18 Best Graphic Design Software for Designers in 2022 (Free & Paid)
The best invention for the designer is the Best free graphic design software. Using the software designer can create whatever art they used to create with pen and paper easily. It was just a simple brief of how the software works. Below in this article, you will find all the details and functions of the graphics design software with the list of the best software which you can choose for your designing work.
The list in the article consists of free as well as paid software that you can choose. Before jumping on to the list, let’s first take a look at what is graphic design software.
What is Graphic Design Software?
Graphic design tools or software is a great option for all designers whether amateur or professional. The software offers various tools which can be used to create amazing graphics. The best part about the software is that you can undo what mistakes you have done while creating a project. A designer struggles when using paper to rectify the error, but now that is not a problem anymore.
Other than this the software offers various tools and features that make the process very simple and cheap. There is much software available on the internet which you can choose to create amazing graphics. We have filtered the best 17 software to help you in picking the right one for designing. To know more about the free graphic design software programs, refer to the list below.
List of Top 18 Free and Paid Graphic Design Software in 2022
Here we have listed some of the best graphic design software for experts as well as for beginners. The list includes paid as well as free software, you will find every detail related to the software which will help you in choosing the right one. So let’s take a look at the software list.
1. Adobe Photoshop
One of the most popular graphic design software for experts is Adobe Photoshop. The software is used by millions of people including designers and photographers. The software can perform functions the way you want, whether you wish to create banners or website logos you can do that with this software easily.
The software is famous for its tools, you can find every tool irrespective of the edit or design. It does not restrict the user in any way but the software offers a lot more for every user. The software is available on Mac and Windows. The offerings and the compatibility of the software make it one of the best graphic design software.
2. Adobe Illustrator
Next in the list of graphic design software, we have Adobe Illustrator. Another great software from Adobe, this software is designed for creating vector design. Unlike the above discussed photoshop software which performs various functions, this software is centered on some specific tasks.
Using the software you can create various artworks, icons, posters, and many more such things. The design created by these graphics design programs can be used in business cards or smartphones with 8K screens. It moreover has many tools using which you can create different shapes, adjust the designs, and add elements to the design to make it look better.
If you are a beginner you get presets or templates that can be used to save time and effort in making a design. The more you practice the more perfection you will.
It is compatible with Windows and Mac.
Also Read: 5 Best Free Photo Noise Reduction Tools and Websites
3. Sketch
Next up we have Sketch which is a Mac graphic design software for experts. This is a great tool that can help in creating a digital design. You can use those designs for websites, applications, or interfaces. If you are looking for software that can perform the various functions the way Photoshop does then you might be disappointed with the software.
Using Sketch you can collaborate with other creators or designers to create prototypes. This is a very unique offering by a graphics design program. It offers hundreds of tools that can help you in creating vector graphics and edit those graphics easily. For digital design, it is great software but not ideal for illustration and print design.
The software is compatible with Mac only.
4. Affinity Designer
Affinity Designer is a great alternative to Illustrator software. You can use it in place of Illustrator if you are looking for a cheaper alternative. It is a great software for beginners, as it helps in learning the design basics. The software is smooth and easy to use and you can easily perform any function without any interruption.
The software lets you work on vectors as well as on raster workspaces. Other than just using both the workspace you can even switch between them easily. The software offers some of the best features to create art or design easily. Advanced color control is one of the features which lets you work in RGB or LAB color spaces. The tools are specially designed to increase accuracy and productivity.
The software is compatible with Windows, Mac, and iPad.
Also Read: Top 12 Vector Graphics/Drawing Software
5. Crello
Crello is a new-generation graphic design software that might come of great use for beginner designers, creatives who want to speed up their work with pre-optimized design formats, and even those looking for inspiration.
Crello ships with all the range of tools for building visual assets optimized for numerous popular formats and social media handles, such as Instagram stories, display ads, or infographics. Needless to say, Crello is much more handy than things like Photoshop when it comes to the intuitiveness of the toolkit, getting started (you can build cool designs right in your browser), and the workflow-optimization tools. Signing up with Creallo, you get access to a tremendous number of fully adjustable 50,000+ templates, 6,500+ animated templates, a library of gull HD video clips, you can use it as an invitation maker, and many more assets.
6. CorelDRAW Graphics Suite
Initially, this software was created for Windows OS but then with time the manufacturer’s made it for Mac PC as well. This is great graphic design software for a designer, using this software the designers can create an amazing project using powerful tools and a fast interface. You can find various other tools which will help you in creating amazing art pieces easily.
The software uses AI technology to help you create and provide you with LiveSketch. It moreover has web graphic tools that can be used to create web content. The best part about this graphics design software is that it supports 100+ file formats.
The software is compatible with Windows and Mac.
7. Adobe InDesign
Another in the list of best graphic design software Adobe InDesign. You have read about the two other software by Adobe, this is another great software which you can try. This software is ideal for designing magazines, books, posters, interactive PDFs, info sheets, and other files as well. The software also offers tools like ‘Adjust Layout, which makes the work easy. This tool helps the user in adjusting the text size according to the design.
InDesign has been redesigned to provide more effective tools and better control over the tools. The Sensei technology in the software makes the arrangement and resizing of images easy and sometimes automatically.
The software is compatible with Mac and Windows.
Also Read: 14 Best Free Drawing Software/Programs For Windows
8. Xara Designer Pro X
Xara Designer is graphic design software that you can try. The software is built for both bitmaps and vector workspace. Using the software you can handle desktop publishing, graphic design, photo-editing, illustrations, and perform many other functions. This is a great competitor for Adobe Photoshop, just like Photoshop software you can perform various functions with this software.
It offers hundreds of templates and layouts to use for creating designs. Other than this you can even create custom elements with the software.
The software is compatible with Windows only.
9. GIMP
GIMP is another best free graphic design software that supports most of the OS. It is an open-source program that can be used by anyone. You can even customize the software and add some plugins to make it work better and faster.
Other than designing you can use this software to retouch images and make creative composites. This is a great free software which you try in place of the paid software.
This software is compatible with Windows, Linux, and Mac.
Also Read: 13 Best Free Flowchart Software for Windows and Mac of All Time
10. Gravit Designer
Gravit Designer is vector-based graphic design software that can be used to make an amazing piece of graphics. You can easily create logos, edit images, and create animation for your projects. The software has a free plan which requires you to connect your PC to the internet.
The software is fully customizable, you can customize the software according to your needs and requirements. Though the free version offers limited features, you can upgrade to an advanced or pro version for better features. The list of features includes advanced export options, an offline version, and more color space-like features.
The software is compatible with Windows, Mac, and Linux.
11. Visme
Visme is online graphic design software that can be easily operated through your browser. The software offers various features which are beyond the basic design capabilities. Whether you are a business or an individual, you can easily create designs as per your requirements. The program offers more than 40 categories to create using stock videos, photos, and other documents.
According to the requirement, you can upgrade to premium templates or features. You need to subscribe to avail the premium features of the software. Other than this you can easily share the project using the various platforms of the internet.
The software is compatible with Mac, Windows, and Linux.
Also Read: How To Update Graphics Drivers In Windows 10 {Simple Guide}
12. Desygner
Desygner is the most user-friendly and easy-to-use graphic design software. Specially designed for beginner graphic designers and users with no expertise in the field of photography or graphic design. It is web-based cloud software that can be accessed from any web browser available to the user. Some of the main and core features of this particular software are explained below.
Desygner allows users to create types of graphics for a variety of different things like designing or creating a social media post, banner, logos, flyers, advertisements, and many other things related to graphic design. The software is available in a free as well as a paid version. The paid version is further categorized into different types, Business, Enterprise, and Pro+
The software is compatible with Mac and Windows.
13. Vectr
Vectr is one of the best free graphic design software for designers that you can use. You can easily create vector graphics using this software without even affecting the quality. The software uses mathematical equations to create design while other software uses pixels. This major difference from other software makes it better at generating better output.
This software offers both desktop programs as well as web software, you can choose to have any of the software depending on your preference. You can easily learn to use software, if you still face any issues with the software then you can refer to the tutorials of the program to clarify the doubts.
The software is compatible with Windows, Linux, and Mac.
14. Colorcinch
Another best free graphic design software for beginners as well as experts. This not just a graphics design program, you can perform various other functions too using this software. You can edit images using tools like exposure, contrast, color, crop, rotate, flip, and many others like this. You can even convert the real image into a cartoonish image.
The best part about this program is that it does not require any type of installation; you can simply log in to the web browser version of the program and edit or create whatever you wish to. You can simply upload the files including images, videos, or GIFs, and then create your project for free.
The software is compatible with every OS compatible with web browsers.
Also Read: 10 Best 3D Texture Painting Software
15. Canva
Canva is another great graphic design software for beginners. This software can be used even for creating designs for your social media handles. This free online graphic design programs can be used by professionals as well. It allows you to use the templates, images, shapes, and other elements to create your own piece of design.
Other than the preset or the elements available in the software you can easily drag and drop the elements to the software or the project location to edit. This is the ideal software for beginners who wish to learn. If you wish to upgrade then you can subscribe to the premium version.
The software is compatible with Mac, Windows, Android, and iOS.
16. PixTeller
PixTeller is a very easy-to-use graphic design software that can be used by anyone. Using this software one can easily create graphic images and animations. You can use the preloaded images and videos or you can even use the files from your computer and easily import them to the project window.
It offers various design tools which make the work easy. While designing is a time-consuming process but with its tools, one can easily create a design in less time. Moreover, it doesn’t take the space on the disk as it is web software.
The software is compatible with every OS which supports the web browser.
17. Design Wizard
Design Wizard is free graphic design software for designers. The software offers various features and tools for free, if you wish to upgrade to better features then you can subscribe to the premium plan of the software. You can choose templates out of 15000 preloaded templates. Other than templates the software has images and videos which you can also use.
It is web software that does not require any space from the computer. All you need to have is an internet connection and a web browser.
The software is compatible with every OS-supporting web browser.
Also Read: 10 Best Book Design Software
18. Mega Creator
Next on our list of best free graphic design software list is Mega Creator. A Web browser-based DIY editor is used to create graphics. It has pre-designed elements to create custom photos. The tool makes an excellent pick for bloggers, students, teachers, copywriters, and social media marketers.
In addition, the free and easy-to-use design software can be used for basic graphic image creation, the software also allows users to create 3D illustrations through the Mega Creator.
Make use of the editor to combine multiple illustrations and pictures to create a collage. There are various templates available to get inspired from. Moreover, create and add your own graphics to combine them with the gallery of the editor. The user interface is easy and requires no special skill set to use which makes it one of the top preferences for graphic design software for beginners.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. Which Software is best for Graphic Design for Beginners?
However there are a plethora of options available online for the best free graphic design software, the list has mentioned the top 18 graphic design programs. Read the list and go through the features of each, Choose the best Graphic design software that suits your requirements.
Q2. How much does a Graphic Design Software cost?
Although various free graphic design software are available and mentioned in the article a typical well-featured software costs around $30 to $100. The price varies depending on the advanced features offered by the tool.
Q3. What software do most graphic designers use?
Depending upon the needs of the users several paid or free graphic design software are used. However, Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator are one of the top preferences of users across the Globe. The interface of the graphic design programs is user-friendly and has endless customization possibilities.
Q4. How to choose the best Graphic Design Software?
If you manually start your search for the best free graphic design software it can be an endless task. To make it easy for you we have listed the top 12 best graphic design tools that are easy to use. Read the features offered by each software to make the perfect pick depending upon your requirements.
Let’s Wrap: Best Free Graphic Design Software for Designers in 2022
The above-listed graphic design software can easily help you whether you are a beginner or a professional. In the software description, we have mentioned separately graphic design software for beginners, graphic design software for experts, and graphic design software for designers. You can take a look at the list of software and select which is suitable according to your experience and other than this the list has both free and paid software which you can choose from. We hope that this list of software will help you in finding the best graphic design software free or paid. If you have any doubts or suggestions to make regarding this article then write us down in the comment section below.