Canva has established itself as a go-to platform for quick, simple visual content creation. Its intuitive drag-and-drop interface and expansive library of templates have made professional-looking graphics accessible to everyone, from small businesses to social media managers.
It is no surprise that many creative professionals are drawn to its website builder, which seems to offer a natural extension of that same simplicity for establishing an online presence.
However, a fundamental challenge arises when the simplicity of a graphic design tool is applied to the complexity of a professional website.
A static visual is not the same as a dynamic, multi-page platform designed for business growth, lead generation, and search engine optimization.
The very ease that makes Canva an excellent tool for quick projects becomes a significant constraint for those who need a scalable, functional, and searchable online presence.
In this blog, we will take a look at better alternatives to Canva’s website builder that not only showcase your work beautifully but also support your business goals for the long term.
Canva Website Builder: Advantages and Limitations
Canva's website builder is a direct extension of its core graphic design platform. This approach brings several notable advantages that have made it a popular choice for quick, single-page sites.
At the same time, this very foundation is the source of its most significant limitations for professional and growing businesses.
Advantages
The platform's primary appeal lies in its ease of use. The intuitive drag-and-drop interface allows anyone, regardless of their web design experience, to create a website with ease.
This makes it a perfect tool for quickly producing a personal page, a single-page landing site, or a simple bio-link.
Another major advantage is its vast template library. Users have access to thousands of pre-designed templates, which help them start a project without feeling overwhelmed and create professional designs in a short amount of time.
Additionally, for teams working on a project, Canva’s collaborative features enable multiple users to work on a single design in real-time, streamlining the creative process.
Limitations
The first major drawback is the Single-Page Design Constraint. The platform is primarily designed for creating single-page websites, which is highly restrictive for any business that needs to showcase a range of products, services, or a blog.
While a workaround exists to link multiple Canva pages, this method is cumbersome and lacks the seamless navigation of a traditional, multi-page site.
The inability to offer a proper, structured site architecture can hinder user experience and a business's ability to expand its content effectively.
The architectural limitations also have a direct impact on performance and growth. The platform offers Minimal SEO Functionality, a critical deficiency for any business aiming to be discovered online.
Finally, the platform's Poor Mobile Optimization is a major drawback. Since there is no dedicated mobile editor, changes made on the desktop version can mess up the mobile view of the site, which is a significant issue in a mobile-first world.
The 13 Best Canva Website Builder Alternatives
1. Pixpa: Best for Creatives for Building Portfolio Websites, Client Galleries, and Online Stores
Pixpa is an all-in-one platform built from the ground up to serve the unique needs of creative professionals. It integrates a professional portfolio website with client proofing galleries, an online store, and a blog, all under a single, cohesive service.
The platform is designed to be a complete solution for showcasing, sharing, and selling creative work.
Pixpa offers very affordable and flexible pricing, with plans starting at just $6 per month when billed annually. A 15-day free trial is available with no credit card required, allowing users to test the platform without any financial commitment.
Pros:
- The modern, clean templates and designs are optimized to beautifully showcase visual work.
- It is a purpose-built platform for creatives, with features such as client proofing galleries that are essential for photographers and artists.
- The platform enables commission-free sales on all plans, allowing users to keep 100% of their earnings from their online store.
- The affordable pricing offers exceptional value for the range of features provided, making it an accessible option for freelancers and small businesses.
Cons:
- No free plan available, but a 15-day free trial gives access to its complete set of features to try out before committing to one of its paid plans.
2. Wix: Best for its Huge Template Library
Wix provides extensive design flexibility with over 900 website templates and a wide array of built-in features, making it a powerful choice for creating almost any type of website.
The platform offers a free plan with Wix branding and a limited feature set. Paid plans for a custom domain start at $17 per month when billed annually, with additional costs for domain renewal after the first year.
Pros:
- The drag-and-drop editor is extremely flexible, providing pixel-perfect control over design elements.
- Users can choose from a massive library of over 900 professional templates to get started quickly.
- The platform offers comprehensive business solutions, including integrated e-commerce, booking & appointment tools, and specific features for restaurants and events.
- It includes a guided SEO setup and AI creation tools to assist with content and design.
Cons:
- The editor can feel slow or unresponsive at times due to the sheer number of features and design options.
- Its extensive options can be overwhelming for some new users who prefer a more structured approach.
- The pixel-perfect freedom can make it easy to create a messy mobile site, as edits on the desktop version can distort the mobile view without careful attention.
3. Squarespace: Best for Elegant, Minimalist Portfolios
Squarespace is a design-focused platform celebrated for its clean, elegant templates and a structured editing system.
It is a favorite among artists and creative professionals who want a visually stunning site with a sophisticated aesthetic without needing to be a coding expert.
The platform does not offer a free plan, but it does provide a 14-day free trial with no credit card required. Paid plans start at $16 per month when billed annually.
Pros:
- It provides access to over 140 beautiful, high-quality templates that feel premium and are designed to showcase visual content.
- All plans include unlimited storage and bandwidth, ensuring a user's site can handle a large volume of images and videos without performance issues.
- The platform has strong, integrated blogging and e-commerce capabilities for selling products, services, and digital content.
- It offers reliable 24/7 customer support via live chat and email.
Cons:
- The structured editor, while user-friendly, can feel restrictive for experienced designers who desire more creative freedom.
- Unlike some competitors, it does not offer phone-based customer support, which can be a drawback for users who prefer real-time help.
- The absence of a free plan can be a barrier for hobbyists or those who want to test the platform for an extended period without committing to a paid plan.
4. Webflow: Best for Advanced Designers Who Want Code-Level Control
Webflow bridges the gap between traditional website builders and hand-coding. It allows designers to have complete visual control while automatically generating clean, semantic code (HTML, CSS, JavaScript) that is ready to publish.
A free plan is available, but it is limited to designing and cannot be hosted on a custom domain. Hosted plans begin at $14 per month when billed annually.
Pros:
- It provides ultimate design freedom and pixel-perfect control, making it a top choice for professional web designers and agencies.
- The platform generates clean, professional-grade code that is highly SEO-friendly and ready for developers.
It offers simple collaboration tools, allowing teams to work together efficiently. - Webflow provides specialized pricing plans for freelancers and agencies that manage multiple client sites.
Cons:
- The platform has a high learning curve, and mastering its powerful features requires a significant time investment, especially for beginners.
- The free plan is very limited, as it cannot be hosted on a custom domain and is primarily for design practice.
- Unlike many modern competitors, Webflow does not have an AI builder to assist with generating layouts or content.
5. Shopify: Best for a Large, Complex Ecommerce Sites
Shopify offers a powerful, all-in-one solution for selling products and services online. It provides a complete ecosystem for building and managing an online store, from inventory management to payment processing.
The platform offers a paid trial for as little as $1 per month for the first three months, which is a great way to test its capabilities. After the trial, plans start at $29 per month when billed annually.
Pros:
- It offers extensive e-commerce features, including inventory management, point-of-sale (POS) integration, and a dedicated mobile app.
- Shopify has a massive app store with over 8,000 apps to extend the functionality of a user's store.
- The platform is known for its fast site loading speeds and secure payment processing.
- It has a comprehensive mobile app that allows users to manage their entire business on the go.
Cons:
- The monthly subscription fees are more expensive than most other website builders, which can be a barrier for small businesses.
- The platform charges transaction fees if a user chooses not to use Shopify Payments, which can add up for businesses with high sales volume.
- Its blogging and content marketing tools are limited and less sophisticated compared to platforms like WordPress.
6. WordPress.org: Best for Ultimate Control and Scalability
WordPress is an open-source software for building websites and provides flexibility, control, and scalability, allowing users to create any type of website imaginable.
The software itself is free to use, but users must pay for their own domain, web hosting, and any premium themes or plugins they choose. Web hosting can start for as little as $1.99 per month, making it a very affordable option at the entry level.
Pros:
- It offers total design freedom, with the ability to customize every single aspect of a user's site.
- The platform has a huge library of free and paid plugins and themes for adding any functionality, from e-commerce to client galleries.
- Users own 100% of their data and are not locked into a single platform, which provides long-term peace of mind.
- It is known as the most SEO-friendly website builder right out of the box, with plugins that allow for advanced optimization.
Cons:
- The platform has a steep learning curve and requires a non-technical user to manage hosting, security, and updates.
- The total cost of a site can become expensive if a user requires a large number of premium plugins and themes.
- There is no centralized support; a user's first line of support is their web hosting company, which may not be able to help with specific WordPress issues.
7. Jimdo: Best for Quick and Simple AI-Powered Websites for Beginners
Jimdo is a beginner-friendly website builder that focuses on simplicity and speed. It uses an AI-powered assistant to create a website for a user based on a few simple questions, making the process incredibly fast and straightforward.
The platform offers a free plan with ads and a branded subdomain, which is a great way to test its capabilities.
Paid plans that allow for a custom domain start at a very budget-friendly $11 per month.
Pros:
- The AI-driven setup process gets a user online in a matter of minutes, making it one of the fastest ways to build a site.
- It is one of the most budget-friendly options on the market, with very low entry-level pricing.
- The platform includes basic built-in features such as SSL certificates and automatic backups.
- The generous free plan allows a user to create a basic site and test the platform without any financial commitment.
Cons:
- The platform offers only 16 templates, which are considered outdated and severely limit design options.
- Customization is very limited, and the platform lacks the advanced features required for a complex site.
- The "coding-free" version of the builder does not support blogging, which is a major drawback for content creators or businesses that rely on content marketing.
8. Weebly: Best for Functional Small Businesses
Weebly provides a simple, row-based editing experience that is easy for beginners to learn.
The platform offers a free plan that includes e-commerce functionality but has ads and a branded subdomain.
Paid plans are incredibly affordable, starting at just $10 per month when billed annually.
Pros:
- It has incredibly affordable pricing, with a very generous free plan that includes a shopping cart and the ability to sell unlimited products.
- The drag-and-drop editor is simple and easy for beginners to use, making it an excellent starting point.
- The platform includes solid blogging tools for content creators and businesses that need to share updates.
- It is one of the only builders that offers e-commerce functionality on its free plan, giving it a unique competitive edge.
Cons:
- The templates and features feel outdated compared to some modern website builders.
- The editor is restrictive and limits creative freedom due to its row-based structure.
- The mobile app has limited functionality, and there is no dedicated mobile editor, which can complicate mobile optimization.
9. Adobe Portfolio: Best for Adobe Creative Cloud Subscribers
Adobe Portfolio is a simple, minimalist portfolio builder that is included as a free perk with most Adobe Creative Cloud subscriptions. It is designed to help creatives build a professional-looking portfolio quickly and easily.
The platform is included at no additional cost with a Creative Cloud plan ($59.99 per month) or with a Behance Pro plan ($9.99 per month), making it a convenient option for existing subscribers.
Pros:
- It seamlessly integrates with other Adobe apps like Lightroom and Behance, allowing for easy content import.
The interface is clean, simple, and easy to navigate, with a minimalist feel. - It provides a fast, hassle-free way to create a professional-looking portfolio without a lot of fuss.
- It is an excellent choice if a user is already invested in the Adobe ecosystem and does not want to pay for a separate builder.
Cons:
- The platform does not support direct e-commerce sales, which is a major limitation for artists who want to sell their work.
- The design tools are limited and lack advanced customization options, making it challenging to create a unique layout.
- It is not suitable for text-heavy sites or blogs due to its focus on visual content.
10. Hostinger Website Builder: Best for Web Hosting Solutions
Hostinger is a web hosting service that includes a powerful, AI-driven website builder with all of its plans. It is known for its excellent balance of price, performance, and usability, offering a strong all-in-one solution.
It comes with plans starting as low as $2.69 per month when billed annually. The platform does not offer a free tier, but its low price point and discounts make it a compelling choice.
Pros:
- It is extremely affordable, offering excellent value for the money, as plans include a domain, AI tools, and unlimited storage.
- The platform provides fast load times and a user-friendly interface that is easy to use even for beginners.
- All paid plans include unlimited storage and bandwidth, ensuring a site can grow without hitting a wall.
- Each plan includes a free domain for the first year and a complimentary AI-powered builder.
Cons:
- A significant drawback is the inability to switch templates once a site is live, which can be a major frustration if a user decides to change their design.
- The photo-editing tools are basic and not as feature-rich as those found on other platforms.
- Unlike many competitors, there is no free plan available to test the platform before committing to a purchase.
11. BigCommerce: Best for High Volume Sales
BigCommerce is designed for scaling businesses with a heavy sales focus. It is built to handle high-volume sales and multiple storefronts, making it a powerful choice for entrepreneurs and growing brands.
The platform offers a 15-day free trial. Paid plans start at $29 per month when billed annually, but there is tiered pricing that is based on a business's annual sales volume.
Pros:
- The platform does not charge transaction fees on any plan, allowing users to keep more of their revenue.
- The entry-level plan is very comprehensive, offering a lot of bang for the buck with robust features.
- It supports multiple storefronts from a single account, which is ideal for brands with different product lines or target audiences.
- The platform offers 24/7 live phone and chat support on all plans, ensuring help is always available.
Cons:
- Each plan has an annual sales limit, which can force expensive upgrades as a business grows.
- The platform can be more complex and intimidating for beginners to navigate compared to other builders.
- The font selection on free themes is very limited, which can restrict a user's design choices.
12. HubSpot CMS: Best for Businesses Focused on Marketing & Sales
HubSpot CMS is a website builder that is deeply integrated with the HubSpot ecosystem, an all-in-one platform for marketing, sales, and customer support.
It is designed for businesses that need a website that is a seamless part of their overall business operations.
A generous free plan is available that allows for up to 30 website pages. Paid plans start at $9 per month to remove HubSpot branding and add a custom domain.
Pros:
- It seamlessly integrates with HubSpot's powerful CRM and marketing automation tools, allowing user to manage their entire business from a single platform.
- The AI-powered builder can generate layouts and text, which helps to speed up the creation process.
- The free plan is generous, allowing for a robust 30-page website, which is more than many competitors offer.
- The platform provides a single tool for a business's entire operation, which is excellent for efficiency.
Cons:
- The sheer number of tools can be overwhelming for a user who only needs a simple website.
- Its focus is more on business integration than on pure design flexibility.
- The free plan comes with HubSpot branding on the website, which may not be suitable for a professional presence.
How We Evaluated the Alternatives
To provide an expert-level comparison, the alternatives were evaluated based on a set of core criteria that address the key limitations of Canva and the needs of creative professionals.
Ease of Use & Design Flexibility: A primary factor was how quickly a beginner can get a professional-looking site up and running, as well as the level of creative freedom available for more advanced designers.
This included an assessment of the quality of templates, the intuitiveness of the drag-and-drop interface, and the site's mobile responsiveness.
Core Business & E-commerce Capabilities: The presence and quality of essential business tools were a top priority.
This included the ability to sell products and services, manage client galleries, offer booking tools, and run a blog for content marketing.
The analysis also considered platform-specific transaction fees and the types of products a business could sell.
Marketing & SEO Tools: A crucial part of a professional online presence is its ability to be discovered.
The evaluation focused on native SEO features, such as the ability to add proper meta tags and edit site structure, as well as integrations with marketing tools to help a business grow its audience.
Scalability & Support: The capacity of each platform to grow with a business was assessed.
This included its performance under high traffic, its ability to handle expanding content, and the quality and responsiveness of its customer support, whether through live chat, email, or a knowledge base.
Pricing & Value for Money: Beyond the monthly fee, a thorough analysis of the total cost of ownership was conducted.
This included looking at the availability of free plans versus free trials, as well as potential additional costs for domains, premium apps, and domain renewal fees.
Conclusion
While Canva is an excellent tool for quick visual projects, the analysis of its capabilities reveals that its fundamental design-first architecture makes it unsuitable for a professional digital presence.
The constraints on multi-page design, advanced customization, and critical SEO features mean that for a business seeking to grow and be found online, a more robust platform is not just an option - it is a necessity.
Create a free portfolio website on Pixpa and experience ultimate design flexibility.
FAQs
Can a professional business use Canva for a business website?
While Canva is a powerful tool for visual design, its fundamental limitations make it unsuitable for most professional business websites that need to grow and be found online.
Its single-page constraint, lack of support for custom code, and minimal SEO functionality can severely hinder a business's ability to rank in search results and provide a scalable user experience.
How much does a professional website builder really cost?
The true cost of a professional website often extends beyond the advertised monthly fee. While many builders offer a free plan, these are typically for hobby sites and come with brand ads.
The real cost often includes a fee for a custom domain, potential transaction fees on sales, and additional costs for premium apps or features.
Can a user sell their art on a Canva website?
No, a user cannot sell their art directly on a Canva website. Canva lacks native e-commerce and a built-in shopping cart.
To sell products, a user would need to embed a third-party form, which adds complexity and does not provide a seamless shopping experience.
What makes Pixpa stand out for creatives?
Pixpa is distinguished by its focus on the specific needs of creative professionals. It stands out by providing specialized features like client proofing galleries, which are essential for photographers and creatives, and by offering commission-free sales on its online store.
This all-in-one approach streamlines the business process for creatives, making it a comprehensive and affordable solution.
