What are the best easy free graphic design software solutions available online? You’ve probably been thinking about this for a long time. Well, wonder no more because we’re ready to reveal our findings after doing all the research.
In this review, I will share with you the best free software that can be used by both advance and beginner users.
Visme
The largest library of visual assets
Editors’ Rating (4/5)
Pros
- Lots of templates
- Saves color palettes
- Suitable for teamwork
- Can create animation and videos
- Integrates with other apps
Cons
- More expensive than competitors
Visme is an online tool for branding and creating visual assets such as charts, slideshows, storyboards, and even social media ad units. You can cope with such a variety of tasks thanks to an extensive stock library of graphic resources. Visme focuses on brand aesthetics and has features to preserve color palettes, images, videos and other assets of your brand/company.
In addition to classic presentations, you can create short videos and animations with transitions. The software offers numerous templates and allows you to add text or select the transition you want.
One of the most important innovations is the possibility to work as a team on the same file. You can draw up a special plan and develop a report or diagram of your business for your design team.
Visme integrates with many applications so that you can retrieve assets and data that you already store somewhere. What I really like is the possibility to download and share a file from a view-only link, inviting people to leave comments and annotations on the file.
Inkscape
A powerful software for vector graphics. Free even for commercial use
Editors’ Rating (4.5/5)
Windows / Mac / Linux
Pros
- Completely free
- Plenty of filters
- Contains new nice effect tools
- A lot of educational content
Cons
- Can be very slow in large projects
This open-source vector free graphics program is widely known as a free analog of Adobe Illustrator. The difference between them is in the fact that Inkscape uses Scalable Vector Graphic (SVG) as the main format. Designers, who are familiar with vector graphics, will easily master this program. Here you can create projects of any complexity.
It is a winner in Inkscape vs Photoshop battle, if you need a program for beginning graphic designers as it provides a large number of modern tools and effects, including complex path manipulations, node editing, bitmap tracing, and path-based text.
As soon as you enter their website, Inkscape immediately shows that it’s a professional tool for Windows, Mac OS X and Linux. However, there is a separate page that contains instructions and tells how to download it.
- Read more about how to buy Adobe InDesign without subscription?
Gravit Designer
Best free graphic design software for beginners
Editors’ Rating (4/5)
Windows / Mac / Linux / Chrome OS / WebPros
- A huge library of vector assets
- Intuitive user interface and workflow
- The browser and cross-platform versions are connected to the cloud
Cons
- It will become paid in the future
- Lack of additional functions
The developers of Gravit Designer software offer many possibilities. This is something between Inkscape and Vectr.
It has more functions than Vectr and is as intuitive as Inkscape. This program allows you to do everything that you expect from a vector software and have some tools typically available in digital asset management software for photographers.
You can create curves, edit paths, manage layers and use the knife function. It supports SVG, PDF, JPEG, SKETCH and since recently, EPS formats for import and export too. Besides, you can work on your projects on different platforms.
Gravit Cloud provides a smooth transfer of files between desktop and online versions. A portable version of this software is also available.
Among other useful functions of Gravit, there are vector assets available. The library of Gravit Designer assets includes badges, forms, emojis and illustrations that can be combined and modified for commercial and non-commercial use.
Designhill Studio
Super fast, fun, and effortless editing
Editors’ Rating (4/5)
Windows / Linux / macOS /Android OSUSE DESIGNHILL STUDIO FREEPros
- No design experience required to use it
- Click-based clean & simple interface
- Creative freedom
- Pre-designed layouts
- An extensive library of templates, icons, shapes, and graphics
Cons
- Delayed loading time
- No mobile app version is available
- Cannot use without having an account with Designhill
Designhill Studio is an incredible photo editor tool that comes with an innovative and user-friendly interface. It has served millions of businesses and individuals across the world. You can not only edit your favorite images but also create & personalize your logo. Surprisingly, the software offers an extensive library of templates, elements, and effects making editing a breeze.
What makes it even more interesting is that it’s free to use. Both designers, as well as non-designers, can use it for varied purposes.
GIMP
A powerful raster graphics editor
Editors’ Rating (4/5)
Windows / Mac / Linux | Read GIMP Review
Pros
- Vivid and modern UI
- Easy to use
- Has single windows usage
Cons
- Contains several bugs
Gimp graphic design software is well-thought-out and surprisingly free. It provides a versatile photo editor that can work on all main operating systems.
Gimp is for those who are looking for robust software to perform different manipulations with photos, create paintings or mock-ups.
The interface of this free graphics software is similar to Adobe Photoshop. A few tool icons are the same and the layer setup is not worse than in Photoshop.
The developers consider the requests of the users and do everything to enhance the functions of this software. One of such functions is saving and exporting files. It saves your working files in XCF format. But you will have to export other formats.
- Read more about GIMP vs Photoshop.
Easelly
Software for creating infographics automatically
Editors’ Rating (3/5)
WebPros
- Create all the diagrams online
- Instant upload a finished layout to your website, social network or computer
- To use additional functions of this resource, you have to pay just $3 a month
Cons
- No autosave
- Might not be useful for advanced users
The next option might seem too creative for those who haven’t worked with infographics yet. Especially, if you take into consideration a set of different icons in the form of moving people, various lines and diagrams.
This software allows you to create and edit different infographics and display it in PDF or JPG formats. The basic version is free but additional elements are available for a small fee. However, unlike many other data visualization tools, Easelly is way cheaper.
SVG-Edit
Best software for simple tasks
Editors’ Rating (3/5)
Web
Pros
- Simple, fast in use
- Open-source web code
Cons
- Node management is not ideal
SVG-edit is one of the free design programs that does exactly what its name implies. It edits SVG and creates its own. This is a free online program that is available in the majority of browsers.
A set of functions is standard. Here you can create shapes, draw with pencil, transform lines into paths, color and add images. The result can be exported to popular web formats, such as WMP, JPG, BMP, GIF, TIFF, and, of course, SVG.
The interface is quite simple and reminds me of drawing programs from the beginning of the 2000s – there is nothing special here.
Daz 3D
Best software for creating 3D graphics
Editors’ Rating (4/5)
Windows / Mac
Pros
- Characters look realistic
- Offers Morphing Tools, Facial Expressions, Movements
- Provides 3D Content Modeling, Animation, Rendering
- Has 3D Creation Tool
Cons
- Hasn’t had updates for a long time
- Requires powerful computer
This is the best free graphic design software for animators, illustrators and designers. It can be used for 3D animation, figure posing and rendering.
The software represents a combination of various graphic design platforms, solutions and additions, such as Hexagon, Genesis 8 and Daz Studio. They work together in order to create the possibilities of designing 3D rigged human models.
Also, using Daz 3D, you can create amazing digital locations, animations and illustrations. It’s a universal software that offers a lot of functions that help adjust scenes and characters and make masterpieces out of them. Daz 3D has a figure platform and character engine that enables the creation of detailed characters.
Blender
High-quality open-source software for 3D content and graphics
Editors’ Rating (4.5/5)
Mac / Linux / WindowsPros
- Free open-source software
- Possibility to export files to other formats
- Possibility to render with your GPU instead of CPU
Cons
- No appropriate support of motion capture
- Difficult animation management if you have more than 15 animations
- Complicated learning curve
Blender is one of the best graphics programs for creating 3D computer graphics. It is used for 3D modeling and visualization in different spheres. Also, Blender will be useful for creating outdoor advertising, print products and web-design.
It is often simpler and faster to model the object from the right angle than to search for it, select it or draw. The result looks more realistic as when visualizing the object, its physical features are taken into account.
If you need to include objects in your design that don’t exist in real life, you can only model them or draw. Since this program is a vector one, you will achieve qualitative images as a result. Even on banners, their quality will win compared to photos.
Krita
Free software for drawing
Editors’ Rating (3.5/5)
Mac / Linux / Windows | Read Krita reviewUSE KRITA FOR FREEPros
- Contains plenty of illustrations and examples
- Not difficult to follow
- Bright and interesting
- Shows both basic and advanced methods
Cons
- Plenty of memory is required
- Tools for text
Krita is the best free graphic design software with an open source for illustrators and concept artists. It will be most useful for comic book artists as it has a set of tools, such as halftones and ready-made templates, specifically for these tasks.
However, the software is suitable for other types of drawing as well. Krita offers a large set of drawing tools, including vanishing points, smooth shapes, layer masks and many more. Moreover, the program is often advertized as a great alternative to Adobe Ps, and there are mant Krita vs Photoshop reviews covering their similarities and differences.
Conclusion
There you have it! Our favorite choices for easy, free graphic design software. This list should hopefully offer a good starting point for your search, and we encourage you to read our full reviews of each option to determine which one is best for your needs. Whatever you decide, at least now you are equipped with the knowledge needed to make the right choice when looking for free graphic design software online!