Head to head · Research edition

Gamma vs Canva for client decks: one builds the deck, the other builds everything around it

Research Edition · Prices verified October 2026 · Page updated 2026-10-08 Neither tool pays us today. Canva's affiliate programme is closed to applications, and we have not yet joined Gamma's, so no link on this page earns us anything. If that changes, the public commission table will say so and this verdict will not move. This is a research page built on the vendors' own pricing and feature pages, not a hands-on test. How we stay honest.

Is the deck the only thing you design?

Yes, outline to deckmost readersGammapaste an outline, get a deckpays us nothing
No, or strict brand templatesCanva Prodecks plus social, print, brand kitspays us nothing

The whole decision in one chart. None of these pays us anything. Prices are in the text below; the vendor pages have the current numbers.

The framing that matters: these two get compared as rival presentation makers, and for a deck made from scratch they do compete. Gamma starts from words. You paste an outline or a prompt and it lays out the deck; Canva starts from a canvas and a template and lets you push pixels, with AI added on top. That split decides most cases. If your week produces decks and little else, Gamma is the shorter path from findings to a client-ready file. If you also make social graphics, one-pagers, print or brand assets, you are probably paying for Canva already, and its presentations come with that.

	Gamma	Canva
Free plan (October 2026, verify)	400 credits at signup that do not refill; up to 10 slides per prompt; Gamma branding	Presentations included; AI capped at about 20 uses a month
Entry paid plan	Plus: $9/mo billed annually ($108/yr); 1,000 monthly credits; removes Gamma branding	Pro: US$144/yr for one person; 5 Brand Kits, brand templates, 100GB storage
Branding and templates	Custom branding starts at Pro, $18/mo billed annually ($216/yr); a theme builder is available	Brand Kits and Brand Templates on Pro at $144/yr
Starting point	An outline or prompt, up to 100 slides per prompt on Plus	A template or a blank canvas, with AI generation inside the editor
Beyond decks	Documents, simple websites, social posts	Social scheduling, print-ready export, video, whiteboards, 1,000+ design types
Team use	Per-seat pricing; Team and Business plans exist	Pro is one person only; Business is US$250/yr per person for teams
Pays us	Nothing today	Nothing (affiliate programme closed)

Choose Gamma if…

The deck is the deliverable, and the slow part is turning a pile of findings into slides that look like one thing.
You are happy with a clean, consistent look rather than a designed one, and you will spend twenty minutes refining the output instead of building it.
You want the cheapest paid way to remove the vendor's branding: Plus at $108 a year does that, and Canva's cheapest paid plan costs a third more.

Not yet an affiliate link · pays us $0 today

Gamma

Free · Plus $9/month billed annually ($108/year per seat) · Pro $18/month billed annually · gamma.app

Choose Canva Pro if…

Decks are one of several things you make. Social posts, one-pagers, proposals and brand assets all live in the same editor, and one $144 plan covers them.
Your firm or your clients expect your own brand: Brand Kits and Brand Templates are included on Pro, where Gamma only offers custom branding from its $216-a-year plan.
You want pixel-level control over layout, or a deck that has to survive a hand-off to someone who will keep editing it in a design tool.

Affiliate programme closed · pays us $0

Canva Pro

US$144/year for one person · Business US$250/year per person · canva.com

The price comparison most pages get wrong

The tempting read is that Gamma at $9 a month is cheaper than Canva at $144 a year. It is, on the entry plans: $108 against $144. But the plans are not equivalent, and the gap closes where it matters. If you need your own branding in Gamma, you are on Pro at $216 a year, which is $72 more than Canva Pro with its Brand Kits and Brand Templates. If you do not need your own branding, Plus is the cheaper deck tool, and it is worth trying on the free credits first. Canva's monthly price depends on region and billing choice, and we only read its yearly figure, so check the vendor page for your own. Prices as read in October 2026, so verify before you buy.

Skip Gamma if: your firm has strict brand templates that every deck must follow, or you need to hand editable files to people who work in PowerPoint. Gamma exports to PPTX, but export fidelity is something to check on your own deck before you rely on it. Skip Canva Pro if: decks are all you make and you would rather start from an outline than a template. You would be paying for design tools you never open.

See each tool inside its stack: Solo Consultants (Gamma) → · Teachers (Canva) → · Tradespeople (Canva) →

Common questions

Is Gamma cheaper than Canva?

On the entry paid plan, yes: Gamma Plus is $9 per month billed annually ($108 a year), against Canva Pro at US$144 a year. They are not the same purchase. Canva Pro also covers social, print, brand kits and video; Gamma Plus is for decks, documents and simple sites. Prices as read in October 2026, so verify on the vendor pages.

Can I use Gamma for free?

Yes, but the free plan is closer to a trial than a tier. It gives 400 credits at signup that do not refill, up to 10 slides per prompt, and Gamma branding on what you make. Canva Free includes presentations with no such credit pool, but caps its AI features at about 20 uses a month.

Can I export a Gamma deck to PowerPoint?

Yes. Gamma lists export to PDF, PPTX, PNG and Google Slides on the free plan, and imports PDF and PPTX. Check that fonts and layouts survive the round trip before you send a client a file.