The Canva alternative that fills the cards for you
Canva is a lovely design canvas. It is also a lot of manual work when you have two hundred guests: you drag a text box and type each name onto each card, one at a time. Seatwright does the opposite. Paste your list once and it lays out the whole day-of set for you, sorted and grouped, ready to print.
Seatwright vs Canva, at a glance
| Seatwright | Canva | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $19 once, per event | Free plan, or Pro around $15/mo or $120/yr |
| Guest list to cards | Paste once, laid out automatically | Type each name onto each card by hand |
| What you get | Escort cards, place cards, table numbers, and a seating chart from one list | A blank canvas you design yourself |
| Sorting and grouping | Escort cards A to Z, place cards grouped by table | You arrange every card yourself |
| Account needed | None to preview | Canva account |
| Best fit | Hosts with a list who want it printed fast | People who want to design each card by hand |
Canva pricing and features here were checked in August 2026 and can change. Confirm the current details on Canva's own site before you decide.
How Canva works
Canva has a free plan that covers a lot, and Canva Pro is a subscription, commonly around $15 a month or $120 a year for one person. Either way, a seating chart or place card in Canva is a design you build by hand, placing and typing every guest's name yourself.
Seatwright is one payment of $19 per event. You preview the whole set free, with no account, and pay only when you want the clean, print-ready PDFs.
When Seatwright fits
Seatwright is the better pick if you have a guest list and no wish to place a few hundred names by hand. Paste the list, pick a clean or classic style, and it sorts the escort cards A to Z, groups the place cards by table, numbers every table, and builds the chart poster, all at once. You print when it looks right.
When Canva fits
Canva is the better pick if designing is the point. If you want total control over fonts, colors, and layout, enjoy the process, and your guest list is short enough that hand-placing names is no burden, its editor is hard to beat and the free plan goes far.
Seating a specific event
Questions
Is there a faster way than making a seating chart in Canva?
Yes, if the slow part for you is placing every name. Canva gives you a blank design to fill in by hand. Seatwright takes your pasted guest list and lays out the escort cards, place cards, table numbers, and seating chart automatically, so you skip the manual placement and go straight to previewing and printing.
Can I import my guest list instead of typing each card?
In Seatwright, yes. Paste your list of names and tables, or even a bare list of names, and it fills every card for you. In Canva you generally add each name to each card yourself unless you set up a bulk-data workflow.
Is Canva free for place cards?
Canva has a free plan that can make place cards, though some elements and features sit behind Canva Pro. Seatwright is free to build and preview the whole watermarked set, and one payment per event removes the watermark on all four PDFs. Confirm Canva's current plan details on their site.