Graphic design is a field of art and visual communication dealing with the creation and arrangement of images. It is common for graphic designers to use a combination of both techniques and tools to create a strong visual communications. Graphic design spans many different disciplines such as illustration, industrial design, typography, motion graphics, animation, architecture, and even film. Online Graphic design software are the easiest way to create awesome designs in a very short time.
Here is a list of the most user-friendly and the best graphic design software that you can use to create stunning graphics for your blogs and websites without any professional knowledge involved.
Pablo by Buffer
| Pros | Cons |
| Easy to use | Can be a little buggy |
| Hundreds of stock resources and templates | Limited functionality |
Buffer, the popular social media scheduling and management app, has created Pablo. It’s a lightweight design tool, intended to speed up and simplify the process of creating great visuals for social media posts. The intuitive interface means anyone can use it, no matter the level of skill. It is perfect for quick social media artwork, but it does have very limited functionality otherwise.
Best for: Social media graphics
Level of expertise required: None
Available on: Web
Pixlr
| Pros | Cons |
| AI-powered tools | Can’t process very large file |
| Compatible with almost any file format including PSD | Software can be a little buggy at times |
| Templates or blank canvas options | No support for BMP and Tiff files |
Pixlr is an online, web-based photo editor and graphic design tool. There are two options: Pixlr X for an easy, novice interface, or Pixlr E for a more advanced, full-featured editor. The software is fully compatible with almost any file type, including PSD, PXD, SVG, and many more. You can opt to start with a template or create your own designs from a blank canvas.
Best for: Template-based designs; photo editing
Level of expertise required: None to low, depending on which version you select
Available on: Web
RawTherapee
| Pros | Cons |
| Batch processing | Layers can be confusing and hard to work with |
| Advanced colour correction | Challenging for beginners |
| Create your own presets |
RawTherapee is a raw photo processing system. It is comparable to Adobe Lightroom, and can be a great free alternative. It is great for processing large photos before you work with them in other software. While it has some basic, easy-to-use functionality, it also has a powerful suite of tools and functions that may take some to figure out if you’re not familiar with image processing software. There is a forum and a wiki to help you learn to get the most from RawTherapee.
Best for: Photo processing
Level of expertise required: Medium
Available on: Linux, Windows, and Ma
Photoshop Express
| Pros | Cons |
| Relatively full-featured | Some features require a Creative Cloud subscription |
| Great for image manipulation | Has a bit of a learning curve |
The design giant, Adobe Photoshop, has a free app called Photoshop Express that includes some of the software’s key features in a slick, simple interface. It’s great for quick designs on the go. The app is free, but some features require a Creative Cloud subscription.
Best for: Image manipulation and basic design
Level of expertise required: Low to Medium
Available on: Android, iOS
Canva mobile app
| Pros | Cons |
| Quick and easy to use | Limited functionality |
| Many templates | Designs can look generic |
Canva’s mobile app is a pared-down version of the web app. You can select a template for any purpose, such as an Instagram story or post, logo, flyer, or video. Sometimes Canva designs can turn out a little generic due to the templates, but they still look neat and professional, and it’s a small price to pay for the simple, easy-to-use, quick interface. Canva is free to use but also has paid features.
Best for: Social media graphics and basic graphic design
Level of expertise required: None
Available on: Android, iOS
Infinite Design
| Pros | Cons |
| Quick and easy to use | Limited functionality |
| Many templates | Designs can look generic |
Infinite Design is a vector graphics app. For an app, it has massive functionality and allows you to create complex designs on the go.
Best for: Social media graphics and basic graphic design
Level of expertise required: None
Available on: Android, iOS
Adobe Capture CC
| Pros | Cons |
| Quick and easy to use | Limited functionality |
| Make custom brushes, colour palettes, and patterns | Designs can look generic |
| Unique app | Requires other Adobe software |
Adobe Capture is a nifty little tool that allows you to detect and create brushes, patterns, fonts, vectors, and colour palettes from your camera and photos. You can simply point the camera at a shape, colour scheme, or anything else you like, and use the app to convert the visual information into design elements of your choice. It syncs across all Adobe products, so it’s great for those who use these.
Best for: Making custom colour palettes, patterns, brushes, and fonts
Level of expertise required: None
Available on: Android, iOS
Spark Post
| Pros | Cons |
| Quick and easy to use | Limited functionality |
| Can make custom brushes, colour palettes, and patterns | Designs can look generic |
| Unique app | Requires other Adobe software |
Spark Post is another free tool by Adobe. It has a variety of templates to choose from, which you can use to create professional-looking designs. There are many templates for all kinds of designs, including social media posts, invitation cards, videos, and resumes, to name a few. A lot of the templates are free, but you also get paid templates. You can also start with a blank template.
Best for: Social media and other basic graphics
Level of expertise required: None
Available on: Android, iOS
Resplash
| Pros | Cons |
| Millions of stock images | No major cons |
Resplash is the app version of the popular Unsplash website where you’re able to access millions of stock images for your designs.
Best for: Sourcing stock images
Level of expertise required: None
Available on: Web
Adobe Comp
| Pros | Cons |
| Unique app | Requires other Adobe software |
| Create layouts in record time |
Adobe Comp will convert your hand-drawn layout sketches into crisp graphics. Connect the app to Creative Cloud to sync across other Adobe software.
Best for: Quick layouts
Level of expertise required: Low to medium
Available on: Android, iOS
Tayasui Sketches
| Pros | Cons |
| Simple interface | Many features (including layers) behind a paywall |
| Great look and feel of brushes |
Tayasui Sketches offers an intuitive, clean design and easy-to-use tools. The brushes have a natural look and feel, but some of the useful functions like layers are paid features.
Best for: Digital drawing
Level of expertise required: None to low
Available on: Android; iOS
Sketchbook
| Pros | Cons |
| Responsive brushes | Controls can be confusing |
| Clever design for a smaller screen | Some features are behind a paywall |
Sketchbook is a great free drawing app, with a really great mobile interface. The tools are minimised by default so that you have ample space to work on the canvas. There are loads of brush presets as well as a small suite of basic design tools. The brushes are highly responsive, making it a good option for digital drawing on mobile and without a drawing tablet.
Best for: Digital drawing and painting
Level of expertise required: Low
Available on: Android, iOS
Adobe Photoshop Sketch
| Pros | Cons |
| Good functionality | Large images can cause app crashes |
| Great selection of brushes | Tricky interface |
| Layer functionality |
Adobe Photoshop Sketch is relatively full-featured for a mobile app. There are loads of brushes and you can use layers. It can sync to other Adobe products but you can also save in various other file formats.
Best for: Digital drawing and basic design
Level of expertise required: Low to medium
Available on: Android; iOS
Desygner
| Pros | Cons |
| Easy to use | No undo/redo button |
Choose from thousands of layouts to design banners, vision boards, social media graphics, and more. Desygner is perfect for beginners, and it has a really intuitive design. Even someone with zero design experience can create professional graphics in just minutes.
Best for: Social media graphics, template-based designs
Level of expertise required: None
Available on: Android; iOS
Snappa
| Pros | Cons |
| Simple interface | Limited functionality |
| Quick and easy |
Snappa is a mobile app that also has a browser version. It is made for non-designers, so it is pretty easy to use with limited or no experience. It is exclusively for social media graphics and web banners.
Best for: Social media graphics and web banners
Level of expertise required: None
Available on: Web; Android; iOS
SketchUp Free
| Pros | Cons |
| Quick and easy to use | Photorealistic renderings are tricky |
| Files can be easily imported to more advanced software | Precision of layouts is hard to achieve |
SketchUp Free is free 3D modelling software that you can use directly in your browser. The interface is highly intuitive, and there are easily accessible tutorials and tooltips, making it a great tool even for total beginners. However, it has a huge library of 3D components and although the functionality is basic, it’s great for drafting 3D designs. It’s most useful for interior design.
Best for: Basic 3D modelling
Level of expertise required: Low
Available on: Web
Conclusion
Choosing the best free graphic design software for you is no easy task in today’s constantly evolving marketplace. Graphic design has many facets, from print to web to multimedia, and your personal preferences will likely fall outside of what a single program can handle. Most designers are well-versed in more than one graphic design software package, meaning that you should never feel limited by the programs or trends at hand. We’re hoping this list will help inspire you to get going on your own unique graphic design endeavors, whether that means a simple banner or a complex web site.