The verdict
If you need a steady stream of on-brand visuals, not only decks, pick Canva. The brand kit keeps a team consistent without a design review for everything.
If your main need is turning notes into a structured deck, document or one-pager quickly, and you are happy to edit the result, pick Gamma.
For most small B2B teams I'd pick Canva, because it replaces a patchwork of design tools and its free plan goes a long way. Many teams will still use Gamma for a quick first draft. Never send a Gamma draft to a client unread, since the copy is generic until a person edits it.
Side by side
| 7 points compared | ||
|---|---|---|
| Starts at | $10/mo | $8/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| 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
Gamma
- FreeFree
- Plus$8/mo/seat
- Pro$18/mo/seat
- Ultra$100/mo/seat
- Business$480/yr/seat
Who each is for
Choose Canva if…
Pick Canva if you are a marketer, founder or small team making social posts, ads, decks and one-pagers without a designer. Brand kits hold colours, fonts and logos. Bulk creation makes many variants from a data file, and the Business plan adds approvals so one person can write a post and another can sign it off.
Canva has an official MCP server, so an AI assistant can create, edit and export designs. AI use runs on an allowance that depends on your plan.
Output built on popular templates can look familiar, so build your own templates. Complex layouts and print work still need professional software.
Choose Gamma if…
Pick Gamma if you often produce decks, documents or one-page sites from your own thinking, and would rather edit a good first draft than start from a blank slide. The editor is easier to learn than classic slide software, and sharing a web link beats emailing a heavy file.
It has a free plan, an API and an official MCP server. The API needs Pro or higher.
Gamma has a recognisable style, and it is not a brand system. If a strict brand template, print output or full design control is the main need, Canva is the better home.
Other options worth a look
Drafts and rewrites presentations from prompts or documents inside the Google Slides and PowerPoint you already use.
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.