Arek Dvornechcuck
Branding Expert
I'm a branding expert and graphic designer based in NY. I specialize in the development of brands: brand strategy, identity & web design. Need help with your project?—Get in touch
Best graphic design software for photo editing. It comes with a user-friendly interface to sketch, edit and create photos.
Best for vector graphics / illustrations. It has Sensei AI features for you to create unique effects and recolor artwork.
Best for publishers and print design. It allows you to create beautiful layouts for your print work (and interactive PDFs).
I'm a branding expert and graphic designer based in NY. I specialize in the development of brands: brand strategy, identity & web design. Need help with your project?—Get in touch
Anyone who wants to develop high-quality design, needs the best graphic design software and tools.
Graphics design software has permanently transformed the way designers and fine artists work, whether you're a professional or a hobbyist.
What is the best graphic design software and tool?
The best graphic design tool right now is Adobe Photoshop and Adobe InDesign.
Crafting an eye-catching design that resonates with your target audience is essential for success—no matter the size of your business.
Graphic design software is necessary for creating captivating visuals for blogs and optimizing product images for eCommerce businesses in order to elevate brand identity.
As this trend grows, Adobe Photoshop has become the go-to reference point for most graphic designers.
With the right software, designers can create logos, flyers, posters, brochures, webpages, and other marketing materials that will draw attention from potential customers.
Graphic design software can also be used for creating vector graphics such as icons and illustrations which are key elements of a brand’s visual identity.
However, several other visual design software tools have emerged to cater to designers’ different needs and preferences.
A capable graphic design tool enhances efficiency and helps put stunning creativity into real-world design.
The best graphic design software can help you achieve your goals in a variety of ways, such as producing logos, editing images, and website designing.
So, we explored the market for the best and discovered 16 of the most promising options, both paid and free graphic design software for bringing your artistic thoughts to reality.
When it comes to developing high-quality graphics design apps, picking the perfect design software is crucial.
What are the factors to consider in choosing the right graphic design tools?
There are a few things to consider when choosing the best graphic design tool for you.
Graphic design software is a program or a collection of tools that allows users to create, edit, or manipulate visual representations made out of computer graphics.
To truly appreciate the advantages of these software solutions, you must first understand what to look for.
It should have a high rating of features and functionality.
It can be worthwhile to look into software that has scalable features so that you can add additional functionality as your skills develop.
It should be user-friendly and easy to use especially for beginners.
It is advisable to look for software that you'll feel at ease using on a frequent basis.
It should have high recommendations and satisfactory ratings.
It could be a suggestion from coworkers or colleagues who have been using the app for some time, or you could read or search for product reviews and suggestions online.
With the features and price listed, it is always up to you to decide what is best for you.
If you're a beginner, start with Canva or Xara which are both simple and easy to master.
If you're a professional, Adobe Apps like Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign are worth looking into.
A lesser feature selection is generally associated with a lower budget, but nevertheless, it must have a reasonable price.
Start with free trials and demonstrations, then upgrade once you've determined which program will provide you with the highest return on investment.
Adobe Photoshop is a great choice if you are looking for the most popular and flexible online graphic design software and tool.
Best for raster graphics and photo editing.
It is by far the most popular of all adobe tools—Used by 90% of the creative professionals in the world.
Adobe Photoshop has a large number of adobe tools that may be used to paint, sketch, edit, and create photos, banners, logos, and websites.
For instance, it has features ranging from photo editing and retouching to incredible brushes and textures.
Additionally, Photoshop is constantly developing its interface to provide a more immersive design experience.
To do so, it incorporates a variety of workspace layouts for layouts, edit photos, and web management, and more.
Adobe Photoshop also provides a wide range of design tools for both mobile and web applications.
Adobe Illustrator is a perfect choice if you're looking for the best graphic design software for graphic illustrators.
Best for vector illustrations.
This Adobe Illustrator is still industry-standard software with the most comprehensive set of tools and functionality for vector editing.
Further, regarding vector editing, Adobe Illustrator is the king of graphic design applications.
For instance, it makes use of vectors rather than raster graphics made up of color blocks.
Adobe Illustrator's strengths include collaborative editing, improved graphic snapping, and cloud storage.
Additionally, you can recolor artwork with a single click, create unique effects, and much more with Adobe Illustrator Sensei AI-powered features.
Adobe Illustrator also has an extensive selection of fonts so you can add text to your artwork easily.
However, with a limited free version to use, there isn't any excuse for not giving it a try.
Finally, Adobe Illustrator provides an intuitive user interface that makes working with it easy even for beginners.
Designers can work more efficiently with the In-Panel Editing tool, which allows them to modify multiple artboards at once.
Download Adobe Illustrator now
If you are a digital publisher looking for the best graphic design software to create stunning layouts, Adobe InDesign is the best tool for you.
Best for page design—print or digital.
This tool has an outstanding capability for creating beautiful magazines, information sheets, newspapers, flyers, and brochures that can be simply exported to PDF or HTML.
Being a component of Photoshop CC, InDesign you get to enjoy most of the features, and you can access it separately or as part of the Adobe Creative Suite.
Additionally, the tool has become a household brand for ad agencies and publishing houses all over the world.
This is because of InDesign’s subject-aware text wrapping, convenient color location, Adobe Fonts auto-activation, HSB compatibility, and other features.
Further, managing design elements and generating immersive experiences in any format is a breeze with this tool.
It is supported by help content, and in-app guided tutorials to help you learn as you create, as well as access to in-app Adobe Stock search, to help you find and license graphic design elements with ease.
So, if you want a tool for page design, whether print or digital, Adobe InDesign is the solution.
If you’re a graphic designer who focuses on creating website layouts and applications, Adobe XD is the tool you need.
Best for web design.
It comes with multiple templates, allowing you to see your designs on different devices and platforms, like phones and websites.
Additionally, if you’ve had a prior experience with other Adobe software, operating Adobe XD should be a breeze.
Even better, the software is compatible with Mac and Windows, making it a great option for all users.
Further, the availability of iOS and Android apps means you’ll always have access to your Adobe XD designs.
If you are in a dilemma on whether the software is good enough, you can always subscribe for the 7-day free trial.
So, these outstanding features make Adobe XD one of the best graphic design software.
If you are looking for a product designed for users with little or no experience with graphic design, Canva is the perfect option for you.
Great for photo editing.
It is a web-based app that is also available for iOS, Android, macOS, and Windows.
Canva is an excellent tool for both newbies and pros who want to produce sophisticated art projects in a matter of minutes.
Primarily, it's ideal for quickly cropping and resizing photographs, as well as adding filters, frames, text, and effects.
Team folders help you stay organized, store brand assets, and manage content Plan, create, schedule, and publish your social media posts directly from canva real-time collaboration
Canva is even more impressive because of its straightforward navigation, user-friendly, and clean design.
When you incorporate these properties with its pre-made templates, it becomes so enticing.
So, if you’re a beginner looking for the best design software for your needs, you can't go wrong with Canva.
If you're looking for the best paid graphic design software for your vector illustration projects, CorelDraw is certainly the perfect match for you.
Great for vector illustrations.
This graphic design software is a full-featured graphics program for Windows, iOS, Mac OS X, iPad, and other mobile devices.
CorelDraw has features like advanced image editing and enhanced color replacement, useful when adding your brand colors to content.
Additionally, the tool gives you access to a digital collection with thousands of high-resolution photos available online.
CorelDraw also includes templates, fonts, professionally designed templates, interactive frames, gradients, vectors, and bitmap fills.
Further, it has a customizable desktop UI environment, including icon scaling, toolboxes, and a window border color scheme.
When you combine these features, CorelDraw stands out as one of the best graphic design software for vector graphics.
Are you looking for the best and most affordable graphic design software to use for iPads and Mac?—If so, Sketch is for you.
Great for web design.
It is a useful web-based graphic design tool that is available as a web-based solution as well as a downloadable app.
When it comes to generating outstanding visual elements for a website, app, or product design, Sketch can compete with more expensive editing applications.
For instance, it includes an iOS artboard collection as well as responsive web design templates.
Additionally, Sketch has hundreds of custom plugins available for designers to employ on a project-by-project basis.
So, as a Mac user, there’s no better tool to use for your graphic design work than Sketch.
However, Sketch is not designed for photo editing, unlike Photoshop and other image editing software.
Photopea is a free graphic design software that allows users to create and edit images, illustrations, and designs.
Best free graphic design software—alternative to Adobe Photoshop.
It's a great choice for beginners who don't have a lot of experience with any graphic design software or who are just starting.
Photopea offers tools for creating graphics from scratch, editing existing images, and working with layers.
It also has a range of filters and effects to give your designs a unique look.
The interface is intuitive and easy to use, making it ideal for both graphic designers as well as those just getting started in the world of graphic design.
With its wide selection of features, Photopea is one of the best symbolic design software options available today.
Download Photopea now for free
If you're an all-around designer who requires a little bit of everything, Xara Designer can do the tricks for you.
Great for publishers/books/PDFs.
It's the ideal graphic design software for those looking for a one-stop shop for all design chores.
Xara is widely used to make graphics, edit pictures, and build web pages for web and print design solutions.
The software is also convenient for beginners, thanks to its user-friendly interface and publishing ability.
It can be used to create logos, illustrations, websites, advertisements, brochures, and more.
Professional graphic designers use this type of software to create stunning visuals that help businesses stand out from the competition.
This type of software offers a variety of features such as vector editing, color management tools, photo manipulation capabilities, text effects, and 3D modeling.
Further, Xara comes with a number of templates to assist you when getting started.
However, it lacks some of the professional features required to produce higher-quality work.
Nonetheless, Xara still ranks as one of the best illustrative design software.
Download Xara Designer Pro now
Vectr is a web-based software application that lets you create stunning vector-based graphics and illustrations.
Free graphic design software—Adobe Illustrator alternative.
It is the best editing software for live collaboration.
This is because Vectr features a superb collection of live collaboration and synchronization possibilities.
So, you can collaborate with colleagues or clients, allowing them to see what you're working on and provide input.
Moreover, with Vectr, you may modify photo layers, create web pages, and access a variety of tutorials to help you get started.
Even better, it comes with simple vector editing, which is particularly great if you’re a newbie.
This makes it easy to create professional—looking designs quickly and easily.
Even better, many of these programs come with simple vector editing capabilities that are perfect for those just starting out in the field of graphic design.
With vector illustration, you can easily manipulate shapes and objects to create unique graphics that will stand out from the crowd.
How much does Vectr cost?—It is the best free design software, making it a great fit if you’re a newbie on a tight budget.
However, it is only compatible with Chrome and lacks certain complex features.
Are you looking for software to perform your open-source 3D graphic design work?—If so, Blender is what you need.
Good for video editing and game creation.
Professionals utilize the software’s features, including API, for app customization.
Other than video editing and game creation, Blender offers other services, including modeling, rigging, and lighting.
So, it is a perfect fit, regardless of whether you want to deal with static models or animations.
Additionally, despite Blender’s unique features, it’s free and easily accessible without a complicated registration process.
Further, you don’t necessarily have to install it on your computer; instead, you can run it off a USB drive.
This makes it easier to take your work anywhere you go without having to worry about installing the program onto every computer you need it on.
Plus, if your laptop or desktop computer crashes unexpectedly or gets damaged in some way, you won’t lose any of your work as long as you have backed up your files on an external storage device beforehand.
This saves space and makes Blender a convenient option for professional designers.
Despite having a paid professional plan, Figma also offers you a free option with many features.
FREE Adobe XD alternative.
The free plan is unlimited, so you don’t have to worry about forced payments when utilizing the tool.
Being a web-based platform, Figma has the advantage of having an "Always On" policy.
As a result, you can work with your team anytime, edit in real time, and access your work from any device.
Additionally, Figma offers a preview feature that allows you to simulate the user experience and look for errors or UX enhancements.
If you want to engage with your team, Figma incorporates FigJam, an interactive platform where you can share ideas.
For these reasons, Figma ranks as one of the best illustrative design software you can choose from, and you get it for free!
If you are looking for the less expensive version of Adobe Illustrator, Affinity Designer is the perfect alternative.
Good alternative to Adobe Illustrator.
The "snap" function in Affinity Designer is similar to Illustrator's and allows you to lock items in place.
Additionally, Affinity Designer incorporates a lot of functionalities to play around with, like easy color swatching.
Affinity Designer is also compatible with various tools, including Illustrator and Photoshop PSD files, which promotes convenience.
Can you get Affinity Designer for free?—No, but it offers great value for money and is also easy to use.
In addition to these basic features, many design software packages also include vector graphics capabilities.
Vector arts are resolution-independent images that can be scaled up or down without losing any quality or clarity.
This makes them ideal for creating logos and other designs which need to be resized for various applications.
Further, you can use rope and window stabilizers with Affinity Designer to generate smooth and accurate curves, resulting in attractive vector graphics.
Other advanced features that may be included in some packages for Affinity Designer are 3D modeling tools which allow users to create 3D objects with realistic textures; animation tools which enable designers to create animations; and photo editing capabilities which enable more detailed manipulation of photos that with basic image editing programs
So, when you combine these features and the easy-to-use ability, Affinity Designer becomes an excellent choice for beginners.
Download Affinity Designer now
If you’re a publisher looking for a good InDesign alternative, Scribus is the software you need.
FREE InDesign alternative.
Its user interface is similar to InDesign, including features that you'd not expect to find in a free program.
For instance, Scribus supports DTP features like OpenType, CMYK colors, and PDF creation.
There are many different types of graphic design software available, each with its own set of features and capabilities.
Most programs offer tools such as image editing, color correction, vector drawing, 3D modeling, typography, and layout design.
With these tools you can create logos, flyers, posters, brochures, websites and other digital media.
You can also take advantage of vector drawing tools to create intricate illustrations or logos with clean lines and curves.
This type of software also includes features such as gradients, layer masks and blend modes which allow you to adjust the look and feel of your artwork.
Additionally, some programs come with pre-made templates so you can quickly get started on your project without having to start from scratch.
Further, with multiple templates, Scribus makes creating brochures, business cards, and other publications a breeze.
With these features, Scribus ranks among the best design software, and it’s free!
Are you looking for a good Adobe Photoshop online alternative?—Adobe Creative Cloud Express is the best option.
Good Adobe Photoshop online alternative.
The software allows you to tap into Adobe’s extensive template depth to create attractive images quickly.
Even better, you don’t necessarily have to pay to access these templates, as Adobe Express’s free version offers thousands.
Additionally, the software is compatible with Windows and Mac, making it a convenient option.
Further, with Adobe Express, you get a user-friendly interface so that you quickly become accustomed to it.
For those always on the go, they can keep an eye on their graphic design work, thanks to the software’s compatibility with Android and iOS devices.
These features make Adobe Express stand out and become a great alternative to Adobe Photoshop and Canva.
Gravit Designer, from the makers of CorelDraw, offers great services to illustrators and web designers.
Good for vector illustrations.
Also known as Designer.io, it is a full-featured vector design tool that runs on all major platforms.
Additionally, Gravit Designer is free and user-friendly, making it one of the best online graphic editors.
Another unique feature of Gravit Designer is that it uses scalable object-oriented graphics and specializes in vector illustrations.
You can also use it to create 3D models, logos, illustrations, and other designs.
It has a huge library of elements and assets, including fonts, shapes, gradients, textures, and more.
Gravit Designer is a powerful graphic software that allows you to create beautiful designs with ease.
Gravit Designer comes with a range of features such as vector editing tools, a color palette system, a layers control panel, and more.
With Gravit Designer you can create logos, illustrations, web graphics, infographics and much more.
The software also offers an intuitive user interface with drag-and-drop capabilities that make it easy to get started quickly.
Additionally, Gravit Designer supports multiple file formats such as SVG (Scalable Vector Illustrations), PDF (Portable Document Format), JPG (Joint Photographic Experts Group), and PNG (Portable Network Graphics).
This means you can use Gravit Designer on any of the main operating systems. All you need is a stable internet connection.
It also allows you to export your work in various sizes for different platforms like print or web.
You can also export files as PDF, SVG, or bitmap with the free edition, and you can retrieve your work from anywhere via the Gravit Cloud.
Hence, Gravit Designer is a good design software for vector graphics.
On any list of the best illustration design software, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe InDesign, and Adobe Illustrator are always included, being Photoshop, always at the top.
What is the best graphic design software for you?
These products are the industry standard and by investing in other Adobe Creative Cloud Express components, you may enhance your skills even further.
Canva and Xara are great options for beginners because it makes it simple to create graphics for any occasion.
In the end, the greatest illustrative design software depends on your needs, usage, budget, and skills.
Look over our list of the 16 best graphic design software and tools, and don't be afraid to try out the different possibilities, I am sure you will find the perfect match for you.
