Cancel your Canva subscription and your work stays put. The company does not delete your files when you downgrade. What you lose is the ability to edit compositions that use Pro-only stock photos, premium layouts, or icons. Those compositions will show a watermark and become uneditable unless you re-subscribe or purchase the individual element.
Cancellation is managed through the Account Settings page. Click the profile icon in the top corner of the Canva homepage, then follow this path: Account Settings, Billing and plans, scroll to the Subscription section, click Cancel subscription. You must follow the on-screen prompts after clicking Cancel subscription to confirm. It is not a single-click action.
All your uploads and original creations remain in your account after cancellation. You can still download them. The question is what happens to Pro-specific features and how to prepare before you lose access.
What happens immediately after cancellation
Your account switches to Canva Free at the end of the current billing cycle. You do not lose Pro features instantly. If you are on a monthly plan, you keep Pro access for the rest of the month you already paid for. If you are on an annual plan, you keep Pro access for the remainder of the year. There is no pro-rated refund for canceling a monthly or annual plan early.
After your pre-paid period expires, your account downgrades to Canva Free automatically. The main change: Pro-only elements in your existing compositions become locked. Stock photos, premium layouts, and icons that required a Pro subscription will display a watermark. You cannot edit those compositions unless you re-subscribe or buy the individual element. Your own uploaded images and original creations remain fully accessible and editable.
How to cancel a Canva Pro subscription
For individual Pro subscriptions, the path is straightforward. Click the profile icon in the top corner of the Canva homepage. Navigate to Account Settings, then Billing and plans. Scroll down to the Subscription section and click Cancel subscription.
Follow the on-screen prompts. Canva may offer you a discount or a pause option. If you want to proceed, confirm. Your Pro access continues until the end of the current billing period, then your account reverts to Canva Free.
If you own a Canva Teams plan, you must cancel the team subscription from the Billing and plans tab under your team settings, not from your personal settings. The team owner is the only person who can cancel the team subscription. Individual team members can cancel their own membership, but that does not cancel the team plan.
How to cancel a Canva Education subscription
Canva Education subscriptions use a different cancellation process. Education accounts are verified through a separate system. To cancel, you may need to contact Canva support or remove your education verification status. The standard billing flow through Account Settings may not work for Education subscriptions.
The specific steps for Education cancellation have changed over time. As of 2025, the exact process depends on how your school or institution set up the account. If you signed up individually with a school email, removing the education verification in your account settings may allow you to switch to a free plan. If your school manages the account, the school administrator controls the subscription. Contact Canva support through the Help menu if the standard cancellation path does not appear. They can verify your account status and process the cancellation.
What happens to your Brand Kits and templates
Brand Kits become locked
Brand Kit elements, logos, fonts, and color palettes, are locked when you downgrade to Canva Free. Canva Free limits you to one Brand Kit. Any additional Brand Kits you created on Pro become inaccessible. You cannot access the fonts, logos, or color palettes in those locked kits unless you re-subscribe.
Save your assets first
Before canceling, manually save your Brand Kit assets to your computer. Download your logo files as PNG or SVG. Note the hex codes or RGB values for your color palettes. Write down the font names and weights you used. You can recreate the Brand Kit later on Canva Free using those saved assets, but you will be limited to one kit.
Custom templates
If you created custom templates, save a copy before canceling. Open the template, click File, then Save as template. This saves a local copy. Sharing custom templates with a team requires a paid plan. Individual users can still use their saved templates on Canva Free.
How to download your designs before canceling
Download individual designs
Download your compositions before your Pro access expires. Open a design, click the Share button, select Download, and choose a file type. Available formats include PNG, JPG, PDF Standard, PDF Print, SVG, MP4, and GIF. Note that SVG availability may vary depending on the element types used in the design.
Bulk download from Projects
For bulk downloads, go to the Projects page. Hover over a design thumbnail, click the More icon (the three dots), and select Download. You can download multiple designs this way. This is faster than opening each design individually.
Choose the right format
Download your compositions as PDF or high-resolution PNG if you plan to print them later. For designs with transparent backgrounds, use PNG. For video designs, use MP4. Downloading before canceling ensures you have the files even if the design uses Pro elements that will later show watermarks.
What you keep and what you lose on Canva Free
What stays
After downgrading to Canva Free, you keep all your uploaded images, your original creations, and any designs that do not use Pro-only elements. You can still create new designs using free elements and layouts. Your account and files remain intact.
What goes away
You lose access to Pro stock photos and premium layouts. Designs that use those Pro elements become uneditable and show watermarks. You lose the ability to create new Brand Kits beyond the one allowed on Free. You cannot share custom templates with a team. You lose the Pro background removal tool and the magic resize feature.
Reversing the downgrade
If you want to regain access to your locked designs later, you can re-subscribe to Canva Pro or purchase the individual Pro elements used in those designs. The designs themselves are not deleted, and your account history is preserved. Canceling is reversible as long as you re-subscribe within a reasonable timeframe.
Key facts
- Cancellation path: Profile icon > Account Settings > Billing & plans > Subscription > Cancel subscription
- When downgrade takes effect: End of current billing cycle; no pro-rated refund
- Designs retained: All uploaded images and original designs stay in the account
- Pro element watermarks: Designs using Pro-only stock photos, premium templates, or icons become uneditable with watermarks
- Brand Kit limit on Free: One Brand Kit; additional kits become inaccessible
- Teams cancellation: Team owner must cancel from team settings, not personal settings
- Education cancellation: May require contacting Canva support or removing education verification
Frequently asked questions
Will I lose my designs if I cancel Canva Pro?
No. All your designs and uploads remain in your account after cancellation. Files are not deleted.
Can I still edit my designs after canceling?
You can edit designs that use only free elements. Designs that use Pro-only stock photos, premium templates, or icons will display a watermark and become uneditable unless you re-subscribe or purchase the individual element.
Do I get a refund if I cancel early?
No. There is no pro-rated refund for canceling a monthly or annual plan early. You retain Pro access until the pre-paid period expires.
How do I download my designs before canceling?
Open a design, click Share, then Download, and choose a file type. For bulk downloads, go to the Projects page, hover over a design, click the More icon, and select Download.
What happens to my Brand Kits after canceling?
Brand Kit elements are locked when you downgrade to Canva Free. You are limited to one Brand Kit. Additional kits become inaccessible. Save your assets to your computer before canceling.
