Vimeo vs. Canva: Which video maker and editor should you choose?

Creating engaging videos can be challenging. Platforms like Vimeo and Canva aim to simplify the process of creating, editing, and sharing videos. This guide will help you understand the features and benefits of both platforms and determine which one is the best fit for you.

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What is the difference between Vimeo and Canva?

Vimeo and Canva are both web-based platforms that make video creation accessible to a wide range of users. However, they serve different needs. Vimeo provides a comprehensive suite of video tools for businesses, marketers, and professionals who want full control over their video content and distribution. This includes video hosting, recording, live streaming, and marketing tools. 

Canva, on the other hand, focuses on providing simple design tools for users of all skill levels to create a variety of visual content, including videos, images, and presentations. While both platforms offer features like templates and stock media, Vimeo's strength lies in its advanced video capabilities, such as live streaming and a superior video player. Canva, meanwhile, excels in its user-friendly design tools and emphasis on image editing.

Vimeo vs. Canva: A side-by-side comparison of video tools

While Canva doesn’t compete with Vimeo in online video hosting, live streaming, or webinar and virtual events software, both Vimeo and Canva do offer video making, editing, and marketing features. Here’s how those features stack up side by side.

Screen recording comparison: Vimeo vs Canva

Vimeo's screen recording feature allows users to record, edit, and share professional screen recordings seamlessly. Although Canva's screen recording feature can create quick, visually appealing recordings, Canva lacks the video hosting and analytics capabilities that some marketers and businesses are seeking.

Vimeo screen recorder overview

Vimeo’s screen recorder offers high-definition screen capturing and enables you to tailor recording settings, ensuring the final output is of the highest quality while recording your screen.

• Built-in teleprompter. Vimeo’s video teleprompter for Standard and above plans scrolls your video script at the bottom of the screen when you’re recording so you can make your video as quickly and easily as possible, while still looking at the camera.
• Edit your recording in one place. Whether you’re fine-tuning audio levels or trimming unnecessary footage, Vimeo’s editing tools make it simple to cut your footage to perfection all in the same platform. You can also add text, video graphics, and more. 
• Private link sharing. Paid account users are provided with flexible options to either keep recordings in their secure video library or share them with a wider audience with a private link. 
• Use CTAs and lead capture. Vimeo Basic & Standard plans and above can add contact forms to the embedded Vimeo video player so you can capture prospective customers right from your video.

Try Vimeo's free screen recorder →

Canva screen recorder overview

Canva offers a simple screen-recording feature that caters to beginners and those who want to create and send quick video messages. Here are the highlights of what Canva provides for screen recording:

• Add graphics and text. As a graphic design-first platform, it’s no surprise that Canva allows you to add animations and decorate your video with effects and design elements.
• Built-in editing options. You can trim the length, resize, crop, and loop your videos, but Canva falls short by not having text-based video editing or filler word removal options like Vimeo that help you edit videos just like you edit text for an even quicker turnaround time.
• Save to team folders. Canva encourages sharing your screen recordings with team members or clients, where you can save videos to team folders.

Video making comparison: Vimeo vs Canva

Brands and businesses may be looking for an all-in-one video platform to carry out their video marketing campaigns or internal video communications strategy. Here’s how Canva and Vimeo’s video making features compare.

Vimeo video maker overview

At the heart of Vimeo’s video maker are customizable templates. For those looking to refine their projects further, advanced video-making capabilities enable precise control over the details —through the AI script generator, teleprompter, brand kit support, custom fonts, and custom intros and outros. Here’s the rundown on Vimeo’s video creation capabilities:

• Multimedia integration. Upload videos from your desktop PC, Mac, or even from the Vimeo app, you can easily incorporate various multimedia elements into your videos, including images, audio tracks, video clips, and text overlays. This versatility allows for creative storytelling and dynamic content creation.
• Free video template library. Vimeo provides a library of customizable video templates, ranging from promotional videos to YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram social media posts, making it quick and convenient for users to start creating videos with pre-designed layouts and styles. Explore our library of video templates directly from within the video editor to speed up video creation.
• Interactive video features. Although Canva offers some video creation features like templates and editing capabilities, it does not offer interactive video options, an engaging format that sets Vimeo apart. With a Vimeo Enterprise plan, clickable, in-video content like shoppable links, quizzes, and CTAs are all stand-out features that can boost engagement and capture more customers or leads.

Start creating a video on Vimeo →

Canva video maker overview

Canva’s goal is to make design accessible with templates. Canva’s offerings are still heavily focused on media outside of video, including photo editing, marketing templates for images, logos, presentations, social, and websites that assist a marketer, creative, or even student’s workflow. However, Canva scratches the surface of video creation in a few ways:

• Drag-and-drop interface. Like Vimeo, Canva also uses a timeline-based video editor. Upload and manage your media clips, then drag and drop them on a timeline.
• Pre-made video templates. Canva’s library contains editable templates the same way Vimeo does, ranging from categories like food to marketing to travel.
• Add stock media. As a platform known for graphic design, Canva offers an array of stock footage, images, and graphics ready for integration into your videos.

Video editing comparison: Vimeo vs Canva

Canva's foray into video editing is notable, but Vimeo’s decades-long history of video innovation can’t be overlooked. Let’s see how Canva’s focus on photo editing and other non-video media compares to Vimeo’s suite of professional video editing tools.

Vimeo video editor overview

Vimeo's editing software is comprehensive, offering trimming, cropping, text overlays, royalty-free music tracks, and AI-assisted features that ensure every aspect of a video aligns perfectly with the creator’s intent. Here’s what sets Vimeo’s video editing toolkit apart:

• Timeline video editor. The Vimeo editor has a drag-and-drop timeline feature, enabling users to layer video clips, audio tracks, text, and additional elements with ease, granting full command over every aspect of their video production.
• Advanced editing tools. Aside from the usual things like shortening and resizing videos, Vimeo offers a range of advanced video editing tools and features, such as adding transitions, adjusting playback speed, and applying visual effects. These tools empower users to fine-tune their videos to achieve their desired look and feel.
• Integrated branding. Vimeo Standard plans and above allow you to use custom fonts and logos straight from your brand kit. The addition of dynamic elements such as text overlays, graphic animations, and the ability to upload your own music, produces a compelling experience for viewers and customers.
• Collaborative capabilities. Vimeo paid accounts allow you to streamline feedback for teams editing videos by facilitating easy sharing, time-coded comments, and version control so you can have the most up-to-date information on what to push live.

Explore Vimeo's video editing tools →

Canva video editor overview

Canva has grown beyond its initial identity as a graphic design tool and now offers video editing options. Here’s a closer look at the distinguishing features of Canva’s video editing tools:

• User-friendly interface. Canva also incorporates a drag-and-drop functionality and allows for basic editing features like trimming, splitting, and cutting videos.
• Video customization options. Like Vimeo, you can customize the appearance and ambience of your videos by incorporating a specific color scheme and backgrounds. 
• Multiple brand kit support. Marketers can upload multiple brand kits, but this feature is only available to Canva Pro, Canva for Teams, and Canva for Education users.

AI video tools comparison: Vimeo vs. Canva

AI video tools not only democratize video editing but also make video creation more efficient. Through innovative AI tools, platforms like Canva and Vimeo are making video editing more accessible and impactful.

Vimeo AI video features overview

Vimeo's venture into AI video tools offers content creators innovative solutions that can significantly enhance the video production process. These AI capabilities not only help simplify content management but also elevate the overall video quality. Here’s a look into the unique features of Vimeo’s AI video offerings:

• Introducing Vimeo AI. Vimeo's AI-powered video productivity tools for Standard plans and above help you work more efficiently. Vimeo Advanced and Enterprise users can add interactive features, edit transcripts, generate titles, get quick video recaps, and more.
• AI-powered recording tools. Intuitive features like a script generator and online teleprompter produce audio captions, subtitles, and downloadable transcripts that help ensure video content is on brand. 
• Text-based video editing. Edit video simply by editing text. Vimeo’s AI-powered text-based video editor allows users to remove long pauses, accidental filler words like “um,” and other unwanted footage in just a few clicks.
• Search by caption. The Vimeo Central AI-powered video hub for paid plans enables you to create folders and search by a keyword or phrase, even if it’s not in the title of the video, thanks to Vimeo’s auto-transcription capabilities.

Get to know Vimeo AI →

Canva AI video features overview

Canva is also embracing the integration of AI technology into its suite of tools with its Magic Studio launch. While many of the tools within the Magic Studio suite cater to editing static images, let’s see what Canva's AI video tools can do:

• AI video generator. Canva's Magic Media allows users to produce an AI-generated video from text. AI-generated videos are still far from perfect, but very simple images can be lightly animated with ease. However, if your prompt or video is more complicated, the videos can become blurry or simply not look quite right for professional marketing or other business purposes. Currently, users have text-to-video limits with a total of 5 for Canva Free users, and 50 per month for Canva Pro.
• Video background remover. Remove the background of any video with just one click. The background remover is only available to Canva Pro, Canva for Teams, Canva for Education, and Canva for Nonprofits users, so this is an advanced feature.
• AI-powered image editing. If you’re looking to convert images into a video or add images to a video, Canva Pro members can use the Magic Expand tool to extend an image in any direction to fit their desired aspect ratio. Likewise, the Magic Grab tool allows users to select only the subject of a photo to reposition or resize it.

Video marketing capabilities comparison: Vimeo vs. Canva

Creating video ads in-house makes it easier than ever to monetize video content. Vimeo has a built-in suite of video marketing features and advanced video analytics, but let’s see how Canva compares.

Vimeo video marketing overview

Vimeo empowers marketers with a suite of features designed to elevate video marketing strategies and expand audience reach. These tools help streamline workflows, enhance viewer engagement, and drive greater visibility for your content. Let's delve into the features that make Vimeo invaluable for marketing video creation and distribution:

• Comprehensive video marketing. Vimeo, unlike Canva, offers video optimization features that you can add to videos, including CTAs and lead forms.
• Holistic analytics dashboard. Vimeo’s video analytics not only keep track of your video views — the dashboard also tracks the return on investment (ROI) for your marketing campaigns and provides valuable insight to stakeholders.
• Advanced sharing options. Natively publish and embed videos to social media platforms like YouTube and TikTok so you can monitor every view, like, share, and repost.
• Lead generation. Unlike Canva, forms can be embedded in the Vimeo video player that allow marketers to seamlessly capture and sync data from videos to your CRM platform of choice. Vimeo connects with leading email marketing platforms and other CRM platforms like Hubspot, Mailchimp, Salesforce Marketing Cloud, Keap, Campaign Monitor, Marketo, and Constant Contact, so you can leverage videos for lead generation.

Take your video marketing strategy to the next level →

Canva video marketing overview

Canva can assist in scaling your brand and boosting team collaboration with customizable templates, brand controls, and simplified workflows. Here are the features that Canva offers to help with creating and sharing your marketing videos:

• Marketing integrations. You can integrate Canva with ​some of your existing platforms, like Constant Contact, Hubspot, Mailchimp, Sharepoint, Slack, and Google Drive.
• Built-in content planning. Canva for Teams allows you to schedule a social media post for Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, or LinkedIn — just choose the date and time you want the post to publish.
• Marketing analytics. While Vimeo’s analytics get granular to the ROI level, Canva does offer some basic metrics, including total views, and paid plans have access to daily unique views, list of team members who viewed, and social media engagement.

Which video editor is best for you — Vimeo or Canva?

While Canva may be a popular online graphic design tool, Vimeo produces superior quality videos in an all-in-one creation, editing, marketing, and distribution platform. Vimeo shines for marketers, businesses, and brands that prioritize delivering content with stunning visual quality, paired with deep insights into viewer behavior and engagement.

Optimize your video strategy with Vimeo →