Alternative to Polotno

Looking for a Polotno Alternative?

Templated offers cloud-based image generation with a hosted editor—no complex SDK integration required. Plus AI features and a simple API.

No credit card required • 50 free API credits

Why Consider Templated Over Polotno?

Polotno is a powerful JavaScript framework for building design editors. It gives you low-level control but requires significant development effort—you handle hosting, rendering, storage, and everything else.

Templated takes a different approach: we provide a complete cloud solution with a hosted editor, rendering API, and infrastructure. If you want to add design capabilities to your app without building everything from scratch, Templated is the faster path.

Templated vs Polotno: Feature Comparison

See how a cloud solution compares to an SDK approach

FeatureTemplatedPolotno
Integration Type
Cloud API + embeddable hosted editor
JavaScript SDK you self-host
Setup Time
Minutes - embed iframe or use API
Days/weeks of development
Rendering Infrastructure
Fully managed cloud rendering
You build and host rendering
Pricing Model
$29/month for 1,000 renders
$69/month license (rendering separate)
AI Template Generator
Generate templates from text prompts
Not included
Video Generation
Full video generation API
Not included - need separate solution
Template Storage
Cloud storage included
You manage storage
Asset Library
Stock images and elements included
You source assets
Custom Branding
White-label embedded editor
Full customization (you build it)
Canva Import
Import and convert Canva designs directly
Not included
Spreadsheet Integration
Upload Excel/CSV for bulk generation
You build it yourself
Maintenance
We handle updates and infrastructure
You maintain everything
Support
Live chat + integration help
Documentation + community

Pricing Comparison: Templated vs Polotno

Cloud solution vs SDK licensing—understand the true costs

Monthly VolumeTemplatedPolotnoYou Save
License/Starter$29/month 1,000 renders included$69/monthRendering included!
Scale Usage$79/month 5,000 renders included$69/month + hosting + renderingNo hidden costs
Enterprise$179/month 25,000 renders, all featuresLicense + significant infra costsPredictable pricing

Also worth noting:

  • Templated pricing includes rendering—no separate infrastructure costs
  • No need to manage servers, scaling, or rendering pipelines
  • 50 free renders to test before committing
  • AI features included on all plans

Why Choose Templated Over Polotno?

The benefits of a cloud solution vs building your own

Canva

Canva Import

Import your existing Canva designs directly into Templated. Skip manual recreation and start automating immediately.

No Development Required

Embed our editor with an iframe or use our API directly. No need to build a design editor from scratch—start generating images in minutes, not weeks.

Cloud Rendering Included

With Polotno, you need to build your own rendering infrastructure. Templated handles all rendering in the cloud—just call our API.

AI Template Generator

Generate templates from text descriptions. Polotno is a design framework—it doesn't include AI features. Templated has AI built in.

Video Generation

Create MP4 videos from your templates. Polotno is image-focused—video requires additional solutions. We handle both.

Zero Infrastructure Management

No servers to manage, no scaling to worry about, no rendering pipelines to build. We handle the infrastructure so you can focus on your product.

Spreadsheet Integration

Upload an Excel or CSV file and generate hundreds of images. No need to build data processing pipelines—we handle it.

What our customers say

People love how great our product works and how we're always there to help

Rated 4.6 on

"Brilliant piece of software. Reasonably priced (vs Canva's outrageously expensive API), and despite a few intricacies with the editor, a really fully-featured document generation API. Really great support too from Pedro, the founder!"

August 17, 2025
JB

Jacob Burns

"Great customer service. Templated is a great tool and easy to work with, and their API just makes sense. It's fast, and great for automating visuals. What really stands out is their customer service quick replies, actually helpful, and clearly invested in their users. Smart product, built right."

March 17, 2025
BS

Brix Studio

"Life-saving and incredibly intuitive! This app is absolutely phenomenal! It literally saved my life and my automations on MAKE. The idea behind it is brilliant, and the execution is flawless. It's extremely intuitive, making it super easy to work with, even for those who aren't tech experts. The user-friendly interface and seamless functionality make automation effortless. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a reliable and efficient solution!"

March 17, 2025
Filipe Souza Profile Photo

Filipe Souza

Basic Invitation

"Great time to value. It's simple to use, it does what it says on the tin, not obscure pricing or documentation - everything is as you expect it, and they have great customer service!"

March 13, 2025
EB

Elias Benussi

"After comparing several similar options, I ultimately chose Templated. I'm really enjoying its ease of use and impressive performance!"

December 19, 2024
Siddharth Elango Profile Photo

Siddharth Elango

"I love it. Great. I use it for a business purposes and works very well with make.com."

December 16, 2024
J

Jakub

"Templated is a game-changing innovation in programmatic design! So many use cases here, this a better option than Canva because they make their API private to enterprise customers only. Can't to see what the future has in store for this amazing company."

December 16, 2024
AR

Antonio Romero

"Great Customer service. A cool guy name Pedro start the conversation with me, as first I though It was an bot so I chat with him in my first language and took a moment for me to realise he is a real person (LOL), shout to them for taking their client even small issue!"

December 16, 2024
K

Kiennguyrn

"This is a clever idea, especially in concert with programmatic (AI-generated) SEO."

17 January 2024
Ryan Hoover Profile Photo

Ryan Hoover

Creator of ProductHunt

"The editor is easy to use, very similar to Canva and the API is simple enough to integrate on the backend."

20 February 2024
Halem Wenderson Profile Photo

Halem Wenderson

Developer at Telvetto

"Very useful service and great support team."

28 October 2024
John Allison Profile Photo

John Allison

Developer

"I have so many ideas running through my head right now of use cases I can do with your API using Bubble.io."

17 January 2024
Jesus Vazquez Profile Photo

Jesus Vazquez

Founder of Hustling Labs

"The possibilities with Templated are endless. The templates are super easy to set up and incredibly versatile. I plan to use this for various solutions in my own apps as well as my clients' apps in the future."

15 April 2024
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Mike Mathisen

No-code developer

"Love the tool and love the support from Pedro. The best of templated is how easy it is to create new templates!"

21 October 2024
Borja Pallasá YouTube Profile Photo

Borja Pallasá

No-code & AI YouTuber

Frequently Asked Questions

When should I choose Polotno over Templated?

Polotno is better if you need complete control over every aspect of the editor and have engineering resources to build and maintain a custom solution. It's a framework, not a service.

When should I choose Templated over Polotno?

Choose Templated if you want to add design and image generation capabilities quickly without building infrastructure. Our cloud solution handles rendering, storage, and scaling for you.

Can I customize the Templated editor like I could with Polotno?

Our embedded editor supports white-labeling (your logo, colors, domain). While you don't have low-level code access like Polotno, you get a production-ready editor without the development work.

How does rendering work with each solution?

With Polotno, you export designs as JSON and need to build your own server-side rendering. Templated renders everything in the cloud—just call our API and get back an image URL.

What about self-hosting for compliance/security?

If you need complete control over data and infrastructure, Polotno's self-hosted approach might be necessary. Templated is cloud-based, though we offer enterprise options for specific compliance needs.

Does Templated support all the features Polotno has?

Templated focuses on production use cases: templates, rendering, and automation. Polotno gives you building blocks to create any editor. Different tools for different needs.

Ready to try a simpler approach?

Skip months of development. Start generating images with Templated today—50 free renders, no credit card required.

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