You need the best free graphic design software around to make it as a graphic designer in this expensive tech-heavy industry. We've found the best of the best options to cover the basics of what you'll need.
Free graphic design software: Quick links
Vector art software
Image editing software
3D software
Data visualisation software
Other useful tools
Although you might not necessarily need to study formally to become a designer, you will need to know your way around graphic design software, and that can be expensive. But it doesn't have to be. While free graphic design software won't give you a plethora of fancy features like software such as Adobe's CC (get Adobe Creative Cloud here) or Affinity's software, you may find that with the right combination of the tools below, you can do almost any design job. And choosing what you get for free means you can splash out in other areas, when you fancy it, to combine premium and paid-for tools.
Free Vector Graphics Software Design with Vectr. Vectr is a free graphics software used to create vector graphics easily and intuitively. It's a simple yet powerful web and desktop cross-platform tool to bring your designs into reality.
The learning curve of the free, more basic graphic design tools is also often a lot gentler than trying to get to grips with the complex software and menus of the subscription-based or more expensive packages.
Below are our best free graphic design tools – divided into handy sections: software for creating vector art, creating and editing images, creating data visualisations and other useful tools you might like. Just use the menu above to navigate to the section you want.
If you can't find what you're looking for here, our best digital art software and best 3D modelling software posts have lots of great options too, we've also got a roundup of the best places to find free vector art, and you could also check out our list of the best video editing apps.
Free graphic design software: Vector art
01. Gravit Designer
- Platform: Browser, Windows, macOS, Linux, ChromeOS
Gravit Designer is a full-featured vector design app from the company behind Corel Draw. It's suitable for all sorts of design jobs, from screen, app and icon designs to presentations, illustration and animation.
With a clean and intuitive interface that adjusts itself as you need it, this free graphic design software packs a wealth of tools for creating detailed and beautiful vector imagery, including non-destructive booleans, a knife tool and path graphs, plus multiple fills and blending modes, and a powerful text engine.
You can use Gravit Designer online or download a copy to your computer; note that you automatically start out on a (free) trial of Gravit Designer Pro when you sign up, and once your trial is over you transition to the free version, but lose the Pro features – unless you pay for a subscription of course.
However, Gravit Designer's free version is still excellent. You can export as PDF, SVG or bitmap, and you get access to the Gravit Cloud service that enables you to get to your work wherever you are. See the full comparison between the Pro and free versions here.
02. Vectr
- Platform: Browser, Windows, Linux, Chrome OS
Available both as a browser-based web app and as a stand-alone desktop app, Vectr is a free editor for creating 2D vector graphics. With all the vector features you'd expect, plus a wealth of options for using filters, shadows and fonts, it's versatile enough for day-to-day design tasks. Its live collaboration and synchronisation options are particularly handy, as they essentially enable anyone to watch you design, live, meaning it's really easy to create in tandem or send feedback. This is a genuine alternative to Adobe Illustrator CC.
03. SVG-Edit
- Platform: Browser
If you're looking to quickly output SVG or edit an existing SVG file, there are a few online editors that will do the job just as well as Adobe Illustrator. SVG (scalable vector graphics) is an open format that allows you to reproduce your Vector drawings programmatically, and one of the nicest projects is SVG-Edit.
This is built entirely on HTML5, CSS3 and JavaScript without requiring any server-side processing. So not only can you use it to create and edit documents, but as it's open source you can also download and modify the code using one of the best code editors – making your own version if you want.
The standard – albeit basic – toolset of every vector-image editor is here, and although it's limited to the SVG format, it's surprisingly capable. Note that if you're not familiar with code, this option probably isn't for you.
04. Inkscape
- Platform: Windows, Mac OS, Linux
As with many of the free options available, Inkscape focuses on the SVG format as its primary file format. This highly capable editor has a very good SVG integration, supporting many of the more advanced features that aren't always available in other apps – such as alpha blending, cloned objects and markers.
Full support for different colour modes means this is a viable alternative to Illustrator for both print and web design, and although the interface is somewhat simpler than Illustrator, it's still possible to achieve extremely sophisticated artwork. Of particular note is the ability to trace bitmap images, support for variable width strokes and native import of Illustrator files.
6 must-have tools for creatives
Free graphic design software: Image creating and editing
05. Canva
- Platform: Browser, iOS, Android
It seems harsh to place Canva under the 'Image Editing Software' heading because it does so much more. Canva is a photo editor, colour palette tool, font combination picker, learning resource, and photo collage maker, and it even features a dedicated infographic maker with hundreds of free design elements and fonts at your fingertips.
It's really more of a full graphic design suite than a photo editor, and while it comes some way short of offering the breadth of abilities of Adobe Creative Cloud, its simplicity, variety of useful tools, and inspirational learning assets make Canva a hit. You can use Canva in the browser for the full experience, but most tools are available for both Android and iOS.
06. RawTherapee
- Platform: Mac, Windows, Linux
RawTherapee enables users to correct distortion, boost colours, recover details and much more, meaning users can make tweaks to their photos until they're looking exactly how they want.
This free, open-source software also speeds up your workflow by allowing you to batch process images. You can also send images to other software, such as GIMP, if you wish to.
07. Photo Pos Pro
- Platform: Windows
If you're on a Windows PC and need a decent set of image editing tools without Photoshop's price tag or GIMP's immense toolset, Photo Pos Pro should hit the spot. Built with image enhancement and editing in mind, it's perfect for typical photo editing tasks such as fixing contrast, lighting and saturation, but it'll also stretch to more advanced techniques.
It boasts an extremely user-friendly interface as well as an in-depth help system to get you started, and if you want to expand its tools to fit your needs, there are plenty of expansions and plugins available.
08. Krita
- Platform: Windows, macOS, Linux
Designed with the VFX industry and concept artists, illustrators, matte and texture artists in mind, Krita is a free and open source painting tool that's been in development since 1999. It comes with a full set of brushes suitable for all manner of work, and there's a whole host of plugins available, from advanced filters to painting assistants for perspective work.
Notable features include brush stabilisers to smooth out any shaky lines, a wrap-around mode for creating seamless textures and patterns, and a pop-up palette for quick colour-picking.
09. Pixlr
- Platform: iOS, Android
Free graphic design software Pixlr claims to be 'the most popular online photo editor in the world'. It boasts over two million combinations of free filters, overlays and borders, and lets you do all the main things you'd expect from a photo editor, from cropping and resizing to removing red-eye and whitening teeth.
If you're used to using Photoshop, then you'll find Pixlr's user interface easy to pick up, as it's very similar. This free app is available in both iOS and Android varieties. Note that the app does offer in-app purchases – you can pay $2.99/£2.99 to remove the ads, for example, and you also pay extra for things such as borders and stickers.
10. Paint.NET
- Platform: Windows
Paint.NET is a Windows-based alternative to the Paint editor that Microsoft shipped with versions of Windows. Don't let that put you off, though, as it's surprisingly capable, useful graphic design software.
The focus is on ease of use, and there's a definite tendency towards photo editing rather than artistic creation. That said, there are a range of special effects available, allowing you to easily create fake perspective, blend and push pixels around the canvas, tile and repeat selections, and so on.
A good range of selection tools, support for layers, and adjustments such as curves and brightness/contrast mean that Paint.NET is a great alternative to Photoshop for photo editing, especially if you can do without some of the more recent additions to Photoshop's toolset.
11. Sumo Paint
- Platform: Browser (requires Adobe Flash Player)
Graphic Design App For Macbook Pro
Sumo Paint is a highly capable browser-based image editor. All the standard features you'd expect from a desktop tool are present and correct (and by buying the Pro version you can install a desktop version of the app if you prefer).
You need the Adobe Flash Player to use this tool, so you're not going be using Sumo Paint on your iPad. That said, it's lightweight and quick to load, and the free version is very usable.
The standard range of tools and adjustments you'd expect are all included. Brushes, pencils, shapes, text, cloning, gradients and so on are all quickly accessed from the Photoshop-esque floating toolbar. It can also open saved documents from your hard drive, making Sumo Paint a perfectly viable option for editing and re-editing.
12. GIMP
- Platform: Windows, macOS, Linux
Open-source free graphic design software that debuted on Unix-based platforms, GIMP stands for GNU Image Manipulation Program. Today it's available in versions for Linux, Windows and Mac.
GIMP's interface differs somewhat from Photoshop, but a version of GIMP is available that mimics Adobe's look and feel, making it easier to migrate over if you're ditching Photoshop. The full suite of tools is available here – everything you're accustomed to is within easy reach, including painting tools, colour correction, cloning, selection and enhancement.
The team that oversees development has worked hard to ensure compatibility too, so you'll be able to work with all the popular file formats without any trouble at all. You'll also find a very capable file manager built in, along similar lines to Adobe's Bridge.
Free graphic design software: 3D
13. SketchUp Free
- Platform: Browser
For getting your first foothold in the world of 3D, it's hard to go wrong with SketchUp, and its free version, Sketchup Free, is an ideal starting point. It provides a friendly and forgiving introduction to building stuff in 3D, starting you off by simply drawing lines and shapes that you can then push and pull around to turn them into 3D forms.
If you need a bit of inspiration, you can search the SketchUp 3D Warehouse's immense library of models and download them for free.
14. Daz Studio
- Platform: Windows, macOS
Daz Studio is a 3D figure customisation, posing and animation tool that enables artists of all skill levels to creating digital art using virtual people, animals, props, vehicles, accessories and environments.
With Daz Studio, you can create custom 3D characters and avatars, design virtual environments, produce graphic design elements and much more. There's also a handy table that shows you what this free tool offers in comparison to its paid alternatives (scroll down to the comparison table here).
15. Hexagon
Also from Daz 3D is Hexagon, a free 3D modelling tool. Hexagon includes everything you need to create detailed 3D models ready for final render. Features include Daz Studio 3D Bridge, sculpted primitives, freehand modelling brushes, micro-displacement modelling tools, comprehensive UV-mapping modules, advanced 3D paint, and instant ambient occlusion.
Use it alongside Daz Studio for a complete 3D suite, for free – ideal for those just getting started with 3D.
16. Blender
- Platform: Windows, macOS, Linux
If you're serious about 3D but struggling to afford software, then you're in luck. Blender is a free, open source 3D content creation suite, available for all major operating systems.
Started by Blender Foundation founder Ton Roosendaal back in 2002, Blender is now largest open source tool for 3D creation. Its makers are constantly working on its development, but you can pretty much do anything 3D related with this software, including modelling, texturing, animation, rendering and compositing.
17. Sculptris
- Platform: Windows, macOS
If you're interested in the art of digital sculpting, check out 3D software Sculptris from Pixologic. Perfect for all skill levels, the software is a great starting point for users new to the discipline, while more experienced CG artists will find the it a quick and easy way to realise concepts.
Sculptris is based on Pixologic's ZBrush, the most widely-used digital sculpting application in today's market. So, when you're ready to move on to the next level of detailing, skills learned in Sculptris can be directly translated into ZBrush.
18. Houdini Apprentice
- Platform: Windows, macOS, Linux
Houdini is a 3D animation and visual effects tool, used widely throughout the media industry for film, broadcast, entertainment and visualisation. And its cheapest version costs just a little under $2,000.
But the makers of the programme – SideFX – are a good bunch and, knowing that cost can be an issue, offer an Apprentice version for free. With this you can access all the features of the full version in order to develop your skills and work on personal projects. The programme is purely for use non-commercial and learning purposes.
Free graphic design software: data visualisation
19. Google Charts
- Platform: Browser
Google Charts tools are powerful, simple to use, and free. You can choose from a variety of charts and configure an extensive set of options to perfectly match the look and feel of your website. By connecting your data in real time, Google Charts is the perfect infographic generator for your website (see our best infographics here).
20. Vizualize.me
- Platform: Browser
It was only a matter of time before an infographic resume generator turned up. With this you can visualise your resume in one click and also take a look at previous examples and resume templates. Enabling people to express their professional accomplishments in a simple yet compelling personal visualisation, we think this is an option worth exploring.
21. Infogram
- Platform: Browser
Infogram is a great free tool that offers access to a wide variety of graphs, charts and maps as well as the ability to upload pictures and videos to create cool infographics.
The data upon which the infographics are based can be found in an Excel-style spreadsheet, which the user can easily edit and see the results change in real time. When you're happy with your infographic you can publish it to the Infogram website for all to enjoy, embed it in to your own website or share it via social media.
Free graphic design software: Other useful free tools
Graphic Design Applications For Mac
22. Klex
- Platform: Browser, Windows, macOS, Linux, Chrome OS
Made by the people behind Gravit Design, and sharing the same engine, Klex is an easy-to-learn and accessible tool for anyone who wants to create impressive graphics in just a few clicks. While obviously not aimed at pro designers, it's the perfect tool for anyone who wants to quickly bang out memorable designs.
There's a plethora of ready made templates to choose from, plus thousands of assets and a great selection of effects and filters, as well as customisation options and a load of fonts and text assets.
23. Google Fonts
- Platform: N/A
The Google Web Fonts project – renamed Google Fonts – is an extensive catalogue of free and open source designer web fonts, presented in an intuitive directory. The initiative invites users to explore and test fonts in more than 135 languages, and create their own customised collections of font families.
24. Behance
- Platform: Browser, iOS, Android
With millions of views each month, online creative community Behance is a key resource for artists of all disciplines. It's a fantastic way to see what your peers are up to, as well as finding new work and creative inspiration from top web and graphic designers, agencies and illustrators.
25. WordPress
- Platform: Browser, iOS, Android
There are a whole lot of designers who don't have their own blog, but Wordpress is a great way to showcase your fantastic work, get recognition in your industry, earn extra income and get new clients. Don't believe us? See our examples of WordPress websites. WordPress is the most popular platform for blogging, and while it can be a little fiddly to set up, there's lots of helpful information online to get you going, including these 40 brilliant WordPress tutorials.
26. Dribbble
- Platform: Browser, iOS, Android
Dribbble enables designers to share their creations easily, and is a good source of inspiration as well as a great way to promote your own work.
Related articles:
Mac applications have always been known for their gorgeous design and user-friendly interfaces. When compared to the hundreds of amazing iPhone apps that hit the market every single week though, it can seem like the Mac development community has gone stagnant. Fortunately, this couldn't be further from the truth. Hardworking, dedicated Mac developers are still churning out amazing applications and pushing the bounds of the platform to change the way you work. Here are 15 fresh Mac applications that designers and developers will love.
Hammer
Hammer for Mac is a veritable Swiss Army Knife of useful tools for developers. For starters, it's an effortless, GUI-driven compiler for SASS (with Bourbon), CoffeeScript, HAML & Markdown. The real power of Hammer though lies in its own custom HTML tags that provide PHP-like superpowers right in your vanilla HTML: variables, automatic file paths, image placeholders, HTML includes and more.
Cactus
Cactus is one of the best, most simple static site generators around, and it's free! It supports local development, preprocessors, S3, and more. If you think the days of amazing free Mac apps are long gone, think again.
Macaw
Macaw is one of the few WYSIWYG web design editors that I actually enjoy using. It's built from the ground up to have a responsive design workflow and is extremely powerful. If you'd like to hear more, check out our interview with one of Macaw's founders.
Blocs
Focusing on simplicity and quality, Blocs frees you from the need to write your own code. It's a lot like Macaw, but with less emphasis on powerful customization and more emphasis on rapid development with pre-built content blocks.
Affinity Designer
Vector graphic design software engineered specifically for the Mac, Affinity Designer offers lightning-fast tools that work in exactly the way you need. Real-time previews and customizable workspaces are just a few elements in this powerful design environment. Affinity is the new kid on the block in the design tool space, but its affordability and amazingly powerful feature set is quickly setting it apart as a major competitor.
Sketch
Built for the contemporary graphic artist, Sketch lets you easily create complex shapes and layers. Its flexible workflow supports multiple pages and art boards while it enables you to rapidly re-use elements as needed. Winner of the Apple Design Award and recipient of five-star reviews from DigitalArts and MacWorld, Sketch is the go-to tool for the web's top designers. You'll find countless blog posts online from designers who have given up Photoshop for web/interface design and found a welcome alternative in Sketch.
Pixelmator
Pixelmator is perhaps the best Mac Photoshop alternative around (at least for raster artwork and photo editing). If you're a Photoshop fan, the workflow and toolset will feel familiar, yet refined. It doesn't have the feature bloat that's crept into Photoshop over the last two decades and it's price point is unbeatable: $29.99. They recently released an iPad version that looks pretty sharp too.
RapidWeaver 6
RapidWeaver is the veteran on this list. It's been around for a long time and has always been what Apple's failed iWeb should've been: a fantastic way for absolutely anyone to built a website. This app might not be new, but the thing is, it keeps getting better and better, and version 6 is outstanding. With a dead-simple design workflow, gorgeous themes, and enough rich plugins to provide any feature you can dream up, RapidWeaver is a perfect example of why the Mac developer ecosystem simply can't be beat.
SketchBook
If you're a sketch artist, SketchBook isn't a luxury, it's a necessity. Built by our parent company Autodesk, SketchBook is an app that will delight true artists and newbies alike. The industry-best feature set is huge and powerful, but it avoids any distracting UI clutter so you can focus on your artwork.
Gravit
Offering the features of a full-size design suite in a compact app format, Gravit provides a set of intuitive tools in a streamlined workspace. Raster and vector effects, as well as path, shape and typography tools, are all at your fingertips for easy creation of complex designs. The best thing about Gravit is that it's a creative tool that's licensed like creative art, using creative commons.
Framer Studio & Briefs
Framer is an innovative prototyping application that helps you build interactive mockups of your apps so you can experiment with different types of interaction. You can import your Photoshop, Sketch, or AfterEffects files, then use simple CoffeeScript to create high fidelity, animated prototypes that run on mobile devices.
If Framer is a bit too complex for you, try Briefs, a simpler, code-free alternative.
Atom
Atom is a powerful text editor built by the folks at GitHub, and it's an open-source system that's 'hackable to the core.' You can access the file system, initiate original sub-processes and seamlessly integrate Node and browser APIs. I use and love Sublime Text, but Atom has me seriously thinking twice about that dedication.
Brackets
Like GitHub, Adobe is gunning to be the standard text editor in your dock. Brackets is a lightweight open-source text editor that puts powerful visual tools in your hands. Inline editors, a live preview and pre-processor support all combine to generate clean design and flawless CSS. Where Atom and Sublime feel eerily similar, Brackets has some truly unique features that give it a personality all its own.
Avocode
Avocode is meant to be a bridge between designers and developers. It helps you take Photoshop mockups and turn them into front end code. You can really dig into a PSD and grab colors, generate code from vector shapes, and export images in a variety of formats. If you're interested, check out our comparison of Avocode and Adobe's Creative Cloud Extract.
What Did We Miss?
Best Graphic Design Apps Mac
These 15 next-gen Mac applications make me excited about OS X again and where we're headed with the future of design and development software. If you know of any great apps that should be added to the list, leave a comment below.
Want to learn more? Check out 10 Apps to Turn Your iPad Into a Bad Ass Drawing Tablet, The Best Screenshot Apps for Mac & Windows, and 5 Great Tools To Share Design Files with Your Team.
Download now!
Getting started with hand lettering?
Best Free Graphic Design Software For Mac
Download these worksheets and start practicing with simple instructions and tracing exercises.