TLDR (Summary)
Canva creates good-looking proposal templates, but they export as static PDFs or view-only links. No e-signatures, no client tracking, no payment processing. Nothing connects to what happens after the client says yes. Plutio handles proposals, contracts, e-signatures, project management, time tracking, invoicing, and client portals from one workspace. When a proposal gets signed, the project creates itself with tasks, timelines, and a branded client portal.
What happens after the client says yes
Canva's job ends when the proposal is sent. The document goes out as a PDF or a view-only link, and everything after that, creating the project, setting up tasks, tracking deadlines, happens manually in separate tools.
Most freelancers who send Canva proposals recreate the scope in a separate project management app. The proposal said "3 rounds of revisions" and "delivery by March 15," but those details sit in the PDF while the actual work gets tracked somewhere else entirely. Nothing connects the proposal to the project.
Plutio's project management starts where the proposal ends. A signed proposal creates the project automatically with Kanban boards, Gantt timelines, and task dependencies. The deliverables listed in the proposal become tasks with deadlines, and the project timeline reflects what was actually promised.
The project, proposal, contract, and invoice share the same data. Finish a task and the client portal updates. Track hours and they feed into the invoice. Change the scope and the project reflects the new terms.
In Plutio, signed proposals become projects automatically, so the work starts from what the client approved.
Invoicing that knows what the client approved
Canva has invoice templates, but they produce design files, not accounting documents. Every line item gets typed manually, and there's no connection between what the proposal quoted and what the invoice charges.
When a proposal quotes $5,000 for a brand identity project, that number lives in the PDF. At invoice time, you retype the same $5,000 into QuickBooks, a Google Sheets tracker, or a Canva invoice template. If the project included hourly work, you pull those hours from a separate time tracker and manually convert them to line items.
Plutio's invoicing pulls from the approved proposal pricing. Fixed-fee projects invoice the agreed amount. Hourly projects pull tracked time with task names, durations, and rates already filled in. Recurring invoices auto-send on schedule with late payment reminders, and clients pay through Stripe, PayPal, or bank transfer.
Plutio's invoicing connects the proposal price to the final invoice, so nothing gets retyped or lost between what was quoted and what gets billed.
Proposals with e-signatures and contracts attached
Canva proposals go out as PDFs or view-only links. Clients can't sign them inside the document, and contracts need a separate tool like DocuSign or HelloSign on top.
The typical Canva proposal workflow: design in Canva, export as PDF, email it. Send a separate contract through DocuSign and wait for the signature. Manually create the project in a project management tool. Set up the first invoice in QuickBooks. Four tools, four logins, and gaps between every step where details fall through.
Plutio's proposal builder includes pricing tables, service packages, optional add-ons, and built-in e-signatures that clients complete from any device. Contracts attach to the proposal, so clients review scope, pricing, and legal terms in one document. When they sign, the project creates automatically with the template structure, contract, and client portal.
Everything from proposal to project happens in one sequence instead of across four disconnected tools. The signed proposal becomes the project scope, the contract stays attached, and the first invoice generates from the approved pricing.
In Plutio, the signed proposal creates the project with contracts, tasks, and portal access from one signed document.
Time tracking that feeds into invoices
Canva has no time tracking. Freelancers billing hourly need Toggl, Harvest, or Clockify running alongside, and manually transfer tracked hours into invoice line items every billing cycle.
A brand designer tracks 12 hours on a logo project in Toggl, opens the Canva invoice template, and types "Logo Design, 12 hours x $150/hr," hoping the math matches. If the project had multiple phases, they manually total each phase and enter it as a separate line item.
Plutio's time tracking runs inside every project with a built-in timer that starts from any task. Hours log with notes, rates, and billable/non-billable tags. At invoice time, tracked hours convert to invoice line items with the task name, duration, and hourly rate already filled in.
Time reports break down hours by project, client, or date range, showing which projects ran over budget and where billable hours went. The data lives in the same workspace as projects and invoices, so there's no reconciling between apps every month.
Every hour tracked in Plutio turns into an invoice line item without manual entry or copying numbers between apps.
Client portals instead of email attachments
Canva proposals go out as email attachments or shareable links. After that, client communication happens through email threads, file sharing through Google Drive or Dropbox, and status updates through "just checking in" messages.
Plutio's client portals are branded with a custom logo, colors, and domain. Clients log in and see project progress, milestones, shared files, outstanding invoices, and messages. Files upload directly to the project instead of arriving as email attachments. Messages attach to specific tasks so conversations stay in context.
Clients approve deliverables from the portal, pay invoices directly, and track project milestones without sending a single email. The portal replaces the scattered communication that happens when proposals go out as static documents and everything else lives in different tools.
Plutio's client portals replace status update emails with a branded space where clients track progress, share files, and pay invoices.
With Plutio we don't jump between apps anymore! Everything from projects to invoicing is finally connected in one fully-branded app.
How to switch from Canva proposals to Plutio
Most freelancers switch between projects, sending the next proposal from Plutio while finishing active work with existing clients.
- Start a free trial: Plutio offers 14 days of full access with no credit card required. Every feature works from day one.
- Recreate one proposal template: Take the Canva proposal layout and rebuild it in Plutio's proposal builder with pricing tables, service packages, and e-signature fields. The formatting carries over, but the document now connects to everything else.
- Send the next proposal from Plutio: The next client inquiry gets a Plutio proposal instead of a Canva PDF. When the client signs, the project creates automatically with tasks, timelines, and portal access.
- Connect payment processing: Link Stripe, PayPal, or bank transfer so clients pay deposits and invoices directly from the proposal or client portal.
- Keep Canva for design work: Canva handles social media graphics, presentations, and marketing materials well. Proposals, contracts, and invoicing move to Plutio where they connect to the rest of the business.
The switch isn't about leaving Canva entirely. Canva handles design, but proposals need more than design. They need e-signatures, client tracking, payment processing, and a direct connection to the project that follows.
Proposals move to Plutio while Canva keeps handling the design work it was built for.
