Tired of trying out different graphic design tools that don’t seem to give you what you need? Don’t fret. We’ve compiled the best graphic design software platforms to help you scale your business. Select the best graphic design software that offers ease of use, versatility, third-party integrations, customer support, and value for your money.
1. Adobe Photoshop
Most popular photo editing software
Adobe has released a suite of editing tools in the past decades, but Adobe Photoshop takes center stage in photo editing. Beginners and expert designers love this software due to its advanced features, giving them value for their money. Adobe is also continually improving, which means users will enjoy updated features like Neural Filters, Landscape Mixer, Sky Replacement, Color Transfer, and more.
Benefits:
- Advanced set of manipulation and correction tools
- Lots of tutorials and guides on the interface
- Web and mobile tools
- Synced libraries
Pricing:
- $20.00 per month for 200GB storage
- $9.99 per month for 20GB storage
2. CorelDRAW
Best for professionals
CorelDRAW and Adobe Illustrator go neck and neck in vector drawing and editing. However, CorelDRAW is a global favorite, especially in the garment, apparel, and textile niches. This graphic design software ensures it offers the most modern requirements and has recently expanded its availability to macOS users.
Benefits:
- Unique and professional-level tools
- Highly customizable interface
- Easier than Illustrator
- Fun and easy effects
Pricing:
- CorelDRAW Graphics Suite costs $36.58 for the annual subscription
- A one-time purchase is $859
3. Penji
Best for custom graphic designs
Penji is the leader in on-demand, unlimited custom designs with superb customer support. This graphic design software is custom-made for users, making the design process easy and fun. You can add up to 10 members to its bespoke platform and organize projects according to libraries or folders.
Benefits:
- Unlimited designs and revisions
- Work with professional graphic designers
- Bespoke platform
- Human support
- Total design ownership
Pricing:
- Pro plan costs $499 per month
- Team plan costs $699 per month
- Daytime plan costs $999 per month
4. Sketch
Best for mobile apps and web design
Available on Mac devices only, Sketch is the graphic design tool for building prototypes or crafting app icons. It offers unique features, so users can see what happens when they swipe, tap, or click your design on their gadgets. And these features are the reason why users who use Photoshop give Sketch a try. It has an intuitive UI and excellent features like P3 color profiles, native font rendering, and more.
Benefits:
- Minimal learning curve
- Valuable collaboration features
- Integrated with Illustrator assets
Pricing:
- Standard plan at $9 per editor per month
- Business plan at $20 per editor per month
5. GIMP
Best open-source image editor
GIMP’s free graphic design software tool doesn’t lack the professional-level features users get from paid ones. It offers filters, customizable brushes, layers, image enhancement tools, and more. This tool is helpful for image retouching, noise reduction, cropping, color adjustment, and more.
Benefits:
- Opens any image file
- Packed with advanced features and tools
- Easily expandable
Pricing:
6. Adobe Illustrator
Best tool for illustrations
Adobe’s suite of products may come with hefty price tags, but the features and improvements are worth it. Adobe Illustrator comes in first when creating illustrations and vector designs. It offers in-app learning and support, cut-and-copy artboards, speed enhancements, intelligent glyph snapping, and more. Collaborating with a team using Creative Cloud Spaces and Canvas is also easy. The former acts as your working hub where your team can collaborate, while the latter serves as a real-time mood board for stakeholders and clients.
Benefits:
- Continually updating and improving features
- Best vector design tools
- Excellent touch-type tool
- Simple free transform tool
Pricing:
- Annual subscription costs $20.99 per month
- Monthly subscription costs $31.49 per month
- A full Adobe suite with 20+ apps costs $52.99 per month
7. Lunacy
Best for UI/UX web design
This graphic design software helps your business’s website. Lunacy provides AI tools and built-in graphics for your UI/UX web design. It’s also faster than its counterpart Figma, and more robust than Sketch. Users can rely on this graphic design platform for beautiful web interfaces as it’s not sluggish, even though it’s a free tool. You’ll also enjoy free built-in graphics like icons, photos, and illustrations in its extensive library. You can design and collaborate with up to 100 team members in real-time. Also, Lunacy is a native app for macOS, Windows, and Linux.
Benefits:
- Works online and offline
- Low system requirements
- Low learning curve
- Free for personal and commercial use
Pricing:
- Free with integrated third-party services offering paid features
8. Canva
Best for ease of use
Whether you’re crafting branding materials or merch designs, Canva is the best no-fuss graphic design software. Canva’s interface is straightforward, and even non-designers will have ease of use when introduced to the tool for the first time. The platform offers drag-and-drop features, and built-in graphics users can quickly search. You’ll also find the vast image library, both free and paid, extremely useful when creating your presentations, Facebook ads, visuals for Instagram Ads optimization, slide decks, reports, and other branded assets.
Benefits:
- Excellent for content creation
- Low learning curve
- Extensive library of images
- Impressive suite of tools
- Helpful learning resources
- User-friendly and intuitive interface
Pricing:
- Free version comes with limitations
- Canva Pro costs $12.99 per month or $119.99 per year per person
- Canva for Teams costs $14.99 per month or $149.90 per year for the initial five members. Each member costs $7 per month
- 100% Free for registered and verified teachers, schools, and non-profit organizations
Wrapping It Up
Nothing beats robust and efficient graphic design software when creating your visual assets. Try some of the tools’ free versions and see which one fits your needs and expertise. If you ever need something easy, with absolutely no learning curve, go for Canva.
If you want a tool with professional-level features, Adobe’s suite of programs will fit you. However, if you’re aiming for custom-made designs solely for your brand, you can rely on Penji.
