KEEP IT

The value is the network, the data or the infrastructure. Keep paying.

A design tool built around templates: pick a layout, replace the text and images, and export. The catalogue of templates, stock assets and one-click effects is the product.

Promptfree, for everyone, and the only version there is
Build me a template-driven image generator for the handful of formats I actually publish.

STACK
- Node with satori for layout and resvg for rasterising; no headless browser
- Templates as JSX components, checked into the repository

TEMPLATES
- One component per format: social card, quote card, blog header
- Props typed: title, subtitle, author, image URL, theme name
- Fonts loaded from local WOFF2 files, never from a network at render time

RENDERING
- POST /render with a template name and props, returning PNG at 2x
- Deterministic output: the same props produce a byte-identical file, so it can be cached by hash
- A queue with a concurrency limit, because rasterising is CPU-bound

TEXT THAT DOES NOT BREAK
- Measure and shrink the title to fit a fixed box, stepping down a defined scale — never overflow, never scale mid-word
- Balance the last line, and cap at three lines with an ellipsis

BRAND
- Colours and fonts from the same token file the site uses; no second copy
- A contrast check on the rendered text colour against its background, failing the render rather than shipping something unreadable

BATCH
- A CSV in, a folder of images out, for the recurring cases

WHAT IS NOT HERE
- A canvas, a drag-and-drop editor, stock assets or background removal

Include a README with the render time per image, the font licences used, and how to add a template.

What you lose

  • A template library large enough that the blank page never appears
  • A licensed stock photo, font and illustration catalogue included in the price
  • Background removal, resizing and other one-click operations that are models, not buttons
  • Brand kits enforcing colours and fonts across a whole company
  • An editor a complete non-designer can use in five minutes

If you would rather not build

  • Photopea — free in-browser image editor, closer to Photoshop
  • Adobe Express — paid, the direct competitor

The escape hatch

open source · no votes, no paid placement

Penpot

$0

Design and prototyping in the browser, open source and self-hostable.

penpot/penpotfree · open source

satori

$0

Turns HTML and CSS into SVG, the practical way to generate cards from code.

vercel/satorifree · open source

Why this verdict

our own opinion · changed only by a person

23/100

Verdict no at 23: generating your own recurring formats from code is better than Canva for those formats, and the prompt does it properly. But Canva is bought by people who do not want a repository, and the licensed asset library alone would cost more than the subscription.

History

tracked since 9 Aug 2026 · nothing is ever overwritten

Interest · last 30 dayspeak 1/day
views0113 Jul18 Jul23 Jul28 Jul2 Aug7 Aug11 Aug
views prompt copies none yet votes none yet

Questions about Canva

answered from the record above

Is Canva free?

No — the plan we track is $15 a month. Pro at about $15/month for one person billed monthly, around $120/year; Teams is priced per person with a minimum.

Can you replace Canva by building your own?

KEEP IT. The value is the network, the data or the infrastructure. Keep paying. Replacement score 23 out of 100, build time longer than it saves. Read what you lose before you decide.

How much does Canva cost?

$15 a month on Pro — $180 a year. Recorded 9 Aug 2026.

What do you lose by replacing Canva?

A template library large enough that the blank page never appears; A licensed stock photo, font and illustration catalogue included in the price; Background removal, resizing and other one-click operations that are models, not buttons; Brand kits enforcing colours and fonts across a whole company; An editor a complete non-designer can use in five minutes. If any of those carry weight for you, keep paying.

Is there an open-source alternative to Canva?

Yes: Penpot, satori. The prompt on this page is for when you want it your way instead.

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