DesignFiles vs Canva

by Gralio Feb 09, 2025

DesignFiles caters specifically to interior design professionals, providing industry-specific tools and project management features. Canva offers a more versatile and user-friendly graphic design platform for a wider range of users and design needs.

At Gralio.ai we help to simplify your decision-making process by offering detailed, side-by-side software comparisons like this one, to help you confidently choose the tool that aligns with your business goals.

This comparison was created by analysing 5596 reviews and 60 websites, saving 1 day, 7 hours, 35 minutes of reading.

DesignFiles

Website Twitter

Canva

Website LinkedIn Twitter

About

DesignFiles is a cloud-based software designed for interior design businesses. It provides tools to manage projects, create 2D and 3D design boards, generate quotes, and process payments. The platform allows users to build a library of products, including their own, and share designs with clients. DesignFiles aims to increase productivity and profitability for interior design professionals.

Canva is a user-friendly design platform that makes it easy to create professional-looking visuals. It offers a wide range of templates and design tools, including a library of stock images, videos, and fonts. Canva can be used to create social media graphics, presentations, marketing materials, and more. Its drag-and-drop interface and intuitive features make it suitable for users of all skill levels, even those without prior design experience. Canva's focus on simplicity and ease of use has made it a popular choice for individuals and businesses alike.

Summary

Main difference

DesignFiles is a specialized platform for interior design businesses, offering tools for project management, 2D and 3D design boards, quotes, and payments. Canva is a versatile graphic design tool catering to a broader audience, with a focus on simplicity and ease of use for various visual content creation.

Relative strengths of DesignFiles (compared to Canva)

Specialized tools for interior design businesses (mood boards, product libraries, client communication).
Integrated project management, including quotes and payments.
Strong customer service.

Relative weaknesses of DesignFiles (compared to Canva)

Limited 3D rendering capabilities and customization options.
Occasional glitches and software instability.
Less versatile than Canva for general graphic design needs.

Who is using DesignFiles and Canva?

No data

Lindsay Rosenthal

Founder at Cred.Marketing

Charlie Hills

I use AI to create content that converts

Jonathan Parsons

Marketing Director - Clinique UK & Ireland

Sanchit Sarhadi

Network Growth Manager DACH - Networking Consultant - Aurora

Olesia Krilyshyn

Sales Acceleration Specialist at Reply.io

Who should use DesignFiles VS. Canva

DesignFiles is a cloud-based solution for interior design businesses of all sizes. It streamlines project management, client communication, and design creation with 2D and 3D boards, quotes, and payments. Users praise its intuitive interface, extensive product library, and responsive customer service. However, some users have noted issues with the 3D rendering and background removal tool.

Canva is a user-friendly design platform ideal for creating professional visuals. Its drag-and-drop interface and wide selection of templates make design accessible to everyone, regardless of skill level. Users praise Canva's intuitive design and vast template library, while some find the free version limiting.

Best for small businesses, suitable for medium and enterprise companies.
Ideal for professional service businesses, not suitable for retail, consumer goods, real estate & construction, or media & entertainment.

Ideal for small to medium-sized businesses, and nonprofits.
Suitable for various sectors, including marketing, education, and e-commerce.

DesignFiles and Canva features

Supported

Partially supported

Not supported

Type in the name of the feature or in your own words tell us what you need

Proposal creation

Partially supported

DesignFiles does not directly support creating proposals, but offers tools and resources that could be adapted for this purpose.

Supported

Canva supports creating and sharing proposals, including product details, pricing, and terms.
Project management

Supported

DesignFiles centralizes design project management, client communications, and team collaboration, streamlining workflows.

Not supported

Canva is primarily a design tool and lacks project management features.
Data Visualization

Not supported

DesignFiles does not support creating interactive data visualizations.

Partially supported

Canva supports interactive data visualization through its Flourish integration.
Social media graphics

Not supported

DesignFiles does not directly support creating social media graphics.

Supported

Canva excels in creating social media graphics, offering diverse templates, design tools, platform optimization, and integration options for seamless content creation and publishing.
Drag-and-drop editor

Not supported

DesignFiles does not support drag and drop for logo design.

Supported

Canva supports drag-and-drop functionality for designing logos.
Logo generation

Not supported

DesignFiles is an interior design platform and does not support logo generation.

Supported

Canva allows users to design and generate logos using provided templates, design elements, and a user-friendly interface. Users can customize these templates, incorporate various design elements, and export their logos in different formats.

Qualities

Value and Pricing Transparency

No data

-0.02

Neutral sentiment
Customer Service

+1

Strongly positive sentiment

+0.53

Rather positive sentiment
Ease of Use

+0.71

Strongly positive sentiment

+0.97

Strongly positive sentiment
Reliability and Performance

No data

+0.01

Neutral sentiment
Ease of Implementation

No data

+0.79

Strongly positive sentiment
Scalability

No data

+0.17

Neutral sentiment

DesignFiles and Canva Pricing

Atom (formerly Squadhelp) offers three tiers of naming contests: Bronze, Gold, and Platinum. Each tier includes a prize for the winning creative, as well as various validation services and upgrades. Bronze is the most affordable option, while Platinum offers the most comprehensive set of features. Atom also offers a Managed plan, which provides a full agency experience with one-on-one support from a branding consultant.

Plans

User sentiment

Strongly negative

-1

See full Pricing page

No data

User sentiment

Neutral

-0.02

We couldn't find a pricing page for Canva.

DesignFiles and Canva review insights

5557 reviews analysed from and

Users love

Easy to use and intuitive interface for creating mood boards and product lists
Streamlined project management features, including quotes, invoices, and payments
Seamless client communication and feedback tools within the platform
Extensive product library with a convenient browser clipper to add items from any website
Excellent and responsive customer service

Easy to use and intuitive interface
Wide variety of templates for every need
Extensive library of stock images, videos, and fonts
Great collaboration features

Users dislike

The 3D rendering needs work and lacks some basic home elements like sliding doors
The automatic background removal tool is unreliable and requires manual editing
Limited customization options for client questionnaires
Occasional glitches and freezing, especially with the browser clipper and floor plan feature

The free version is quite limited
Many features are locked behind a paywall
The mobile app is underwhelming and laggy
Limited offline functionality

DesignFiles and Canva Ratings

G2

4.5/5

(4)
Capterra

4.6/5

(496)

G2

4.7/5

(2674)
Capterra

4.7/5

(2444)
TrustPilot

2.6/5

(39)
Glassdoor

4.2/5

(732)

Company health

Employee growth

No data

46% increase in the last year

Web traffic

No data

7% increase in the last quarter

Financing

No data

July 2024 - $3B

How does DesignFiles' product library compare to Canva's templates for interior design?

DesignFiles allows users to build and maintain a library of specific products, including their own, which facilitates creating design boards and proposals. Canva, on the other hand, offers a wide array of templates for various design purposes, but doesn't function as a product library in the same way. While Canva's templates can be used as a starting point for interior design mood boards or presentations, they don't offer the same level of product-specific organization and management that DesignFiles provides.

Which platform, DesignFiles or Canva, better facilitates client feedback and collaboration?

Canva facilitates client feedback and collaboration slightly better than DesignFiles. While DesignFiles offers commenting features and shared workspaces, Canva's wider user base and general focus on collaborative design, including real-time co-editing features, makes it slightly more conducive to gathering feedback and iterating on designs with clients. Canva's popularity also means clients are more likely to already be familiar with the platform, reducing the learning curve.

What are the advantages of DesignFiles?

DesignFiles offers specialized features for interior design businesses, such as 2D and 3D design boards, product libraries, and integrated quotes and payments. It streamlines project management, client communication, and team collaboration specifically within the context of interior design workflows. Users praise its intuitive interface and seamless client communication tools.

What are the disadvantages of DesignFiles?

DesignFiles suffers from a few notable drawbacks based on user reviews. Its 3D rendering capabilities are considered underdeveloped, lacking essential elements like sliding doors. The automatic background removal tool is unreliable and often necessitates manual adjustments. Furthermore, customization options for client questionnaires are limited, and users have reported occasional glitches and freezing, particularly with the browser clipper and floor plan features.

Alternatives to DesignFiles and Canva

Visme

Visme is a design platform that helps non-designers create engaging visual content like presentations, reports, infographics, and social media graphics. It offers templates, stock images, icons, and data visualization tools to simplify the design process. Users can collaborate in teams, manage content libraries, and track engagement with built-in analytics. Visme is suitable for individuals and teams of all sizes who want to improve their visual communication.

Figma

Figma is an online design platform that helps teams design and build digital products. It allows for real-time collaboration between designers, developers and others, making it easier to create and test designs, gather feedback, and ensure everyone is working from the same information. Figma streamlines the design process, from wireframing and prototyping to handing off designs to developers. It's used by various sizes and types of companies for web design, app design, and more.

Marq

Marq (formerly Lucidpress) is a cloud-based design and brand templating platform. It helps businesses of all sizes create marketing materials like brochures, flyers, and social media posts, while ensuring brand consistency. The platform offers drag-and-drop templates and collaborative features, making it easy for non-designers to create professional-looking content. Marq also allows businesses to lock down branding elements and automate content creation workflows.

Mydoma Studio

Mydoma Studio is a cloud-based software designed for interior designers to manage their business more effectively. It offers tools for project management, client communication, product sourcing, time tracking, invoicing, and more. Mydoma Studio aims to streamline workflows, improve client relationships, and save designers time through automation and organization. It integrates with popular business tools and is accessible on various devices.

Stencil

Stencil is a web-based graphic design tool aimed at individuals and businesses looking to easily create engaging visuals for social media, ads, and more. It provides access to a vast library of royalty-free stock photos, icons, templates, and fonts. Stencil emphasizes user-friendliness and speed, enabling users to quickly create and share professional-looking images without needing advanced design skills or software.

Materio

Materio is a cloud-based project management software designed specifically for interior design and design-build firms handling large projects (2,000 sq ft+). It aims to streamline complex projects by providing a centralized platform for managing scopes of work, budgets, procurement, and team collaboration, all within an intuitive interface that incorporates interactive floor plans. Materio distinguishes itself by focusing on the specific needs and workflows of interior design and build teams, aiming to replace the multiple disjointed tools these businesses often rely on.

Page co-authored by

Michal Kaczor

CEO at Gralio

Michal has worked at startups for many years and writes about topics relating to software selection and IT management. As a former consultant for Bain, a business advisory company, he also knows how to understand needs of any business and find solutions to its problems.

Tymon Terlikiewicz

CTO at Gralio

Tymon is a seasoned CTO who loves finding the perfect tools for any task. He recently headed up the tech department at Batmaid, a well-known Swiss company, where he managed about 60 software purchases, including CX, HR, Payroll, Marketing automation and various developer tools.

How are we doing?

Is this information helpful to you? Is there anything we are missing?

Did this help you select your product?

Other issues? Vote & Let us know