Canva vs. Visme: Which Should You Use for Org Charts?

An organizational chart may be the best gift you can give your company. Used properly, an org chart will help you:

• Hire better employees
• Build stronger teams
• Boost productivity throughout your organization

When it comes to building an org chart, there are plenty of options to choose from. In this guide, we’re looking at two popular options: Canva and Visme. Both are known as effective design tools with an easy learning curve. But which is better for your company?

Here’s what you need to know.

Canva

Canva is a web-based design tool that lets users create a variety of visual content, such as:

• Graphics
• Diagrams
• Presentations
• Simple videos

One of Canva’s many use cases is building org charts. The software comes with a variety of templates that can help with this, as well as a library of shapes for customization.

Canva’s main claim to fame is its ease of use. Canva is known for making it easy for anyone to create a stylish org chart — even without any design experience. Canva’s success speaks for itself, too. As of 2022, this design tool boasts more than 75 million users in over 190 countries.

Canva pros:

• Ease of use: Canva’s intuitive interface and drag-and-drop functionality has made it popular with users around the world.
• Templates: Canva comes equipped with an array of org chart templates as well as design elements useful for customization.
• Integrations: Canva can be integrated with a variety of other tools, such as Slack, OneDrive and PowerPoint.
• Apps: Canva offers applications for desktop and mobile. Mobile apps are available for both iOS and Android.
• Broad use cases: Because Canva is much more than just an org chart maker, companies can use this software for numerous other design projects.
• Proven record: Canva has established itself as an effective design tool in the global business market.
• Free plan: Canva offers a free plan with generous features.
• Canva cons:
• Limited customization: While Canva provides a user-friendly experience, some may find options for customization lacking.
• No automation: Canva has no feature for auto-generating or updating org charts. Companies must enter their data manually when filling out an org chart. This can be time-consuming and frustrating, especially for large organizations.
• No live charts: Org charts cannot be kept as a live copy. The chart can be downloaded and shared, but to make changes, you must edit the original file and re-download it.
• Web-based: While Canva applications are available, it is primarily designed to be used in a web browser. Canva also requires an internet connection regardless of whether it is used in a browser or an app. This is because all the design elements are hosted on the web.

Canva pricing:

Canva offers several pricing plans.

• Canva Free: No cost
• Canva Pro: $199.99 per year (for one person)
• Canva for Teams: $149.90 per year (for 2–5 people)

Both Canva Pro and Canva for Teams have a 30-day free trial.

Visme

Visme is similar to Canva in many respects. Both are web-based tools built to make quality design possible for anyone. Like Canva, Visme has an intuitive interface, drag-and-drop functionality, and a library of templates. In fact, as you can see below, many of the pros and cons of Visme are the same as Canva. There’s a reason these two org chart makers are often compared.

But is Visme better than Canva? Let’s go over the details.

Visme pros:

• Ease of use: Like Canva, Visme has a reputation for an easy learning curve. No design experience is required to create an effective org chart.
• Templates: Visme provides templates and design elements to help users create their perfect org chart.
• Embedding: Unlike Canva, org charts made in Visme can be embedded directly into a webpage rather than having to be downloaded. (However, this is a paid feature.)
• Integrations: Visme is set up for easy integration with quite a few tools, including Salesforce, Zapier and Dropbox.
• Desktop app: Visme can be downloaded as an application for Mac and PC devices.
• Proven record: While Visme hasn’t reached the same level as Canva, it is still used by 15 million users around the world.
• Broad use cases: As an all-purpose design tool for visual content, Visme offers more value than just creating org charts.
• Free plan: Like Canva, Visme offers a free plan.

Visme cons:

• Limited customization: Visme can claim a similar reputation for user-friendly UI, but users may also find the options for customization to be limited.
• Limited free plan: The features included in Visme’s free plan are very limited when compared with Canva’s. For example, you cannot download org charts as PDFs without purchasing a paid plan.
• Web-based: As with Canva, Visme is a web-based design tool and requires an internet connection to operate. This is true regardless of whether you’re using it in a browser or through a desktop app.
• No automation: Visme does not offer automated generation for org charts. All data must be entered manually.
• No mobile app: Visme offers desktop applications, but there is currently no app available for mobile devices.

Visme pricing:

• Basic: No cost
• Personal: $147 per year
• Business: $297 per year
• Visme for Teams: Custom pricing

Visme also allows companies to use Visme for free for six months.

Which should companies use: Canva or Visme?

Which is better, Canva or Visme? Ultimately, that depends on the unique needs of your company. There’s no one-size-fits-all answer.

If you’re looking for a free org chart maker, Canva may be the best choice, since Canva’s free plan offers more features than Visme’s. If you don’t mind investing in your software, then Visme may make more sense. Once you sign up for a paid plan, Visme’s features tend to outweigh Canva’s.

Of course, Canva and Visme aren’t the only options. There are countless other org chart makers to choose from, like The Org.

The Org is a public platform that lets companies create an org chart and share it with the world — for free. The Org is renowned for its simple, intuitive design. With The Org, companies can reap all the benefits of a public org chart without any of the headaches.

And because The Org is a public platform, you can view the transparent org charts of thousands of other companies, including global brands such as:

• Google
• Tesla
• Amazon
• Apple
• Netflix
• Uber

The Org even serves as a job posting site. Once you sign up, you can add open positions to your org chart and advertise them on The Org’s public job board. This lets job seekers see exactly how your company is structured and who they’d be working with. Then, interested candidates can apply directly through The Org.

Best of all, The Org is completely free — with no paid plans or hidden fees.