Canva’s New Paywall Hurts Small Nonprofits
—Here’s How I’m Adapting
As of June 2, Canva officially moved its Template Link feature behind a paywall. This means that clients or collaborators without a paid Canva account can no longer open or edit templates shared with them—unless they’re added to a Canva Team (which, of course, requires a paid seat).
For designers and creatives working with mission-driven organizations—small nonprofits, churches, mutual aid collectives, and grassroots groups—this change has created a real obstacle. Template Links weren’t just a nice-to-have; they were an essential delivery method for brand-consistent assets that clients with limited budgets could actually use.
This hasn’t been just a minor inconvenience. It’s marked a clear shift away from accessibility and toward a model that prioritizes enterprise clients and subscription metrics over actual users.
A Not-So-Surprising Pivot
Canva’s rise was built on a mission to democratize design. For years, they provided powerful, intuitive tools for free, enabling small orgs to communicate clearly and beautifully. But over time, their strategy has shifted.
Their current product roadmap leans hard into:
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Enterprise and institutional adoption (“Canva for Teams” and “Canva for Education”)
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Brand control tools (like Brand Kits and locked templates)
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Paid collaboration and seat-based pricing
It’s becoming Adobe with training wheels.
Who This Hits the Hardest
This move especially hurts:
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Freelancers working with low-budget, mission-driven teams
- Nonprofits with rotating volunteers and limited design literacy
- Educators and consultants who create templates for reuse
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Churches and grassroots orgs trying to stay visible on shoestring budgets
What I’m Doing Instead
1. Moving template delivery out of Canva
For any clients who can’t afford paid seats, I’ve shifted to:-
Editable PDFs for flyers and posters (via InDesign and Acrobat)
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Google Slides for collaborative assets
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PowerPoint templates when needed
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Video tutorials (Loom/Vimeo) to walk teams through updates
2. Restricting Canva use to paid clients only
If they already have Canva Pro, we continue using it—but I’m upfront about its limitations and risks.3. Offering clear alternatives
I now include a tool comparison during onboarding, with notes on:-
Figma: truly free for individuals within bounds, excellent for collaboration
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Google Slides/Docs: surprisingly effective for consistent templates
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Lunacy by Icons8: lightweight, desktop-based alternative
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Corel Vector (Gravit Designer): 15-day trial, then paid only
4. Speaking out
I wrote to Canva directly to voice my concern—and I encourage others to do the same. I have yet to hear back. I do not see them changing this approach, and I do not see smaller nonprofits and orgs finding new money this season. I will continue to highlight when I have to find workarounds and tag Canva. Platforms that claim to support small teams and nonprofits need to be held accountable when their pricing contradicts their mission.A Call for Design Equity
This isn’t just about Canva. It’s about the broader issue of access to creative tools.
As more platforms chase IPOs and enterprise clients, the people doing on-the-ground work for their communities are being priced out. We’re being told to build a better world—but only if we can afford the right subscription tier.
Good design should be a bridge, not a barrier.
If you’re a freelancer, educator, or nonprofit leader navigating these changes, I’d love to connect. Let’s share workarounds, build smarter workflows, and keep this conversation alive. We don’t have to accept platform lockout as the cost of doing good.
Design access matters. Let’s defend it.