Canva Raises Pricing for Its Team-Focused Offering

Canva, the online design tool, is raising its fees significantly for certain users, citing the advancements in generative AI as a part of the reason.

In the United States, select Canva Teams account holders on legacy pricing schemes are noticing their annual cost for a package supporting five users escalate from $119.99 to $500 (offering a 40% reduction for the inaugural year). Similarly, in Australia, the previously universal charge of $39.99 AUD (approximately $26 USD) per month for up to five members has been modified to $13.50 AUD perindividual user.

Regarding individual memberships, Canva Teams is now priced at $100 annually per member or $10 monthly per member, requiring a minimum enlistment of three users for a Team account. These pricing adjustments were silently implemented for new enrollees earlier in the year, but are currently being applied to existing users who were initially charged less.

These adjustments are not applicable to Canva’s Pro or Enterprise service levels.

A representative for Canva spoke to TechCrunch, acknowledging the updated pricing. They emphasized the company’s enhanced array of generative AI capabilities — including Magic Studio — as a driving force behind these price revisions. The spokesperson further mentioned that several of Canva’s clientele had previously been secured at lower rates no longer available; the company had discreetly revised its Teams plan to $10 monthly per user earlier this year.

“The initial pricing was set considering the product’s nascent stage and has been constant for the past four years,” said the representative. “We are now adjusting the cost for those on these earlier agreements to mirror the augmented product offerings.”

The introduction of these increased rates, occurring as Canva prepares for a public offering, has understandably met with dissatisfaction. One of the key grievances from users has been Canva’s choice to communicate these changes via emails to customers rather than a public announcement, diverging from their previous approach.

This recalibration of pricing marks a significant shift from Canva’s origin as an economical solution rivaling traditional design platforms such as those offered by Adobe. It also possibly reflects the company’s rapid escalation in growth; Canva undertook the acquisition of the U.K.-based design software enterprise Serif for about $380 million in March and in August, added the generative AI image company Leonardo to its portfolio.

Correction: An earlier edition of this text inaccurately presented the price for Canva Teams in Australia. It has been corrected to reflect the actual rate of $13.50 per user, per month, with a minimum subscription of three users.