Best Canva Translate Alternative for Enterprises: Ultimate Guide [2025]

If you're looking for a Canva Translate alternative to better suit your organization’s localization needs, you're not alone. We understand how it goes. Your designers are busy juggling multiple requests and your marketing team needs to launch their campaigns ASAP.

And while Canva Translate’s AI-powered tool promises to make your multilingual designs quick and easy, it’s falling short. 

Do these Canva Translate problems sound familiar?

Perhaps some of the following drawbacks caused you to seek professional alternatives to Canva Translate.

As you translate more files, launch more campaigns, and start hearing client/cross-functional feedback, you may notice the same problem many other enterprises and agencies do:

What you’ll learn in this article

This guide breaks down everything you need to know when evaluating a Canva Translate alternative for high-volume, high-quality translation work. You’ll learn:

• When Canva Translate works—and where it falls short.
• Key features to look for in Canva Translate alternatives.
• How to translate files beyond Canva (PPTX, PDFs, InDesign, Google Docs).
• How to preserve formatting and avoid rework.
• Where Canva lacks in collaboration, compliance, and control.
• How AI and CAT tools improve quality and speed.

Whether you’re a creative lead, content marketer, or localization manager, this article will help you find a smarter way to scale translation—without sacrificing speed, brand consistency, or accuracy.

13 Best Capabilities to Look for in a Canva Translate Alternative 

1. Handles more complex marketing campaign content

Let’s start with what Canva Translate does well:

• It's built directly into Canva.
• It translates text inside your designs with a few clicks.
• It supports around 134 languages.

If you're translating a quick Instagram post or flyer, it's a fast solution.

But for larger campaigns, teams, and organizations? The cracks show quickly.

The issue

Because Canva Translate relies entirely on Google Translate, it has no built-in memory. That means:

• It doesn't "remember" how you translated product names, taglines, or brand slogans before.
• There’s no way to apply your preferred terminology automatically.
• You're starting from scratch every time.

And when you're building dozens of assets across multiple languages, that gets frustrating fast.

2. Manages brand terminology and glossaries 

Great—your translation is done. But are you sure you want to go live with that?

Canva Translate gives you a literal translation — but not always a relatable one. Unfortunately, literal translations aren’t always effective for marketing content.

Marketing translation isn’t just about converting words — it’s about protecting your brand voice across every language. That’s where Terminology Management comes in.

Canva Translate doesn't offer custom glossaries or termbases. 

Why it matters

• You can’t lock in how product names, taglines, or key terms are translated.
• Teams may translate the same word differently across campaigns.
• You’re constantly correcting tone, phrasing, or cultural mismatches.

For example, if your brand tagline has a specific French version—"Votre partenaire en logistique," you shouldn’t have to retype or re-approve it every time. Glossary and termbase tools make sure the right translation is used consistently, no matter who’s working on the project.

3. Saves and reuses translations (Translation Memory)

One of the biggest time-savers for any marketing or localization team is Translation Memory (TM).

Unlike Canva Translate, which starts from scratch each time, Translation Memories store previously approved translations and reuse them automatically. This means:

• You don’t have to retranslate the same phrase again and again.
• Common content like disclaimers, slogans, and CTAs get auto-filled.
• Your translations stay consistent across every asset, campaign, and language.

Using our example from above, if “Votre partenaire en logistique” has already been approved, it should appear automatically the next time that tagline is used. No need to look it up, no need to copy-paste.

The best CAT tools will highlight 100% matches, partial matches, and let your team accept, edit, or override them. Over time, your Translation Memory becomes a high-value asset: reducing costs, improving speed, and increasing linguistic consistency at scale.

What good translation software should do for you:

1. Apply your approved translations automatically across projects (Translation Memory + Terminology Management).
2. Store your translated phrases and sentences (Translation Memory).
3. Enforce consistent use of your company's brand terminology (Terminology Management).

In other words, you shouldn’t be making the same manual edits over and over again. 

Research from the European Journal of Educational Research emphasizes that effective use of Computer-Assisted Translation (CAT) tools—including Translation Memory and terminology databases—significantly improves both translation accuracy and learning outcomes.

Especially in multilingual education contexts. 

4. Preserves formatting

One of the biggest frustrations with Canva Translate is how easily formatting breaks when translating longer or more complex designs:

• Translations expand or contract text, shifting elements around.
• Longer words break out of text boxes.
• Line breaks and spacing need manual adjustments.
• Headlines wrap awkwardly or overflow frames.

With Canva Translate, fixing those formatting breaks is completely manual.

Why a Canva Translate alternative will be helpful

A strong alternative to Canva Translate will preserve much of your original layout automatically when translating—even for more complex file types like imported PPTX, DOCX, and PDFs. This way, you're not spending hours fixing layouts after every translation. 

We’ll discuss more about these formats. 

5. Supports multiple file formats

If your organization works with multiple types of files, file format flexibility is non-negotiable when exploring alternatives to Canva Translate. Most marketing teams don’t work in Canva alone—they’re also translating presentations, documents, spreadsheets, and more.

To support your team, a strong alternative to Canva Translate should handle the following files:

• Canva designs
• PowerPoint presentations (PPTX)
• Word documents (DOCX)
• Excel files (XLSX)
• PDFs (including scanned PDFs)
• Subtitles and video scripts (SRT)
• HTML snippets for web content
• InDesign files
• Google files (Docs, Sheets, Slides, PDFs)

Many basic translation tools only support one or two formats. The best Canva Translate alternatives let you upload, translate, and preserve formatting across all of these—saving hours of manual cleanup and content rebuilding.

How an alternative to Canva Translate compares across asset types

Before choosing a translation tool, it’s important to see how well it handles the actual content you work with—like presentations, spreadsheets, social posts, and more. 

Here’s how Canva Translate stacks up against a more flexible alternative like Pairaphrase, the AI Translation Management System for teams:

You’ll see more file type considerations in the next few features.

6. Translates image-based PDFs with OCR 

Canva Translate’s PDF translator supports standard PDFs—as long as the text is selectable. You can upload a multi-page PDF into Canva and use its Translate app to apply AI-powered translation to the text inside.

The exception

But if your PDF is a scanned document (i.e. the text is part of the image), Canva won’t recognize or extract that text. You’ll need to manually retype the content, find the native digital file or use another tool first.

That’s where Canva Translate alternatives come in.

Why choose a Canva Translate alternative with OCR

Look for translation software with built-in OCR (Optical Character Recognition). OCR allows you to:

• Extract text from scanned PDFs and image-based files
• Automatically translate it
• Retain formatting wherever possible

This is especially useful when translating older brochures, user manuals, or product sheets that only exist as scanned files. With OCR, you can unlock that content for accurate, editable translation—all within one workflow.

Dive into the best approach to translating a scanned document.

7. Built-in ChatGPT assistance

Not every phrase translates cleanly whether it’s Canva Translate or other translation tools. Maybe the tone feels off. Maybe the sentence is too long for the layout. Or maybe you're struggling to adapt a slogan without losing meaning.

You could open another tab and ask ChatGPT. But why leave your workflow?

Canva Translate alternatives provide a ChatGPT translation assistant

Some Canva Translate alternatives—like Pairaphrase—integrate ChatGPT directly into the translation environment. That means your team can get rewrite suggestions, tone adjustments, and cultural context right where they’re working. No copy-pasting. No tool-switching.

Unlike Canva Translate, which requires you to leave the platform and use outside tools like ChatGPT manually, tools like Pairaphrase embed Generative AI assistance directly into the translation workflow. 

That means your team can stay in one place while refining language, character count and tone more effectively.

8. Integrates with Google Drive

Since we’ve covered other common file formats, let’s take a look at how Google Drive integrations can streamline your translation workflow. For marketing and content teams that live in Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides, switching platforms just to prep files for translation is a time drain.

Canva Translate doesn’t offer direct integration with Google Drive. That means you’ll need to download your files locally, upload them manually to Canva, and reformat them if anything breaks along the way.

Benefits of a Google Drive-enabled Canva Translate alternative:

• Pulls files directly from Google Drive without manually downloading and uploading.
• Translates Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides in their native format.
• Maintains folder organization and naming conventions.
  
  

Pairaphrase offers seamless Google Drive integration for translation, helping you move files in and out of translation workflows without the busywork. This is especially useful when you’re managing campaigns across Docs-based content calendars, team collaboration sheets, or speaker notes in Google Slides.

9. Translates InDesign content and Canva files (without extra work)

If you’re trying to translate InDesign files using Canva Translate, you’ve likely run into some limitations. InDesign and Canva serve different design needs—but many teams use both.

InDesign is ideal for print materials, long-form documents, and complex layouts, while Canva is popular for quick, digital-first designs. But when it comes to translation, relying on Canva Translate to replace your InDesign workflows can introduce unnecessary complexity.

Some teams try exporting InDesign files to PDF, then upload those into Canva for digital repurposing. However, without advanced OCR and layout preservation, this adds friction.

The power of a Canva Translate alternative that translates InDesign files

Take Pairaphrase, for example, which offers a smarter approach:

• Translate InDesign files by exporting to IDML—the preferred format for preserving structure, styling, and content integrity. Pairaphrase handles IDML files with speed and accuracy.
• Translate Canva-exported PDFs and more than 24 supported file formats—reduce manual copying or reformatting.

Maintain translation consistency across platforms using built-in Translation Memory and glossaries to apply pre-approved terms and reduce editing time.

10. Covers more language pairs

Most free or built-in translation tools list how many languages they support—Canva Translate, for example, supports 134 languages. But that doesn’t mean they support every language pair your team may need.

For example: just because software supports French and Japanese doesn’t always mean it can translate French-to-Japanese directly.

Before choosing any translation tool, make sure it covers:

• The full set of language pairs your organization uses.
• Future language pairs you may add as you expand into global markets.

11. Helps you collaborate on translations with version control

Canva is great for creative collaboration—its real-time design editing, team folders, and sharing features make it easy to work together on visual content.

But when it comes to translation, it’s not built for collaboration in the ways teams actually need.

Translation rarely happens in a silo. Many teams collaborate across:

• Internal marketing teams
• Outside translation vendors
• Legal reviewers
• Brand compliance teams

Choose a collaborative alternative to Canva Translate that supports: 

• Multiple editors to review and revise translations.
• Built-in commenting, version history, and approval workflows.
• Secure sharing with outside agencies or partners.

Why this matters

Without these features, teams end up juggling email threads, spreadsheets, and inconsistent edits—making the translation process slower, riskier and oftentimes costlier.

Learn about the best translation collaboration tools and features.

12. Protects your data and helps you stay compliant

If you work in regulated industries or handle sensitive customer data, security and compliance aren’t optional.

Canva Translate doesn’t offer enterprise-grade compliance. If you’re translating for any of the following sectors, then you know compliance isn’t optional:

• healthcare (HIPAA)
• education (FERPA)
• global enterprise (GDPR)
• government contracts

Canva Translate wasn’t built for these industries. Pairaphrase and some other robust translation software platforms are.

Security standards to look for in Canva Translate alternatives

Your translation software should offer enterprise-grade security, compliance certifications, audit trails, and collaboration features that meet regulatory standards. This ensures your customer (and patient) data, HR documents, legal contracts, and internal materials stay protected.

Here’s a helpful government-backed report explaining why capabilities like Terminology Management are especially critical for legal compliance and translation in law-related fields.

13. Offers multiple translation engines 

Canva Translate relies entirely on Google Translate. While Google Translate works for many casual use cases, professional translation often requires more flexibility.

Not every language pair, subject matter, or content type is best served by the same Machine Translation engine. For example, marketing copy may benefit from one engine, while legal, medical, or technical content may require another for higher accuracy.

An alternative to Canva Translate with multiple translation engine options

For example, Pairaphrase gives you access to multiple translation engines, so you can select the best-performing engine for your content type and language pair. Combined with your Translation Memory and termbase glossary, this helps maximize both translation quality and consistency across your campaigns.

Dive deeper: Explore the best translation engines for each content type.

How to use Canva Translate (step-by-step)

Canva’s own help articles show how simple it is to apply their translation app inside Canva:

1. Open your design.
2. Go to "Apps."
3. Select "Translate."
4. Pick your target language.
5. Watch Canva auto-translate the text.

That’s great—for the first version. But beyond that first version, things get tricky.

Canva Translate limitations: what happens when you need more

What if your client comes back with revisions? Or a legal reviewer flags an inaccurate translation? Or you’re localizing for 12 markets with different brand guidelines?

That’s where Canva Translate leaves you on your own.

Why Canva Translate alternatives are better for real-world campaigns

If your client has revisions, your legal team flags accuracy issues, or you're launching in 12 markets—Canva Translate leaves you without the tools to manage it.

Alternatives to Canva Translate tool bring in structured workflows that help:

• It applies Translation Memory automatically.
• It leverages glossaries for regulated or brand-sensitive language.
• It enables team collaboration for translation with built-in version control.
• It integrates AI like ChatGPT to help fit translated text inside design constraints.

In short: many alternatives to Canva Translate are designed for real-world enterprise/professional translation work–like Pairaphrase, your always-on, affordable translation solution when consistency, speed, and accuracy matter most.

Canva Translate or a more powerful alternative: Which should you use?

Best way to translate Canva files and get high-quality translations efficiently

Here’s the process many teams follow when they need better quality translation for Canva files:

Tip: Avoid exporting as PDF if layout integrity is critical—PDFs will go through OCR in  Pairaphrase, which can disrupt formatting.

Pairaphrase uses AI translation and applies your Translation Memory (TM) and glossary.

3. (Optional) Collaborate with your team using in-platform comments and edits.

4. (Optional) Use ChatGPT suggestions in Pairaphrase to refine translations for layout fit.

5. Download the translated PPTX file, which retains most of your original design structure.

6. Convert the translated file into your desired format—such as JPEG, PDF, or PNG—after translation.

7. (Optional) If working from a PDF instead, note that OCR will be used and formatting may be altered. In that case, you’ll receive a DOCX output that cannot directly be saved as an image.

How do I keep my brand voice consistent when translating Canva designs?

Canva Translate lets you choose a general tone—but is it your brand voice?

True brand consistency requires more than tone presets. You need Translation Memory, approved glossaries, and collaborative human editing to ensure your messaging sounds natural, on-brand, and aligned across every language. 

Pairaphrase provides these capabilities. Learn how Pairaphrase helps you manage terminology.

How do agencies handle client revisions when translating Canva files?

If you’re using Canva Translate, revisions are manual—each edit has to be made directly in the design, often requiring you to reflow text or re-arrange assets. There’s no memory of past changes or terminology.

With alternative tools such as Pairaphrase, agencies can apply client feedback directly through built-in Translation Memory, revision tracking, and collaboration features. 

This avoids redoing entire projects and helps teams update content efficiently—without compromising the design layout when re-importing into Canva.

Can I use AI tools like ChatGPT to help with design localization with Canva Translate?

Yes—AI tools like ChatGPT can help tighten translations to fit design constraints, such as limited text box space. But with Canva Translate, you’ll need to leave the platform and do that work manually through ChatGPT or another tool.

Some Canva Translate alternatives, such as Pairaphrase, go further by integrating ChatGPT or similar models directly into the translation workflow. 

These built-in tools can suggest culturally appropriate phrasing, adjust tone, or provide character-limited alternatives—all within the translation platform itself. That means you can refine your messaging without leaving the tool, switching tabs, or compromising quality.

Related reading: 35 ChatGPT Prompts for High-Quality Translation

Does Canva translate PowerPoints?

No, Canva Translate doesn’t translate PowerPoints directly. Canva Translate only works on designs created inside Canva itself or uploaded into Canva. It does not support external file formats like PowerPoint (PPTX) files natively.

If you upload a PowerPoint to Canva, it gets converted into a Canva design. But in order for Canva Translate to recognize and translate the text, the following is required:

• Each slide must be imported as editable text (not flattened images or PDFs).
• The text must be in Canva-supported text boxes — not images or grouped layers.

This process can be time-consuming, especially for multi-slide presentations. 

What Canva Translate alternative can translate PowerPoint files?

Pairaphrase lets you upload and translate native PowerPoint files directly, while preserving a majority of slide layouts, text boxes, and design structure. This makes it far easier to localize presentations for global markets without recreating files from scratch inside Canva.

Recommended Canva Translate alternative

Want to get started with the best Canva Translate alternative? Try Pairaphrase. It’s the AI Translation Management System for teams that value smarter, faster and safer translation.

Pairaphrase supports 140+ languages and 20,000+ language pairs. Translate into Spanish, English, French, German, Arabic, Hindi, Chinese, Japanese and more. Not to mention, Pairaphrase performs file translation for 25 file types.

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