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Switching from Canva: export while you still pay, and why Pro elements get watermarked after
Updated Oct 15, 2026
Export first: Canva's account export gives a ZIP of your designs and uploads in 24-72 hours, and bulk download takes up to 200 designs at once. After you cancel, your designs stay on Canva Free, but Pro elements show watermarks. Designs exported while subscribed carry a perpetual licence, though Canva may change its licences. Canva says subscriptions are not refundable in most cases.
The steps
- Step 1 · 24-72 hours; the link lasts 14 days · not stated on its pages
Request the account export
Request a ZIP of your uploads and designs. In a team, only the owner can export team designs.
source - Step 2 · not stated on its pages · not stated on its pages
Bulk download finished designs
PDF, JPG, PNG, MP4 or GIF; up to 200 designs at once, or 25 as MP4 or GIF, in one ZIP.
source - Step 3 · Before your last paid period ends · not stated on its pages
Check your renewal date
Plans renew at the end of each monthly or yearly period; cancel or pause before the last paid period ends.
source - Step 4 · Pausing: up to 3 months · not stated on its pages
Cancel or pause the plan
Cancel in your account settings, or pause the plan instead for up to 3 months.
source - Step 5 · Approved card refunds: 5–10 business days · In most cases, no refund
Ask about a refund
Subscriptions are not refundable in most cases.
source - Step 6 · not stated on its pages · not stated on its pages
Start with Envato's Canva-ready templates
Filter graphic templates for Canva, or use Envato's app inside Canva for its assets.
source - Step 7 · not stated on its pages · not stated on its pages
Or move video work to Motion Array
Templates need desktop software such as After Effects or Final Cut Pro.
source - Step 8 · not stated on its pages · not stated on its pages
Or license assets from Adobe Stock
A free Adobe ID is enough to license; assets open in most Creative Cloud apps.
source
Carries over
- All designs stay accessible on Canva Free after you cancel.
- Designs exported while subscribed get a perpetual licence for their Pro content, though Canva may change its licences.
- One request exports all your uploads and designs as a ZIP.
- Envato has Canva-ready templates and an app inside Canva.
What you lose
- Pro elements show watermarks on the Free plan.
- Pro stock can't be downloaded as standalone files.
- Subscriptions are not refundable in most cases.
- In a team, only the owner can export the team's designs.
Where to switch to
| Destination | Price from | Visit |
|---|---|---|
| Envato No affiliate relationship | $16.50 per month | Visit EnvatoOn elements.envato.com |
| Motion Array No affiliate relationship | $10.99 per month | Visit Motion ArrayOn motionarray.com |
| Adobe Stock No affiliate relationship | $29.99 per month | Visit Adobe StockOn stock.adobe.com |
Leaving Canva is easy on paper: you cancel in settings and your designs stay on the Free plan. The catch is Pro content, which you can only keep inside designs exported while you pay. We read Canva's help centre, terms and content licence, and the destinations' pages, on Sep 30, 2026.
Export your designs first
Canva's account export gives you a ZIP of your uploads and designs. It takes 24-72 hours, and the download link lasts 14 days. In a team, only the team owner can export the team's designs. You can also bulk download designs as PDF, JPG, PNG, MP4 or GIF, up to 200 designs at once, or 25 as MP4 or GIF.
Export anything with Pro content while you still pay. Canva issues a licence for each piece of content when you export a design, and that licence is perpetual for that one design. Pro content can't be downloaded as a standalone file, so the stock photos and videos themselves don't leave with you. Canva also reserves the right to cancel or change its licences.
What happens after you cancel
After you cancel, all designs remain accessible on Canva Free. But on Free, premium elements show watermarks on your designs. Deleting the account removes everything 14 days after you ask.
Refunds and renewal
Plans renew automatically at the end of each monthly or yearly period, so cancel before the last paid period ends. Canva says in most cases subscriptions aren't refundable. Canva's pages name no early termination fee, but the terms say any outstanding fees fall due at once. Canva Pro costs $144 a year or $18 a month. Prices from its pricing page, read Sep 25, 2026. If you only need a break, you can pause a plan for up to 3 months.
Where to go
None of these describes importing Canva designs. They replace the stock library, not the editor.
Envato. The fit if you want to keep designing in Canva on the Free plan. Envato lists Canva-ready graphic templates and has an app inside Canva for its assets. Envato's guide converts its other templates for Canva, with PDFs up to 300MB. Downloaded items can't be used in new projects after you cancel. Core costs $16.50 a month billed yearly. Prices from its pricing page, read Sep 25, 2026.
Motion Array. Built for video editors. Its templates need desktop software such as After Effects or Final Cut Pro; stock footage and music need no special software. After you cancel, you can't use downloaded assets in new projects. Everything costs $24.99 a month billed yearly. Prices from its sign-up page, read Sep 25, 2026.
Adobe Stock. Unlike Envato and Motion Array, licences you buy outlast the subscription: you can use them regardless of your subscription status, though unused licences are forfeited when you cancel. The Unlimited plan is the exception: downloads can't be used for the first time after it ends. Assets open inside most Creative Cloud apps. The 10-credit plan is $29.99 a month on an annual plan billed monthly. Prices from its plans page, read Sep 27, 2026.
Who should switch
Switch if you mostly need stock footage, music or templates for other editing software, and export every design with Pro content before the billing period ends. Stay, or pause, if your work lives in Canva designs you still edit: after cancelling, the Pro elements in them show watermarks. Compare the options in our stock media ranking and see how we score them.