Top 5 Graphic Design Tools: Versatile Tools for Graphic Creativity

Dive into the ultimate graphic design experience with our Top 5 Graphic Design Tools, carefully selected for their versatility and power. Elevate your creativity with precision, collaboration, and a toolkit designed to bring your graphic visions to life.

Juliana Rogers

Nov 9, 2023 • 7 min read

Photo by Emily Bernal / Unsplash

Graphic design tools are essential for professionals as well as amateurs who want to create stunning graphics for various purposes.

Whether you are designing social media content, business cards, or marketing materials, having the right tools can make all the difference.

Top 5 Graphic Design Tools

Final Thoughts

1. Adobe Illustrator

Adobe Illustrator is a powerful graphic design software that is widely used by professionals and beginners alike. It offers a wide range of features and tools that enable designers to create stunning and professional designs.

Pros And Cons

Pros	Cons
Versatility: Adobe Illustrator is known for its versatility, offering a wide range of tools and features. From creating logos and illustrations to designing layouts and graphics. User-friendly interface: With its intuitive and user-friendly interface, Adobe Illustrator makes it easy for both beginners and experienced designers to navigate and work efficiently. Compatibility with other Adobe programs: Adobe Illustrator seamlessly integrates with other applications in the Adobe Creative Cloud suite, such as Adobe Photoshop and Adobe InDesign.	Requires know-how: While Adobe Illustrator is a powerful tool, it does require some level of expertise to fully utilize its features. The learning curve can be steep for beginners who are not familiar with vector graphics and the software's advanced tools. Limited online tutorials and resources: Compared to other graphic design software, there is a relatively smaller pool of online tutorials and resources available specifically for Adobe Illustrator. This lack of comprehensive learning materials may make it challenging for some users to master the software fully.

Pros

Cons

Versatility: Adobe Illustrator is known for its versatility, offering a wide range of tools and features. From creating logos and illustrations to designing layouts and graphics.
User-friendly interface: With its intuitive and user-friendly interface, Adobe Illustrator makes it easy for both beginners and experienced designers to navigate and work efficiently.
Compatibility with other Adobe programs: Adobe Illustrator seamlessly integrates with other applications in the Adobe Creative Cloud suite, such as Adobe Photoshop and Adobe InDesign.

Requires know-how: While Adobe Illustrator is a powerful tool, it does require some level of expertise to fully utilize its features. The learning curve can be steep for beginners who are not familiar with vector graphics and the software's advanced tools.
Limited online tutorials and resources: Compared to other graphic design software, there is a relatively smaller pool of online tutorials and resources available specifically for Adobe Illustrator. This lack of comprehensive learning materials may make it challenging for some users to master the software fully.

Pricing

Adobe Creative Cloud Single App Subscription: This allows you to subscribe to Adobe Illustrator individually. Pricing may vary based on your location and any ongoing promotions, but it's typically billed on a monthly or annual basis.
Adobe Creative Cloud All Apps: If you need access to multiple Adobe apps, you can subscribe to the full Creative Cloud suite, which includes Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, and more.
Student and Teacher Pricing: Adobe often offers discounted rates for students and educators. You'll need to verify your eligibility.
Business and Enterprise Plans: Adobe offers pricing plans for businesses and enterprises with additional features and management options.

2. Adobe Photoshop

Adobe Photoshop is a highly popular and widely used graphic design program. It offers a wide range of features and functionality that make it a go-to choice for designers of all skill levels.

With its user-friendly interface and extensive editing tools, Adobe Photoshop is suitable for both beginners and professionals in the field.

Pros And Cons

Pros	Cons
Powerful Image Editing: Adobe Photoshop is renowned for its extensive and powerful image editing capabilities, making it a top choice for professionals. Versatile Tools: It offers a wide range of tools and features for retouching, compositing, and manipulating images. Industry Standard: Photoshop is an industry-standard tool widely used in various creative fields, ensuring compatibility and collaboration. Support for Layers: The use of layers allows for non-destructive editing and complex compositions. Customization: You can create custom brushes, actions, and presets to streamline your workflow.	Steep Learning Curve: The vast array of features can be overwhelming for beginners, leading to a steep learning curve. Subscription Model: Adobe Photoshop is available only through a subscription model, which can be expensive for some users. Resource Intensive: It can be resource-intensive, requiring a powerful computer for smooth operation. Overkill for Simple Tasks: For basic image editing needs, Photoshop may be overkill, and simpler tools like Adobe Lightroom or free alternatives may suffice.

Pros

Cons

Powerful Image Editing: Adobe Photoshop is renowned for its extensive and powerful image editing capabilities, making it a top choice for professionals.
Versatile Tools: It offers a wide range of tools and features for retouching, compositing, and manipulating images.
Industry Standard: Photoshop is an industry-standard tool widely used in various creative fields, ensuring compatibility and collaboration.
Support for Layers: The use of layers allows for non-destructive editing and complex compositions.
Customization: You can create custom brushes, actions, and presets to streamline your workflow.

Steep Learning Curve: The vast array of features can be overwhelming for beginners, leading to a steep learning curve.
Subscription Model: Adobe Photoshop is available only through a subscription model, which can be expensive for some users.
Resource Intensive: It can be resource-intensive, requiring a powerful computer for smooth operation.
Overkill for Simple Tasks: For basic image editing needs, Photoshop may be overkill, and simpler tools like Adobe Lightroom or free alternatives may suffice.

Pricing

Adobe Creative Cloud Photography Plan: This plan includes Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom and is typically priced on a monthly or annual basis.
Adobe Creative Cloud All Apps: This plan includes access to the entire Adobe Creative Cloud suite, including Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, and more.
Student and Teacher Pricing: Adobe often offers discounted rates for students and educators, including access to Photoshop.
Business and Enterprise Plans: Adobe offers pricing plans for businesses and enterprises with additional features and management options.

3. Canva

Graphic design has become an essential skill for individuals and businesses alike. Whether you're a social media content creator, a small business owner needing marketing materials, or simply someone who wants to add a creative touch to their projects, having access to effective graphic design tools is a must.

One such tool that has gained popularity and revolutionized the graphic design landscape is Canva. With its intuitive interface and powerful features, Canva has become a go-to platform for both beginners and experienced designers.

Pros	Cons
User-Friendly: Canva is known for its intuitive and user-friendly interface, making it accessible for both beginners and professionals. Templates Galore: Canva offers a vast library of templates for a wide range of design projects, from social media graphics to presentations. Drag-and-Drop Design: You can easily create designs by dragging and dropping elements onto your canvas. Collaboration: Canva enables real-time collaboration, allowing multiple users to work on a design simultaneously. Customization: It offers a variety of customization options, including fonts, colors, and the ability to upload your own assets.	Limited Advanced Features: While great for basic designs, Canva may lack the advanced features and precision offered by professional graphic design software like Adobe Illustrator. Watermark on Free Version: The free version includes a Canva watermark on designs, which can be removed with a paid subscription. Subscription Pricing: To access premium features and remove watermarks, you'll need to subscribe to a Canva Pro plan.

Pros

Cons

User-Friendly: Canva is known for its intuitive and user-friendly interface, making it accessible for both beginners and professionals.
Templates Galore: Canva offers a vast library of templates for a wide range of design projects, from social media graphics to presentations.
Drag-and-Drop Design: You can easily create designs by dragging and dropping elements onto your canvas.
Collaboration: Canva enables real-time collaboration, allowing multiple users to work on a design simultaneously.
Customization: It offers a variety of customization options, including fonts, colors, and the ability to upload your own assets.

Limited Advanced Features: While great for basic designs, Canva may lack the advanced features and precision offered by professional graphic design software like Adobe Illustrator.
Watermark on Free Version: The free version includes a Canva watermark on designs, which can be removed with a paid subscription.
Subscription Pricing: To access premium features and remove watermarks, you'll need to subscribe to a Canva Pro plan.

Pricing

Canva Free: The basic version with limited features and a Canva watermark on designs.
Canva Pro: This subscription plan provides access to premium features, including the ability to remove watermarks, additional templates, and advanced design tools. It's typically billed on a monthly or annual basis.
Canva for Enterprise: Aimed at businesses, this plan offers advanced collaboration, brand kit management, and administrative features.

4. CorelDRAW

CorelDRAW is a leading vector graphic design and manipulation tool that has gained popularity among designers for its wide range of features and powerful tools.

With CorelDRAW, designers can create complex designs with ease, ranging from logos to illustrations and other graphics.

Pros And Cons

Pros	Cons
Versatile Vector Design: CorelDRAW excels in vector graphic design, making it a go-to tool for tasks like logo creation and illustration. Feature-Rich: It offers a wide range of features for vector editing, layout design, and photo editing in one application. Compatibility: CorelDRAW supports various file formats, ensuring compatibility with other design software and industry standards. Customization: You can create custom brushes, fonts, and effects to suit your unique design needs. Subscription or Perpetual License: CorelDRAW provides options for both subscription-based pricing and perpetual licensing, offering flexibility to users.	Learning Curve: Like other professional design software, CorelDRAW has a learning curve, especially for beginners. Less Industry Standard: While it's popular, it may not be as widely adopted as Adobe Illustrator in some industries. Resource Intensive: Complex designs can be resource-intensive, requiring a powerful computer for smooth operation.

Pros

Cons

Versatile Vector Design: CorelDRAW excels in vector graphic design, making it a go-to tool for tasks like logo creation and illustration.
Feature-Rich: It offers a wide range of features for vector editing, layout design, and photo editing in one application.
Compatibility: CorelDRAW supports various file formats, ensuring compatibility with other design software and industry standards.
Customization: You can create custom brushes, fonts, and effects to suit your unique design needs.
Subscription or Perpetual License: CorelDRAW provides options for both subscription-based pricing and perpetual licensing, offering flexibility to users.

Learning Curve: Like other professional design software, CorelDRAW has a learning curve, especially for beginners.
Less Industry Standard: While it's popular, it may not be as widely adopted as Adobe Illustrator in some industries.
Resource Intensive: Complex designs can be resource-intensive, requiring a powerful computer for smooth operation.

Pricing

CorelDRAW offers various pricing options, including:

CorelDRAW Standard: This version includes core vector illustration and layout tools and is typically available for a one-time purchase price.
CorelDRAW Graphics Suite: This more comprehensive suite includes advanced tools for design, layout, and photo editing and is available through a one-time purchase or subscription-based pricing.
CorelDRAW for Business: Corel offers licensing options for businesses with features for collaboration and management.
CorelDRAW Education: Educational institutions and students can access discounted pricing for CorelDRAW.

5. Linearity

Linearity is a cutting-edge graphic design tool that caters to the needs of professional designers by offering a wide range of features.

With its powerful tools and user-friendly interface, Linearity is equally suitable for both experienced designers and beginners.

Pros	Cons
Extensive Range of Design Tools: Linearity offers a wide range of powerful tools for graphic designers, including advanced editing and image manipulation options, comprehensive typography choices, and a vast library of pre-designed templates. User-Friendly Interface: Linearity's intuitive interface makes it easy for designers, even beginners, to navigate through the software and access its powerful features effortlessly. Real-Time Collaboration: The software supports real-time collaboration features, making it highly versatile for team-based projects. Designers can work together on projects, enhancing productivity and facilitating efficient communication	Learning Curve for Creative Cloud Users: Linearity may not be as intuitive for those accustomed to Creative Cloud desktop apps. Users who are familiar with Adobe Illustrator or Photoshop may initially find it challenging to adjust to Linearity's interface and workflow. Unexpected Menus: After certain actions, unexpected menus may appear in Linearity. This can be a minor annoyance for some users, as it interrupts the workflow and may require additional time to navigate through these menus.

Pros

Cons

Extensive Range of Design Tools: Linearity offers a wide range of powerful tools for graphic designers, including advanced editing and image manipulation options, comprehensive typography choices, and a vast library of pre-designed templates.
User-Friendly Interface: Linearity's intuitive interface makes it easy for designers, even beginners, to navigate through the software and access its powerful features effortlessly.
Real-Time Collaboration: The software supports real-time collaboration features, making it highly versatile for team-based projects. Designers can work together on projects, enhancing productivity and facilitating efficient communication

Learning Curve for Creative Cloud Users: Linearity may not be as intuitive for those accustomed to Creative Cloud desktop apps. Users who are familiar with Adobe Illustrator or Photoshop may initially find it challenging to adjust to Linearity's interface and workflow.
Unexpected Menus: After certain actions, unexpected menus may appear in Linearity. This can be a minor annoyance for some users, as it interrupts the workflow and may require additional time to navigate through these menus.

Pricing of Linearity

Free:

Export standard quality videos
AI background removal
AI vector tracing
Share workspace with up to 5 team members
Free design resources
Sync across all your devices
1k+ fully customizable templates

Pro: $9.99/ Month

Everything in Basic, plus:

Unlimited files
Unlimited editors
Unlimited version history
Advanced video import & export
Priority support

Organization: Price upon request

Everything in Pro, plus:

Premium support
Personalized onboarding workshop
Custom motion design help

Final Thoughts

Using the right design tool is essential for creating stunning graphics for social media platforms. These platforms are highly visual and competitive, making it crucial for brands to stand out in the feed and engage their audience.

A design tool that is specifically tailored for social media images can provide the necessary features and functionalities to create eye-catching graphics.

Investing in the right design tool for social media graphics is an investment in brand engagement. Brands that consistently create stunning graphics will capture the attention of their audience, build brand recognition, and increase audience engagement.