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A Canva alternative for scientific figures and posters
Canva is a general design tool: good templates, good typography, and almost nothing scientific inside it. BioDiorama is the same idea aimed at science — 27,200 ready-made 3D biology and chemistry models, about 13,000 science icons, about 500 ready-made biology diagrams and about 320 templates, conference poster sizes, journal figure pages, and export at the resolution and in the formats journals ask for. It is free, in the browser, with no installation and no account, and the pictures it draws may be used in papers, theses, posters and teaching with no credit required.
Open BioDiorama See the 27,200 models
At a glance
| BioDiorama | Canva | |
|---|---|---|
| What it costs | Free, with no account and no watermark. | Free tier plus a Pro subscription; some elements are paid. |
| The artwork | 27,200 scientific 3D models, about 13,000 science icons, about 500 biology diagrams. | Millions of general design elements, few of them scientifically accurate. |
| Scientific accuracy | Real PDB and AlphaFold proteins, PubChem molecules, BodyParts3D and Human Reference Atlas anatomy. | Decorative illustrations. |
| Journal output | TIFF and PNG up to 600 dpi with transparency, PDF, vector SVG. | PNG, JPEG and PDF, aimed at print and social media sizes. |
| Posters | A0–A4 and the usual conference inch sizes, from templates. | Poster sizes, but built for events and marketing. |
| Design polish | Publication palettes, including colour-blind-safe sets, and clean figure layouts. | A much larger set of fonts, photos and design templates. |
| 3D | A real 3D studio with lighting and cut-aways. | None. |
| Working together | Share the file; nothing is uploaded. | Shared brand kits and live collaboration. |
What you get by switching
- Every element is a scientific object that means something, not a decorative illustration that merely looks like one.
- Conference posters from a template, at the real size, with 600 dpi output for the printer.
- The 2D Studio works the way Canva does — place, drag, snap, type — so there is nothing new to learn.
- Vector SVG and editable PowerPoint export, so a figure can keep travelling after it leaves.
- Licences handled: each borrowed picture shows its licence and its credit line is collected for your legend.
- No subscription prompt in the middle of a deadline.
Where Canva is still the better tool
Said plainly, because picking the wrong tool wastes more time than any figure saves.
- Canva has far more fonts, stock photos and general design templates, and is better for anything outreach- or brand-shaped.
- Canva’s live collaboration, brand kits and social-media sizes have no equivalent here.
- For a poster that is mostly design and photography rather than science, Canva will be more fun.
- BioDiorama has no video editor beyond recording the studio.
Moving a figure across
- Open biodiorama.com and choose the 2D Studio.
- Start from a poster or journal figure template, or set your own page size.
- Search the picture library for the science — cells, pathways, equipment, body figures — and drop it in.
- Add text, arrows, charts and a legend; apply a publication colour theme if you want one.
- Export at 600 dpi for the printer, or SVG and PowerPoint to keep editing.
Questions people ask
Is Canva good for scientific posters?
It is good at layout and typography, but it has almost no scientifically accurate artwork, so the science usually ends up as clip art. A tool with a science library will save you the drawing.
What can I use instead of Canva for a conference poster?
BioDiorama has conference poster sizes as templates, 27,200 scientific 3D models and 600 dpi export, free and in the browser.
Does BioDiorama have templates?
About 320 — graphical abstracts of real research, research figures in 19 fields, empty layouts and graphs, poster sizes, e-cards and video-call backgrounds.
Can I use the pictures in a published paper?
Yes. Items BioDiorama draws need no credit; open-data and open-licence items carry a credit line, which File › Figure credits lists for your legend.
Is it free?
Yes — no account, no watermark, no export limit.
Is BioDiorama affiliated with Canva?
No. Canva is a trademark of its owner and is named here only for comparison.
Other comparisons
Canva is a trademark of its owner. BioDiorama is an independent project, is not affiliated with or endorsed by it, and nothing here is a quotation of its terms: plans, prices and features change, so check Canva’s own site before you decide.