The free graphic design software market is forecast to expand at a CAGR of 5.5% and reach $211.60 billion by 2024. The media and entertainment sectors and industries, like fashion designing, automobiles, and construction, are expected to be the factors behind this growth.
This is a look at all the free graphic design software for professional designers who cannot afford to buy Adobe Photoshop and other software. Most of the software is those that can be downloaded on Mac and Windows, but there are a few that are browser-based. We’ve compiled a sampling of 14 beautiful, accessible, user-friendly, and maybe the best free graphic design software to empower you to find what works perfectly for you, and will help you create some real stunners to include in your online design portfolio. You can check out our previous list of the “Best Graphic Design Software for Graphic Designers and Architects” to get more about graphic design software.
Read more:
Best Graphic Design Software that every Graphic Designer and Architect use
What is the best FREE Graphic Design Software available online?
For budding creative professionals, the fundamentals of graphic design can be grasped through the programs that are available for free. Instead of splurging on premium and very expensive software, beginners can download this premium-like but free software. Moreover, not everyone has the capital to pay and use the expensive graphic design software, especially when they are starting off a new career or beginning their business.
While there are not substitutes for the Adobe Creative Cloud, there are other programs that are available for free in case professionals are not fully sure about investing in a subscription. Here are the best free software applications which can be helpful in creating vector graphics and Illustrations. Also, they will not spoil your work with watermarks!
1. INKSCAPE
This is a powerful, free, and open-source tool used to design vector graphics. With its comprehensive toolkit and wide array of advanced tools and effects, Inkscape becomes a great replacement for Adobe Illustrator. It is a great choice for budding professionals.
It is available for Windows, Mac, and Linux. And with the chief format of SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics), it becomes a great addition to the tools of an amateur graphic designer.
Image credit: Inkscape
2. KRITA
Krita is designed for artists, by artists, who wanted graphic design software to be accessible to all, regardless of their income. It has been created for comic book artists; even the tools have been customized to aid them. It has numerous drawing aids like vanishing points, layer masks, halftones, and pre-made templates, among others.
Image credit: Krita
3. Lunacy
is a versatile free graphic design software developed by Icons8. Tailored for both beginners and professionals, it offers a plethora of features for crafting impressive vector illustrations, UI/UX designs, and more. Integrated with a rich asset library, users can easily access and use a wide array of icons, photos, and vector illustrations, streamlining the design process. With its intuitive interface, Lunacy ensures that design ideas are brought to life with precision and creativity. Compatible with other leading design software, it allows for seamless import and export of assets, making collaborative projects a breeze. If you’re seeking a comprehensive design tool that caters to modern design needs while offering ease of use, Icons8’s Lunacy is a top pick.
4. BLENDER
For creating 3D content, this is one of the best graphic design software for beginners. It has a content-creating suite that is completely free, even for those who are creating commercial content! With its steep learning curve, Blender helps in modeling, rigging, rendering, and animating. Short films, TV shows, and feature films can be created using this graphic design software. While the interface is a little bit intimidating for those who encounter it for the first time, it is entirely customizable.
Image credit: Blender
5. SERIF DRAWPLUS STARTER
This is a surprisingly capable free graphic design software, that might not come across as a design app initially. The intuitive interface of its free version helped it muscle itself into the list of the top graphic design software for beginners. It has numerous illustrative features which help designers create logos, animations, posters, 3D animations, vector illustrations, etc. The learning curve is quite low, allowing it to be the perfect software application for beginners.
Image credit: Serif
6. EASEL.LY
Just as the name suggests, Easel.ly helps artists easily create infographics. It allows graphic designers to experiment with templates, shapes, and other tools. The small drawback is that while the basic tools are free, you will have to pay a small fee for the extra elements.
Image credit: Easelly
7. ADOBE PHOTOSHOP EXPRESS EDITOR
A lot of people don’t know this, but Adobe offers a light and free version of Photoshop. It is available online, easy to use, and has been made extremely simple for beginners. It allows amateur graphic designers to retouch photos without needing to know the technical details about them.
Image credit: Photoshop Express
8. FOTOJET DESIGNER
The inbuilt samples of this graphic design software make it a powerful tool for amateur artists. It gives maximum freedom to the designer with its multilingual and user-friendly interface. Also, it has over 900 templates and is available in Windows and Mac. The software has no learning curve, and so anyone can begin using it without a tutorial.
Image credit: Fotojet
9. PIXLR EDITOR
This is a free browser-based image and graphics editing platform. It allows artists to edit images and photos on a browser that supports Adobe Flash. Pixlr Editor can be used for making banners, social media graphics, website banners, etc.
Image credit: Pixlr
10. DAZ STUDIO & HEXAGON
Daz Studio is a free 3D art program and Hexagon is a 3D modeling software—both offered by Dax3D. The former allows artists to sculpt, animate, and make adjustments to 3D models, while the latter allows for the creation of 3D models from scratch.
Image credit: Daz3D
11. VECTR
This is an option for editing vector graphics. It is available for free in two versions, downloadable or browser-based. One advantage of using Vectr is that it is not based on Adobe Flash. Therefore it can be used in browsers that do not have Adobe Flash support. It can be used without an account, but signing up allows users to save projects and continue editing them at a later date.
Image credit: Vectr
12. SNAPPA
This is graphic design software that makes it incredibly easy to design online graphics. A lot of the social media platforms, like Twitter and Facebook, get their headers, graphics, and icons designed using this application. The user-friendly interface makes it a great software for beginners. It has numerous templates, icons, stock images, and fonts for users to choose from. However, the downside is that the free version only allows for 5 projects per month and limited template access.
Image credit: snappa
13. GRAVIT DESIGNER
This vector editing platform has an easy-to-learn user interface. It allows for cross-platform use, and it also has an online edition. The application is entirely free—whether one uses it online (browser-based) or downloads it on a Windows or Mac. The only drawback of the online version is that when it is used to create complex graphics, the browser can get quite slow.
Image credit: Gravit Designer
14. GOOGLE NIK
This collection of seven plugins for Photoshop, Lightroom, and Aperture was once priced at $499. However, it has been free to download and use since 2016. The plugins that Google Nik offers include Analog Efex Pro, Silver Efex Pro, HDR Efex Pro, Viveza, Sharper Pro, and Define. They can be utilized to give photos a classic feel, adjust color tones, add filters, and applying masks.
Image credit: Nik Collection