WhizCV vs Canva for your CV
Both let you download a CV as a PDF for free. Canva is a general design tool with thousands of free resume templates; a design that uses Pro elements gets a watermark. WhizCV is built only for CVs and job applications: a career profile, AI help with the wording, a job search tracker and interview prep.
Side by side
| What you get | WhizCV | Canva |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A builder made for CVs, cover letters and job applications | A general design tool with resume templates |
| Free plan | Yes, with no end date | Yes, Canva Free |
| Free download | PDF, Word and text, for a one-page CV with up to 16 entries | PDF, JPEG or PNG from free templates; Pro elements add a watermark |
| Templates on the free plan | Every template | Thousands of free resume templates |
| Paid prices | €19.99 a month, €39.99 for 3 months or €59.99 for 6 months | Pro about €12 a month or €110 a year (third-party reports) |
| AI writing help | Yes, made for CV wording, within a monthly allowance | Magic Write, a general AI text generator |
| Cover letters | Yes, 1 on the free plan | Yes, cover letter templates in Canva Docs |
| Job search tools | Job search tracker, interview prep and a CV checker | Not a job search tool |
| Languages | 14 languages | Over 100 languages |
Where they differ
- Purpose: Canva is for designing anything, a CV among them. WhizCV is for CVs and the job search around them.
- Free download: both give a free PDF. On Canva, a design that uses Pro elements carries a watermark until you pay; on WhizCV, the free PDF carries a small “Powered by WhizCV” footer line.
- Writing help: WhizCV’s AI works on your CV’s wording and fits it to a job ad. Canva’s Magic Write is a general text generator.
Which one fits you
Canva fits if you want full design freedom, a huge choice of looks, or you already make your other designs in Canva.
WhizCV fits if you want a CV builder that helps with the words as well as the look, keeps your career in one profile, and follows your applications through to the interview.
Questions
Can I make a CV in Canva for free?
Yes. Canva has thousands of free resume templates and lets you download them as PDF, JPEG or PNG on the free plan. If the design uses premium (Pro) elements, the download carries a watermark unless you pay for them or upgrade.
Is Canva or a CV builder better for a CV?
Canva is better for design freedom. A CV builder such as WhizCV is better for the content and the job search: it helps with the wording, checks the CV, keeps a career profile and tracks your applications.
Sources
- Canva resumes (canva.com/resumes)
- Canva cover letter maker
- Third-party: Canva watermarks explained (Krumzi, 29 September 2026)
- Third-party: Canva Pro prices (grafista.io, 29 September 2026)
- Third-party: Canva prices 2026 (GIGA, 1 April 2026)
- Canva in over 100 languages (Welocalize case study)
We make WhizCV, so we are not neutral. Every fact about the other builder comes from the pages listed above, read on 28 October 2026, unless its row says it comes from a third-party report. Prices and plans change: if something here is out of date, write to support@whizcv.com and we will correct it.
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