Canva vs Metricool
Pin design tool versus analytics-powered pin scheduling platform
TL;DR
For Pinterest pin creation: Canva designs pins with its world-class editor and templates. Metricool (free plan, or Starter from $25/month, $20/month billed annually) schedules pins with detailed Pinterest analytics and optimal posting time suggestions. Canva makes pins look great; Metricool tells you when to post them and how they perform. Together they're a data-informed Pinterest workflow for about $32/month on annual billing.
Key Differences for Pinterest
How these tools differ for Pinterest pin creation and scheduling
Pinterest Focus
Canva has a Pinterest rating of 5/10 while Metricool scores 6/10. Metricool offers stronger Pinterest-specific features.
Pricing
Canva starts at $18/mo ($12/mo billed annually) while Metricool starts at $25/mo ($20/mo billed annually). Canva offers a free plan. Metricool offers a free plan.
Automation
Metricool has Autolists. Neither tool can auto-create pins from your website content like BlogToPin does.
Bulk Pin Creation
Neither Canva nor Metricool can generate pins from your website automatically. BlogToPin reads your sitemap and creates hundreds of optimized pins with AI-written titles and descriptions.
Platform Support
Canva supports Instagram, Facebook, X, LinkedIn, Pinterest, YouTube, Tumblr. Metricool covers Facebook, Instagram, Threads, Bluesky, Pinterest, TikTok, YouTube, Twitch, Google Business, LinkedIn (paid), X (add-on). Metricool gives you more platform options.
Analytics
Metricool provides deeper Pinterest analytics. Metricool offers detailed analytics while the other has more basic reporting.
Pricing for Pinterest Users
What you will actually pay for Pinterest pin scheduling
Canva
Per person; Free, Pro, Business and Enterprise plans
Metricool
Tiered plans by number of brands
BlogToPin
Starter plan. 1,000+ pins/mo. Unlimited AI.
Pinterest Feature Comparison
20 Pinterest-relevant features compared side-by-side
| Feature | Canva | Metricool | BlogToPin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pinterest Features | |||
| Pinterest Scheduling | Limited (paid plans) | ||
| Smart Schedule | Best Times | AI-powered | |
| Pin Templates | Thousands | 100+ templates | |
| Board Management | Basic | ||
| Idea & Video Pins | Design only | Image & video pins | |
| Automation | |||
| Bulk Scheduling | CSV import | Automatic | |
| Auto-Create from URL | |||
| Auto-Sync New Content | |||
| Content Recycling | Autolists | ||
| Delete Underperforming Pins | |||
| RSS Feed Integration | |||
| AI & Content | |||
| AI Writing | Magic Write | AI Assistant | Unlimited |
| AI Image Generation | Canva AI | ||
| Hashtag Suggestions | Hashtag search (paid) | ||
| Analytics | |||
| Pinterest Analytics | Detailed | ||
| Best Time to Post | |||
| Competitor Tracking | Not for Pinterest | ||
| Platform | |||
| Multi-Platform | Instagram, Facebook, X, LinkedIn, Pinterest, YouTube, Tumblr | Facebook, Instagram, Threads, Bluesky, Pinterest, TikTok, YouTube, Twitch, Google Business, LinkedIn (paid), X (add-on) | Pinterest focused |
| Mobile App | |||
| Team Collaboration | Business plan | Advanced plan | Business plan |
Pros & Cons for Pinterest
Strengths and weaknesses for Pinterest pin workflows
Canva
Pros
- Best pin design experience with thousands of professional templates
- Magic Resize instantly adapts designs for different pin sizes
- AI image generation and background removal built in
- Brand Kit keeps your designs consistent
- Huge library of stock photos, illustrations, and fonts
- Free plan is surprisingly capable for basic design
Cons
- Scheduling features are very basic compared to dedicated tools
- No Pinterest analytics or performance tracking
- No smart scheduling, content recycling, or automation
- Cannot manage boards or organize pin strategy
- Scheduling requires a paid plan and is not the core product
- No bulk operations or website-to-pin automation
Metricool
Pros
- Best analytics in its price range, especially for Pinterest
- Competitor benchmarking for Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and more (not Pinterest)
- RSS feeds and Autolists keep a queue of posts going
- Free plan for one brand, limited to 20 scheduled posts a month
- Best time to post suggestions based on your data
- Clean dashboard with actionable insights
Cons
- Scheduling features are secondary to analytics
- No pin design tools or templates
- Recycling via Autolists and RSS, but no Pinterest-specific automation
- Cannot create pins from website content
- Bulk scheduling limited to CSV import
- Some advanced analytics locked behind higher plans
BlogToPin
Pros
- Auto-creates pins from your website content — no manual design
- 100+ pin templates for visual variety across your profile
- AI writes Pinterest-optimized titles and descriptions
- Automatically deletes underperforming pins to protect account quality
- Smart scheduling posts pins at optimal times
- Reads your sitemap and generates pins from every page
Cons
- Pinterest-only — does not support other social platforms
- No mobile app yet
- Requires a website with content to generate pins from
- Starting at $39/mo, higher entry price than basic schedulers
What Users Say
Real user reviews from Trustpilot and G2
Canva Reviews
“It is very easy to make your own custom designs. AND THERE ARE A LOT OF TEMPLATES.”
“You lost over a years worth of work I did and couldn't get it back. Terrible product.”
Metricool Reviews
“I've used Metricool now for over a year, and run over 30 different brands from their platform. Their support team is fantastic.”
“The software simply does not work and customer support is unresponsive, unreliable, and they do not value customers' time.”
Best For Pinterest
When to choose each tool for your Pinterest pin strategy
Canva
- Creators who prioritize pin design quality above all
- People already using Canva who want basic scheduling
- Visual brands that need professional-looking pins fast
Metricool
- Data-driven marketers who want deep Pinterest analytics
- Multi-network brands that want competitor benchmarks on Instagram and Facebook
- Budget-conscious users who want analytics plus scheduling
BlogToPin
- You need hundreds of unique pins created from your website content
- You want AI to write Pinterest-optimized titles and descriptions
- You are tired of manually designing pin images for every post
- You want to automatically remove underperforming pins
- You need Pinterest pin creation on autopilot, not just scheduling
Overview
Canva and Metricool form a natural pair for Pinterest marketing: design plus data. Canva handles the creative side — pin templates, editor, Brand Kit. Metricool handles the strategic side — scheduling with analytics-suggested posting times, CSV import, RSS, and performance dashboards. For Pinterest marketers who want to make data-informed decisions about when to pin and what designs work best, this combination provides both creation tools and the data to refine your approach.
Pin Design vs. Pin Strategy
Canva creates pins. Metricool optimizes when and how you publish them. The roles are complementary: design a pin in Canva, schedule it through Metricool at an analytically-suggested optimal time, then track its performance in Metricool's dashboard to inform future Canva designs.
This feedback loop — design, publish, measure, refine — is how data-driven Pinterest marketing works. Canva provides the creation half, Metricool provides the intelligence half. Neither alone covers the full workflow.
Pinterest Analytics and Insights
Metricool provides Pinterest-specific analytics: pin-level performance, board analytics, engagement trends, audience activity patterns, and best-time-to-post recommendations based on your actual data. These insights help you understand which Canva pin designs drive the most clicks and saves.
Canva has no analytics. After publishing a pin, you get zero performance data within Canva. Understanding what works requires an external analytics tool — Metricool, Pinterest native analytics, or both.
For Pinterest marketers who test different pin design styles (infographics vs. lifestyle images, bold text vs. subtle overlays), Metricool's analytics data directly informs which Canva design approach to invest more time in.
Optimal Pin Timing
Metricool analyzes when your Pinterest audience is most active and suggests optimal posting times. Instead of guessing or following generic "best times to pin" advice, you schedule pins based on your specific audience data. This data-driven timing can meaningfully improve pin visibility and engagement.
Canva's publishing tools provide no guidance on optimal timing, and its Pinterest scheduling support is limited. When you pin matters on Pinterest — the first few hours after publishing affect how the algorithm distributes your pin.
Competitor Research
Metricool offers competitor tracking for some networks, but it does not cover Pinterest. For Pinterest competitor research, you'll still need to browse your niche on Pinterest directly and note which pin styles and topics perform well.
Canva doesn't track competitors either. Your design decisions are based on templates, your own analytics, and what you observe on Pinterest — which is where Metricool's data on your own pins is most useful.
Pricing for the Combined Workflow
Canva free + Metricool free: $0/month for basic design and scheduling (Metricool's free plan covers 1 brand and 20 posts a month). A viable starting point.
Canva Pro ($12/month) + Metricool Starter ($20/month), both billed annually: about $32/month for premium design tools plus detailed analytics and optimal timing — or $43/month on monthly billing ($18 + $25). A data-informed Pinterest workflow at a reasonable price.
Final Verdict
Canva is the design foundation — create professional Pinterest pins that get clicked and saved. Every Pinterest marketer should start here.
Metricool adds the data layer — understand when to pin and which designs perform best. At $25/month ($20/month billed annually), or free for basics, it transforms Pinterest marketing from guesswork into data-informed strategy. For eliminating the manual Canva design step entirely, BlogToPin auto-generates pins from your content and schedules them — giving you more pins to analyze in Metricool.
Want pins created automatically?
Both Canva and Metricool require manual pin creation. BlogToPin generates pins from your website with AI — no design work needed.
Frequently Asked Questions
7 questions answered about Canva vs Metricool
Is Metricool better than Canva's Content Planner for scheduling?
Significantly. Metricool offers Pinterest analytics, optimal timing suggestions, CSV import, Autolists for recycling, and a proper calendar. Canva's Pinterest scheduling is limited, with no analytics or optimization.
Can Metricool help me design better pins?
Indirectly. Metricool's analytics show which pin designs get the most engagement and clicks. Use that data to inform your Canva design choices — more of what works, less of what doesn't.
Does Metricool suggest the best times to pin?
Yes. Metricool analyzes your audience activity patterns and recommends optimal posting times based on your actual data. This is more effective than generic timing advice.
Is the Canva + Metricool combo worth about $32/month?
For serious Pinterest marketers, yes. You get best-in-class pin design plus data-driven scheduling and analytics. The alternative — designing pins in Canva and guessing at timing and strategy — leaves growth on the table.
Can either tool auto-create pins from my content?
Neither auto-generates pin designs. Canva requires manual design. Metricool can pull new blog posts via RSS, but shares the post's existing image rather than designing a pin. For automated pin creation, use BlogToPin.
Does Metricool have a free plan?
Yes. Metricool's free plan covers 1 brand and 20 posts a month with basic analytics — one of the stronger free tiers in the category. There's no free trial of paid plans. Pair it with Canva's free plan for a $0/month starting point.
Can Metricool track my Pinterest competitors?
No. Metricool's competitor tracking does not cover Pinterest. Its Pinterest strength is detailed analytics on your own account and pins, which you can use to benchmark your own progress over time.
Tired of creating pins by hand?
BlogToPin generates Pinterest pins from your website automatically. AI writes the titles and descriptions, 100+ templates handle design, and smart scheduling posts at optimal times. Try it free.