Photoshop and Canva are among the best design software programs for creatives. Recently, the two platforms made changes to incorporate AI technology into their software, enabling designers or photographers to edit or tune their images to the desired perfection.
One of the many AI tools enabling Photoshop and Canva users to make these changes is the AI generative expansion tool, available on both software. Although the AI expansion tools in Photoshop and Canva serve the same purpose – to artificially expand and resize images – they still have their own strengths and weaknesses.
In this article, we compare “Photoshop Generative Expand” and “Canva Magic Expand” to determine which would serve better for professional designers and photographers when it comes to pricing, ease of use, and overall quality.
Price Comparison
When it comes to pricing, Canva takes the upper hand over Photoshop.
Canva Pro account goes for $14.99 monthly for a one-person user. The Pro account comes with several features, including the Canva Magic Studio, which comprises 20 AI-powered tools that include the Canva Magic Expand.
Canva also offers up to a 30-day free trial for the Pro account.
Adobe Photoshop software goes for $20.99 per month, which includes the regular Photoshop editing tools and the new Photoshop Generative Expand. With $54.99, users can also opt to purchase Adobe Creative Cloud, which comes with Photoshop and a suite of 20 other apps like Illustrator, Adobe Express, Premiere Pro, and Acrobat Pro.
Adobe also offers a 30-day free trial for Photoshop and Creative Cloud plans.
Easy of Use
It’s safe to say that it would take the same amount of effort to generate or expand images using the AI expansion tool on Photoshop or Canva.
To use Canva Magic Expand, open Canva and upload the image you want to expand, go to the Edit button in the top right corner and click the Crop and Expand tab. Under the Expand section, select the desired aspect ratio, and then click the Expand button to start processing the images.
The process usually takes a few seconds, and you can also adjust the crop handles to resize it as needed, even after the expansion process.
For Photoshop, users will need to select the Crop tool to access the AI Generative Expand. With the cropping tool selected, drag the artboard outwards towards the area to expand. Afterwards, click on the Generative Expand button to expand the image.
Quality
Canva Magic Expand is good for images with plain and simple backgrounds. However, it may struggle to generate accurate results with images that have complicated backgrounds or images within placeholder frames.
Photoshop Generative Expand is better in this regard. The expansion process is powered by Adobe Firefly’s artificial intelligence technology. Unlike Canva, Photoshop provides users with the option to use a text prompt to expand images, but the result may not always be accurate.
Canva vs Photoshop AI Expansion Tool – Conclusion
Photoshop’s Generative Expand tool allows you to expand the canvas size of an image and fill in the new space with AI-generated content. This can be useful for a variety of tasks, such as creating social media graphics, web designs, and product mockups.
Canva’s Magic Expand tool works in a similar way, but it is more limited in its capabilities. For example, Canva does not allow you to specify the type of content that the AI should generate.
While both software individually serve the purpose, Photoshop seems to have a slight edge when it comes to quality. However, the best tool for you will depend on your individual needs and budget.
