A Canva alternative that works without internet

OpenTempl is a design app that loads once and then works without a connection. You can create a new poster, post or slide deck, edit it and export it, all offline. It is free, open source and has no account to sign in to. It is not affiliated with Canva.

Updated November 2026

How it works

The editor runs on your device, and your designs are saved there while you work. After the first load, the app is kept for offline use. Chrome and Edge may offer to install it as an app, so it starts like any other. The desktop builds for Mac, Windows and Linux carry the whole editor with them.

Any design can also be saved as an OpenTempl file, an editable file you can copy, back up and email. The export formats are PNG, JPG, WebP, SVG, PDF, PowerPoint, MP4 and GIF, and none of them need a connection.

Canva and offline

Canva has an offline editing feature. Its help centre says the desktop app and Android support it, and iOS does not. You mark designs as available offline while you are connected, then edit them offline. You can edit existing designs only, not create new ones. Videos show as still images and uploads need a connection. Canva's help pages give 14 days in one article and 7 days in others as the time you can stay offline before you reconnect.

So the difference is simple. In Canva you prepare for offline. In OpenTempl, offline is how the app works. The Canva details come from its help centre as read in October 2026; check the current pages, because they change.

What still needs a connection

Be ready for these:

• The first load, and updates.
• Fonts you have not used before. OpenTempl offers 1,344 Google Fonts and fetches each one the first time you use it, then keeps it. Fonts you have used stay available offline. Your own font files always work.
• Searching icons and stock photos, which come from online libraries.
• Background removal the first time. The app downloads a small model once, then removal runs on your computer.
• Live sessions with other people.
• The Generate tab, which calls OpenAI with your own key.

Everything else works without a network.

Where offline matters

A teacher making handouts on a train. A cafe owner with weak wifi who needs tomorrow's menu printed. A student on a school computer that blocks sign ups. Anyone who wants a design to stay on their computer until they decide to share it.

What you give up

OpenTempl does not sync designs between devices. If you work on two computers, move the file yourself. The web version stores designs in your browser, so clearing your browser data removes them; export an OpenTempl file for anything you care about. The desktop app is the safer home for your work.

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