The verdict
If you need visuals in volume, such as social images, ads and one-pagers, and a free place to start, pick Canva. It covers more work, and the brand kit keeps a team consistent.
If your problem is the blank first slide, and your team already has a PowerPoint or Google Slides template it likes, pick Plus AI. It gives you a first draft from a report or call notes without changing where decks live.
For most small B2B teams I'd pick Canva. It costs nothing to try and does more. Pick Plus AI when decks are your only output and the template is the asset you want to protect.
Side by side
| 7 points compared | ||
|---|---|---|
| Starts at | $10/mo | $10/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | No |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| MCP server | Yes | Yes |
| AI diagram generation | Yes | Yes |
| Brand kit | Yes | Yes |
| Real-time collaboration | Yes | Yes |
| Links |
Plans and pricing
Canva
- FreeFree
- Canva Pro$15/mo
- Canva Business$20/mo/seat
Plus AI
- Basic$15/mo/seat
- Pro$25/mo/seat
- Team$40/mo/seat
- Max$240/mo/seat
Who each is for
Choose Canva if…
Pick Canva if you are a marketer, founder or small team that makes posts, ads, decks and documents without a dedicated designer. The free plan covers a lot. Brand kits, a very large template library, bulk creation and print-ready export suit repeatable work, and the Business plan adds approvals.
Canva has an official MCP server, so an AI assistant can create, edit, search and export designs.
Popular templates can look familiar, and AI use is capped by plan. Skip the paid plans if you only make a few assets, since the free plan may be enough.
Choose Plus AI if…
Pick Plus AI if you are a consultant, or a sales or marketing team, that builds decks in PowerPoint or Google Slides and wants faster first drafts from a prompt, a PDF, a Word file or a text file. Nothing about your storage, sharing or templates changes. Remix reformats a slide, even a wall of text, into a layout you choose.
There is no free plan, only a short trial with a small credit allowance. Measure how many credits a typical deck uses before you choose a plan. Custom templates and shared libraries need the Team plan or above.
It does not replace a design tool, so skip it if you want one for general visual work.
Other options worth a look
Make on-brand presentation decks with AI and smart layouts that adjust as you edit them.
Microsoft's presentation software for sales decks, pitches and reports, free on the web and in Microsoft 365.