The best graphic design software for mac has been a discussion I have often found on design forums, with mac-based graphic designers asking which app is the right program to start practicing and improving their skills. My colleagues and I have developed this list to help people find the best software for mac to get started on logo designs, infographics and other graphics they need as part of their work or passion.
In this review, we shall take a look at the best Graphic Software for Mac.
MOST COMPREHENSIVEGravit Designer
Use advanced vector editing tools for completely custom designs using the feature-rich Gravit Designer.Pros
- Video tutorials
- Tons of icon and illustration templates
- Works on all operating systems
Cons
- Limited features on free version
- Need graphic design editing experience
- Few collaboration tools
In 2018, the Corel Company acquired Gravit Designer, which added a great cloud-based tool to their software line.2 Gravit Designer’s feature-rich program allows you to zoom up to 25,600%, allowing for editing the finest of details. This affordable tool provides everything a small business owner needs, making it the winner as the most comprehensive logo design software.
As a web-based program, you can use Gravit Designer on Mac, Windows, and Linux systems. It’s easy to export your logo in a PNG, JPG, PDF, or SVG file. While you do need some familiarity with graphic design software, the user interface is uncluttered and straightforward to use.
Furthermore, the program includes vector editing features, such as:
- Selection tools
- Precision alignment
- Blending modes
- Symbol library
- Google integration
- Preset canvas sizes
- Print on demand templates
- Premade shapes such as emojis, frames, illustrations, icons, and stickers
Gravit Designer’s free version is robust, but many professionals opt for the annual subscription to access more color palettes and full support for all features. The plans include:
- Free: Comes with 500MB of cloud storage, PDF export, and RGC color palette
- Pro: For $99 per year, you get unlimited cloud storage, can work offline, and use a CMYK palette
BEST FOR INSTANT BRANDINGLooka
Use Looka’s AI-enabled logo generator to create a design, then get an entire brand kit for one low price.Pros
- Several payment options
- More than 300 branded templates
- Fast and easy to use
Cons
- Not as custom as vector editing tools
- Lesser-known industries may not find desired icons or symbols
- Mixed quality on some AI-generated logos
Looka launched in 2016 to give small business owners access to great designs at an affordable price. Its AI-capabilities mean you can develop a new logo within minutes and download a complete suite of branded assets. For small companies wanting to quickly produce images for email signatures, social media, and business cards, Looka is the best logo generator for instant branding.
Since Looka uses AI, you simply answer a few questions about your favorite design styles, colors, and symbols, then you’re presented with logos based on various templates. Editing is easy. Adjust shapes, colors, text spacing, or layout with a few clicks. Once you’re done, you can preview your logo on various branded assets, from T-shirts to business cards. Branding assets include:
- 20 business card templates
- Over eight email signatures and blog banners
- Get over 20 versions of your logo for social channels
- More than 10 letterhead designs
- Receive a custom branding document
When you’re happy with your design, you can buy the logo by itself or as part of a logo and brand kit. The logo and brand kits require an annual payment for a subscription:
- Basic: $96 per year for your logo, posters, and flyers
- Premium: $192 per year for all features with more than 300 ready-to-use branded assets
If you only want a logo, then you can make a one-time purchase. The logo-only packages consist of:
- Basic: $20 for one PNG logo file
- Premium: $65 for several high-resolution files in PNG, EPS, SVG, or PDF
- Enterprise: $80 for a social media kit and business card designs
BEST FOR MOBILEHatchful
This simple and intuitive logo maker’s features make it the best mobile app on the market.Pros
- User-friendly mobile interface
- Free
- No design skills needed
Cons
- Limited design and editing capabilities
- Less customizable than vector editing software
- PNG download only
Hatchful is Shopify’s logo maker that uses machine learning to deliver users a variety of design options. Hatchful created the logo generator for “the entrepreneur on the go,” making it the best choice for mobile users.
While Hatchful provides an easy-to-use mobile application for iOS and Android devices, you can also use the software on your desktop via a web browser. As a logo generator, you don’t need any special skills to use it.
Instead, you choose your industry, visual style, and where you’ll use your logo. The AI tool automatically generates dozens of logo variations. You can then edit the icons, colors, and fonts. Your free logo download comes with:
- A high-resolution logo
- Meta profile and cover image
- Instagram profile design
- Twitter banner, banner variation, and profile image
- Pinterest profile and board photo
- LinkedIn profile image and two banner variations
- YouTube profile photo
Hatchful is free to use.
BEST FOR COLLABORATINGCanva
Canva is full-featured editing software with real-time team collaboration tools that work well for teams with various design capabilities, plus you can share the link with external stakeholders.Pros
- Drag-and-drop interface
- Great for beginners
- Free plan available
Cons
- Mobile app has fewer features
- Free plan limits the number of available icons
- Program can slow down your computer
Since 2013, Canva continues to develop fresh and high-quality templates for logo making. This graphic design tool is perfect for teamwork with multiple users being able to easily create changes and organize projects making this the top pick for best for collaboration.
You can use Canva via a web-based application or on its mobile app. This graphic design tool provides tons of high-quality templates and lets you design your logo from scratch or use the logo maker tool. Top features include:
- Out-of-the-box color and font combos
- Millions of free and premium images, symbols, and illustrations
- Shared folders for teams
- More than 1,700 logo templates
- Ability to comment and collaborate in real-time
- Link-sharing for external approval
All Canva plans come with a free logo template, fonts, and graphics. You can easily download files in SVG, PDF, JPG, and PNG formats or share it to social media. Choose from three plans:
- Free: Full design editor with 5GB of storage
- Pro: $12.99 per month or $119.99 for an annual subscription for use by up to five people, 100GB storage, and one brand kit
- Enterprise: $30 per month per person for built-in workflows, unlimited storage, and enterprise-level support
BEST FOR MACAffinity Designer
Built for Mac, Affinity Designer is a low-budget graphic design tool you can use on your iPad or desktop.Pros
- Inexpensive one-time fee
- Raster and vector editing tools
- Intuitive iPad version
Cons
- iPad sketch tools can be buggy
- Not for people unfamiliar with design software
Released in 2014, Affinity Designer is a native Mac application with reliable features similar to Adobe Illustrator. As an Apple Design Award winner, Affinity Designer is the best choice for Mac users.
Along with Mac and iPad use, Affinity Designer is compatible with Windows operating systems. This editing software is different from others because it allows you to switch between raster and vector designs, so you can add brush strokes or edit individual pixels on your raster image, then add that detail to your vector logo.
Graphic design experience helps when using Affinity Designer, but many online tutorials exist to walk you through logo making. Other features include:
- Scan a pencil drawing
- Advanced grids
- Auto alignment tools
- Real-time blend mode preview
- Sketch your logo on your iPad
You can download your files as PSD, AI, PDF, SVG, JPG, TIFF, and EXR. Affinity Designer also supports most color palettes such as CMYK and Pantone, making it easy to send your logo to the printer and get a true color match.
One of the best parts of Affinity Designer is its price. You’ll pay a flat fee of $49.99 for desktop software or $19.99 for an iPad application. For this cost, you can use the software for a lifetime, and all future updates are free.
DesignWizard
Platform: Windows
DesignWizard ranks among the best free graphic design software for beginners. The tool offers a large database of images along with a host of free templates (over 10,000), plus a simple, easy-to-use interface. While you can also quickly create custom templates, DesignWizard excels as a front-line, free graphic design tool for beginners.
Despite an easy-to-use interface and no upfront costs, it’s worth noting that most of the more powerful options in DesignWizard are only available in its for-pay version.
2. Setka Editor
Platforms: Windows, Mac
Setka bills itself as “everything you need to create content that converts.” This graphic design software is primarily focused on delivering enhanced content branding across your website, ad campaigns, and social media posts — and works from within your current CMS or in the cloud.
The caveat? Although the Setka Editor is free to try for two weeks, companies will need to select a plan — Starter, Pro, or Enterprise — to unlock the full feature set and keep using Setka.
Conclusion
Free graphic design software for Mac can be invaluable if you’re trying to create the best designs for your business, but might not have the budget for the more expensive graphic design software. As you know, it’s incredibly easy to fall in love with design and even develop design addiction. Maybe you just like to create nice artwork on your spare time—whatever your reasons these free graphics programs are excellent tools to help you achieve your design goals.