30+ Best Graphic Design Software for Any Project

Every artist will agree that the right tools are imperative to their craft. While traditional painters need a canvas, specific brushes, acrylics, and oils, the only thing a digital artist needs is suitable design software.

The right graphic design software will convey your vision as smoothly and effectively as possible. So it’s worth your time to search for the right tool.

Whether you’re a novice or freelance designer, have a big budget or none, you’ll find software options that will match your expertise level and objectives. We have gathered a list of the best graphic design software, photo editors, and infographic makers to help you find your ideal program quicker.

Let’s start exploring!

• Online Graphic Design Software
• Desktop Graphic Design Software
• 3D Graphic Design Software

 

The Best Online Graphic Software for 2023

In the comprehensive list below, we’ve gathered the top online graphic design software for any experience level, project type and budget to help you get the most out of your design projects. 

Browse the list to find one that fits your design needs. 

 

1. Renderforest All-in-One Graphic Maker

You’ll Love:

• Templates for every graphic project, including social media, printables, presentations, formal documents, etc.
• Easy-to-use drag & drop editor to simplify the editing process
• High-quality export options
• No professional experience is required
• Templates designed by a team of professional designers

 

Pricing:

• Create visual graphics with limited access to templates, scenes, or presets with the free version
• Full access to 1M+ premium templates and 100k+ stock footage is available in Pro ($9.99/mo)
• Everything in Pro + full catalog of stock footage, music, and photos in Business ($19.99/mo)

 

General Overview:

If you’re looking for a helping hand and live-savver in every situation where you may need appealing graphics, meet Renderforest! 

It is an online platform for quick and effortless graphic creation. Here, you’ll find an ever-expanding library of templates for any occasion that can be customized with a few clicks. Social media images, presentation covers, thumbnails, pitch decks, mockups, and anything else your creative brain can think of — you’ll find it here. 

The best part? Renderforest is an excellent option for creating polished graphics on the go, even if you lack professional design skills. No matter what you choose to create and how complex your project is, all the robust editing features are packed inside an intuitive drag-and-drop editor. 

To change a title, add an impressive graphic, or apply a special effect like a gradient, you just need to drag and drop the elements right where they belong. The result is professionally-looking and visually appealing graphics – while you’ve spent only a few moments to make it. 

Piqued your interest to explore it further? Let’s reveal the key graphic design tasks that Renderforest will help you to complete. 

 

Social Media Graphics

Everything you need to create content for Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and more is made easy with Renderforest. Here, you can find many templates — banners, thumbnails, infographics, and post images in any size that will make your profile stand out from the crowd. 

There are tailored designs for covers, posts, stories, YouTube thumbnails, and other custom visuals. Everything is neatly sorted into categories, so you can find a suitable design in a few clicks.

With the social media templates from Renderforest, you can create visual content for months ahead, ensuring your online presence will never be boring and flat.

Browse Social Media Templates!

 

Mockups for Any Project

Want to showcase your new design on different devices, glimpse into the future of a website, or feature your logo on an inspiring background? 

Renderforest’s mockup library has got you covered. You can quickly create engaging mockups for any project type just by customizing one of our pre-made design templates using your own images and text.

There are laptop views, mobile phones, book covers, and magazine layouts, which will help you to make your design look real. You can also choose banner designs displayed on high-quality outdoor mockups, billboards, and more. 

Editing mockups to receive the perfect result is a breeze!

Edit Mockups Now!

 

Certificates of Completion

From funny, casual certificates of birth to the most formal appreciation awards, Renderforest is the perfect place to create certificates that look polished and professional. 

Certificate template designs vary from the very conventional to the modern and creative. You can select from dozens of layouts, including borders, images, and more, and get the custom certificate you need in no time.

All templates can be exported in high-quality PDF or JPG formats in the standard certificate size, so you can print them and use them even for commercial purposes. 

Renderforest also generates a shareable link for you in case you want to grant your participants online access to their certificates.

 

Stunning Presentations

With Renderforest, you also have a complete pack of presentation slides covering everything from the greeting page to the conclusion. Each presentation template pack comes with different slides, and it’s up to you to rearrange and customize them as you wish. 

You can easily add your content, use the built-in color palettes, charts, and graphs, and further customize any slides with a few clicks. The default designs are tailored to the industry or purpose of the presentation, so you have little work to adjust the style and overall look to be consistent with your project.

The presentation templates follow the latest trends in graphic design and visual hierarchy rules, so slides look balanced, organized, and professionally made.

Browse Presentation Templates!

 

Flyers and Other Printable Materials

Posters, flyers, magazine templates, tickets, menus, and other printable materials are needed for a variety of marketing and promotional events. Rendeforest library is packed with different printable designs – all adjusted to the sizes of the specific products they are created for. 

You will experience zero difficulties when printing your exported files, as all the template sizes correspond to the standard paper size, and there are no quality or color issues popping out. 

Choose between vertical or horizontal designs, customize your printable material with your own colors and images, and get it ready to be printed in just a few steps. 

Browse Printable Material Designs!

 

 

2. Vecteezy Editor

You’ll Love:

• Simple-to-use

 

Things to Consider:

• Only Supported format is SVG

 

Pricing:

• Free versions unlocks only free resources
• Pro design resources, unlimited downloads, full commercial rights and other perks are available for $9.25 monthly unlimited subscription

 

General Overview:

Vecteezy is a browser-based vector-editing software. The tool is quite simple and requires no special skill set. You can either customize existing vector designs or create your own. The only supported format, however, is SVG. 

The tool offers complex transitions, keyboard shortcuts, and other features you might find helpful in your design process. While it’s not the most advanced graphic design software out there, it’s a competent tool for quick editing.

You can use the program for free or pay for more perks and benefits like unlimited downloads, access to vector artwork libraries, and ad-free editing. A yearly subscription will cost you $6/mo, while a monthly one will be $9.25/mo.

 

3. Pixlr

You’ll Love:

• Accessible on the web and mobile
• Built-in effects, overlays, and filters

 

Things to Consider:

• The only supported format is SVG

 

Pricing:

• The free version provides limited access to Pixlr X and E with only one seat and three saves (all other plans have unlimited saves)
• Plus plan ($1.99/mo) provides you with an ad-free experience and access to mobile apps
• Premium ($7.99/mo) and Team ($12.99/mo) plans unlock full access to both apps, while the latter also allows for priority support and team management

 

General Overview:

Pixlr is a well-equipped photo and graphic design editor accessible on the web and mobile. Desktop apps are available for subscribed users. It’s a powerful photo editor to boost images with built-in effects, overlays, and filters.

 Pixlr has two apps: Pixlr X and Pixlr E. The difference between them is that the former is beginner-friendly with no learning curve, while the latter is a more sophisticated tool with layers, brush controls, cloning, and filters. The essential editing tools are available for free. To unlock more features like exclusive video tutorials, you’ll have to switch to one of the paid plans.

 

4. Canva

You’ll Love:

• The most popular graphic design platform
• Packed with many fonts, icons, colors, etc.

 

Things to Consider:

• The free version is limited

 

Pricing:

• The free version provides limited access to Pixlr X and E with only one seat and three saves (all other plans have unlimited saves)
• Pro plan ($14.99/mo/person) is suitable for creating up to 100 corporate styles, resize and background removals, and AI tools like Magic Eraser, Sync to Rythm, etc.
• Canva for teams ($29.99/mo for the first five people) is the best choice for consistent branding, real-time collaboration and all the advanced features of the platform

 

General Overview:

Perhaps, Canva is the most popular online graphic design platform among its counterparts. The tool is well known for its simple, drag-and-drop editor and versatile templates. Though, you can opt for a blank canvas if templates are not what you’re looking for. The software is packed with many fonts, icons, colors, and other design elements. However, you should consider that Canva’s free version is very limited in features, not allowing you to use AI tools, social media publisher, cloud storage and 24/7 support. 

Canva can also be found as a mobile app. It’s a solid choice for individuals and small companies that need quick and pain-free creation. 

Use Canva for free or purchase a plan to access more templates, stock footage, and cloud storage. Pricing starts at $12.95/mo and goes up along with the size of your team.

 

Recommended Reading

---

1. 10+ Branding Mockup Templates to Shape Your Audience’s Perception
2. What are the Best Fonts Used by Graphic Designers?

---

 

5. Sumopaint

You’ll Love:

• Besides an image editor, it’s an in-browser drawing tool
• Many brushes, text elements, unique effects, etc.

 

Things to Consider:

• No templates

 

Pricing:

• The Basic free version can be used only in an online format, with limited features and storage
• There is also the Edu ($2/mo) plan only for students with learning materials and a Pro version ($4/mo) with unlimited features

 

General Overview:

Sumopaint is an in-browser drawing tool and image editor that provides a wide choice of design tools such as brushes, text elements, unique effects, and anything else you’ll need to manipulate a photo or draw. The online app is free, but a downloadable version is available for Pro ($4/mo) and Edu ($2/mo) members.

Another Sumo app that might avail graphic designers is Sumophoto. As suggested by the name, the software is more attuned to photo editing, so expect to find more adjustment tools, filters, and effects here. The interface is fairly simple and, therefore, suitable for newbies.

You should not expect ready-to-use graphic templates like in case of Renderforest and many other tools included in this list. Instead, Sumopaint allows you to edit what you’ve already created/uploaded inside the platform. 

 

6. Visme

You’ll Love:

• Interactive flowcharts, icons, and other widgets
• Good for non-professionals

 

Things to Consider:

• The Free plan is very limited in export options

 

Pricing:

• The Free plan allows you to use templates and design resources but not download your created graphics
• You can export your graphics in JPG, PNG or PDF in a Personal plan ($29/mo)
• The Pro plan ($59/mo) is richer in export formats, allowing you to download PPTX, HTML5, videos and GIF + it unlocks most integrations
• You can also apply for a custom plan if you want Visme for teams

 

General Overview:

If you’re searching for more online options with a straightforward editor, you’re in luck because Visme certainly fits the criteria. With a platform that’s easy to navigate, Visme is a great solution for non-professionals. The software offers interactive flowcharts, icons, and other widgets to help visualize data with a few quick edits. 

The categories of ready-made layouts range from presentations and infographics to social media graphics. Premium templates come at a cost, along with more storage space and third-party integrations. Pricing starts at $29 per month, and you also have an opportunity for a custom plan.

It’s worth mentioning that though the Free plan allows you to access most templates and some design resources, the free version’s export opportunities are very limited. So, you may have a hard time using your created graphics with high quality without upgrading to other plans.

 

7. PixTeller

You’ll Love:

• Photo editing and animation making combined
• Supported export formats in PNG, JPG and PDF

 

Things to Consider:

• Steep learning curve

 

Pricing:

• Use the Pro plan ($9/mo) if you need only the Graphic tool and upgrade to the Diamond plan ($19/mo) if you also need Animation
• All two plans have free trials

 

General Overview:

PixTeller is a versatile program that handles both photo editing and animation making. The design tool’s interface is complicated for some users, as many report a steep learning curve when starting with it. You have the option to create a project from scratch or use preset layouts to ease your job. 

The supported export formats are PNG, JPG, and PDF. You can get started with PixTeller for free, then upgrade to either of the two plans — Pro ($9/mo) and Diamond ($19/mo). The first one gives you a license for the graphic tool, while the second one also includes the animation maker.

 

8. Design Wizard

You’ll Love:

• Image and video editors combined
• Integrates with HubSpot, Buffer, Intercom, and Marketo, etc.

 

Things to Consider:

• The template library is not large enough

 

Pricing:

• The Basic plan is free, where you pay per image you want to export
• The Pro plan ($9.99/mo) allows for up to 60 downloads per month, image uploading and 1GB of storage
• The Business plan ($49.99/mo) provides you with unlimited photo and video downloads, 1 Premium video a month and up to 10GB of storage

 

General Overview:

Design Wizard is an image and video editor that aims to simplify the creation of both. It has a broad spectrum of templates for business and personal use. This is a great choice if you want to customize a ready-made layout quickly, but the minimalized design tools won’t give you advanced features and control over the finer details.

Meanwhile, it’s worth mentioning that many users claim the variety of templates is not broad enough to always find what they need. 

The software integrates with HubSpot, Buffer, Intercom, and Marketo, making it easy to schedule or share your content. With the free Basic plan, you can pay as you go for downloads. Otherwise, you can join the Pro or Business plans at the cost of $9.99 and $49.99 per month, respectively.

 

9. Snappa

You’ll Love:

• A background removal tool, effects, vectors, and shapes

 

Things to Consider:

• The template library is not large enough

 

Pricing:

• With the Free plan, you access all templates and photos, but you’re limited to only one user and three downloads per month
• The Pro plan ($15/mo) makes monthly downloads unlimited and adds social media integrations and a custom font upload feature
• The Team plan ($30/mo) is the only choice for team collaboration

 

General Overview:

Snappa has managed to build a good reputation for itself as a quick and simple graphic design software. It gives you presets in your preferred image dimensions, unlimited stock photos, a background removal tool, effects, vectors, and shapes.

The free version limits you to three downloads per month, but you can unlock more downloads and features at $15/mo and enable team collaboration at $30/mo.

If you’re looking for graphic design software that will allow you to create custom graphics, Snappa may limit you to the library of templates. Though its offered templates are not small in quantity, the library is not so large compared to many competitors. 

 

10. BeFunky

You’ll Love:

• An  online photo editor, collage maker, and graphic designer combined

 

Things to Consider:

• The Free version unlocks only basic editor features

 

Pricing:

• The Free plan only allows you to use basic photo editing tools, basic touch-up tools and a font library
• The upgraded BeFunky Plus plan ($11.99/mo) unlocks all the rest of the features

 

General Overview:

BeFunky is designed to meet everyone’s essential photo-editing needs with its online photo editor, collage maker, and graphic designer. The latter introduces a plethora of templates ready to be customized, but you can go for a  blank canvas to assemble your graphic from zero.

The basic editing tools and templates are available for free, but you can purchase more features like object and background removal, art effects, touchup tools, and more. The pricing is quite affordable at $11.99 per month, and it reduces to $5.99/mo if billed annually.

Though there is a free version, it provides you with only the basic features of the editor. 

 

11. DesignBold

You’ll Love:

• An online photo editor, collage maker, and graphic designer combined
• Also provide digital agency services

 

Things to Consider:

• Not suitable for heavy editing

 

Pricing:

• The Pro membership ($7.99/mo) unlocks additional 4,000+ templates
• If you want to use their design agency services, contact DesignBold for a custom quote 

 

General Overview:

If you’re not into heavy editing and wish to create professional-looking graphics without much effort, DesignBold is a suitable option for you. The template-based graphic software gives you over 10000 layouts, even with the free version. 

DesignBold is not only a graphic design platform where you can use templates to create custom graphics, but also a graphics marketplace, website builder platform and digital agency. If needed, you can skip working on your design projects yourself and contact DesignBold’s team to dedicate a professional team of designers to your project.

But if you find those are still not enough, you can access additional 4000+ premium templates and a few other perks with the Pro membership plan at $7.99/mo.

 

12. Stencil

You’ll Love:

• Social media graphic maker
• Also has social sharing and post-scheduling features

 

Things to Consider:

• Too narrowly focused on social media graphics and is not enough for those with wider graphic design needs

 

Pricing:

• The Free version limits you in photos and icons you can use, and you can save only up to 10 graphics per month
• The Pro version ($15/mo) boosts your monthly saves to up to 50, also unlocking a very large library of photos and icons and a Premium support
• There is also the Unlimited plan ($20/mo) that unlimits all your activities inside the platform, only limiting you to 100 Instagram SMS/mo

 

General Overview:

Stencil is a social media graphic maker that allows for a speedy and foolproof editing process, social sharing, and post scheduling. The graphic maker’s close integration with Buffer enables users to instantly schedule their designs for posting.

While that’s great for those who focus on social media marketing, Stencil can be limited for those who need a broader graphic design tool. For example, if you also need printables, presentations, etc. Stencil can’t support all your graphic design needs and you’ll need to shift to a more robust tool like Renderforest. 

Stencil’s huge library of 5,000,000 royalty-free images is fully provided by its partners — Unsplash, Pixabay, and Pexels. So expect no shortage of high-quality stock photos. The graphic design software is available both for free and with a charge. Pricing begins at $15/mo.

 

Desktop Graphic Design Software

It’s time for us to switch to more traditional graphic design tools! Desktop-based graphic design software can be used in the desktop version, meaning that it needs to be downloaded and installed on your computer. It can come in the form of stand-alone programs or even as part of a Creative Suite like Adobe’s Photoshop, Illustrator or InDesign. 

Having a desktop version of graphic design software is more convenient. You’re not working in the browser, heavily relying on the internet connection and bandwidth, and the overall experience of working with the graphics is more seamless.

 

13. CorelDraw’s Corel Vector

You’ll Love:

• Many advanced image editing tools
• More suitable for professional users looking to create advanced graphics

 

Things to Consider:

• Has a steep learning curve for beginners

 

Pricing:

• The only pricing plan is $69.99/year

 

General Overview:

Corel Vector is perfect for creating logos, icons, illustrations and posters – all in just a few clicks. It’s also great for adding creative effects to photos and graphics. This web-based vector app can be accessed on any device, eliminating any inconveniences related to compatibility. 

It is suitable for both beginners and professional users, but it’s worth mentioning most of the features require a steep learning curve to use. Though there is a growing library of templates to help those who don’t want to start graphics from scratch, we can hardly call Corel Vector the easiest design tool out there. 

The platform has a pack of advanced tools, such as non-destructive crop, scale, clip support for images, smart shapes, non-destructive object styling, and more. The only pricing plan costs you $69.99/year. 

 

14. Inkscape

You’ll Love:

• Advanced features like object creation and manipulation, cloning, mesh gradients, bitmap tracing, and more
• Free to use

 

Things to Consider:

• Has a steep learning curve for beginners

 

Pricing:

• Free

 

General Overview:

Inkscape is a vector graphic editor packed with flexible design tools and functionalities. The user interface might take some getting used to, but it’s worth it if you want advanced features that might be missing in some of the web-based applications. Object creation and manipulation, cloning, mesh gradients, and bitmap tracing are just a few of the features.

Your HTML knowledge can also come in handy, as the program allows changes directly in the source code. Did we mention that Inkscape is entirely free?

 

15. Adobe Illustrator 

You’ll Love:

• The full-featured tool to create complex illustrations
• All files get synced to Adobe Creative Cloud, even when edited online

 

Things to Consider:

• Has a steep learning curve for beginners

 

Pricing:

• With $19.99/mo you get Creative Cloud all apps, including Photoshop, Illustrator, and more!

 

General Overview:

Adobe Illustrator is undoubtedly one of the most recognized vector design software, and rightfully so. The full-featured tool has it all to help you create complex illustrations like logos and artwork. With the highly customizable user interface and ability to work on multiple projects simultaneously, your workflow efficiency will be at its peak.

On the downside, those new to the Adobe systems might find that the software requires a steep learning curve. However, beginners can make use of the templates offered by Adobe Illustrator, while more experienced creators will be able to control every aspect of their work.

You’re free to design offline with no worries, as your files will automatically be synced to Adobe Creative Cloud.

 

16. Adobe Photoshop

You’ll Love:

• The most popular name for digital artists
• An all-inclusive toolset for photo manipulation, 3D art, typography, and even animation

 

Things to Consider:

• Has a steep learning curve for beginners

 

Pricing:

• There are many pricing plans that should be checked in detail to find what’s best for your needs. You can find plans for Individuals, Businesses, Students & Teachers, Schools & Universities.
• The most affordable plan will cost you $19.99/mo, which includes Lightroom, Lightroom Classic, Photoshop on desktop and iPad, and 1TB of cloud storage

 

General Overview:

In the graphic design world, Adobe Photoshop hardly needs any introduction. It has become the industry benchmark and the go-to tool for most digital artists. Apart from a customizable user interface, Photoshop offers an all-inclusive toolset for photo manipulation, 3D art, typography, and even animation. 

Object isolation, path editing, and a plethora of art brushes are just a few of the perks you can expect to find on Photoshop. The advanced drawing tools will help you create smooth illustrations down to pixel level.

Being a rightful member of Adobe Creative Cloud, Photoshop is often compared to Adobe Illustrator. The most obvious difference is that Photoshop is raster-based, unlike Illustrator. Photoshop is best suited for editing photos to perfection, while Illustrator is a better choice if you’re looking to create art from scratch.

Photoshop has a few subscription plans; the most inexpensive option is the Photography plan at $19.99/mo, and the price goes up from there.

 

 

17. Adobe InDesign

You’ll Love:

• Very suitable for those who create graphics for print
• The learning curve is less steep compared to other two software programs of the list

 

Things to Consider:

• There is still a learning curve for non-professionals
• Limited photo editing features

 

Pricing:

• With $19.99/mo you get Creative Cloud all apps, including Photoshop, Illustrator, and more!

 

General Overview:

Ready to talk about yet another member of the Adobe Creative Cloud family? We hope you are because Adobe InDesign is a must-have for professionals in the print industry. The graphic design software helps design clean layouts for magazines, book covers, flyers, postcards, and the like. 

It’s a less demanding Adobe product with a much lower learning curve. InDesign is great for combining text with graphics, but it’s not the most potent app when it comes to manipulating photos due to its limited editing tools.

The program is available at $19.99 per month for Creative Cloud All Apps, including Photoshop, Illustrator, etc. 

 

18. Vectr

You’ll Love:

• Very suitable for those who create 2D graphics
• Real-time collaboration via unique project links

 

Things to Consider:

• You may need some guidance to start using the software

 

Pricing:

• There is a Free plan that gives you access to limited elements and has ads when using the platform
• The Premium 1 Plan ($7.99/year) unlocks 8,000+ exclusive elements and provides an ad-free experience
• The Premium 2 plan ($13.99/year) adds 120 credits a month and provides 3GP space

 

General Overview:

Vectr is a graphic design software for vector art, as the name has already given it away. It’s a competitive tool for working with 2D graphics. Designers can find filters, shadows, and all the basic functionalities they’ll need in the process of creating graphics. Vectr can also be used as a web app.

The tool allows real-time team collaboration via unique project links. The dashboard is not as busy as that of the Adobe Creative Cloud apps, but step-by-step tutorials are still available on their website in case you need some guidance.

 

19. GIMP

You’ll Love:

• Open-source program

 

Things to Consider:

• No templates

 

Pricing:

• Free

 

General Overview:

GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) is a great open-source program with impressive, enhanced features. The graphic design software caters to visual artists of all skill levels thanks to its clean and intuitive interface and top-notch design toolkit.

The features include color correction, cloning, painting brushes, high-level enhancement settings, just to name a few. GIMP works with all the widespread file formats.

Though many graphic design elements are available in GIMP to help you create your custom graphics, there are no templates available. So, if you’re a beginner looking for ready-made templates to accelerate and simplify your graphic creation efforts, GIMP is not the best choice. 

 

20. CorelDRAW Graphics Suite

You’ll Love:

• Great for professional use
• An advanced tool with pre-made templates, frames, 600+ gradients, 1000 fonts, 48 export formats, and other high-level features

 

Things to Consider:

• Runs only on Windows
• Not a beginner-friendly tool

 

Pricing:

• The only subscription plan is $55.55/mo

 

General Overview:

Want to combine a simple user interface with a high-level toolset? CorelDRAW has done it! The powerful graphic editor comes with pre-made templates, frames, 600+ gradients, 1000 fonts, 48 export formats, and other high-level features. The software only runs on Windows.

CorelDRAW might not be the most beginner-friendly platform, but it’s a great fit for professional use. A 15-day free trial is available, though you’ll have to transition to a subscription plan to keep using the program. The offered subscription plan is available at $55.55/mo. 

 

21. PaintShop Pro

You’ll Love:

• Focuses on photo editing 

 

Things to Consider:

• May be too narrow for those who need broader graphic design tools

 

Pricing:

• The only subscription plan is $79.99/mo

 

General Overview:

This Corel product comes from the same developer, but it focuses explicitly on photo editing. The flexible editor supports both vector and raster graphics as well as multiple import and export formats. Various plugins are available, so you can easily align the program with your workflow.

You get a 30-day free trial before making a purchase for $79.99 (or $59.99 if you’re upgrading from any previous version).

 

Recommended Reading

---

1. 225 YouTube Video Ideas You Can Try Right Now
2. How to Design Graphics With Renderforest

---

 

22. Creately

You’ll Love:

• Templates categorized by industries
• More suitable for storyboards, infographics and business diagrams

 

Things to Consider:

• Creation tools are limited compared to other software in this list

 

Pricing:

• With the Free version, you can create 60 items max and have raster image only exports
• The Starter plan ($8/mo) has unlimited canvases with unlimited item per canvas, 30 day version history and all export formats
• The Business plan ($149/mo) also adds project management tools, HR, Product and IT toolkits, most integrations and a one-account admin

 

General Overview:

Creately is a platform to make visual designs, brainstorm, and collaborate in real-time. It has an array of templates categorized into marketing, product, strategy, education, and other groups. The tool doesn’t give you endless artistic freedom, but it’s handy for creating flowcharts, infographics, storyboards, and other business diagrams.

An online cloud edition of the software is available if you don’t wish to download the app. You’re allowed to create up to three documents with the free version; otherwise, you can subscribe to one of their pricing plans starting at $8/mo.

 

23. Krita

You’ll Love:

• A raster graphics editor and a painting program combined
• Easy-to-use

 

Things to Consider:

• Mostly suitable for helping creative artists, not graphic designers

 

Pricing:

• A free platform operating on donations

 

General Overview:

Krita is a raster graphics editor and painting program launched by a group of artists who wanted to make digital painting accessible to everyone. The tool is quite easy to adapt to, yet it delivers a broad range of professional drawing tools.

The software is free to use, but you can make one-time or monthly donations to support the creators.

It’s mostly focused on helping creators provide tools for concept art, texture and matte painters, illustrations, comics and more! If you’re a digital artist taking your first steps in the creative world, the tool can be very useful. However, if you’re a professional graphic designer looking for a platform with robust functionality, Krita is not the right direction. 

 

24. Affinity Designer 2

You’ll Love:

• Advanced color correction, curve manipulation, and live pixel preview
• There are no lags even if you work with large files

 

Things to Consider:

• Mostly suitable for helping creative artists

 

Pricing:

• There is no subscription fee, you get a Windows or macOS version for a one-off payment of $69.99 or you buy the entire suite for all platforms for $164.99

 

General Overview:

Affinity Designer is a professional vector and raster graphic maker offering a rich toolset to create art, prints, logos, icons, UI designs, and more. Expect advanced color correction, curve manipulation, and live pixel preview.

The sturdy engine is able to handle heavy documents without lagging. The intricate grid system, alignment guides, and zooming options will guarantee sharp accuracy for your designs. The tool is budget-friendly and works on a one-time purchase basis. A lifetime license for Windows and Mac costs $69.99.

 

25. Graphic for Mac

You’ll Love:

• Import and export options in SVG, PDF, and PSD formats

 

Things to Consider:

• Suitable only for Mac users

 

Pricing:

• You can download the app for $29.99 from App Store

 

General Overview:

Graphic is a vector drawing and illustration software that runs on Apple devices. The application was designed with simplicity and usability in mind to provide an intuitive creating process. You can freely import and export SVG, PDF, and PSD documents.

The sophisticated drawing tools, shape libraries, and effects will enable you to create high-definition graphics, mockups, and UI designs. You can also save and reapply certain styles to quicken the editing process. Graphic is available on the App Store for $29.99.

 

26. Xara Designer Pro

You’ll Love:

• Can be used to edit both bitmap and vector graphics
• Can be used as a downloadable app or a part of Xara Cloud’s collaborative platform

 

Things to Consider:

• Slow loading times

 

Pricing:

• The Designer Pro+ plan ($14.99/mo/user) unlocks desktop publishing, web design, photo-editing, and graphic design
• You can also purchase the Cloud Pro+ ($16.99/mo/user) which allows for branding consistency and automated marketing workflows with the Cloud Platform

 

General Overview:

Xara Designer Pro is a versatile tool that handles desktop publishing, photo editing, and illustration creation. Pro+  edits both bitmap and vector graphics. 

It’s available on Windows as a downloadable app, but you can edit your documents online and work collaboratively in Xara Cloud. 

Many users report that there are slow loading times of the platform when working with Windows. That’s especially annoying when working with large files. 

Xara offers its cloud services for free, but the desktop application and advanced features can be unlocked with the Pro+ plan at $14.99/mo.

A lighter alternative to Designer Pro is Xara Photo & Graphic Designer.

 

 

27. Paint.NET

You’ll Love:

• A powerful alternative to Paint
• Very dependable photo and image editing software

 

Things to Consider:

• It lacks templates and presentation packs

 

Pricing:

• The platform works for free and accepts donations if you like

 

General Overview:

Paint.NET is a free Windows photo editor and a more powerful alternative to Microsoft Paint. The software has support for layers, blending, special effects, and plugins. You can get access to the available plugins through their forum. The program doesn’t cost any money, but donations are accepted on their website.

It’s worth noting that Paint.NET is a powerful image and photo editor tool, but it’s not a fully-packed graphic design tool with templates, presentation packs, etc. So, you should know there are specific cases when this platform is very helpful, but it’s not a universal graphic designers’ toolbox. 

 

28. Sketch

You’ll Love:

• Supports collaboration between team members
• Very suitable for UX/UI designers
• 30-day free trial with no credit card required

 

Things to Consider:

• Works only for Mac users

 

Pricing:

• The Standard plan ($12/mo) unlocks basic macOS app, offline, private working and real-time collaboration
• Business plan ($20/mo) is available only for yearly billing, and unlocks unlimited storage space, invoice-based billing and permissions directory
• You can also purchase a Mac-only license at $120

 

General Overview:

This native macOS vector graphics editor is a trusted tool for many UX/UI designers. Users can customize the shortcuts and add plugins and integrations to optimize the program for their needs. Creators can work with a team of collaborators.

The latter is especially important, as Sketch is one of the rare web-based apps that allow for team collaboration. Your team members can share feedback or inspect your created designs in real time, creating a very convenient experience. 

For individuals, a pay-once license will cost $99, while teams will be charged $9 per contributor. A 30-day free trial is available.

 

29. ArtRage

You’ll Love:

• A versatile drawing kit
• Simple navigation
• Works on iOS and Android phones

 

Things to Consider:

• No templates or presentation packs

 

Pricing:

• You can purchase a desktop version of the app for $39.99, which works both for Windows and Mac

 

General Overview:

ArtRage is a bitmap graphics software with specialized painting tools to help creatives make any type of digital art. The versatile drawing kit and simple navigation make ArtRage a suitable tool not only for professionals but also for anyone just getting started with graphic design.

Again, that’s not a fully-fledged graphic design tool with mockups, templates, etc. But the platform is extremely helpful for creative professionals supporting advanced drawing functionalities. 

The software is compatible with iOS and Android phones as well. Both for Windows and Mac computer desktops, ArtRage can be purchased for $39.99. 

 

3D Graphic Design Software

Coming to the end of our graphic design software list, we’re introducing you to 3D graphic design software. This type of program allows users to create designs that can be rendered in three dimensions. You can easily rotate and move the objects around for perfect angles and lines without having to worry about skewing the images or losing your artwork in the process.

The best part is that these programs allow you to add a lot of depth and detail to your designs, making them look more realistic and professional. Many 3D graphic design programs offer a lot of pre-made shapes, textures, and effects that make it easier for beginners to get started.

 

30. Sumo3D

You’ll Love:

• A rich library of 3D meshes, colors and textures

 

Things to Consider:

• Steep learning curve

 

Pricing:

• The Basic free version can be used only in an online format, with limited features and storage
• There is also the Edu ($2/mo) plan only for students with learning materials and a Pro version ($4/mo) with unlimited features

 

General Overview:

Sumo3D is an online editing tool for creating 3D models, objects, and animations. The design app comes packed with a rich library of 3D meshes, colors, and textures. You’re free to add code to tweak your 3D creations just how you like them.

Sumo3D has a free, 7-day trial for all subscription plans and a Basic plan that comes for free, limiting you in storage and features. If you want to enjoy more of the platform, there are Edu and Pro plans, unlocking more features. 

 

31. Blender 3.6 LTS

You’ll Love:

• A very wide range of professional 3D features like enders, sculpting, animation, rigging and more!
• Completely free

 

Things to Consider:

• Constant platform fixes until 2025

 

Pricing:

• The platform is free, you can donate money if you like it to support developers

 

General Overview:

Blender 3.6 LTS is an open-source 3D content creation platform and is one of the best of its kind. With this tool, you can enjoy a plethora of modeling tools, sophisticated brushes, photorealistic renders, and python scripting options.

Blender supports jaw-dropping renders, modeling, sculpting, animation & rigging, simulation, video editing, scripting and more – allowing you to unlock your inner 3D hero completely. 

As Blender is free, monthly or one-time donations are encouraged.  A potential drawback of this platform  is that it’s going to have constant fixes until 2025, so you may sometimes experience inconveniences because of incomplete features. 

 

32. Clara.io

You’ll Love:

• A complete 3D toolset
• Easy sharing options without third-party software
• Helpful for creating Web game content

 

Things to Consider:

• Free version is very limited in the storage space

 

Pricing:

• There is a Free plan, limiting you to 1 hour rendering time per month and personal usage only
• The Standard plan ($10/mo) extends limits to 10-hour rendering time per month and provides you with a 30-day free trial
• The Advanced plan ($100/mo) unlocks up to 200 hours of rendering time and 50GB cloud storage
• You can also contact the platform for custom, Enterprise plan

 

General Overview:

Clara.io is a web-based graphic design software best known for 3D modeling. The platform provides high rendering quality, a complete 3D toolset, and team collaboration. 

That’s a great tool to make complex 3D models, create stunning photorealistic renderings. The best part is you can share your created 3D graphics with the world with no need to install any third-party software. 

Clara.io is a well-oiled Three.JS or Babylon.JS editor. So if you want to create a Web game content, it can be a great helper for that. 

As powerful as it is, the free version only gives you 2GB of storage and one hour of rendering time each month. To go over the limits, you can subscribe to one of their plans, starting at just $10/mo.

 

33. Paint 3D

You’ll Love:

• Classic Paint program redefined
• Many advanced brushed and 3D tools

 

Things to Consider:

• Available only for Windows 10 and higher

 

Pricing:

• Free

 

General Overview:

If you want to experiment with 3D models or 2D sketches and have a Windows-powered device, Paint3D is a great option for you. It’s an enhanced version of Microsoft Paint with a modernized interface and expanded toolset. The program comes as a built-in, free application on Windows 10 computers.

As mentioned, it’s an updated classic Paint, which is enriched with new brushes and tools. As a result, you can make powerful 2D and 3D models and view/edit them from different angles. 

 

34. Daz Studio

You’ll Love:

• Free platform
• Robust content library
• Studio-class processing
• Weekly and monthly contests for 3D artists

 

Things to Consider:

• Crushes happen sometimes

 

Pricing:

• Free

 

General Overview:

You can create high-quality 3D images and videos with Daz Studio — a free 3D art creation platform developed for Windows and macOS. The application allows users to create super-detailed characters and scenes, adjust the lighting and camera angles, and achieve highly realistic results.

Daz Studio is great for creating custom scenes and characters with the help of its content library. The robust functionality also allows for creating photo-realistic images and videos supported by studio-class processing. 

It’s also a good chance to become a part of the 3D artists’ community. For example, there are weekly and monthly contests where you can participate to show your skills and win different prizes. 

The only drawback is that many users report that Daz Studio has some crushes from time to time. 

 

Final Words

There you have our list of the best graphic design software for artists, amateurs, and everyone in between. Regardless of how far your budget can stretch, there are plenty of software options that can meet your requirements and experience level. 

Explore hundreds of professionally made graphic designs you can customize for your project within minutes.