The best free graphic design software for windows includes Photoshop, Illustrator, and After Effects (if you’re a graphic designer, you know exactly what these three products are). These software programs have specific features that will help you make beautiful graphics.
In this article I’ll tell you why each of them is the best free graphic design software and why they are the “canonical” three most used in the industry.
BEST OVERALLLogo Design Studio Pro
Logo Design Studio Pro is an easy-to-use yet comprehensive vector graphic editing software providing everything a small business owner needs for logo design with an affordable price.Pros
- Subscription or download options
- Great for basic to intermediate design skills
- Can export logo in several formats
Cons
- Online subscription requires a 90-day commitment
- No downloadable version for Mac
- May want to buy expansion packs for more templates
The company Summitsoft introduced its graphic design software in 2001 and has continually improved it. Logo Design Studio Pro provides high-level features without a sharp learning curve, making it the clear winner in our best overall logo software category.
Logo Design Studio Pro offers a “premier do-it-yourself logo design experience,” meaning small business owners with different experience levels can create professional logos with ease. The software comes with:
- Over 2,000 customizable logo templates
- More than 6,000 vector shapes, images, and graphics
- Over 750 fonts available for commercial use
Logo Design Studio Pro offers several pricing options, including a one-time fee for a Windows download or subscription-based plans. You can use the web version on Mac and Windows operating systems. Packages include:
- Logo Design Studio Pro Standard Edition: $69.99 one-time fee for a downloadable version
- Logo Design Studio Pro Platinum Edition: $149.99 one-time fee for download plus three expansion packs
- Logo Design Studio Pro Online: $29.99 the first month, then $7.99 per month for a web browser-based version
- Logo Design Studio Pro with 30-day pass: Use the software for 30-days for a one-time fee
Plus, you can edit your logo design using gradients, shadow, blur, glow, 3D bevel, or emboss effects. Once complete, users export their graphic as a JPEG, PNG, GIF, or black and white file. If you want more logo, font, and graphic templates, you can purchase expansion packs starting at $29.99, such as:
- Color Splash Pack
- Cutting Edge
- Vintage Cool
- Food and Beverage
- General Construction
- Fashion and Retail
- Service and Odd Jobs
- Professional and Business
- Sports and Mascots
- Alphabet Art
- Winter Wonderland
BEST FOR BEGINNERSDesignhill
If you’re new to logo design, then Designhill’s AI-powered software makes it easy to create a logo within minutes.Pros
- Only pay upon downloading your logo
- Create a logo in five minutes
- Works on desktop, mobile, and tablets
Cons
- Limited editing tools
- Minimal customization options
- Some templates and fonts look less professional than others
Designhill began in 2014 as a design crowdsourcing platform but pivoted to providing small business owners access to logo generating software that doesn’t require graphic designer skills. Instead, Designhill’s AI-capabilities handle design elements, so beginners don’t need to learn how to navigate specialty software, making Designhill the best tool for beginners.
Unlike graphic design software, you won’t spend time watching tutorials to navigate Designhill. No experience is needed, and even people who aren’t tech-savvy find Designhill easy to use. Instead of complicated features, this logo generator creates your design after you answer a few simple questions.
You won’t find comprehensive editing tools in this software as it’s a logo generator, meaning they do the work for you. However, the company also offers Designhill Studio, a graphic design tool with icons, templates, and fonts.
Once you complete your design, you can save or purchase it in a downloadable format of PNG, SVG, EPS, JPEG, and vector logo files. Designhill offers three packages for beginners needing a one-time logo purchase:
- Basic: For $20, you get a basic low-resolution file best for use on social media
- Premium: Pay $65 for a high-resolution logo, lifetime phone support, font names and colors, and options like a transparent background
- Enterprise: For $150, you get everything from the premium package plus advice from an in-house graphic designer
BEST FOR EXPERIENCED DESIGNERSAdobe Illustrator
Built for graphic designers, Adobe Illustrator provides comprehensive software with many customization options and in-depth features for people familiar with vector editing tools.Pros
- Seven-day free trial
- Can import scanned images
- Customizable workspaces
Cons
- Steep learning curve
- Doesn’t support many raster graphics
- Special pricing offers require a 12-month commitment
Since 1985, Adobe has led the industry in graphic design software, and Adobe Illustrator is part of Adobe’s Creative Suite. This feature-rich logo tool gives you unlimited design options perfect for customization by business owners familiar with graphic design software. Its complex functions require knowledge of editing and design tools, so Adobe Illustrator is the best software for experienced designers.
You can download the software to Mac or Windows computers or use it on your iPad. Inside this graphic design application, you’ll find a nearly unlimited number of editing and design tools, including:
- Perspective and pixel grids
- Advanced color options like Pantone or CMYK palettes
- Over 16,000 font types
- Gradient tool for objects or individual brush strokes
- Reshaping, symbolism, and paint tools
- Puppet Warp to twist and shape objects
Adobe offers plans for commercial and personal use along with a discount for teachers and students. You can buy a single application, like Adobe Illustrator, for $33.99 per month per license or purchase all apps (over 20) for $79.99 per month per license. Business plans differ from individual plans by offering:
- Integration with popular apps like Slack and Microsoft Teams
- 1TB of cloud storage per user
- Team accessible Creative Cloud Libraries
- Instant syncing across devices
- Premium tech support
BEST FOR FREEInkscape
Inkscape is an open-source design program with robust logo creation tools and does it all for free.Pros
- Works on all operating systems
- Tons of editing features
- Frequently updated
Cons
- Installation is more complex on Mac computers
- Outdated interface
- Learning curve for people unfamiliar with design software
The software was created in 2003 as part of an open-source project, meaning developers can create new versions or tweak the code to fit a company’s needs. Inkscape’s straightforward design and rich capabilities make it a clear winner for free logo design software.
Inkscape is one of the few vector editing programs that work on Linux, Mac, and Windows platforms. If you’ve operated graphic design software before, then Inkscape will be easy to use. However, if you’re unfamiliar with the various vector editing features, there is a learning curve. But its popularity means you’ll find plenty of online tutorials to develop your logo.
Once you create your design, you can export it in several file formats, including SVG, AI, EPS, PDF, and PNG. Top editing functions consist of:
- Pencil, pen, and calligraphy tools
- Shape tools for rectangles, ellipses, stars, spirals, and polygons
- Text tool for multi-line text and on-canvas editing
- Color selector tool for RGB, HSL, CMYK, color wheel, and CMS palettes
- A gradient editor
BEST FOR ORIGINAL DESIGNSCorelDRAW
Turn nearly any sketch into a logo using CorelDRAW’s vector tracing tools.Pros
- Subscription or one-time purchase options
- Includes a full graphics suite
- In-app hints for guidance
Cons
- Higher learning curve
- No mobile app
- Few integrations
Released in 1989, CorelDRAW is the oldest software and a well-known competitor to the popular Adobe Illustrator. Its reasonable subscription cost and illustration-to-vector-image capabilities make CorelDRAW the best choice for business owners who created an image and need to turn it into a vector design.
You can buy CorelDRAW as a download for Windows or Mac. Or choose the subscription model which uses a web-based application. If you’ve used other graphic editors before, then CorelDRAW is similar. It’s not a logo generator, so it helps to have some design or editing program knowledge. You will appreciate the in-app video and tool hints, along with many tutorials.
If you have an existing sketch or want to hand-draw your logo, check out the LiveSketch tool. You can use any pen-enabled device to sketch your design while the software adjusts it for vector curves or use its intelligent vectorization tool called PowerTRACE™ to scan a file and turn it into a vector image. Other features include:
- More than 7,000 clipart, images, and vehicle wrap templates
- Over 1,000 fonts
- Symmetry, block shadow, and capture tools
All plans come with seven applications, such as CorelDRAW and Corel Font Manager. You have three pricing options:
- One-time download: $499
- Month-to-month subscription: $34.95
- Annual subscription: $249
Conclusion
The free graphic design software found around the web has been either too complex, or not up to the standards that professionals want to see in their images. Finding an option that is free, easy to use but still provides a high standard of results is not an easy task. That said, there are a few contenders available which offer exactly what you are looking for.