Picsart vs. Canva: Which design tool is right for you?

In this in-depth comparison, we'll break down what makes each platform shine and where they might fall short, so you can pick the perfect tool for your needs. And if you're specifically looking to remove image backgrounds, we'll show you how a specialized tool like remove.bg might be an even better option.

Canva

Founded in 2013, Canva aims to make design accessible to everyone, even if they don’t have advanced design skills. This Australian company now serves over 220 million monthly users across 190 countries and supports more than 100 languages.

Starting as a simple drag-and-drop tool, Canva has expanded into a comprehensive platform with templates for social media, presentations, videos, websites, and various print materials.

Key Features of Canva

• All-in-One design platform: Canva offers templates for virtually any design need, from Instagram posts and business cards to presentations and video editing. This makes it a versatile one-stop shop for all your creative projects

• AI tools: Canva’s Magic Studio suite brings AI capabilities to the average user. Magic Write generates copy in your brand voice, while Magic Edit transforms photos with just a few clicks

• Simple collaboration: Canva makes it easy for teams to collaborate, enabling multiple users to work on designs at the same time. Comments, approval flows, and shared brand kits make it perfect for businesses managing their visual identity across teams

Pros of Canva

✔ User-friendly interface: Canva's intuitive drag-and-drop functionality makes design accessible even to complete beginners with no prior experience

✔ Extensive template library: With thousands of professionally designed templates, Canva gives users a significant head start on any project rather than starting from scratch

✔ Brand kit features: For businesses, Canva's ability to store brand colors, logos, and fonts ensures consistency across all materials—a crucial aspect of professional branding

Cons of Canva

❌ No background removal with free plan: Many useful features, including one-click background removal, are only available with Canva Pro ($12.99 per month) or Canva Teams ($19 per user per month). You can use Canva’s Online Background Remover for free, but only once

❌ Limited bulk editing: Canva doesn't offer efficient ways to make changes across multiple designs simultaneously, which can be time-consuming for teams managing large design libraries

Picsart

Founded in 2011, Picsart has grown into one of the world's largest digital creation platforms. With over 150 million users across 180 countries, Picsart’s mission is to “give everyone a creative edge” with technology that was previously only available to professionals.

The platform enables users to edit images, designs, and videos through a range of tools and features, like background removal, image filters, and design templates.

Key Features of Picsart

• AI editing tools: Picsart offers several AI tools, such as AI image generation, object removal, image enhancement, and background removal

• Extensive content library: Users have access to a vast open-source collection of customizable templates and stock photos to help overcome creative blocks and speed up design work

• Mobile app: While available on both web and mobile, Picsart's mobile app makes it ideal for creators who need to edit on the go

Pros of Picsart

✔  Easy to use: Picsart's tools are designed for quick edits, making it perfect for social media creators who need to produce content fast and on mobile

✔ Powerful photo editing: Picsart excels at photo editing with features like advanced filters, effects, and stickers that make it easy to give your images a glow-up

✔ Generous free plan: The free version includes photo and video editing tools, access to a selection of free images and templates, and 5 weekly credits for trying AI features

Cons of Picsart

❌ Distracting ads: Some users on G2 complain about excessive ads in the free version, which can interrupt the creative workflow and detract from the user experience

❌ Storage constraints: Even paid plans have storage limitations, with the Plus plan offering only 5 GB of cloud storage, which might be insufficient for frequent users with large files

❌ Background removal isn’t free: While Picsart has a free background remover, it's only available as a 7-day trial. After that, you'll need a subscription to download high-resolution images and add new backgrounds

Comparison: Canva vs Picsart

Let’s take a look at how Canva stacks up compared to Picsart, based on features, pricing, and usability:

Picsart vs Canva: Enter remove.bg

So, which tool wins between Picsart and Canva?

If you need an all-in-one platform for team collaboration with extensive templates and brand management, Canva is likely your best choice.

If you’re looking for easy photo editing on the go for individual projects, Picsart is a great solution.

But what if you need to remove backgrounds from images quickly and professionally?

That’s where remove.bg comes in.

Founded in 2018, remove.bg excels at removing backgrounds from images quickly and accurately. While Canva and Picsart require subscriptions for unlimited background removal, remove.bg makes this process accessible to everyone.

The AI tool is powerful but easy to use. This means there's virtually no learning curve, empowering anyone to get professional results immediately. Plus, over 240 enterprise clients like Bosch, Sony Music, and Aston Barclay use remove.bg for high-volume and bulk processing, demonstrating its effectiveness at scale.

Let's look at what makes remove.bg the top choice for background removal.

Key features of remove.bg

• Automated background removal: remove.bg uses advanced AI technology to automatically detect and remove backgrounds from images with impressive accuracy, even with complex elements like hair or transparent objects

• Enhanced editing: Create professional-looking visuals with editing tools like the Magic Brush for manual touch-ups around difficult edges, and AI Shadows to add a natural look

• Background options: Replace your backgrounds with colors, transparent backgrounds, stock images, or upload custom images to create exactly the look you need

• Batch processing: Save time by processing multiple images simultaneously, perfect for e-commerce businesses, photographers, or anyone who needs to edit large volumes of photos

• Integrations: Access remove.bg through a desktop app for Windows, Mac, and Linux, plugins for design software like Photoshop and Figma, or via build custom integrations using the API

How to use remove.bg: A step-by-step guide

Removing backgrounds with remove.bg is simple. Here’s how to do it.

1. Visit remove.bg and click "Upload Image," or drag and drop your photo onto the page.

   

2. The tool will detect and remove the background in seconds. If you need to make any adjustments, just click “Erase/Restore.”

   

3. Here, you can use the Magic Brush tool to correct the edges, if needed.

   

4. Click “Add Background” if you’d like to change the background. You can select one of the stock images, or select “+” to upload your own image.

   

5. To make the image look more natural, click “Effects” and then “Add Shadow.” You can also blur the background if you want.

   

6. Finished? Simply hit “Download.” The “Preview” version (408 x 612 PNG) is free forever, as many times as you like.

   

If you need max quality or batch processing, check out remove.bg’s pay-as-you-go pricing and subscription plans. 

Why remove.bg is better for background removal

When it comes to removing backgrounds, remove.bg offers significant advantages:

• Superior quality: Thanks to industry-leading AI technology, remove.bg delivers consistently higher-quality results, especially with challenging subjects like hair, fur, or transparent objects

• Consistent results: For businesses needing professional-looking images across their website or marketing materials, remove.bg provides consistent quality without requiring design expertise

Time savings: Real businesses report dramatic time savings. For example, fashion marketplace Vestiaire Collective was able to process images twice as fast using remove.bg.

FAQs

Is Canva better than Picsart? 

It depends on your specific needs. Canva is ideal for team collaboration, brand management, and creating presentations or marketing materials with its extensive template library. Picsart offers strong photo editing capabilities and creative effects for individuals who need more advanced image editing.

Are Canva and Picsart good for removing backgrounds? 

Both Canva and Picsart offer background removal features, but with limitations. Canva's free plan only allows you to remove the background once, while Picsart offers a 7-day free trial. For regular or professional background removal needs, a specialized tool like remove.bg is more suitable.

What are the main differences between Canva and Picsart? 

The biggest differences are pricing, features, and target audience. Canva is better for business teams creating consistent branded content across multiple formats, while Picsart is designed for individuals who want more advanced photo editing capabilities and creative effects.

What is the best alternative to Canva and Picsart? 

If you're looking for an alternative that focuses specifically on background removal, remove.bg is a great choice because it offers superior quality results with less effort, specialized tools for challenging images, and flexible integration options. 

Choose the right tool for your needs

When choosing between Canva and Picsart, consider your specific needs.

Canva is ideal for teams and businesses that need consistent branding across various materials. Its intuitive interface and extensive template library make it ideal for creating professional-looking designs without specialized skills.

Picsart is better suited for individuals who want advanced photo editing capabilities. Its specialized tools and creative effects appeal to content creators who want to push their visual creativity further.

For background removal, remove.bg outperforms both platforms with its specialized technology. It delivers quality results without the learning curve or costs of general design platforms.

Ready to experience background removal without the hassle? Try remove.bg today and see how quickly you can transform your images with just one click.