Canva Review: Pricing, Pros and Cons for Authors

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Best for

Authors on a budget who design their own ebook covers and promo images.

Free trial

Free plan. Pro trial length varies.

Runs on

Web, Windows and Mac, iOS and Android

What Canva does

Canva has thousands of book cover templates and lets you set any custom size, so you can make an ebook cover and matching ads in one account.

It does not know KDP rules. For a paperback wrap you calculate spine width and bleed yourself.

Book cover templates
Custom sizes for KDP covers
Stock photo library (Pro)
Background remover (Pro)
Social and ad graphics

Canva pricing

Free	$0
Pro	About $18/mo or $180/yr (check site)

Canva blocks automated price checks, so these are reported US prices from September 2026.

Pros and cons

What works

✓Free plan goes a long way
✓Easy for non-designers
✓Covers and marketing graphics in one place

What does not

✗No automatic spine or bleed for print
✗Template elements have license limits
✗Pro is for one person

Our verdict

Canva is fine for ebook covers and promo graphics. For a print wrap, check KDP's cover calculator first, and for a genre bestseller look, a pro designer still wins.

Check Canva pricing