Skip to main content
Canva logo
vs
Penpot logo
Try Penpot

Canva vs Penpot: Privacy-Focused Design Tools Compared

Discover if Spain's Penpot offers a more secure design experience than US-based Canva. Prioritize your data privacy today.

Last updated: February 1, 2026Reviewed by Built in EU Team

Should You Switch to Penpot?

What You Gain

Gain full GDPR compliance and self-hosting options with Penpot.

Privacy advantage
Trade-offs

Lose advanced features like template library and AI tools.

Canva has more features
Bottom Line

Switch if privacy is a priority and you can adapt to fewer features.

At a Glance

Data Location
🇺🇸US

US data laws

🇪🇸ES

GDPR protected

Pricing

Canva

freemium

Penpot

free

Migration
Medium difficulty

Privacy & Compliance Comparison

Critical data sovereignty factors at a glance

CriteriaCanvaPenpot
Server Location
US (AWS), EU (optional)EU
GDPR Compliance
Partial (SCCs)Full
Open Source
E2E Encryption
OptionalOptional
Data Portability
PartialFull export

CLOUD Act Notice

Canva is a US company and must comply with CLOUD Act data requests, even for data stored in EU data centers. Penpot is not subject to US jurisdiction.

Switching from
Canva logo

Canva

🇺🇸

Canva Pty Ltd

VS
Switching to
Penpot logo

Penpot

🇪🇸

Kaleidos Open Source

US Data Storage

Data subject to US CLOUD Act and may be accessed by US authorities

EU Data Protection

Data protected under GDPR with EU-only data residency

Certifications & Compliance

No certifications listed

GDPR Compliant
EU-Based
Open Source
Self-Hostable

Reasons to Switch

  • Open source allows for customization and community-driven improvements.
  • Self-hosting options give control over data and server location.
  • Real-time collaboration supports multiple users editing simultaneously.
  • GDPR compliance ensures data protection for EU users.

Things to Consider

  • !Migration from Canva may require time to adapt to new workflows.
  • !Limited template library compared to Canva's extensive offerings.
  • !Learning curve for users unfamiliar with SVG-based design tools.
Migration difficulty:
Medium

Migration Overview

Full guide
Difficulty
Medium

Quick Steps

1

Create Penpot account and configure settings

2

Export and prepare data from Canva

3

Import data, test integrations, and migrate users

Ready to make the switch?

Start using Penpot today and take control of your data privacy.