Three tool classes, three completely different jobs
Canva, Photoshop, and browser tools are constantly compared as if they were competitors. They hardly are: Canva is a layout tool (arranging things, text on images, templates), Photoshop is a pixel lab (retouching, compositing, color correction at pro level), and specialized browser tools are single-purpose machines (compress, convert, crop — one task, no learning curve). The comparison is still worth it, because most people have the wrong tool open for their actual tasks.
The task table: who does what fastest?
| Task | Best tool | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Social media graphic with text and a template | Canva | Templates + fonts, done in minutes |
| Shrink / compress a photo | Browser tool | Drag & drop, 30 seconds, no sign-up |
| Convert a format (HEIC→JPG, PNG→WebP) | Browser tool | Single-purpose, no program start needed |
| Skin retouching, removing objects | Photoshop | Repair tools are unrivaled |
| Cut out people/products | Photoshop (or Canva Pro) | AI selection + manual touch-up |
| Presentation / flyer / story set | Canva | Multi-page layouts, team sharing |
| Generate favicon / app icons | Browser tool | A special format the other two can't do |
| Develop RAW photos, color grading | Photoshop/Lightroom | Color depth and camera profiles |
| Optimize an image for web (size + format) | Browser tool | Built exactly for that |
Canva: strengths and the two blind spots
Canva democratized design — anyone who needs an Instagram graphic, an event poster, or a presentation is faster with the templates than any Photoshop pro with an empty canvas. The free tier is enough for occasional use; Pro (about €110/year) is worth it from regular use for cutout, brand kit, and a larger template selection.
The blind spots: export control and pixel precision. Canva exports JPGs and PNGs with fixed settings — fine-grained compression, WebP quality choice, or exact target sizes in kilobytes aren't its job. The proven workflow: build the design in Canva, export at maximum quality, and leave the web optimization to a compression tool. Second, Canva works template-centric: pixel-precise work on individual image areas (retouching, masks, channels) isn't provided for.
Photoshop: unrivaled — and oversized for most
For retouching, compositing, and color work there's no real substitute — anyone who works professionally with photos can hardly get around Photoshop (about €24/month in the photo plan with Lightroom). The honest counter-calculation for everyone else: a steep learning curve, subscription costs, and the everyday truth that 90% of private "image editing" consists of cropping, shrinking, and converting — tasks for which Photoshop is the slowest tool in the comparison, if only because of the startup time.
If you need Photoshop functions occasionally without wanting the subscription: Photopea replicates a surprisingly large part of it in the browser (more on that in a comparison of free image editors).
Browser tools: the underrated third category
Specialized browser tools play a different game: one task, zero learning curve, no installation, no sign-up. Drag the image in, download the result. For the task class "shrink, convert, crop, favicon" they aren't the cheap alternative but simply the right tool — like taking a screwdriver for a screw instead of unlocking the workshop.
What to watch for: where does the processing run? Many online services upload images to their servers — bearable for holiday photos, not for IDs, contracts, or application documents. Browser-local tools (recognizable by phrasings like "processing in the browser" in the privacy policy) do the same work without the file leaving your computer — our JNRT Pixel tools work exclusively locally for exactly this reason. What's now all possible in the browser is shown in Image editing in the browser.
The cost reality
| Tool | Cost | Sensible from |
|---|---|---|
| Canva Free | €0 | Occasional graphics with a template |
| Canva Pro | ~€110/year | Weekly design work, brand presence |
| Photoshop (photo plan) | ~€288/year | Retouching/compositing as a craft or job |
| Specialized browser tools | €0 | Immediately — for everything hands-on |
Conclusion: it's not an either-or
The most productive answer is a combination: Canva for layout, browser tools for the craft, Photoshop only when pixel surgery is required. If you're facing the question of what to start with today: first write down your own five most common image tasks, then consult the table above. In most lists Photoshop doesn't appear at all — and Canva only once.