Every indie developer hits the same wall: you have built an app you are proud of, and now you need 10 professional screenshots per device size, potentially across multiple languages, and you need them to look like they belong in the top charts. The tool you choose for this job determines whether it takes an afternoon or a week, whether the output looks polished or amateur, and whether updating screenshots for your next release is a quick task or a dreaded chore.
This is a practical comparison of three approaches to creating App Store and Play Store screenshots: Figma (full design tool), Canva (drag-and-drop platform), and dedicated screenshot builders. No tool is universally best. The right choice depends on your design skill, your workflow, and how often you update your store listing.
Why the Right Tool Matters More Than You Think
App store screenshots are not normal images. They have precise dimensional requirements (1290x2796 for iPhone 6.7-inch, 1242x2208 for 5.5-inch, and that is just iOS -- see our screenshot sizes guide for the full breakdown). They need to communicate value in under two seconds of scanning. They need to be maintained -- every major app update, every new device generation, every new localization means revisiting every screenshot.
The hidden cost of choosing the wrong tool is not the initial creation. It is the maintenance. If creating your first screenshot set takes 5 hours in Figma, updating it for a new app version takes 2-3 hours. Over a year with quarterly updates, that is 14-17 hours on screenshots alone. A dedicated tool that cuts update time to 30 minutes saves you 8+ hours annually -- time you could spend on your actual product.
The screenshot creation market breaks down into three tiers: general-purpose design tools (Figma, Sketch), simplified design platforms (Canva, Crello), and dedicated app store screenshot builders (StoreLit, AppLaunchpad, AppScreens). For a detailed comparison of the dedicated tools specifically, see our AppScreens vs AppLaunchpad vs StoreLit breakdown. Each tier makes different tradeoffs between flexibility, ease of use, and app-store-specific features.
Figma: Full Creative Control
Figma is the industry standard for product design, and many developers default to it for screenshots because it is already open on their desktop. That familiarity is both its greatest strength and a subtle trap.
The Strengths
Figma offers genuinely unlimited design flexibility. Any layout, any composition, any visual effect you can imagine is achievable. The free tier is generous enough for most indie developers -- three projects with unlimited files. If you already design your app's UI in Figma, keeping your screenshots in the same workspace means consistency comes naturally.
The component and auto-layout system is where Figma really shines for screenshot production. You can build a master screenshot template as a component, then create instances for each screenshot. Change the caption font size in the master component, and it updates across all 10 screenshots instantly. For teams or developers managing multiple apps, this propagation saves enormous time.
The Figma community has also built a rich ecosystem of plugins and templates specifically for app store assets. You can find device frame plugins (though quality varies), screenshot template packs, and auto-export plugins that handle some of the tedious parts. The Device Frames plugin by Figma themselves provides basic mockups, and third-party options like Mockuuups Studio or Rotato offer more polished alternatives.
The Reality Check
Here is where the honest assessment diverges from the Figma evangelism you see on Twitter. Figma requires significant design knowledge to produce professional results. Knowing how to use the tool is not the same as knowing design principles -- alignment, typography hierarchy, color theory, visual balance. A developer with no design background can spend three hours in Figma and produce screenshots that look worse than a 15-minute job in a template-based tool.
You must source device frames manually. Figma has no built-in concept of an iPhone 16 Pro Max frame. You either find a community plugin (which may have outdated models), download SVG frames from a third party, or trace your own. Each approach has quality tradeoffs -- some community frames have incorrect corner radii, wrong screen dimensions, or missing Dynamic Island cutouts.
Multi-language support is painful. To create screenshots in five languages, you duplicate your entire frame set five times, then manually replace every text layer in each copy. There is no built-in localization workflow. Plugins like "Translator" help, but they add complexity and cost.
Export is manual and error-prone. You need to set up export presets for each required resolution (6.7-inch, 6.5-inch, 5.5-inch for iOS alone), name files according to App Store Connect's expectations, and remember to export every frame. Miss one, and you discover it during upload -- after you have already closed Figma.
When Figma Is the Right Choice
Figma is genuinely the best choice if you have real design experience (or a designer on your team), your app has a strong visual brand that needs pixel-perfect expression in screenshots, or you already use Figma daily and the marginal effort of learning screenshot-specific workflows is small. If you are building a consumer brand competing with Headspace, Notion, or Duolingo in visual polish, Figma gives you the ceiling to match their quality.
For a solo developer who has never opened a design tool, Figma is the wrong starting point. The learning curve is measured in days, not minutes. If that describes you, check out our guide on how to create screenshots without a designer for more accessible approaches.
Canva: Drag-and-Drop Simplicity
Canva has democratized design for millions of people, and its appeal for screenshots is obvious: you can create something decent-looking in 20 minutes with zero design knowledge.
The Strengths
Canva's barrier to entry is genuinely low. The template library, while not app-store-specific, provides starting points you can adapt. The drag-and-drop interface, built-in stock photo library, and brand kit features mean you can produce consistent-looking assets without understanding layers, components, or export settings.
For developers who need more than just screenshots -- social media graphics for launch day, press kit images, website hero banners -- Canva covers all of these in one tool. The Pro plan ($12.99/month) includes background removal, brand kits, and resizing tools that serve a broader marketing workflow.
Canva's collaboration features are also surprisingly good. Sharing a design link for feedback from a co-founder, advisor, or beta tester is trivial. No one needs to install anything or create an account to view and comment.
The Limitations Are Significant
Canva was not built for app store screenshots, and it shows in several critical ways.
Device frames are limited and frequently outdated. As of early 2026, Canva's built-in device mockups include iPhone 14 and iPhone 15 models, but iPhone 16 and iPhone 17 frames are often missing or available only through third-party integrations. Using a visibly outdated device frame in your screenshots signals to users (even subconsciously) that the app is not actively maintained.
Template sizing is wrong by default. Canva does not offer "App Store Screenshot" as a preset dimension. You need to create a custom-sized canvas manually -- 1290x2796 pixels for iPhone 6.7-inch, for example. Many developers skip this step and use a generic phone-shaped template, then discover during upload that their screenshots are the wrong resolution. App Store Connect rejects incorrect dimensions without explanation, which leads to frustrating upload cycles.
Export is one-size-at-a-time. If you need iPhone 6.7-inch, 6.5-inch, and 5.5-inch versions, you export three separate times, resizing manually between each. There is no batch export for multiple device sizes. For a full set of 10 screenshots across 3 device sizes, that is 30 individual exports.
The template aesthetic is also a double-edged sword. Canva templates are used by millions of people. If you rely heavily on a pre-made design, your screenshots risk looking generic -- identical to dozens of other apps that started from the same template. In the App Store, where visual differentiation drives taps, looking like everyone else is a conversion liability.
When Canva Makes Sense
Canva is a reasonable choice if you need screenshots today, have no design experience, and accept that the result will be "good enough" rather than "great." It is also practical for very early-stage apps where you are validating the concept and plan to invest in better screenshots once you have traction. The speed advantage is real -- 60-90 minutes from start to uploaded screenshots, versus 4-6 hours in Figma for a first-timer.
Just know that you will likely outgrow it. Once you need multi-language support, current device frames, or batch export, Canva becomes more of a hindrance than a help.
Dedicated Screenshot Tools: Built for the Job
Dedicated screenshot builders exist specifically because Figma and Canva were not designed for this task. They trade general-purpose flexibility for app-store-specific workflows that eliminate the most time-consuming parts of screenshot creation.
AppLaunchpad
AppLaunchpad is one of the older players in this space, offering a web-based editor with pre-loaded device frames and template layouts. You upload your app screenshots, pick a template, customize the caption and background, and export. It supports batch resizing for different screen sizes and maintains a library of current device frames.
The strengths are speed and simplicity. The interface is focused entirely on app store screenshots -- no distracting features for social media or print design. The device frame library is kept current, and export presets match App Store Connect and Google Play Console requirements.
The main limitation is customization. Once you move beyond the provided templates, your options narrow quickly. The editor is not a general-purpose design tool, so unusual layouts, complex compositions, or highly branded designs may not be achievable. Pricing starts around $8/month, and the free tier limits the number of exports.
AppScreens
AppScreens (formerly LaunchMatic) takes a similar template-first approach with an emphasis on speed. Its template library is organized by app category, which helps you find relevant starting points faster. It supports multiple device types, integrates with Unsplash for background images, and offers text layout templates that follow screenshot best practices by default.
What sets AppScreens apart is its automated resizing engine. Create your screenshot for one device size, and it generates all other required sizes automatically, adjusting layout proportions to maintain visual quality. This alone can save hours compared to manual resizing in Figma or Canva.
Pricing starts at $9.99/month with limited free exports. The interface is straightforward but can feel constraining for developers who want fine-grained control over positioning and typography.
StoreLit Screenshot Studio
StoreLit's approach differs from the other dedicated tools by offering a canvas-based editor built on Konva rather than a rigid template system. This means you get the structured workflow of a dedicated tool (correct dimensions, device frames, batch export) with more of the flexibility typically associated with Figma.
The editor includes 14 device models covering current iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch form factors, from iPhone 15 through iPhone 17 and iPad Pro. Device frames are accurate to Apple's published specifications -- correct corner radii, Dynamic Island placement, and screen inset dimensions.
The AI-powered caption feature is unique among screenshot tools. Rather than writing captions from scratch, you can generate benefit-focused captions based on your app's description and competitor analysis. The AI analyzes caption patterns from top-performing apps in your category and suggests copy that follows proven structures. You can then translate these captions across multiple languages in a single step, producing localized screenshot sets without manual translation.
Batch export handles all required sizes in one operation. Select your target device sizes, and the tool exports a complete set -- correctly named, correctly sized, ready to drag into App Store Connect or Google Play Console.
Head-to-Head: What Actually Matters
Beyond feature lists, the practical question is: how long does each tool take for real screenshot workflows?
First-Time Creation (6 screenshots, 1 language, 1 device size)
For a developer starting from scratch with app screenshots already captured:
Figma: 3-5 hours. This includes finding and importing device frames, setting up a template with proper dimensions, designing backgrounds, adding captions, arranging layouts, and configuring export settings. For a developer with Figma experience, closer to 3 hours. For a beginner, 5+ hours including tutorial time.
Canva: 1-2 hours. Finding a suitable template, customizing dimensions to correct specifications, replacing placeholder content, adjusting layouts, exporting. Faster than Figma because templates provide structure, but slower than dedicated tools because you are working around limitations.
Dedicated tools: 30-60 minutes. Pick a template or start from the tool's default layout, drop in screenshots, write or generate captions, choose background, export. The tool handles dimensions, device frames, and export presets.
Adding a New Language (translate captions for existing 6-screenshot set)
Figma: 1-2 hours. Duplicate all frames, replace every text layer manually, adjust text sizing for languages with longer words (German, for example, runs 30% longer than English on average), re-export everything.
Canva: 1-1.5 hours. Similar to Figma -- duplicate, replace, adjust, export. Canva's lack of components means changes do not propagate.
Dedicated tools: 15-30 minutes. Tools with translation features (like StoreLit) can translate all captions in one step and adjust text sizing automatically. Manual translation tools still require you to type translated text, but export handles the rest.
Updating for a New App Version (replace app UI screenshots, keep layout)
Figma: 45-90 minutes. Replace screenshot images in device frames, verify nothing shifted, re-export all sizes.
Canva: 45-90 minutes. Replace images, verify sizing, re-export each size individually.
Dedicated tools: 15-30 minutes. Replace screenshots, batch re-export.
Export and Upload Workflow
This last-mile step is where the differences compound most. Figma requires manual export configuration for each device size -- you set up slice exports, choose the right scale factor, name files appropriately. Miss a setting, and you get the wrong resolution. Canva exports one size at a time with manual resizing between each.
Dedicated tools typically offer one-click export for all required sizes. Some, including StoreLit, can integrate with App Store Connect to streamline the upload process, cutting out the download-organize-upload cycle entirely. When you multiply this per-export overhead by the number of screenshots, sizes, and languages, the accumulated time savings are substantial.
Which Tool for Which Developer
The Complete Beginner
If you have never used a design tool and your priority is getting professional-looking screenshots live in the store as quickly as possible, start with a dedicated screenshot tool. The guardrails -- correct dimensions, current device frames, export presets -- prevent the most common mistakes that waste hours. You can always migrate to Figma later if you outgrow the templates.
Do not start with Figma unless you genuinely want to learn design as a skill. The time investment is significant, and the first results will be disappointing compared to template-based alternatives.
The Technical Founder
You understand basic design principles. You know what good screenshots look like. You do not want to spend your weekend on them. A dedicated tool with customization options gives you the best balance -- start from templates but adjust colors, fonts, and layouts to match your brand. The output is professional, the time investment is minimal, and you can iterate quickly for A/B testing.
The Design-Savvy Developer
If you are already fluent in Figma and have a strong brand identity, staying in your familiar tool makes sense. You can create screenshots that genuinely stand apart from template-based competitors. But consider using a dedicated tool specifically for the export and localization workflow. Even experienced designers waste time manually resizing for 3+ device dimensions and 5+ languages. A hybrid approach -- design in Figma, export and localize with a dedicated tool -- captures the best of both worlds.
The Team or Agency
Teams need collaboration features, shared brand kits, and template management. Figma excels here with multiplayer editing and component libraries -- a designer creates the template system, and anyone on the team can create new screenshot variants by swapping content in instances. For agencies managing 10+ client apps, Figma's organizational features justify the learning investment.
That said, the export bottleneck still applies. Even teams with excellent Figma workflows report spending disproportionate time on the "boring" parts: resizing, exporting, organizing files for upload. A dedicated export tool as the final step in the pipeline can free up design time for higher-value work.
Our Recommendation, Depending on What You Value
Speed: You Need Screenshots Today
Use a dedicated tool. Pick a template, drop in your screenshots, write captions (or let AI generate them), export, upload. Total time: under an hour. Your screenshots will look professional and meet all technical requirements. You can refine later -- getting a polished set live in the store today beats spending a week perfecting screenshots in Figma.
Quality: You Are Building a Brand
Start with Figma. Invest the upfront time to create a reusable component system: master device frames, caption styles, background treatments, all as Figma components. The initial creation takes longer, but every subsequent update is faster because changes propagate through instances automatically. This is the professional path -- and the screenshots will show it.
Maintenance: You Update Frequently
Dedicated tools win decisively for ongoing maintenance. If you ship updates monthly and refresh screenshots each time, or if you support 5+ languages, the workflow speed advantage compounds into weeks of saved time annually. The combination of batch export, automatic resizing, and AI-assisted caption translation makes the per-update cost almost negligible compared to manual workflows.
Optimization: You Want to A/B Test
Whichever creation tool you use, the testing workflow demands rapid variant production. You need to create 3-4 versions of the same screenshot with different captions, colors, or layouts, then wait for results and iterate. Dedicated tools with template systems make variant creation fastest -- duplicate a template, change one variable, export. Pair your creation tool with Apple's Product Page Optimization or Google's Store Listing Experiments, and let data drive your decisions rather than aesthetic preferences.
The tool matters less than the process. Choose the one that lets you create, test, learn, and iterate without screenshot production becoming a bottleneck for your app's growth.