Design tools have significantly changed the way individuals and businesses create visuals, making high-quality design accessible to everyone, regardless of experience. Two of the most talked-about platforms in this space are Kittl and Canva.
Canva has long been a household name for beginners and professionals alike, while Kittl is a relatively new player gaining traction for its advanced typography and vector-based design features.
Choosing between these two tools depends on several factors, including ease of use, available features, pricing, collaboration capabilities, and specific design needs.
This guide offers a detailed comparison of Kittl vs Canva, helping you determine which tool best suits your need.
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Overview of Kittl and Canva
Understanding the history and purpose of each platform is crucial when deciding which tool is better suited to your needs. Canva and Kittl serve different target audiences, and their features reflect that distinction.
What is Kittl?
Kittl was launched in 2021 as an alternative to traditional design tools like Adobe Illustrator and Canva.
While it does not have as large a user base as Canva, Kittl is gaining popularity among artists, typography enthusiasts, and print-on-demand sellers due to its advanced vector editing, text transformation, and vintage-style design capabilities.
Kittl is particularly powerful when it comes to lettering and custom typography.
Unlike Canva, which offers basic text effects, Kittl allows users to create 3D text, shadows, distortions, and intricate hand-drawn effects. This makes it an excellent choice for merch designers, branding specialists, and those looking to create unique visuals.
What is Canva?
Canva was launched in 2013 by Melanie Perkins, Cliff Obrecht, and Cameron Adams. It quickly became one of the most widely used online design platforms due to its user-friendly drag-and-drop interface and vast template library.
With over 135 million monthly users, Canva is popular among small businesses, educators, marketers, and social media managers who need quick, professional-quality designs.
Canva offers thousands of pre-designed templates for presentations, infographics, flyers, social media posts, and more. The built-in AI tools, background remover, and real-time collaboration features make it an all-in-one solution for non-designers.
Canva also integrates with various third-party applications, making it highly versatile.
While Kittl is not as widely recognized as Canva, it is a powerful alternative for those needing more control over text and vector-based illustrations.
User Interface & Ease of Use
One of the most critical factors when choosing a design tool is its user interface. A well-designed UI makes the design process smoother, especially for beginners.
Kittl’s Interface
Kittl has a modern and sleek interface but with a greater focus on text customization and vector manipulation. It is slightly more advanced than Canva, as it allows for detailed typography customization, layer-based editing, and vintage-style layouts.
Some key interface elements in Kittl include:
- Advanced text editing tools with distortion, warping, and effects.
- A vector-based workspace for intricate illustrations.
- A pre-set template system that offers unique design styles.
- Color palettes and gradient tools for custom branding.
Canva’s Interface
Canva is renowned for its simple, intuitive, and beginner-friendly interface. Everything is structured logically, allowing users to drag and drop elements, apply filters, change fonts, and adjust layouts easily.
It provides tooltips, quick tutorials, and an auto-save feature to help users navigate the platform effortlessly.
The sidebar on Canva provides quick access to:
- Templates
- Elements (photos, graphics, shapes)
- Text styles
- Backgrounds
- Uploads (for importing personal media)
- Integration options (such as Google Drive, Dropbox)
Additionally, Canva’s one-click resizing tool (Magic Resize) makes it incredibly convenient for social media managers and businesses that need to repurpose designs across multiple platforms.
Ease of Use Comparison
Feature | Kittl | Canva |
|---|---|---|
Drag-and-drop | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
Beginner-friendly | ❌ Moderate | ✅ Yes |
Typography Tools | ✅ Extensive | ❌ Limited |
Customization | ✅ High | ✅ Moderate |
Verdict: Canva is easier for beginners, while Kittl offers greater creative control for professionals who need detailed text and vector designs.
Features Comparison: Kittl vs Canva
Templates & Design Elements
One of the biggest draws of Canva is its enormous library of over 250,000 pre-made templates. These templates cover:
- Social media graphics (Instagram posts, Facebook covers, Pinterest pins)
- Business materials (flyers, brochures, presentations, business cards)
- Education tools (lesson plans, worksheets, classroom posters)
Kittl, while offering fewer templates, focuses on highly customizable branding and typography-based designs. Many of Kittl’s templates are geared toward merch designers, logo creators, and print media.
Winner: Canva (for quantity), Kittl (for unique artistic designs)Typography & Font Customization
Typography is where Kittl significantly outperforms Canva. While Canva offers basic text effects (bold, italic, spacing adjustments), Kittl provides:
- 3D text effects
- Curved, distorted, and vintage text styles
- Hand-drawn and calligraphy effects
- Advanced layering for font design
This makes Kittl a better option for those who prioritize typography, such as branding specialists and print-on-demand sellers.
Winner: Kittl
AI & Automation Tools
Canva has several AI-powered tools, including:
- Magic Resize (one-click resizing for different platforms)
- Background Remover (removes backgrounds in one click)
- Text-to-Image AI (converts words into images)
Kittl, on the other hand, offers AI-enhanced typography tools, which allow users to generate unique text styles and effects instantly.
Winner: Canva (for AI diversity)Collaboration Features
- Canva has real-time collaboration, allowing multiple users to edit designs simultaneously.
- Kittl has limited team collaboration features.
Winner: Canva
Image Editing & Effects
- Canva: Offers filters, background removal, and photo enhancements.
- Kittl: Focuses on vector image manipulation and advanced text effects.
Winner: Canva (for general image editing), Kittl (for vector-based work)
Exporting & File Formats
Both tools support PNG and JPG exports, but:
- Canva Pro offers SVG, GIF, and MP4 formats.
- Kittl specializes in high-resolution vector-based SVG exports.
Winner: Tie (depends on your needs)
Pricing Plans
Canva Pricing
Canva offers the following free and paid plans:
Free: Users get access to free templates, designs, million plus free photos & graphics, 5GB of cloud storage and more.
Pro ($119.99/year): Paid users get access to 100+ million premium stock photos, videos, audio & graphics, premium templates, brand kit, AI tools, 1TB cloud storage and more.
Teams ($149.90/year/person): This plan is best for people working in teams. They get access to all the features included in the Pro. Additionally, they also get access to brand controls, team collaboration, team reports & insights, and more.
Kittl Pricing
Kittl offers the following free and paid plans:
Free: Include basic features like access to 10,000+ professional templates, 1 million+ photos, graphics & fonts, mockups, 0.5GB storage, 20 AI credits and 5 projects.
Pro ($120/year): Includes everything under the Free. Additional features include access to all premium content, 10 million+ photos, graphics & fonts, Kittl AI, 10GB storage, 200 AI credits, full commercial license and 50 projects.
Expert ($288/year): This plan is best for teams and include everything under the Pro. Extra features include unlimited projects, 600 AI credits, 100GB storage, brand kits and priority customer support.
Which Platform Offers Better Value?
- Canva is the best choice for users who want a affordable graphic designing tool to create social media posts, documents, infographics and marketing ads.
- Kittl is a great investment for users who need advanced typography, premium-quality templates, and powerful AI tools for branding and print designs.
Best Use Cases: Who Should Use Kittl or Canva?
When deciding between Kittl and Canva, it's essential to consider your specific needs. While both tools offer impressive design capabilities, they are optimized for different types of users.
Who Should Use Canva?
Canva is best suited for individuals and businesses looking for an all-in-one graphic design tool. Its easy-to-use interface, drag-and-drop functionality, and extensive template library make it perfect for:
- Social Media Managers: Canva provides thousands of Instagram post templates, Facebook cover designs, and Pinterest pin layouts.
- Business Owners & Marketers: The platform makes it simple to design brochures, presentations, flyers, and email marketing graphics.
- Educators & Students: Canva offers free tools for creating lesson plans, infographics, and PowerPoint-style presentations.
- Beginners with No Design Experience: The intuitive interface makes it accessible even for those with no prior graphic design skills.
- Teams & Collaboration: Canva allows multiple users to work on the same design in real time, making it ideal for agencies and businesses.
Who Should Use Kittl?
Kittl is a better choice for advanced typography and print-based designers. It excels in:
- Print-on-Demand Sellers: T-shirt, mug, and sticker designers will appreciate Kittl’s advanced text customization and vector exports.
- Logo & Branding Designers: If you need highly detailed, vintage-style, or artistic logos, Kittl offers more text and shape manipulation tools.
- Artists & Illustrators: The platform provides vector-based design tools for creating hand-drawn-style designs.
- Typography Enthusiasts: Kittl is perfect for creating poster designs, book covers, and branding materials that require complex text effects.
Which One Should You Choose?
- If you need a simple, versatile design tool: → Canva
- If you need detailed typography and custom branding elements: → Kittl
Pros & Cons of Kittl vs Canva
Understanding the advantages and disadvantages of each tool can help you make a more informed choice.
✅ Pros of Canva
✔️ Huge Template Library: Canva offers over 250,000 templates for different industries and purposes.
✔️ Easy to Use: Beginners can create professional-looking designs in minutes without prior experience.
✔️ AI-Powered Tools: Background remover, Magic Resize, and text-to-image AI make design work easier.
✔️ Collaboration Features: Canva supports real-time editing and team sharing, making it ideal for businesses.
✔️ Free Plan Available: Canva’s free plan includes thousands of templates and assets.
❌ Cons of Canva
❌ Limited Typography Features: Canva does not offer advanced text distortion, warping, or vector-based text customization.
❌ Lack of Detailed Vector Editing: Unlike Adobe Illustrator or Kittl, Canva does not provide advanced vector drawing tools.
❌ Watermarks on Pro Features: The free plan does not include premium stock images, videos, and some advanced tools.
✅ Pros of Kittl
✔️ Best for Typography & Lettering: Kittl provides 3D effects, vintage-style fonts, and customizable text distortions.
✔️ Vector-Based Editing: Designs remain scalable without losing quality, perfect for print.
✔️ Unique Artistic Templates: Kittl specializes in handcrafted, vintage, and custom branding templates.
✔️ Great for Print-on-Demand: The ability to export high-quality SVG and PNG files makes it an excellent tool for merchandise design.
❌ Cons of Kittl
❌ Smaller Template Library: Kittl does not have as many templates as Canva.
❌ Limited Collaboration Features: Unlike Canva, Kittl does not offer real-time team collaboration.
❌ Requires More Design Knowledge: The learning curve for Kittl is steeper compared to Canva, especially for beginners.
Final Verdict: Which One Should You Choose?
Choosing between Kittl and Canva depends on what you need from a design tool.
Choose Canva If:
- You need quick and easy designs for social media, marketing, and presentations.
- You want AI-powered tools like Magic Resize and Background Remover.
- You work in a team and require collaboration features.
Choose Kittl If:
- You need advanced typography tools for print-on-demand, logos, and branding.
- You want vector-based designs that maintain high resolution.
- You focus on merchandise design (T-shirts, posters, stickers, etc.).
🏆 Overall Winner: Kittl vs Canva
- For Social Media, Business, & Teams → Canva
- For Typography, Branding, & Print-on-Demand → Kittl
