
Analytics & Integrations
| Feature | Canva | Lately.ai |
|---|---|---|
| Performance analytics | ✗ No built-in social analytics | ✓ Predictive modeling based on social data |
| AI insights | ✓ AI tools for design suggestions | ✓ Predictive analytics for content performance |
| Integrations | ✓ Web, apps, export options | ✓ Hootsuite, HubSpot, Salesforce, Grammarly |
| Cross-platform access | ✓ Web, desktop, mobile apps | ✓ Web-based with API integrations |
Advanced Features
| Feature | Canva | Lately.ai |
|---|---|---|
| Presentations and whiteboards | ✓ Dedicated tools for presentations and brainstorming | ✗ Not applicable |
| Website builder | ✓ Simple website creation | ✗ Not applicable |
| Voice Model training | ✗ No text voice training | ✓ Trains on user analytics for personalized copy |
| Automation workflows | ✗ Manual processes | ✓ 100% automation for social workflows in Enterprise |
Pricing Comparison
Canva starts at $12.99/month with a generous free tier, offering excellent value for visual design. Lately.ai begins at $14/month but scales quickly to $199+ for advanced AI features, making it pricier for teams needing repurposing automation.
Canva
Canva Free
Free
Beginners testing basic design needs
- Access to core Canva editor and basic design tools
- Thousands of free templates across multiple categories
- Hundreds of thousands of free photos and graphics
- Collaboration with basic sharing options
- Limited cloud storage for designs and uploads
Canva Pro (Monthly)
$12.99/month
Individuals and small teams needing premium assets
- Everything in Free plus premium templates and elements
- Brand Kit with logos, colors, and fonts
- Background remover and other advanced editing tools
- Magic Resize for adapting designs to multiple formats
- Increased cloud storage and upload limits
Canva Pro (Yearly)
$119.99/year
Cost-conscious users wanting annual savings
- All Canva Pro features at a discounted annual rate
- Full access to premium templates, photos, and graphics
- Brand Kit and brand controls for consistent visuals
- Advanced export options and content planner tools
- Higher storage limits than the Free plan
Canva for Teams (Monthly)
From $14.99/month
Collaborating teams and businesses
- Everything in Pro plus multi‑seat licensing for teams
- Team workspaces and shared folders
- Advanced collaboration and approval workflows
- Additional brand controls and permissions
- Centralized asset management for teams
Canva for Teams (Yearly)
From $149.90/year
Teams seeking annual discounts
- All Canva for Teams features with annual discount
- Shared Brand Kits and templates for teams
- Enhanced collaboration and commenting tools
- Centralized billing and user management
- Higher storage and usage limits for organizations
Canva for Education
Free
Teachers and students
- Access to premium features for eligible teachers and students
- Education‑specific templates and classroom resources
- Collaboration tools for group projects and assignments
- Branding options for school or class materials
- Integration with common classroom workflows
Canva for Nonprofits
Free
Eligible nonprofits
- Premium features for eligible nonprofit organizations
- Access to Pro‑level templates and elements
- Branding tools for campaigns and fundraising materials
- Collaboration for nonprofit teams and volunteers
- Increased storage compared to Free plan
Lately.ai
Starter (Annual)
$14/month
Solo users starting with basic repurposing
- Repurpose longform text, audio, and video into engaging social posts
- Basic scheduling and analytics functionality
- 1 Voice Model
- 5 social channels
- 1 user seat
- Free trial available
Starter (Monthly)
$19/month
Flexible solo testing
- Repurpose longform text, audio, and video into engaging social posts
- Basic scheduling and analytics functionality
- 1 Voice Model
- 5 social channels
- 1 user seat
- Free trial available
Growth (Annual)
$199/month
Small teams needing full calendar and analytics
- Everything in Starter
- Full calendar plus AI scheduling
- Performance analytics
- Voice Model editing
- RSS feed integration
- 1 Voice Model
- 5 social channels
- 3 user seats
Growth (Monthly)
$239/month
Teams wanting monthly flexibility
- Everything in Starter
- Full calendar plus AI scheduling
- Performance analytics
- Voice Model editing
- RSS feed integration
- 1 Voice Model
- 25 social channels
- 5 user seats
Enterprise (Annual)
Custom
Large organizations with automation needs
- Everything in Growth
- 100% automation of social workflows
- Multiple client account governance and key messaging controls
- Regional dialect and foreign language adaptation
- Employee advocacy functionality
- Unlimited Voice Models
- Unlimited social channels
- Unlimited user seats
- "White Glove" VIP customer service
Enterprise (Monthly)
Custom
Enterprises preferring monthly billing
- Everything in Growth
- 100% automation of social workflows
- Multiple client account governance and key messaging controls
- Regional dialect and foreign language adaptation
- Employee advocacy functionality
- Unlimited Voice Models
- Unlimited social channels
- Unlimited user seats
- "White Glove" VIP customer service
Feature Deep Dive
Content Creation Capabilities
Canva
Strengths
- Drag-and-drop editor accessible to non-designers
- Extensive template library for social media graphics
- Integrated stock media and AI tools like Magic Design
- Support for videos, presentations, and documents
- Brand Kits ensure visual consistency
Workflow
Select template → Customize with drag-and-drop → Apply Brand Kit → Export or share
Lately.ai
Strengths
- AI repurposes longform into dozens of social posts
- Voice Models learn brand tone from analytics
- Supports text, audio, video inputs
- Channel-specific optimization
- Predictive performance modeling
Workflow
Upload longform content → Train Voice Model → Generate posts → Review and schedule
Canva shines in visual content creation with user-friendly design tools and vast resources, ideal for custom graphics. Lately.ai excels at text-based repurposing and automation, saving time on copywriting but lacking visual editing. Choose Canva for designs, Lately.ai for quick social copy.
Scheduling & Automation
Canva
Strengths
- Content planner in Pro for basic scheduling
- Magic Resize for multi-format adaptation
- Export to shareable links or integrations
Limitations
- No full social media calendar or AI scheduling
- Manual posting to platforms
- Limited automation beyond design
Lately.ai
Strengths
- AI-powered scheduling with full calendar
- Automated repurposing and posting
- RSS integration and predictive timing
- 100% workflow automation in Enterprise
Limitations
- No visual design integration
- Best for text-heavy automation
Lately.ai dominates in social scheduling and automation with AI-driven calendars and repurposing. Canva offers basic planning but focuses on creation, not posting. For automated social management, Lately.ai wins; for design prep, Canva suffices.
Collaboration & Team Features
Canva
Strengths
- Real-time editing and commenting
- Shared folders and team workspaces
- Brand controls and permissions
- Centralized asset management
Workflow
Invite team → Collaborate in real-time → Comment and approve → Share exports
Lately.ai
Strengths
- Multi-seat licensing and governance
- Employee advocacy and approval workflows
- Multi-account management for agencies
- Unlimited seats in Enterprise
Limitations
- Less emphasis on real-time visual collab
- Focused on content governance
Canva provides intuitive visual collaboration for design teams. Lately.ai offers robust governance for content automation in enterprises. Canva is better for creative teams; Lately.ai for compliance-heavy B2B.
Analytics & Reporting
Canva
Strengths
- Basic usage analytics in teams
- Export insights for designs
Limitations
- No social performance tracking
- Limited to internal tool metrics
Lately.ai
Strengths
- Performance analytics with predictive modeling
- Voice Model insights from social data
- Enterprise reporting on engagement
Limitations
- Requires analytics connection for full value
- No design-specific metrics
Lately.ai provides deep social analytics and predictions, essential for content optimization. Canva lacks this, focusing on creation metrics. For data-driven social strategies, Lately.ai is superior.
Use Case Comparison
Solo Creator Needing Visuals
Canva 🏆
Excellent
Easy drag-and-drop and free tier perfect for quick graphics without design skills.
Best Plan: Canva Free or Pro ($12.99/month)
Score: 10/10
Lately.ai
Poor
Lacks visual tools; focused on text repurposing.
Best Plan: Not suitable
Score: 2/10
B2B Team Repurposing Longform Content
Canva
Fair
Can adapt designs manually but no automation for text.
Best Plan: Canva Pro ($12.99/month)
Score: 5/10
Lately.ai 🏆
Excellent
AI excels at turning blogs/podcasts into social posts with brand voice.
Best Plan: Growth ($199/month)
Score: 10/10
Small Business Marketing Team
Canva 🏆
Excellent
Affordable, collaborative design for multi-channel content.
Best Plan: Canva for Teams ($14.99/month)
Score: 9/10
Lately.ai
Good
Useful for automation but pricey for small scale.
Best Plan: Starter ($14/month)
Score: 6/10
Agency Managing Multiple Clients
Canva
Good
Team workspaces but limited governance.
Best Plan: Canva for Teams ($14.99/month)
Score: 7/10
Lately.ai 🏆
Excellent
Governance and multi-account features ideal for agencies.
Best Plan: Enterprise (Custom)
Score: 9/10
Educator Creating Presentations
Canva 🏆
Excellent
Free education plan with templates for classroom materials.
Best Plan: Canva for Education (Free)
Score: 10/10
Lately.ai
Poor
No presentation tools; text-focused.
Best Plan: Not suitable
Score: 1/10
Enterprise Social Media at Scale
Canva
Good
Strong collaboration but no deep analytics or automation.
Best Plan: Canva for Teams (Yearly)
Score: 7/10
Lately.ai 🏆
Excellent
Unlimited features, advocacy, and multilingual support.
Best Plan: Enterprise (Custom)
Score: 10/10
Nonprofit on Limited Budget
Canva 🏆
Excellent
Free premium access for branding and campaigns.
Best Plan: Canva for Nonprofits (Free)
Score: 10/10
Lately.ai
Fair
Starter viable but no nonprofit discount.
Best Plan: Starter ($14/month)
Score: 5/10
Influencer Creating Fast Social Posts
Canva 🏆
Excellent
Quick templates and mobile app for visuals.
Best Plan: Canva Pro ($12.99/month)
Score: 9/10
Lately.ai
Good
AI speeds text but needs content input.
Best Plan: Starter ($14/month)
Score: 7/10
Franchise with Employee Advocacy
Canva
Fair
Sharing tools but no advocacy automation.
Best Plan: Canva for Teams ($14.99/month)
Score: 4/10
Lately.ai 🏆
Excellent
Dedicated advocacy tools for distributed teams.
Best Plan: Enterprise (Custom)
Score: 10/10
Startup Without In-House Designer
Canva 🏆
Excellent
Empowers non-designers with easy tools.
Best Plan: Canva Pro ($12.99/month)
Score: 10/10
Lately.ai
Good
Automates copy but visuals still needed.
Best Plan: Growth ($199/month)
Score: 6/10
Global Team with Multilingual Needs
Canva
Fair
Design tools work across languages but no adaptation.
Best Plan: Canva for Teams ($14.99/month)
Score: 5/10
Lately.ai 🏆
Excellent
Regional dialects and language adaptation.
Best Plan: Enterprise (Custom)
Score: 9/10
Budget-Conscious Content Creator
Canva 🏆
Excellent
Robust free tier covers essentials.
Best Plan: Canva Free
Score: 9/10
Lately.ai
Good
Starter affordable but limited for visuals.
Best Plan: Starter ($14/month)
Score: 7/10
Pros and Cons
Canva
Pros
- Very easy to use, even for non‑designers
- Huge library of templates and stock media across many formats
- Strong Brand Kit and collaboration features for teams
- Cross‑platform access via web, desktop, and mobile apps
- AI‑powered tools speed up common editing tasks
- Generous free tier and special plans for education/nonprofits
- Versatile for graphics, videos, presentations, and more
Cons
- Limited compared to professional design suites for complex projects
- Asset organization and version control can be challenging at scale
- Heavy reliance on templates can lead to similar‑looking designs
- Advanced export and print workflows are less robust than specialist tools
- Some features and content are locked behind paid plans
- No built-in social analytics or full scheduling
Lately.ai
Pros
- Highly personalized AI trained on your own social analytics and engagement data
- Excellent for repurposing longform content into dozens of social posts quickly
- Strong Voice Model capabilities for brand, regional, and individual voices
- Built-in AI scheduling and full calendar management for long-range planning
- Robust enterprise features including governance, multi-account management, and advocacy
- Supports multiple languages and integrations with major tools
- Predictive analytics for optimizing future content
Cons
- Pricing, especially for Growth and Enterprise, may be high for solo creators or very small teams
- Feature set can feel complex if you only need simple LinkedIn post generation
- Best results require connecting analytics and feeding substantial longform content
- Interface and workflows may involve a learning curve for non-technical marketers
- Some pages and resources on the site redirect to 404s, which can hinder discovery of information
- No visual design or editing capabilities
Final Verdict
Canva and Lately.ai target different aspects of social media workflows. Canva is a versatile design powerhouse for creating visuals, while Lately.ai is an AI specialist for automating text-based social content from existing assets. Canva suits creative, design-heavy needs; Lately.ai fits automation-focused B2B strategies.
Opt for Canva if visual creation and ease are paramount, especially on a budget. Choose Lately.ai for AI-driven repurposing and automation in content-heavy environments. Combine them for end-to-end workflows: design in Canva, repurpose and schedule in Lately.ai.
Overall Scores
Canva
Value: 9/10
Lately.ai
Value: 6/10
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