The Importance of Visual Content

Whether or not we are aware of it, we continually interpret the environment around us using our vision. Within a split second, we process an image and then react to it.

In fact, our brain processes 90% of information visually, and it can read visuals 60,000 times faster than words.

Aesthetically pleasing and eye-catching visuals, when used wisely as a part of a social media strategy, can:

• Lead to higher engagement because they are easy to share across media.

• Boost brand awareness,

• Build trust and credibility,

• Build a story narrative to successfully promote a product or a brand.

Now that we have this covered let's see which tool has all it takes to create stunning social media visuals.

1. Canva vs PicMonkey – Overview

Even though both of these tools have similar features, they aim at different users. Let’s find out why.

Canva Overview

Canva focuses primarily on creating visuals appropriate for various online and offline uses. They include infographics, CV resumes, business cards, posters, and photos for social media and blogs.

PicMonkey Overview

On the other hand, Picmonkey is designed for regular photo editing. Therefore it includes all the necessary editing tools. 

In addition, it offers different filters and overlays, as well as some valuable features for image and portrait enhancement.

2. Canva vs PicMonkey – Features

Now, let's look at what makes these tools unique and different from each other.

Canva Features

Canva can be used to design anything you require. You can start from scratch and create a custom layout or choose one of the many content options it provides.

Here are a few things Canva offers:

• Create different types of content – Canva allows you to create almost anything, from resumes, presentations, and cover letters to social media posts.

• Drag and drop interface – Simple and intuitive interface doesn't require any previous editing knowledge.

• Huge library of templates – More than 250,000 templates are currently in the Canva library, suitable for any occasion.

• Stocks images, fonts, and icons – This feature allows you to use more than 1 million free images and fonts to create engaging visuals.

• Photo editor – Photo editor is packed with tools that can fix, enhance and edit your images.

Additional features like Magic Resizer, Background remover, Adding text to video, etc., are available with Canva Pro.

Note: Canva has features like an animator, print services, video editor, and content planner, perfect for more demanding social media users. 

Its intuitive interface is easy to ease but requires some practice.

PicMonkey Features

PicMonkey's design and photo editing tools allow you to produce eye-catching images to help you build and grow your brand. You can design one-of-a-kind, attention-grabbing visuals for your social media posts, advertising campaigns, and more.

Here are some features that PicMonkey offers:

• Photo editor – This editor has basic tools like image cropping, exposure adjustment, and resizing. You can also use a Touch Up tool to further enhance your images.

• Design templates – Thousands of templates are available across numerous collections, from Facebook, Etsy, Instagram, and so on.

• Filters and Effects – If you wish to add something unique to your images, browse through this feature and choose among 'Artsy,' 'Black and White' filters, and many more. With PicMonkey, filters can be combined indefinitely, layered, and customized. So, if you don't want them in a particular spot, you can paint them there however thick or thin you like or even delete them.

• Collage layouts – You can use it to combine images, videos, colors, and stock images to create a unique design.

Additional features, like One-click background remover, Smart resize, and Brand kit, are available with the Pro or Business pricing plan.

Note: Picmonkey has an extensive library of photo editing features like touch-up tools, photo effects, filters, and colors, perfect for everyday use. 

Its easy-to-use editor makes the whole experience user-friendly.

3. Canva vs PicMonkey – Templates 

Templates are a very helpful shortcut for creating stunning visuals. This feature allows users to save time and not think about size requirements. 

Canva Templates

Canva has a massive library of perfectly pre-sized canvases for almost any occasion, including social media posts, e-books, desktop wallpapers, business stationery, and much more.

You can select from ready-to-publish templates or design your own using an extensive library of customizable templates, icons, and images.

With Canva, you can choose among the following:

• Business templates (Presentation, Prototype, Whiteboard, Website, Planner),

• Social media (Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and TikTok),

• Video (Facebook, Youtube),

• Education (Classroom poster, Comic strip, Group work).

You can see the template categories on the left side and filter them by Style (Minimalistic, Clean, New, Aesthetic), Theme, Price, or Color. 

There are also some popular tags on the Home page that you can use to refine your search.

For example, type in the keyword "Halloween" in the search box and select Instagram from the left panel. This will show all the available templates within that category.

Some templates are free, and others are included if you subscribe to the Pro plan.

Furthermore, Canva lets you share your images directly to some social media platforms like Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Pinterest, Tumblr, and Slack.

PicMonkey Templates

PicMonkey's templates allow you to create professional-looking social media posts, logos, infographics, and more in minutes.

You can start with a blank template or customize a premade one with your brand's colors, photos, and fonts.

Picmonkey library has thousands of templates. They are:

• Business templates (Business card, Business plan, Email, Invoice, Presentation, Resume, etc.),

• Different lifestyle occasions ( Proposal, Checklist, Family tree, Label, Meal plan, Menu, Moodboard, etc.),

• Social Media templates (Etsy, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Snapchat, YouTube, and Zoom).

To browse templates by category, click inside the Search all templates box, or type in your search terms. For example, try searching for "Instagram" (this will open a drop menu with Instagram templates- Story, Post, or Carousel ad) or "Halloween."

You will see all the available templates under that tag in the center of the Home page.

3. Canva vs PicMonkey – Why Do We Like It?

Now, in this Canva vs PicMonkey battle, each tool has its own pros and cons. But let's check out which is better for creating social media visuals.

Advantages Of Using Canva 

✅ Canva offers a 30-day free trial for Basic and Pro plans.

✅ It has a simple layout that makes it simple to navigate from.

✅ Series of design tutorials and a blog on various aspects of graphic design.

✅ Plethora of free premade templates.

✅ Solid range of preset filters and photo editing tools to tweak your images.

✅ Social media templates that provide the right size and necessary design elements.

✅ Stock photo library that is  extensive and covers many topics.

✅ Allows team collaboration on design projects.

✅ Full integration with social media platforms for live and scheduled posting.

✅ Web and mobile app (Android and iOS) is available.

Advantages Of Using PicMonkey

✅ A 7-days free trial for Basic and Business plans.

✅ Simple drag-and-drop interface, suitable for everyone.

✅ Video tutorials and tips on effectively using this tool. 

✅ A library with 1000+ templates for any occasion.

✅ Filters to create unique designs.

✅ Collage templates to create modern visuals.

✅ Variety of editing and touch-up tools for perfect portraits and selfies.

✅ Batch editor – use it to edit multiple images at once.

✅ Cloud storage and integration with social media profiles.  

✅ Web and mobile app (Android and iOS) is available.

4. Canva vs PicMonkey – Drawbacks

While these tools are constantly improving to meet the needs of their users, they still have some disadvantages.

Disadvantages Of Using Canva

⛔ There is a massive library of stock images, but most are generic and similar in style.

⛔ There are limited options for free users, especially ones crucial for social media.

⛔ You cannot create unique elements by combining them.

⛔ You can export your files in PNG, JPG, PDF, SVG, MP4, and GIF.

⛔ Brand kits and Transparent background are only available with paid plans.

Disadvantages Of Using PicMonkey

⛔ You must buy a subscription if you use some photo editing tools. One-click background remover and Premium stock photo library are not available in the free trial.

⛔ Smart resize and Brand kit features are available in the Pro plan.

⛔ Frames and Texture features are also limited and have some lags while working with them.

⛔ PicMonkey doesn't offer an option to automatically adjust the image size.

5. Canva vs PicMonkey – Pricing

And lastly, let’s compare their pricing plans and what features they cover.

Canva Pricing

Canva comes with free and two pricing plans – Canva Pro and Canva for teams (a free trial is included in both plans).

PicMonkey Pricing

PicMonkey comes with 3 pricing plans. Additionally it offers free trials for Basic and Pro versions.

Conclusion

What do you think, then? Which tool works best for creating social media visuals?

Both Canva and PicMonkey allow you to upload your own photos, add intriguing texture and effects, remove background, and resize it to fit different requirements.

They have a variety of templates for different occasions and let you make simple adjustments to images, such as tweaking brightness, contrast, saturation, etc.

However, as you undoubtedly already know, every platform has its restrictions.

But what if you could try out a tool that combines the best of these features into one?

Glorify is a powerful online photo editor and graphic design tool combined.

It was created for eCommerce owners, social media creators, marketers, and those who want to create stunning images easily and quickly.

It offers numerous free templates for Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, Tumblr, Pinterest, and many more that are easy to filter by a Keyword, Niche, or Theme.

You can easily customize your template by adding a background, colors, font, add elements, applying texture, or effects.

Brand your design, save it, or collaborate with your team members, then share it using email or a link.

Glorify doesn't require any previous design knowledge to create amazing visuals.

So, try it out today for free and elevate your social media presence!

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