There’s a bunch of graphic design software you can use for projects, and one may even considered the best graphic design software. I’ve tried just about all of them and actually came to a point where I created my own graphics.
It may be overwhelming to try to figure out which one works best, especially if you’re a beginner. But not anymore. I’ll list down the best graphic design mac software for beginners free, so see which one works for you!
Canva
If I were going to choose only one tool to have with me on my travels around the world, Canva would be it! This tool is perfect for quick designs and offers templates for almost everything. While it’s easy to get started with Canva, you can design a wide range of products for your clients.
Favourite Features
Easy to use – You can edit and customize Canva templates in a few easy steps, making it the best free graphic design software for beginners. Gain inspiration from the community and create effortless designs with Canva’s library of free layouts and graphics.
Browser-based – No need to install bulky software, it’s all in the browser. Working online makes it easy to work from anywhere.
Social Media – This is where it gets interesting. With Canva, you can schedule your posts to go live directly from within your Canva account. This makes it perfect for social media graphic design.
Pros
- Drag and Drop easy – There’s a whole new freelance graphic design opportunity arising from Canva. This easy-to-use tool is great for creating simple social media posts and much more. Depending on your clientele, this might be all you’ll ever need.
Cons
- Freemium – While there is a “free” version, the quality restrictions don’t make it worth it if you’re charging people for your service. Canva Pro won’t break the bank, but it’s also not that much cheaper than Adobe Photoshop. The decision comes down to what type of designer you are.
Pricing
- Basic – Free
- Canva Pro – £10.99/mo or £99.99/year (up to 5 people sharing)
Does Canva Pro have a Free Trial? Yes, there is a 30 day free trial for Canva Pro.
Gravit Designer Pro
While Gravit Designer (or Designer.io) offers entry-level users a free version, you might want to seriously consider the pro version. As a full-featured vector graphic design tool that works on any device, it’s worth the small annual fee.
The paid version offers many great features. From unlimited cloud storage to advanced export options and touch screen functionality.
Favourite features
Quick to use – With an intuitive user interface, you accomplish more in less time. There are also great ready-made templates and presets you could use for inspiration.
Multi-platform compatible – Pro accounts have cloud integration. This means you can pick up where you left off anywhere and from any device. In addition, with automatic syncing you don’t have to worry about hitting that save button, it’s already done.
Customizable interface – If you’re a designer working with multiple tools, it’s useful to customize your interfaces to match. Small things, like Dark Mode, can make all the difference.
Pros
- Great UI – The user interface is intuitive and easy to use – also if you don’t like it, change it. It’s 100% customizable.
Cons
- No real-time collaboration – For a paid, cloud-based design tool, I expected to have this feature. Not a deal-breaker, but I hope they see this.
Pricing
Basic – Free
Pro – £37.49 /year at 50% off (Usual price £74.99/yr)
Does Gravit Designer Pro have a Free Trial? Yes, there is a 15-day free trial. Sign up for a new Gravit account and the pop up will appear to try Gravit Designer Pro.
Sketch
Sketch is an easy-to-use vector-based design software created with Mac in mind. Beginners will love the intuitive interface that helps you easily spot components that you can then drag and drop into place.
Favourite Features
Design assistance – Sketch has templates, grids, and “snap” functionality to lock elements in place. The ultimate tool for newbies.
Web and Mobile Friendly – Mobile is a huge source of traffic these days, and your designs must be mobile-friendly. With Sketch, you can create responsive vector designs that adapt to screen sizes and resolutions.
Great Resources – With the Sketch libraries, custom plugins, and community, you can rest assured that you’ll find the help you need.
Pros
- Community – Sketch is fairly new, but it’s already popular. The community is also able to create and share plugins – this really helps solve common design workflow issues.
Cons
- Mac only – You either love it or you hate it – Sketch loves it. Sorry, Windows.
Pricing
- Standard – £9/mo per editor (or £99/yr per editor)
- Business – Contact Sketch
Does Sketch have a Free Trial? Yes, there is a 30-day free trial, no credit details are required.
Sketchbook
Sketchbook has positioned itself as the ideal tool for people who love to draw. If you’re working with a drawing tablet, Sketchbook might be the perfect fit.
The idea is to have a digital tool that makes you feel like you’re drawing on paper. The interface is simple and unobtrusive. Easily hide your toolbox so you can focus on your work.
Favourite features
Best UI – Small details make this one of the best user interfaces. The quick-access toolbar, easy sliders, and full-page editing help simplify the design process.
Two-hand draw – The “two-hand” draw mode allows you to stay in the Favouritezone while quickly accessing your tools with your other hand. Just hold down the home button when you’re in full-page mode. This will bring up all your tools and remove them again when you let go.
Flexibility – With Desktop and mobile versions, you can design wherever and whenever. It’s all synced, so you can continue right where you left off.
Pros
- Great for Tablets – Easily scan your drawings into Sketchbook with your smartphone or tablet. From here it’s smooth sailing with stylus compatibility.
- Trace and illustrate as if you were working on a piece of paper. Intelligent design functions help to take things to the next level.
Cons
- Confusing Marketing – To be free, or not to be free, that is the Sketchbook question. Back in 2018, they opted to make the entire program free, then retracted it again with the latest update?
- Make up your mind! It’s now managed by Microsoft, so we should see some stability going forward.
Pricing
- Mobile – Free
- Mac – £17.99 one-off
- Windows – £17.99 one-off
Does Sketchbook have a Free Trial? No, but you can try the free version on Mobile. Take note, zero refunds on purchases from Sketchbook.
Perfect for beginners, you’ll love the user-friendly interface. Inkscape offers a free vector design tool that has all the features and capabilities you’ll need.
You can also access the community gallery – a great way to get inspiration, and also to inspire others.
Favourite features
Regular updates – Since it’s open-source, Inkscape’s community is a huge asset. As new needs arise, plugins and updates help keep the software up to date and relevant.
Flexibility – The design capabilities of Inkscape are endless. Offering many of the professional tools you’d expect from Adobe, Inkscape is great for diverse applications. If you know a bit of code, you can also make changes to your personal playground.
Ease of use – Free software, and especially open-source, can often be clunky and complicated. Luckily, Inkscape doesn’t have that problem. As a beginner, it’s easy to use the streamlined interface. There is also an extensive knowledge base to help you learn the ropes.
Pros
- Best free vector software – While I still prefer Illustrator, Inkscape comes in a close second. And, as free software, it does tick quite a few boxes for many new designers.
Cons
- Limited support for .AI and .EPS files – This does pose some issues for commercial use, as these are popular formats to use in asset stores.
Pricing
Inkscape is Free! You can donate, though. All donations go to their outreach mentorship programs and the costs of running the Inkscape project.
Gimp is an open-source graphics editor that functions much like Photoshop – just completely free. Its user interface may take some getting used to for beginners, but once you get the hang of it, Gimp is very powerful and boasts many capabilities. What I love the most about it is the community element. With a ton of scripts and plug-ins already created by the community, you can quickly find what you’re looking for.
Favourite features
Highly Customizable – Once you know what you’re doing, you can enhance your productivity with GIMP. You can customize your UI and add 3rd party plugins to optimize your workflow.
Compatibility – Gimp works great with several other free software tools and devices. Incorporate Scribus, Inkscape, and SwatchBooker into your workflow for the best design results. Or, use Gimp on multiple devices – the hardware support means you can work on any device and still experience exceptional speed.
Lightweight – Compared to other tools, Gimp is very lightweight. This maximizes the utilization of computing resources, leading to greater performance.
Pros
- Open Source – Free forever, Built by designers for designers. GIMP has regular updates, a ton of flexibility, and a helpful community.
Cons
- Clunky – GIMP is more confusing and not as well-rounded as Photoshop. It will take some time to get used to.
Pricing
Gimp is Free! However, you can make a donation to support the core team of developers if you wanted to.
Conclusion
There are so many programs out there to use for graphic design, but which ones are the best for beginners? Today we have listed down top free mac graphic design software applications that are easy to use for beginners!