HR & Recruiting · head to head
15Five vs Canva
The short version
- Only Canva has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: 15Five split across three tiers, so performance reviews, OKRs and 360 feedback need Perform at $11 per user per month rather than the $4 Engage tier; Canva requires active internet connection, no offline editing capability
- They diverge on capability: 15Five covers Weekly check-ins, Canva covers Drag-and-drop editor.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which 15Five and Canva actually diverge.
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in 15Five
- Weekly check-ins
- 1-on-1 meetings
- OKRs & goal tracking
- Performance reviews
- High fives recognition
- Engagement surveys
- Pulse surveys
- Manager effectiveness
Only in Canva
- Drag-and-drop editor
- Templates library
- Stock photos & elements
- Text effects
- Animation
- Collaboration
- Brand kit
- Resize tool
Both cover
- Slack
- GDPR
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
15Five
- Running engagement surveys with heat maps and benchmarkingnot Canva
- Performance reviews and continuous feedback cyclesnot Canva
- Setting and tracking OKRsnot Canva
- 360 degree feedback and talent matrix reviewsnot Canva
- Compensation review cycles as a paid add-onnot Canva
Canva
- Social media graphicsnot 15Five
- Presentationsnot 15Five
- Marketing materialsnot 15Five
- Documentsnot 15Five
- Video editingnot 15Five
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
15Five
- Split across three tiers, so performance reviews, OKRs and 360 feedback need Perform at $11 per user per month rather than the $4 Engage tier
- Manager training microlearnings are only in Total Platform at $16 per user per month
- Compensation is a paid add-on at $9 per user per month, rising to $11 with benchmarking
- The Kona meeting assistant is a further $2 per employee per month and Kona Coach $19 per manager per month
- Advertised prices are the annual rates
Canva
- Requires active internet connection, no offline editing capability
- No vector pen tool or advanced vector editing features
- No CMYK color management or print-ready bleed controls
- Cannot export to PSD (Photoshop) or AI (Illustrator) formats
- Large user base means many templates see repeated use, reducing design uniqueness
Pricing, plan by plan
15Five
$4/month- Engage$4/month
- Engagement surveys
- Pulse surveys
- Action planning
- Perform$10/month
- Weekly check-ins
- 1-on-1s
- Performance reviews
- Total Platform$16/month
- Everything in Engage & Perform
- Career paths
- Competencies
Canva
Free- FreeFree
- 1.6M+ templates
- 5GB storage
- 50 AI credits/month
- Pro$18/month
- 141M+ premium assets
- Magic Studio
- 500 AI credits/month
- Business$25/user-month
- Unlimited brand kits
- Team collaboration
Which should you pick?
Choose 15Five if
- You need weekly check-ins.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
- You also want 1-on-1 meetings.
Choose Canva if
- You need drag-and-drop editor.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android.
- You also want templates library.
Questions people ask
- Is 15Five or Canva better?
- Neither clearly leads. 15Five starts at $4/month and Canva at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, 15Five or Canva?
- Canva has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $4/month for 15Five and Free for Canva.
- Does 15Five or Canva run on more platforms?
- 15Five runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api. Canva runs on Web, iOS, Android.
- Can I use Canva for free?
- Yes. Canva has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. 15Five starts at $4/month.
- What is 15Five best used for?
- 15Five is most often used for running engagement surveys with heat maps and benchmarking, performance reviews and continuous feedback cycles, setting and tracking okrs, 360 degree feedback and talent matrix reviews. Of those, running engagement surveys with heat maps and benchmarking and performance reviews and continuous feedback cycles are not what Canva is typically brought in for.
- What can 15Five do that Canva cannot?
- 15Five covers Weekly check-ins, 1-on-1 meetings, OKRs & goal tracking, Performance reviews. Canva covers Drag-and-drop editor, Templates library, Stock photos & elements, Text effects. Both handle Slack, GDPR.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Canva: Is Canva really free?
Yes. The free plan is permanent with no trial or credit card required. It includes 1.6M+ templates, 5GB storage, 50 Magic Studio AI credits/month, and basic collaboration.
SourceCanva: What requires internet connection?
Canva is web-based and requires an active internet connection to use. It cannot be used offline and may experience slowness or freezing on poor connections.
SourceCanva: Can I export to professional formats like PSD or AI?
No. Canva does not support export to Adobe PSD or Illustrator AI formats. Export options are limited to PNG, PDF, MP4, and other basic formats.
SourceCanva: How many AI credits do I get?
Free tier includes 50 Magic Studio credits per month for AI image generation, copywriting, and background removal. Pro and higher tiers get 500 credits/month.
SourceRelated pages
Other head to heads
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- 15Five vs Workday
- 15Five vs Culture Amp
- 15Five vs Freshteam
- 15Five vs TINYpulse
- 15Five vs Zoho People
- 15Five vs Bonusly
- 15Five vs CharlieHR
- 15Five vs Kudos
- 15Five vs Lattice
- 15Five vs Personio
- 15Five vs Achievers
- 15Five vs Breathe HR
- 15Five vs Darwinbox
- 15Five vs Employment Hero
- 15Five vs greytHR
- 15Five vs HiBob
- 15Five vs Homebase
- 15Five vs Adobe Illustrator
- 15Five vs Affinity Designer
- 15Five vs Gravit Designer
- 15Five vs Linearity Curve
- 15Five vs ProtoPie
- 15Five vs Rive
- 15Five vs Spline
- 15Five vs Abstract
- 15Five vs Balsamiq Wireframes
- 15Five vs Krea
- 15Five vs Magnific
- 15Five vs Marvel
- 15Five vs Subframe
- 15Five vs Vectr
- 15Five vs Zeplin
- Canva vs BambooHR
- Canva vs Workday
- Canva vs Culture Amp
- Canva vs Freshteam
- Canva vs TINYpulse
- Canva vs Zoho People
- Canva vs Bonusly
- Canva vs CharlieHR
- Canva vs Kudos
- Canva vs Lattice
- Canva vs Personio
- Canva vs Achievers
- Canva vs Breathe HR
- Canva vs Darwinbox
- Canva vs Employment Hero
- Canva vs greytHR
- Canva vs HiBob
- Canva vs Homebase
- Canva vs Adobe Illustrator
- Canva vs Affinity Designer
- Canva vs Gravit Designer
- Canva vs Linearity Curve
- Canva vs ProtoPie
- Canva vs Rive
- Canva vs Spline
- Canva vs Abstract
- Canva vs Balsamiq Wireframes
- Canva vs Krea
- Canva vs Magnific
- Canva vs Marvel
- Canva vs Subframe
- Canva vs Vectr
- Canva vs Zeplin


