Designers! Did you know you can use Canva to build a beautiful website? Here's everything you need to know

Canva has established itself as the go-to design platform for non-designers and design newbies, and Canva Websites brings that same user-friendly approach to website building. Until recently, you could only use it to make one-page sites, but a recent update has introduced multi-page functionality, hugely expanding the creative possibilities of this platform.

If you're already familiar with Canva's design ecosystem, you'll find Canva Websites very easy to pick up and use. Even if you're not, it's not overly complicated and pretty simple to grasp. With it's lack of ecom, it will only be making our list of the best website builder for small businesses due to its beautifully simple designs, and I think there's a good argument for its inclusion in the best web builders for artists. Canva presents a compelling case, especially for designers and creatives who prioritise visual impact and brand consistency.

But can this design-first approach compete with dedicated website platforms? After thoroughly testing the latest version, I've found it's a mixed bag: brilliant for certain use cases, but potentially frustrating for others. Let's dive into what makes Canva Websites shine and where it falls short.

How I tested

To test out Canva Websites, I created multiple sites using different templates, exploring the platform's capabilities for everything from portfolios to simple 'coming soon' landing pages. I carefully evaluated its design flexibility, comparing it against traditional website builders while paying particular attention to the new multi-page functionality.

I tested both free and paid features to determine value for money, examined integration options, and assessed the mobile responsiveness across different devices. Throughout the testing process, I also evaluated the platform's performance, loading times and compatibility with various browsers.

Key plans and pricing

Canva's pricing structure is straightforward, though somewhat unique in the website builder market. Rather than offering dedicated website builder plans, website functionality is bundled into Canva's overall subscription tiers. So basically, you're paying for the professional version of Canva (Canva Pro), rather than simply Canva Wesbites.

The free tier, however, is generous, allowing you to build up to five websites with Canvas branding and subdomain URLs (my.canva.site). That makes this a good choice for testing the platform or creating simple project sites.

For professional use, though, you'll be wanting the Pro plan ($120 / £100 per year), which allows you to connect custom domains and remove Canva branding. There's also a Teams plan, which is designed specifically for collaborative work environments.

When compared to dedicated website platforms like Squarespace (starting at $16 / £12 per month) or Wix (from $17 / £9 per month), $120 / £100 per year for Canva Pro (which works out at $10 / £8.33 per month) is pretty good value; especially if you also want to use the platform for graphic design work. However, if you only need website functionality, the limited web building features, compared to its rivals, makes the pricing seem less competitive.

Value score: 3/5

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Setup and getting started

• Easy and quick to set up
• Quick template selection

In my experience, getting started with Canva Websites couldn't be simpler. To use the free version, I just signed in with my Google account and that was it. I then decided to take advantage of the 30-day trial of Canva Pro, which was equally easy to sign up for with my PayPal account. Note, though, that unlike every other website builder I've used, I didn't get a confirmation email about this from Canva, which seemed odd.

The design process began with choosing a template from Canva's extensive library, which is thoughtfully organised by industry and purpose. I did a number of different searches to narrow things down (ending up with 'travel photography portfolio') and this all worked very well and made things quicker.

What impressed me most was how seamlessly Canva Websites integrates with the rest of Canva. If you've ever created designs, presentations or social media graphics in Canva before, the learning curve is practically non-existent. Best of all, your brand assets, logos, and colour schemes are immediately accessible.

For first-time users, the setup is equally approachable, with a short tutorial that highlights essential features. Unlike many competing platforms, Canva doesn't overwhelm you with technical settings or hosting configurations: it's designed to get you designing immediately.

I was able to have a basic site up and running in under 30 minutes, which is about half the time it took in more feature-rich platforms such as Squarespace. The trade-off, of course, is depth of customisation; but for speed and accessibility, Canva's setup process is exemplary.

Setup score: 5/5

Templates

• Extensive library of templates
• Templates are highly customisable

With literally millions of templates available, the variety is impressive – covering everything from creative portfolios to restaurant menus, event sites to professional services. Obviously, I couldn't test them all, but in the ones I tried the typography, spacing and visual hierarchy were all professionally executed, giving me a solid foundation to build from.

In Canva Websites, templates are also genuinely customisable. Unlike more restricted platforms such as GoDaddy, every element can be modified, moved or removed entirely using Canva's familiar drag-and-drop interface. Colours, fonts and images can be swapped out with just a few clicks, with most changes applying instantly across your site for consistency.

The new multi-page functionality has enabled more complex template structures, which is a significant improvement over the previous single-page scrolling format. However, some templates haven't been fully optimised for this new capability yet, occasionally resulting in navigation inconsistencies.

Feature score: 4/5

Features

• Core design features excel
• Web-specific features remain limited

The 2025 update to Canva Websites has introduced several significant features that dramatically expand the platform's capabilities. Most notably, the shift from single-page scrolling sites to multi-page websites represents a genuine evolution of the platform.

During testing, I found this multi-page implementation to be intuitive and well thought-through. Each page can contain multiple sections, and the navigation menu now links to separate pages, rather than just jumping to sections on a single page. This makes Canva viable for more complex site structures while retaining its simplicity.

The core design features remain Canva's strength. The ability to leverage its enormous library of photos, illustrations, icons, and design elements gives you extensive creative freedom. Animation capabilities have also been improved, allowing for subtle motion effects that help bring pages to life.

Where Canva still falls short, though, is in web-specific features. For instance, there's no native form builder, which means collecting user information requires embedding third-party forms. Similarly, ecommerce functionality is essentially non-existent without external integrations, as is blogging functionality.

For simple portfolios or business sites, these limitations may not matter. But for growing businesses or content creators, the feature gap compared to dedicated website platforms becomes increasingly apparent the more you use the system.

Feature score: 3/5

AI tools

• Auto-generate custom visuals and text
• Lacks AI tools for layout and design

Canva as a whole has invested heavily in AI through its Magic Studio suite, and these are fully accessible within Canva Websites. Note, though, that unlike some rivals who use AI for layout suggestions or template creation, such as Hostinger and Wix, Canva's AI tools focus almost exclusively on content creation.

My interest was primarily in populating my websites with my own photos, but for people who don't have images of their own, the text-to-image generation tool could be very useful in building a quick website. In my testing, it felt like the quality of the generated images has improved significantly from earlier versions, though it still occasionally produces slightly awkward results that require regeneration, using valuable credits in the process.

Magic Write, Canva's AI writing assistant, also integrates smoothly into the website builder, making it easy to auto-generate headlines, product descriptions and other text elements. As with any other website builder's AI tools, this is no substitute for thoughtful copywriting, but it does provide a useful starting point.

The Design Remix feature is another standout feature, automatically reformatting content to fit different sections, while maintaining brand consistency. In my testing, this proved valuable when adapting content across multiple pages in the new multi-page structure.

On the downside, I found the AI video creation tool fairly hit-and-miss: sometimes impressively on-point, other times far from what was requested. To be fair, Canva itself tells you: "This is experimental technology: Scenes with people or animals may not look right", which seems fair enough as no one seems to have really cracked AI video yet.

Feature score: 3/5

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User interface and experience

• Canva users will find interface familiar
• Lacks dedicated website tools

Canva's user interface is one of its greatest strengths: intuitive, visual and remarkably consistent across its various tools. This carries over to Canva Websites, making it very easy for experienced Canva users. But the simplicity of the interface makes it pretty straightforward for newcomers to pick up, too.

The left sidebar provides access to templates, elements, uploads and text tools, while the canvas area displays your site in a true WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) format. Everything is drag-and-drop, with immediate visual feedback as you make changes.

During my testing, I appreciated the ability to quickly switch between pages and sections using the navigation panel. The multi-page update has been thoughtfully implemented into the interface, maintaining simplicity while adding functionality. Navigation between design mode and preview mode is seamless, though I occasionally encountered layout inconsistencies between the editor view and the published site, particularly with more complex designs.

On the downside, the simplicity of the interface is achieved at a cost; namely, Canva's lack of website-specific features. So unlike platforms like Squarespace or Wix, for instance, there are no specialised panels for SEO settings, form creation or ecommerce management. The emphasis remains squarely on visual design rather than website functionality.

Performance score: 4/5

Mobile tools

• Mobile responsiveness isn't always perfect
• Can't tweak your design for mobile specifically

Canva Websites automatically generates mobile-responsive versions of your sites, which is both a strength and limitation of the platform. On the positive side, you don't need to create separate mobile designs: Canva handles the adaptation process automatically.

In testing, I found that simple layouts generally translated well to mobile formats. Text remained readable, images scaled appropriately, and navigation elements adjusted to touch-friendly dimensions. I also found it handy how you get the choice of previewing both desktop and phone views.

However, the lack of a dedicated mobile editor is a significant limitation. Unlike competitors such as Wix or Squarespace, Canva doesn't allow you to make specific adjustments to the mobile version of your site. This becomes problematic with more complex layouts, where the automatic adjustments sometimes produce suboptimal results.

During testing, I created several pages with multi-column layouts and if I customised the template too much, I found that the mobile rendering occasionally stacked elements in unexpected ways. Without the ability to fine-tune the mobile experience, I was left with no option but to simplify my desktop design to ensure mobile compatibility.

This approach reflects Canva's philosophy of simplicity over control, which works well for beginners but may frustrate designers seeking pixel-perfect control across all devices.

Mobile score: 3/5

Help and support

• Email support for Pro and Teams users
• No direct support on free plan

Canva Websites provides several ways to get support, but the level of support varies significantly between free and paid tiers. Free users are limited to self-service support through the help centre and community forums. The forums are moderately active, with both official Canva representatives and experienced users providing assistance.

For Pro and Teams users, email support is available through an online submission form. During my testing, response times averaged around 24 hours, which was acceptable but compared poorly with dedicated website builders such as Wix, which generally responded within 30 minutes to email queries, and more or less instantly via live chat, which isn't an option here.

Another notable absence is phone support, which isn't available on any plan. For users experiencing urgent issues, this lack of immediate support could be problematic, especially for business-critical sites.

On the plus side, the help documentation is extensive and well-organised, with specific guides for website-related features alongside Canva's broader design tools. There are also some great video tutorials for visual learners, which clearly demonstrate key workflows and features.

Support score: 2/5

Who is it for?

• Designers already using Canva Pro
• Anyone building a simple site

Canva's website builder shines for users already integrated into the Canva ecosystem, who want to maintain brand consistency across their online presence, and who wishes to build a simple site. This platform is ideal for 'calling card' sites, 'coming soon' sites and simple portfolios. But for anything more complex than that, you're probably best off elsewhere.

Buy it if...

• You're already a Canva user and want website creation that integrates with your existing design assets
• You need a visually impressive portfolio or simple business site
• You prioritise design flexibility and ease of use

Don't buy it if...

• You need ecommerce capabilities
• You need SEO tools
• You want to build a complex site