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Notion and Canva take different routes with their templates and free plans. Notion's move is to sell the template by showing it in use, and Canva's is to lead with free templates. It reads like a friend sharing a setup, not an ad, and the visual does the selling.
Updated · By Blake Emal
| Notion | Canva | |
|---|---|---|
| The move | Sell the template by showing it in use | Lead with free templates |
| What they did | A one line post showing a color coded weekly calendar in Notion. | Canva's templates page says Free templates with a search bar and categories like presentations and logos. |
| Why it works | It reads like a friend sharing a setup, not an ad, and the visual does the selling. | The word free and a search bar start the product right on the page. |
| First step to copy | Pick one beautiful use case of your product | Say free in the headline |
| Examples in our library | 12 | 5 |
NotionIt reads like a friend sharing a setup, not an ad, and the visual does the selling.
NotionEvery template made by a user becomes a new door into the product.
CanvaThe word free and a search bar start the product right on the page.
Neither is better in general. Notion's approach suits you if it reads like a friend sharing a setup, not an ad, and the visual does the selling. Canva's suits you if the word free and a search bar start the product right on the page.
Yes. Most pages and posts can use more than one move, as long as the main message stays clear.
Both are public examples with source links, captured by Today’s Marketing in October 2026.
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