Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

GIMP VS Canva

Compare GIMP VS Canva and see what are their differences

GIMP logo GIMP

GIMP is a multiplatform photo manipulation tool.

Canva logo Canva

Canva is a graphic-design platform with a drag-and-drop interface to create print or visual content while providing templates, images, and fonts. Canva makes graphic design more straightforward and accessible regardless of skill level.
  • GIMP Landing page
    Landing page //
    2018-09-30
  • Canva Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-01-10

Canva is a web-based design platform allowing users to quickly and easily create stunning visuals. With various templates and tools, businesses can create professional designs for social media posts, presentations, flyers, and more. Canva also allows users to save templates and collaborate with other designers, making it great for teams working together on projects. Not only is Canva easy to use, but it is also affordable, making it an excellent option for businesses on a budget. Use Canva Teams to connect with your team members and work on a project from different locations, making tracking progress and managing deadlines easy. You can also upload and store files, assign tasks, and communicate with each other in one centralized place. With Canva Teams, you can quickly and easily create stunning visually pleasing visuals that effectively communicate the project's message.

Canva

Website
canva.com
$ Details
freemium $12.99 / Monthly (Pro)
Release Date
2013 August
Startup details
Country
Australia
City
Sydney
Founder(s)
Mel Perkins, Cliff Obrecht, Cameron Adams
Employees
2,000 - 4,999

GIMP features and specs

  • Free and Open Source
    GIMP is completely free to use and open source, allowing users to download, modify, and distribute the software without any cost.
  • Cross-Platform Compatibility
    GIMP is compatible with multiple operating systems including Windows, macOS, and Linux, providing flexibility for users on different platforms.
  • Extensive Plugin Support
    GIMP supports a wide range of plugins, which can be used to enhance functionality and customize the software to suit specific needs.
  • Powerful Editing Tools
    GIMP offers a comprehensive set of image editing tools for tasks such as photo retouching, image composition, and image authoring, suitable for both beginners and advanced users.

Possible disadvantages of GIMP

  • Complex Interface
    The user interface can be overwhelming and not as intuitive as other commercial software, which can pose a steep learning curve for new users.
  • Performance Issues
    Some users experience performance issues, such as slow rendering times, especially when working with large files or applying multiple layers and effects.
  • Limited Professional Features
    Compared to industry-standard software like Adobe Photoshop, GIMP lacks some advanced features and tools that professionals might need for high-end work.
  • Inconsistent Updates
    Updates and new features can be inconsistent, as the development relies on a community of volunteers rather than a dedicated team.

Canva features and specs

  • Document Creation
    Writing AI
  • Custom Prints
    Over 30 products to pick from
  • Presentations
    magic shortcuts, animations, recording
  • Websites
    Performance Tracking
  • Video Editor
    One-click video background remover, animations
  • Social Media Content Creation
    Resizing options, content planner
  • Whiteboards
    Flowcharts, planning, and brainstorming
  • HEIC to JPG Converter
    Convert HEIC to JPG to easily share images on any platform or device using Canva's HEIC to JPG converter
  • PDF to JPG Converter
    Convert PDF to JPG to easily share images on any platform or device using Canva's PDF to JPG Converter

Analysis of GIMP

Overall verdict

  • GIMP is generally considered a good alternative to commercial image editing software, especially for those who are looking for a cost-effective solution. While it may not have all the advanced features or polished interface of some paid options, it is powerful enough for most editing tasks and keeps improving with regular updates.

Why this product is good

  • GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) is a free and open-source image editor that offers a wide range of tools and features for photo retouching, image composition, and image authoring. It is highly customizable and supports various plugins, making it a flexible option for different design needs. Its active community provides extensive support and resources for users.

Recommended for

    GIMP is recommended for beginners, hobbyists, and professionals who need a robust image editor without a financial commitment. It's suitable for users who are comfortable with learning open-source software and those who need a tool for basic to mid-level image editing tasks.

GIMP videos

Gimp vs Photoshop - Photo Editing Software - COMPARISON 2018

More videos:

  • Review - GIMP 2020 Preview and GIMP 2019 Recap
  • Review - 10 Reasons to Use GIMP in 2020 Over Photoshop

Canva videos

Canva Review

More videos:

  • Review - Canva Pro | 7 Reasons To Upgrade To Canva Pro

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to GIMP and Canva)
Graphic Design Software
43 43%
57% 57
Design Tools
0 0%
100% 100
Image Editing
48 48%
52% 52
Digital Drawing And Painting

User comments

Share your experience with using GIMP and Canva. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
Log in or Post with

Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare GIMP and Canva

GIMP Reviews

  1. Clipping Path universe
    · Working at Clipping Path ·
    A great site

    This is a great site for photo editing and the software is supper.

    👍 Pros:    Trusted

12 Best Free PosterMyWall Alternatives and Competitors
You can use GIMP as a basic paint tool, a high-quality photo editor, a tool to process many images at once online, a way to make lots of images, or even to change the format of an image. GIMP can do even more because you can add extra features to it using plugins and extensions. You can make it do just about anything you like.
Source: mockey.ai
10 Best Photopea Software Alternatives in 2024 (Free & Paid)
There are 1,439 votes for GIMP and 14 votes for Photopea. GIMP gets 4.3/5, and Photopea gets 4.8/5. These rankings come from real user reviews and can help you choose between the two based on your industry’s needs.
Best Adobe Photoshop alternatives of 2024
In our experience, GIMP was slightly less responsive and used a few more resources than its proprietary counterpart, but this can be easily forgiven on the basis that GIMP always has been and always will be free and open source.
10 Best Adobe Illustrator Alternatives
Check out GIMP, one of the best free Illustrator alternatives which is ideal for any creative.
16+ Best Web Design Software in 2022 (Ranked by a Trusted Expert)
GIMP stands for GNU Image Manipulation Program. It’s a free and open-source software for editing images and a valuable tool to have in your arsenal.

Canva Reviews

  1. Yansiliang
    · Working at Xspiral ·
    Good

    good

  2. Abizer Izzy
    Best Blog Image Generator

    I consistently use Canva to create featured images for my blog. The free version itself is amazing.

    🏁 Competitors: DesignCap
    👍 Pros:    Free elements|Free templates|Easy logo creation
  3. Arshia Jabbar
    · Marketing intern at PITB Incubation Wing ·
    A app where you make your profile by your own

    User friendly app for beginners, also their features are easy to use, and they have fun features too. Also they have multiple templates whatever you make you have many options. Also they support beginners in start.

    🏁 Competitors: PicMonkey
    👍 Pros:    Variety of graphics|Advanced features
    👎 Cons:    Download music from deezer premium

12 Best Free PosterMyWall Alternatives and Competitors
Canva is a user-friendly tool that helps people create stunning, creative content without any hassle. It’s great for making social site images, posters, videos, websites, and much more. Whether you’re a beginner or a pro, Canva can boost your design skills.
Source: mockey.ai
Top 10 Best Animoto Alternatives For Stunning Video Creation
The graphic de­sign king offers more than images now. Canva provide­s video editing capabilities also. Add move­ment to social campaigns. A library of premade vide­o styles awaits within its interface. Making e­ye-catching videos is approachable for all skill le­vels through Canva.
Source: sharetool.net
Top 6 Alternatives to Animoto to Create Videos Online
Are there any Canva alternatives to make an amazing graphic design? Luckily, this post will provide you with the 5 best Canva alternatives. Read this post now!
The 13 Best Free PDF Editors (February 2024)
Unlike most free tools, Canva lets you fully edit text, and you don't need to sign up to do it. Click any text area to change what the text says and to adjust the font type, size, and color. You can also add hyperlinks to text and other objects, and special fonts are available to easily type out your signature.
10 Best AI Background Removers for Flawless Edits in 2023
Canva offers two primary pricing tiers. For the individual, Canva Pro is priced at $14.99 per month or $119.99 for a whole year. Should you need a platform for collaborative work, Canva caters to teams as well. It offers a team package at $29.99 per month - this price covers up to five team members. For an annual option, teams can avail it at $300 per year, good for the...
Source: picofme.io

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Canva should be more popular than GIMP. It has been mentiond 226 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

GIMP mentions (59)

  • Yurt Calculator
    Image Creative Commons (CC) BY-SA-NC 2005-2017, developed, designed and written by René K. Müller Graphics & illustrations made with Inkscape, Tgif, Gimp, PovRay, GD.pm Web-Site powered by FreeBSD & Debian/Linux - 100% Open Source. Source: about 2 years ago
  • I just cannot understand why they did Paint so bad
    Paint.NET for a familiar paradigm with nicer features. Pinta for an old school, simple Paint experience. Krita for more advanced drawing. Gimp for editing/manipulating photos. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Had to make This after seeing all the post over and over again
    If you don't want to pay for photoshop, check out the Gnu Image Manipulation Program at http://gimp.org which is free. It has most of what you'd want photoshop for. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Super, just Super.
    As good as this suggestion is, without proper links and explanation it means nothing. GEGL is a type of plugins for GIMP, which can adjust the settings of already present effects and create new ones. The most notable ones are made by LinuxBeaver. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Useful apps for Ux designers
    GIMP: FOSS alternative to Photoshop. Like Inkscape, it’s not directly related to UI, but might be handy. Source: over 2 years ago
View more

Canva mentions (226)

  • Here's how to build a Canva like UI using Reactjs
    Chances are, you’ve used Canva — maybe to whip up a poster, design an Instagram story, or create something that just looks good without breaking being a professional designer. - Source: dev.to / about 2 months ago
  • The Best 100 Free UI/UX Resources for Every Designer & Developer
    Canva Canva.com Drag-and-drop design platform with free templates for social media, presentations, and more. - Source: dev.to / 3 months ago
  • CSS is Emotional: z-index and the Hierarchy of Needs
    Imagine shuffling papers on a desk. Even though the desk is flat, papers stack in layers—some on top, others below. That's exactly what z-index does on websites. If you're familiar with tools like Canva, PowerPoint, Photoshop, or Figma, you know this feature as "Send to Back" or more accurately, "Arrange" or "Position". - Source: dev.to / 5 months ago
  • My tech stack for startups in 2025
    I'm continuing to use Adobe's Creative Cloud. Photoshop, Illustrator, and Premiere Pro are tools that I already know my way around so I'm keeping those close. I know that many people love how quick and easy it is to get something done with tools like Canva or Figma. I think whatever you are comfortable with and enables you to move fast you should keep using. - Source: dev.to / 7 months ago
  • How I promoted my open source repo to 6k stars in 6 months
    Now, I’m not a designer, so for the promo images I just used Canva templates to create the promotional images in a style that seemed to fit. I think they came out good enough. What I was mostly going for was consistency. - Source: dev.to / 10 months ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing GIMP and Canva, you can also consider the following products

Adobe Photoshop - Adobe Photoshop is a webtop application for editing images and photos online.

Piktochart - Piktochart for Business Storytelling

Krita - Krita is a professional FREE and open source painting program. It is made by artists that want to seaffordable art tools for everyone. Concept art. texture and matte painters, illustrations and comics.

PicMonkey - PicMonkey is a feature-rich online photo editor that works right in your browser; no downloads...

Affinity Photo - Affinity is the imaging and design suite for creative professionals exclusively for Mac.

Pixelmator - Pixelmator is an image-editing application for Mac and iPad.