Best Graphic Design Software in 2022 (Free and Paid)

Are you an experienced graphic designer or an amateur digital artist? Well, either way, you need the best tools to exponentially maximize your talents.

Don’t worry; you don’t have to go through the stress of researching the hundreds of tools we have out there. I’ve done that for you. (Yeah, I know I’m a really good person … You’re welcome.)

The following graphic design software will allow you to freely express yourself in incredible new ways and put together stunning digital artworks with efficiency and ease.

Come on, let’s go check them out!

1. Adobe Photoshop

You’re a graphic designer, and you don’t know Adobe Photoshop? Maybe you should change professions. LOL.

As one of the most popular options for graphic design software in the world today, Adobe Photoshop can execute all graphic design needs – from simple cropping (even your old man can do that) to more advanced and sophisticated designs.

In terms of image manipulation and image editing, Photoshop is the bomb! It is applauded for amazing features such as masks and layers, the pen tool, and some other really cool tricks.

In fact, the most recent edition of Adobe Photoshop comes with exciting features like a new Content-Aware Fill workspace and a Frame tool that makes masking much easier.

How much does it cost?

Adobe is now offering a subscription plan for its software with a 1-month FREE trial available. Yes, you read that right.

Additionally, there’s a Photography package for individuals (Photoshop, 20GB cloud storage, Lightroom Classic, and Lightroom) priced at $9.99 per month.

Besides that, there’s the complete Creative Cloud which comes in at $52.99 per month. Don’t worry; there are varying prices for businesses, universities, schools, teachers, and even students.

The Pros

• Variety of design tools for easy image editing.
• An integrated stock library.
• Almost unlimited skill ceiling.

The Cons

• Unable to create real vector files.
• The updates are “less than perfect.”
• Mastering the interface requires some getting used to.

2. Sketch

For a vector-based app that is only available on Mac, this tool is actually very useful. But you may have to dispose of your old HP Pavilion and go get a Mac.

(Who said there isn’t such a thing as “device racism”? Hmmm.)

Sketch is a graphic design software that mainly focuses on interface, app, and web design. While Sketch isn’t the ideal app for print work and photo editing, I assure you it’s perfect for designing interfaces and icons that you’ll put on mobile apps and websites.

How much does it cost?

It costs $99/year/device.

The Pros

• If you are looking for something that’ll fit your budget, you may want to consider Sketch. It’s more affordable than other top graphic design software.
• It has a low learning curve.

The Cons

• Remember our “device racism”? LOL! Well, this graphic design software is only compatible with Mac.
• It’s not very useful for illustrations or print designs.

3. Adobe Illustrator

Did I hear you say, “Adobe again?” Well, yes, Adobe again 😁.

While Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop may share some similar functions and tools, Adobe Illustrator focuses on vector design.

This is a great graphic design software that allows you to put together fabulous sketches, icons, typography, and logos.

Illustrator’s fleet of tools includes colors and swatches, pen tool, mesh tool, Pathfinder, and Shape tools.

I’ll be honest with you: It takes some work to get the hang of Adobe Illustrator. But the almost unlimited potential for developing vector designs makes it worth all the effort.

How much does it cost?

Illustrator alone is priced at $20.99 per month, while the complete Creative Cloud costs $52.99 per month.

The Pros

• Supports accurate editing.
• Wide range of tools.
• User interaction interface is remarkable.

The Cons

• The learning curve is rather steep.

 

4. Affinity Designer

Okay, maybe Adobe Illustrator can be quite high on price, and you need a low-budget alternative. Presenting to you: Affinity Designer! Affinity is an impressive and relatively simpler graphic design software in terms of style and function.

Affinity receives credit for being faster and easier to use than Adobe Illustrator, particularly when dealing with layers.

It’s a suitable tool for beginners to utilize as a learning platform, and at the same time, powerful enough for freelance graphic designers on a budget.

Recently, Affinity got a nice upgrade with many performance improvements and new features.

If you’re not willing to spend on Adobe’s offerings, but you still want something that gets the job done excellently, then this software is for you! You may want to keep in mind that Affinity is best used for vector files.

How much does it cost?

• An affordable cost of $49.99.

The pros

• It’s simplified and easy to use for beginners who are just getting started.
• It gets the job done quickly. (Talk about affordable and swift!)
• Compared to the big guys, it’s much less expensive.

The Cons

• Let’s face the truth; Illustrator isn’t expensive for nothing! Affinity lacks a couple of tools that you’d find on Adobe Illustrator.

 

5. Adobe InDesign

No, I’m not a brand ambassador for Adobe (except in my dreams, LOL). But really, they have the best product offerings in the graphic design world. I’m sure any experienced graphic artist, like me, would agree.

Adobe InDesign is an indispensable tool as far as the publishing community is concerned.

This software has been in use since way back in 1999 for laying out newspapers and magazines. It allows you to put together fantastic brochures, info sheets, and magazines and export them easily to HTML or PDF.

Although I often describe InDesign as a “one-trick pony,” it offers a low learning curve and is a perfect tool for amateurs learning how to arrange graphics and text.

It is most useful for all kinds of publishing layouts – print, flyers, postcards, and magazines.

How much does it cost?

The software package itself costs $20.99 per month, while the complete Creative Cloud goes for $52.99 per month.

The Pros

• It’s the behemoth of the publishing industry.
• Large selection of fonts.
• Modern and vivid UI.
• Intuitive resizing and cropping features.

The Cons

• Having researched this graphic design software (I always do my research!), the only dissatisfaction I have is the PDF formatting. So you may want to keep that in mind when considering this tool.
• Warning!!! It also contains several bugs.

1. GIMP

GIMP, which stands for GNU Manipulation Program, is most likely the number one open-source free graphics editor.

What makes this tool so amazing is that it has many features similar to what you’d see in paid software.

Although you may find the layout a bit inferior to, say, Adobe Photoshop, you’ll still have the sophisticated photo cropping, drawing, and retouching capabilities of the other popular programs.

GIMP is best used for raster images and is suitable for beginners.

The Pros

• For a free program, this tool offers so many more capabilities than it should!
• Amazing community.

The Cons

• It’s err… not quite intuitive to use.
• It has less recognition than the other competitors.
• For some reason, the developers don’t give it as many updates as other software (I wonder why🤔).

 

2. Gravit Designer

Have you been looking for a free vector design tool that allows you to easily make logos, manipulate photos, and create animations and illustrations?

Well, if you haven’t heard of Gravit before, today’s your lucky day!

Gravit is an application you can use online with their cloud-driven software, although a number of users recommend using the locally installed version, which is much faster.

What’s more, it has a sleek layout that is entirely customizable. While this application is free to use, Gravit Designer Pro is not free, although it’s still very cheap at $4/year! That’s a great offer if you ask me.

The Pros

• A cloud program has never been more enjoyable.
• So many capabilities and features for you to explore (at no cost at all!).
• Compatible with multiple platforms: ChromeOS, Linux, macOS, and Windows.

The Cons

• You shouldn’t be surprised to hear this, but the Pro version is significantly more effective than the free one (which is reasonable since it’s paid).
• With the look of things, Gravit will soon become paid software in the future.

 

3. Inkscape

There’s always something delightful about a good community.

Inkscape has a user base that is helpful and passionate. This cross-platform tool brings out the best of open-source design. With it, you can assemble fantastic designs and graphics with a range of available learning resources.

However, Inkspace is far from being the perfect software because of its less-than-stellar Mac edition, clunky interface, and steep learning curve. Nonetheless, I’m sure you’ll enjoy using this program for SVG file format and vector images.

The Pros

• It offers lots of filters.
• Helpful community and website.

The Cons

• It may be quite the snail, LOL! It runs slowly on large tasks or projects.
• It has a steep learning curve.
• It has a clunky interface.

 

4. Vectr

Quick riddle for designers: What do you get when you have a design tool that is a standalone application which you can access via your web browser?

Something to design vector images! The name “Vectr” already hints at the greatest benefit of this software.

As a high-end designer, Vectr won’t give you all the capabilities you’ll want from graphic design software. However, newbies and casual designers will fall in love with the low learning curve. In fact, their website is full of tutorials for beginners.

The Pros

• It is a very user-friendly platform, especially for beginners. Intuitive and easy to use.
• Great variety of tutorial videos to get started.
• WordPress integration.
• Cross-platform and browser editions.
• Seamless project sharing.

The Cons

• The sign-up process is rather clunky. No one likes a complex sign-up procedure.
• The capabilities and features are quite limited – which shouldn’t be a complaint as you don’t pay a single cent for the app. Right?

 

5. Canva

Canva is perhaps the best software for social media graphics. They boast a large community of about 10 million users and offer universal tools to design anything you wish, from infographics for blogs to presentations and email headers; just name it!

Their website has a very beginner-friendly and intuitive design, plus there are high-quality templates and a drag-and-drop function. The application is great with graphics, but you can’t use it to create documents with multiple pages.

I should also let you know that Canva lacks the capability of template locking, as you might hope for with brand assets such as logos, colors, and fonts. However, if you would be working with basic graphics anyway, then this is the best free graphic design software you can get online.

The Pros

• Easy to use.
• Enjoy thousands of templates. (Yayyy!!!)
• You can access the platform from any device or computer.

Cons

• Do you live in an area with slow internet? Oops! Too bad, as Canva requires swift internet.
• The free version doesn’t enable changing the size of an image. Yeah, I don’t like that either.

Okay, so there you have them: the 5 best paid graphic design software and the best 5 free graphic design software. I’m guessing you want to choose one of those free options. LOL, I would as well.

However, you should know that most free graphic design software is significantly limited in capabilities, functions, and features. As a beginner, this may not be an important factor. But if you’re an advanced graphic designer with more complex tasks to execute, then you shouldn’t mind paying a couple of bucks for good graphic design software.

I’m sure this article has been very useful to y’all, so y’all are welcome! 😊