Google Pics is a new Workspace tool that sounds like a big Canva competitor
Source: Mashable Tech
Overview
Google wants to be your one‑stop workspace. Gmail and Drive aim to replace Outlook, Word, and Excel, while Chat could take over Slack. At Google I/O, AI was front and center, driving new features for Google Workspace. One of the announcements was Google Pics, a platform for editing existing photos, creating images from scratch, and designing flyers, graphics, and more—functions that sound a lot like those offered by Canva.
Suz Chambers, Director of Google Creative Labs, demoed Google Pics live on stage at Google I/O. Credit: Google / Mashable
What Is Google Pics?
Google Pics is built on Google’s existing AI image‑creation platform Nano Banana. During the I/O demo, Suz Chambers showed how the tool can:
- Crop an existing photo
- Remove unwanted objects
- Add text to create a graphic
These tasks are comparable to those you can perform in Canva.
Comparison with Canva
| Feature | Google Pics | Canva |
|---|---|---|
| AI‑assisted image generation | Yes (via Nano Banana) | Yes (Canva Magic Write, Text‑to‑Image) |
| Photo editing (crop, object removal) | Demonstrated live | Available |
| Graphic design templates | Not yet disclosed | Extensive library |
| Pricing | Testing phase; planned for Google AI Pro & Ultra subscribers (summer launch) | Free tier + paid subscriptions |
Both tools let users edit photos and design graphics, but Canva remains free and widely available, whereas Google Pics is still in testing and will initially be limited to Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers.
Availability
Google Pics is currently in a testing phase. The company plans to roll it out this summer for Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers. Until then, Canva continues to be accessible to anyone at no cost.