Canva vs Adobe Express for Agencies: Which Design Tool Wins in 2025?

In the fast-paced world of digital marketing and creative production, agencies are under constant pressure to deliver high-quality visuals quickly and consistently. With design teams juggling client projects, social media campaigns, presentations, and branded content, choosing the right design software can make or break productivity. In 2025, Canva and Adobe Express, two of the most popular platforms. However, which is more appropriate for creative agencies?

Canva vs Adobe Express are compared in-depth in this agency-first review. From features and pricing to collaboration and scalability, we’ll help you decide which design tool will help your agency thrive.

Why Design Tools for Agencies Matter

Agencies need tools that go beyond basic design features. They require platforms that streamline workflow, allow for team collaboration, offer consistent branding, and provide access to a broad set of templates and assets. That’s why selecting the best graphic design software is a strategic decision, not just a technical one.

Overview of Canva and Adobe Express

Canva has long been a favorite among small businesses and creative professionals for its drag-and-drop ease, vast template library, and user-friendly interface. Over the years, Canva has added features like team folders, brand kits, real-time collaboration, and advanced content scheduling, making it an increasingly attractive option for agencies.

Adobe Express, formerly Adobe Spark, has seen major updates in recent years. Tapping into Adobe’s powerful creative ecosystem, it brings advanced image editing and video creation tools to a lightweight, browser-based platform. With integration into Adobe Creative Cloud, it’s gaining ground among professionals who want simplified tools without leaving the Adobe environment.

Key Features Comparison

1. User Interface & Usability

• Canva: Easy-to-use drag-and-drop interface; perfect for novices and groups of people who aren't designers. The platform is simple to navigate, making it ideal for fast-paced agency workflows.
• Adobe Express: Cleaner interface with Adobe-style aesthetics.For anyone with design experience, it offers more customisation, albeit being a little more complicated than Canva.

Winner: Canva — better usability for teams with mixed skill levels.

2. Templates & Design Assets

• Canva: Over 600,000 templates, including options for social media, presentations, email marketing, and more. Access to premium stock photos, videos, and icons.
• Adobe Express: higher visual quality, Fewer templates overall. Leverages Adobe Stock for licensed images (limited access in free tier).

Winner: Canva — more variety and ready-to-use formats tailored to agency needs.

3. Collaboration & Workflow

• Canva: Real-time collaboration, team folders, permission control, comment tagging, and brand kits. Canva for Teams supports larger groups.
• Adobe Express: Collaboration is possible, but not as robust. Best used in smaller teams or solo creators.

Winner: Canva is an agency-focused platform featuring collaborative tools and a scalable design. 

4. Brand Management Tools

• Canva: Offers extensive brand kits, allowing agencies to set logos, colors, fonts, and templates. Great for managing multiple clients.
• Adobe Express: Limited customisation is offered; however, basic brand tools are provided. 

Winner: Canva — superior brand management options for multi-client environments.

5. Integration & File Export

• Canva: Integrates with Dropbox, HubSpot, Slack, Google Drive, and social platforms. Multiple export options (PDF, PNG, MP4, GIF, etc.).
• Adobe Express: Seamlessly integrates with other Adobe apps, especially Photoshop and Illustrator. Export options are strong but lean more toward image and video formats.

Winner: Tie — depends on the ecosystem your agency already uses.

6. AI & Automation Features

• Canva: AI-generated templates, Magic Resize, and Magic Write (an AI copywriter) simplify creative work.
• Adobe Express: Leverages Adobe Firefly AI for text-to-image generation, background removal, and smart editing.

Winner: Adobe Express won because of its more sophisticated and well-integrated AI technologies.

Pricing Breakdown (2025)

• Canva for Agencies: $14.99 per month for the first five users. Includes brand management and team collaboration tools in addition to all Pro features. 
• Adobe Express Teams: Priced at $9.99/month per user. Includes Adobe Firefly AI and partial Adobe Stock access.

Support & Onboarding Experience

• Canva: 24/7 support, a user-friendly help center, and onboarding resources. Low learning curve.
• Adobe Express: Includes tutorials, but assumes basic Adobe knowledge.

Advantage: Canva — quicker for team members to get up to speed.

Performance & Scalability

• Canva: Scales easily with team growth. Offers team analytics, template locking, and multiple brand kits.
• Adobe Express: Great performance, especially for high-resolution images and videos, but slightly less scalable for large teams.

Winner: Canva is more suited for team dynamics and agency expansion.

Support & Learning 

• Canva: Offers 24/7 support, an extensive help center, and onboarding resources minimal learning curve.
• Adobe Express: This service includes tutorials and support, but some learning is required, especially for those unfamiliar with Adobe products.

Winner: Canva — easier to onboard team members and clients quickly.

Conclusion

When it comes to Canva vs Adobe Express, agencies should lean toward the platform that best suits their workflow. For most marketing, content, and design agencies, Canva for agencies offers the right balance of affordability, speed, and creative power. With features tailored for collaborative work and multi-brand management, Canva is poised to remain the top pick for agency design tools in 2025.

Need a hybrid workflow? There’s no rule against using both tools strategically. Canva is the clear winner if you’re looking to simplify and scale.

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