Canva's Price Hike: What It Means for Small Businesses (and What You Can Do About It)

Grab a coffee and buckle up, because we need to talk about something that's gonna affect your wallets – Canva's whopping 300% price increase. Yeah, you heard that right. Let's break it down and figure out what the heck we're gonna do about it.

The Canva Bombshell

So, here's the deal. Canva just dropped this bomb on us:

  1. They're jacking up the prices of their Teams plan to $100 per year per person.

  2. You gotta have a minimum of three people on that plan. (I know, right? What about us two-person teams?)

  3. If you're on the Pro plan with multiple users, they're gonna automatically bump you to the Teams plan in July next year.

Now, you might be thinking, "No biggie, I'll just downgrade to Pro." Well, hold your horses, because that's not looking too hot either. The Pro plan is now $165 per year for one person. So if you're a dynamic duo like me and my VA, you're looking at $330 a year for two separate logins. Ouch.

Why This Stings (and Why Canva Should Care)

Look, I get it. Tools like Canva are absolute lifesavers for small businesses. We rely on them for affordable, professional-looking designs. But this price hike? It's putting these essential tools out of reach for many of us.

Here's the thing: small businesses are the backbone of the economy. We're out here hustling, trying to make our mark, and tools like Canva help us look polished without breaking the bank. Social media, websites, clients – they all expect a certain level of finesse that Canva delivers.

I honestly believe it's the responsibility of companies like Canva to keep their tools accessible. Otherwise, we're forced to cut corners, and nobody wins.

So, What Now? Let's Shop Around!

Alright, enough doom and gloom. Let's look at some alternatives that might work for our two-person teams:

  1. Adobe Express: It's basically Canva but in the Adobe universe. You get tons of templates, brand kits, and (hallelujah!) decent PDF editing. The kicker? Teams start at two seats for about $140 per year, locked in for three years. Not too shabby.

  2. VistaCreate: Okay, I'll admit, the Vista Print connection gives me pause. But hear me out – they've got a solid library of assets, and their pro version allows multiple users. The price point isn't bad either.

  3. Stencil, Easil, Snappa: I checked these out too, but they're either too pricey or don't offer multi-user accounts. Hard pass.

The Verdict (For Now)

For us two-person powerhouses, it looks like Adobe Express or VistaCreate might be our best bets. I'm leaning towards giving Adobe Express a shot – that PDF editing feature is calling my name.

Over to You!

Have you tried either of these alternatives? Love 'em? Hate 'em? I want to hear all about it! Drop your experiences in the comments, because I'm about to take the plunge and try one out.

Remember, we small business owners gotta stick together. This Canva situation might be a pain, but it's also a chance to explore new tools that could take our designs to the next level. Who knows? We might find something even better!

Stay scrappy, stay creative, and don't let the price hikes get you down.

Clementine Holman