When you’re browsing templates in Canva, you’ll notice that some have a small crown icon in the corner.
That crown means it’s a Pro template.
If you’ve ever wondered what that actually means for your designs (or what happens if you use Pro templates during a free trial and then decide not to upgrade), here’s how it works.
What You Get on the Free Canva Plan
The free plan gives you access to over 1.6 million templates and over 4.7 million free elements, a substantial library, and one you can use to create polished, professional designs if you’re intentional about how you search and customize.
Free templates don’t have the crown icon and contain only free elements. As long as you’re using free templates and sticking to free photos, graphics, and fonts, you can download your designs without watermarks.
The main limitation isn’t quality, it’s selection. You’re choosing from what’s included in the free tier.
What Changes with Canva Pro
Pro templates are marked with the crown icon. If you click on one while you’re on the free plan, Canva will prompt you to upgrade or start a free trial.
With Canva Pro, your access increases from 1.6 million templates to over 3.6 million in total, along with over 141 million premium elements. But the real difference isn’t just the size of the library — it’s the flexibility. Instead of scrolling and asking yourself which free options might work, you can focus on finding exactly what you want without stopping to check whether it’s included.
Many of the more refined icons, illustrations, and stylized graphics (the kinds of elements that give designs a more polished, cohesive look) are premium. If you naturally gravitate toward those visuals, Pro removes the friction of constantly checking for crown icons or swapping elements out. When you’re creating content regularly, that freedom changes how Canva feels to work in.
What Happens After the Free Trial Ends?
If you start a Canva Pro free trial and create designs using Pro templates, those designs remain in your account after the trial ends — they don’t disappear.
However, if your design includes Pro elements, you won’t be able to download it without watermarks once the trial expires. At that point, you can either upgrade to Canva Pro or replace the Pro elements with free alternatives. Your design file stays intact either way.
Is Canva Pro Worth It for the Templates Alone?
For most business owners, the template library isn’t the deciding factor on its own — it’s one part of a broader set of features that together determine whether Pro fits how you work.
If you want a complete breakdown of what’s included across every area of Canva Pro, my post on what you can do with Canva Pro that you can’t do for free covers it in full. If you’re ready to explore the full library, you can start a free Canva Pro trial and see what opens up.
