Are you looking for a free graphic design software? Maybe you want to learn about free online graphic design software? Need suggestions for some of the best online graphic design software available? In the end, it doesn’t really matter which program you choose. What does matter is that you choose an option that you’ll actually use and enjoy.
The quick answer is yes, there are graphic design software free you can use. The longer answer involves a little research into your options and some trial and error to see which work best for you. Regardless of how much time you’re willing to invest into your search, the goal of this guide is to give you some new ideas that might help as you look for these graphic designing software free online.
Affinity
Affinity Photo and Affinity Designer are relatively new competitors in the world of graphic design software. As you might expect, Affinity Photo is focused on photo editing, while Affinity Designer is vector graphic design software great for branding work, concept art, print projects, icons, and web mockups. Affinity software is designed to be fast regardless of the size or complexity of your work. It’s also highly customizable, with an intuitive, modern interface, advanced layer controls, the ability to undo up to 8,000 steps, and standard file format compatibility. This software is available on Windows or Mac at the reasonable price of $50 each.
Corel Painter
Pros
- Constant updates
- Dozens of tools that imitate real drawing
- User-friendly interface
Cons
- An upgrade is a bit expensive
- Difficult to understand
Corel Painter is a program originally created for painting. Its functionality does not provide the solution of a wide range of problems, and this is not a universal program at all. However, for digital drawing needs, Corel Painter is well-developed. This drawing software will provide you with an impressive array of professional artist tools. Brushes, oil palettes, watercolor palettes, various paper textures are available for you.
The digital drawing software imitates not only the result of applying a particular tool, but also the process of working with it. When using a pencil, the line thickness will directly depend on the angle of the stylus towards the screen of your tablet. A brush that has just been dipped in the paint will leave a wider and more saturated mark than a brush that has been painting for some time.
Adobe Photoshop
There are raster graphics editing programs, then there’s Photoshop. It’s the industry standard for manipulating digital photos and photorealistic computer art. It’s even entered the modern day lexicon of non graphic designers, “No way that picture’s real! It’s totally Photoshopped.”
Photoshop offers:
- 2D image manipulation
- 3D image manipulation
- Compositing
- Video editing
- Image analysis
Adobe Illustrator CC
Best for advanced creation and editing of vector graphics.
It is one of the leading vector graphic design and manipulation tools. It allows for tracing of photos into Vector Graphics.
Features:
- Mathematical graphic creation instead of pixels ensures all graphics are crisp.
- Access to more than 90 million stock images on the creative cloud.
- Adobe font integration.
- The small output file size makes it great for creating web images that will load quickly.
Cons: It has a steep learning curve and a challenging user interface.
Verdict: Adobe Illustrator CC is a fantastic graphic design tool for creating web images. It outputs high-quality images in small sizes, perfect for quick-loading websites.
Price: License available on Adobe Creative Cloud. When you want Adobe Illustrator alone on Adobe Creative Cloud, you will have to pay a subscription of $20.99/Month for a single user license.
GIMP
GIMP—short for GNU Image Manipulation Program—is one of the most popular free (and open source) alternatives to Photoshop. Compatible with Linux, Mac, and Windows operating systems, GIMP includes a comprehensive set of tools for everything from image editing and retouching to full blown creation of artwork, icons, and other graphic design elements using layers, masks, and more. GIMP supports all popular file formats (and a few rare ones too) and is easy to use, even if it’s your first graphic design software.
Gravit Designer
Best for HTML based graphics design both online and on desktop.
It is HTML-based graphic design software that can be used on any platform. It has a powerful image and vector graphic creation and manipulation capabilities.
Features:
- Web App and UI design tool using various standard shapes, icons, etc.
- Excellent Vector Illustration design.
- Image and photo editing capability.
- Pages feature for easy movement from one design to another.
- Exports high-quality PDF documents for printing.
Cons: It has a steep learning curve and a challenging user interface.
Verdict: Gravit designer is a great tool for designing on the go. The basic HTML-based graphic design tool works on any platform, making it ideal to use wherever you are.
Price: Free online based application, but the PRO version can be downloaded to the desktop for $49 per year.
Canva
Best for the online template-based design of vector images and web/print documents. Create cards, social media posts, and a lot more.
You can use this online tool to create a wide range of documents and media that requires image manipulation. It is best used for social media purposes and other individual tasks such as creating cards.
Features:
- Simple and robust design.
- Comes with pre-made templates for a wide range of applications.
- Great organization, making it easy to find the templates you need.
Cons: Some of the images are too large giving different results when posted online or printed.
Verdict: As far as online graphic design software comes, this is a leader in the market and offers a wide range of options. Whatever you need to design quickly, you will find it on Canva.
Price: Free graphic design software for the basic plan. The Pro version comes at $9.95/ Month (annual billing) or $12.95/Month on a monthly basis. The Enterprise version comes at $30/Month (annual billing) or a custom quote for a month-by-month subscription.
Pixlr
Best for online photo editing, similar to Adobe Photoshop.
A great free graphic design software with Basic Pixlr X and Advanced Pixlr E options. You can use the extensive image stock to create image media quickly.
Features:
- Simple interface.
- Wide stick image library for you to create wonderful images documents for various uses.
- Seamless editing and sharing between Pixlr X and Pixlr E.
- Double exposure, healing, cropping, and other powerful features to edit your images with ease.
Cons: It has limited text editing options.
Verdict: If you are looking for an online adobe Photoshop alternative then Pixlr is your best option. However, do not expect the full functionality offered by Photoshop.
Price: Free forever for the basic plan. Premium Plan offered at $3.99/Month and a Professional Plan for $14.99/Month.
Adobe Creative Suite
If you’re serious about pursuing graphic design professionally, Adobe Creative Suite contains much of the standard software you’ll use as a graphic designer—including Illustrator, InDesign, and Photoshop. Sure, these applications might take a little extra time to learn, but if they help you land a job, it’ll be worth your investment. You can start with a 30-day free trial and then pay on a monthly basis after your trial ends. Plus if you decide to go all in and study graphic design, Adobe offers all students a 60% discount on their Creative Suite software.
Conclusion:
Graphic designing has never been as easy as it is now. There are many free digital graphics software that you can use to create any kind of graphic layout, from creating a simple website header to something more complex like a packaging design.