Canva vs Planoly
Pin design powerhouse versus Instagram-first visual planner with Pinterest support
TL;DR
For Pinterest pin creation: Canva is the unmatched design tool for creating pin images. Planoly (Starter $16/month, or $14 billed annually) is a visual planner built for Instagram that added Pinterest scheduling. Canva designs better pins; Planoly visually organizes your publishing schedule. For Pinterest-only marketers, Canva + a simpler scheduler beats Planoly's Instagram-centric approach.
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 Planoly scores 5/10. Both tools offer similar Pinterest support.
Pricing
Canva starts at $18/mo ($12/mo billed annually) while Planoly starts at $16/mo ($14/mo billed annually). Canva offers a free plan. Planoly offers a free plan.
Bulk Pin Creation
Neither Canva nor Planoly can generate pins from your website automatically. BlogToPin reads your sitemap and creates hundreds of optimized pins with AI-written titles and descriptions.
Pricing for Pinterest Users
What you will actually pay for Pinterest pin scheduling
Canva
Per person; Free, Pro, Business and Enterprise plans
Planoly
Per social set and user, unlimited uploads
BlogToPin
Starter plan. 1,000+ pins/mo. Unlimited AI.
Pinterest Feature Comparison
20 Pinterest-relevant features compared side-by-side
| Feature | Canva | Planoly | BlogToPin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pinterest Features | |||
| Pinterest Scheduling | Limited (paid plans) | ||
| Smart Schedule | AI-powered | ||
| Pin Templates | Thousands | 100+ templates | |
| Board Management | Single board per pin | ||
| Idea & Video Pins | Design only | Image & video pins | |
| Automation | |||
| Bulk Scheduling | Bulk upload | Automatic | |
| Auto-Create from URL | |||
| Auto-Sync New Content | |||
| Content Recycling | |||
| Delete Underperforming Pins | |||
| RSS Feed Integration | |||
| AI & Content | |||
| AI Writing | Magic Write | AI Caption Generator | Unlimited |
| AI Image Generation | Canva AI | ||
| Hashtag Suggestions | |||
| Analytics | |||
| Pinterest Analytics | |||
| Best Time to Post | |||
| Competitor Tracking | |||
| Platform | |||
| Multi-Platform | Instagram, Facebook, X, LinkedIn, Pinterest, YouTube, Tumblr | Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, TikTok, Threads, YouTube | Pinterest focused |
| Mobile App | |||
| Team Collaboration | Business plan | Growth plan (2 users) | 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
Planoly
Pros
- Beautiful visual grid planner for planning your feed
- Easy to learn with a clean, minimal interface
- Good Instagram planning tools that translate okay to Pinterest
- Decent mobile app for planning on the go
- Affordable entry point for beginners
Cons
- Pinterest features clearly secondary to Instagram
- Free plan limited to 10 uploads a month on the mobile app
- No content recycling or automation features
- Analytics focus on Instagram, with no dedicated Pinterest analytics
- Best-time-to-post suggestions are Instagram-only; cannot pin to multiple boards at once
- Cannot create pins from website content
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.”
Planoly Reviews
“I have been using Planoly for 5+ years and have always had a good experience with them.”
“Planoly quietly charged me over $500 across 6 years with no renewal reminders, no usage reports.”
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
Planoly
- Instagram-first creators who also post to Pinterest
- Visual planners who want a clean grid view
- Beginners who value simplicity over power features
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 Planoly cover different stages of the Pinterest workflow. Canva is the design tool where pin images get created — its templates and editor are unmatched. Planoly started as an Instagram grid planner and added Pinterest as a secondary platform. For Pinterest marketers, Canva is essential for pin design, while Planoly's Pinterest value depends on whether you also manage Instagram and want both in one visual planner.
Pin Design: Canva Only
Canva creates pins. Planoly does not. Canva's Pinterest-specific templates, Brand Kit, and design editor are the industry standard. Planoly has no pin templates or design editor — its role starts after pins are designed.
The distinction matters because pin design quality is the highest-leverage factor in Pinterest marketing. A beautifully designed pin gets saved and clicked regardless of scheduling. Canva directly addresses this; Planoly assumes the design work is already done.
Visual Planning for Pinterest
Planoly's visual grid planner shows your content as images on a calendar with drag-and-drop arrangement. Originally designed for Instagram feed aesthetics, it adapts to Pinterest planning by letting you see your pin images arranged visually before scheduling.
Canva's Content Planner (paid plans only, with limited Pinterest support) shows a basic calendar of scheduled posts without visual grid preview. After designing pins in Canva, you lose the visual planning context when scheduling through the Content Planner.
For Pinterest, visual grid planning matters less than it does for Instagram. Pinterest boards are organized by theme, not feed aesthetics. The visual planner is nice for ensuring variety but isn't as critical as it is for Instagram's grid cohesion.
Instagram + Pinterest Cross-Platform
Planoly's main advantage is managing both Instagram and Pinterest in one visual tool. If you repurpose Instagram content for Pinterest — turning carousel tips into pin infographics, or creating pin versions of Reels content — having both platforms in Planoly's visual planner streamlines cross-platform content management.
Canva designs content for any platform but doesn't manage cross-platform scheduling strategy. You design separately for each platform and schedule through each platform's publishing tool.
If Pinterest is your only platform, Planoly's Instagram heritage adds cost without proportional Pinterest value. If you manage both, the unified planning has genuine appeal.
Pricing for Pinterest Marketers
Canva: free for basic design, or Pro at $18/month ($12 billed annually). Essential regardless of scheduler choice.
Planoly: Starter at $16/month ($14 billed annually), with a 14-day trial. The visual planner and Pinterest scheduling work, but the product's heart is Instagram. For Pinterest-only use, cheaper schedulers offer similar Pinterest functionality.
Canva + Buffer (from $6 per channel per month) costs $6-24/month billed monthly ($5-17 billed annually) and provides strong pin design with adequate scheduling. Canva + Planoly costs $16-34/month billed monthly ($14-26 billed annually) and adds visual planning that benefits Instagram more than Pinterest.
Final Verdict
Canva is essential for every Pinterest marketer — its pin design capabilities are unmatched. Pair it with whatever scheduler fits your workflow.
Planoly makes sense if you manage both Instagram and Pinterest and want unified visual planning. For Pinterest-only marketers, cheaper schedulers provide similar pin scheduling without paying for Instagram-focused features. For eliminating the manual Canva design step, BlogToPin auto-generates pins from your content.
Want pins created automatically?
Both Canva and Planoly require manual pin creation. BlogToPin generates pins from your website with AI — no design work needed.
Frequently Asked Questions
6 questions answered about Canva vs Planoly
Is Planoly good for Pinterest or mainly for Instagram?
Planoly was built for Instagram first, with Pinterest added later. Its Pinterest support is functional but not as deeply developed as the Instagram side. For Pinterest-only use, dedicated Pinterest schedulers offer more value.
Can I design pins inside Planoly?
Not really. Planoly offers no pin templates or design editor. You need Canva or another design tool to create pin images before scheduling them through Planoly.
Is Canva + Planoly better than Canva + Later for Pinterest?
For Pinterest specifically, Canva + Later has a slight edge: Later lets you pick a board for each pin and includes basic Pinterest analytics (for pins scheduled through Later), while Planoly posts each pin to a single board and its analytics focus on Instagram. Neither offers Pinterest best-time suggestions or pin recycling.
Can either tool auto-create pins from my blog?
Neither auto-generates pin designs. Canva requires manual design, Planoly requires pre-made images. For automated pin creation, use BlogToPin.
Is Planoly worth it for Pinterest-only use?
Probably not. At $16/month ($14 billed annually), Planoly's Instagram-first visual planner adds limited Pinterest-specific value. Buffer at $6 per channel per month ($5 billed annually) provides similar pin scheduling at less than half the cost.
Does Planoly have Pinterest analytics?
Not really. Planoly's analytics focus on Instagram, with no dedicated Pinterest analytics. For Pinterest data, use Pinterest's native dashboard or a tool with Pinterest analytics such as Iconosquare.
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.