The best graphic design software in 2022 – both paid-for and free
The best graphic design software opens up all kinds of creative possibilities for professional and non-professional designers alike. For professional graphic designers, the best graphic design software is a must, offering the power to create a wide range of deliverables for clients in an efficient way. But hobbyists or those who do occasional design work may also get a lot out of experimenting with such powerful creative tools for their own personal work.
At one time, there was only a small clutch of big players producing good graphic design software. Certain big names do continue to dominate, and by and large, there are reasons that industry-standard programs such as Adobe's Illustrator and Photoshop have maintained their status. If you're working for different kinds of clients and need the most creative versatility, you'll probably want to go for these, but if you have more specific needs, the best graphic design software for you might be a more specialist tool.
In the guide below, we've picked out our own selection of the best graphic design software based on our reviewers' experiences of each program. We've included everything from versatile software packages that can be used for all kinds of work to specialist niche tools and affordable (or even free) alternatives. Most of the best graphic design software does have a cost, and the companies behind it invest a lot in developing their tools to keep their functionality at the cutting edge. However, the best free graphic design software has advanced a lot and offers an accessible entry point for those who aren't to invest in more fully featured software, especially if you only create design work for personal projects.
We've divided the guide below into four sections to make it easier for you to find what you're looking for, whether that's the best vector software, the best image editing software, the best 3D software or the best software for data visualisation. In each case, we've considered the pros and cons of each tool to help you choose the best graphic design software for you. Our reviewers spent several weeks using each program, testing it for usability, power, features, compatibility, use of resources and value for money. In many cases, we've included links to our original full reviews of the software, which provide more detail.
For advice on how to choose the best graphic design software for you, scroll down to the questions section at the bottom of this article. Meanwhile, if you're looking for design inspiration, see our pick of the best graphic design books. And for more software options for other purposes, see our guides to the best digital art software and the best video editing apps.
The best graphic design software today
THE BEST VECTOR SOFTWARE
01. Adobe Ilustrator
If you want the best graphic design software for vector drawing and editing, there's little need to look further than Adobe Illustrator. It remains the industry-standard software for a reason – we believe it still offers the most powerful range of tools and features for vector editing.
Compatible with PC, Mac and even the iPads, Illustrator allows you to create everything from illustrations to logos with all the creative freedom you could wish for, while it has tons of features and shortcuts to help speed up your workflow. We we've been pleased with some of the updates Adobe has made to keep its crown: allowing customisation of the toolbar, Rotate View and a Width Tool that makes it simple to add variations to vector lines.
Illustrator is part of Adobe Creative Cloud, and to use it you'll need to subscribe, either for Illustrator alone or to Adobe's full suite of creative apps, which includes Photoshop, InDesign and many more. The advantage of the subscription model is that you automatically get all the latest updates to the software. The downside is that it's fairly pricey, although Adobe does run regular offers and there's a discount for students. See our full hands-on Adobe Illustrator review for more details, and see our guide to how to download Adobe Illustrator(opens in new tab).
02. Affinity Designer
If you feel Adobe's subscription model is a little too pricy then Serif's Affinity Designer is a very strong alternative. The best graphic designs software available for a one-off payment, Affinity Designer has become very popular as it adds more and more features, coming close to rivalling Illustrator. In fact, it actually offers some tools you don't find on Illustrator, such as infinite redos and one million per cent-plus zoom.
Affinity Designer works with both Illustrator AI and Photoshop PSD files, so you don't have to worry about compatibility if colleagues or clients work with Adobe's software. Chances are that you'll find Affinity Designer runs faster than Adobe illustrator too. But the best part, of course, is that you only have to make a one-time outlay and a fairly reasonable one at that. There are no subscription fees, but you still get software updates included.
03. Sketch
If you're looking for the best graphic design software specifically for UI design, prototyping and/or making icons, then you might well want to consider Sketch – if you work on a Mac, that is. While it doesn't have the depth of software like Adobe Illustrator or Affinity Designer, Sketch has everything you need for UI design, and is easier to use if you have that one specific purpose. It has a minimal interface, which makes it easy to get started, but it offers a wide range of features if you need them thanks to a big library of plugins.
The software came in for a major revamp in 2021, with the addition of new features focusing on better collaboration. For example, developers can now view, inspect, and measure your Sketch designs in any browser, on any operating system, all for free.
04. CorelDRAW
First launched in 1989, CorelDRAW lost some of its popularity to Adobe Illustrator but it still has legions of fans, and the 2021 version of the software introduced some major updates. Long available for Windows only, a Mac version(opens in new tab) has been available since 2019, serving to broaden the appeal of a package that now has a lot of Illustrator's features, and at a slightly more affordable price. You have more flexibility in how you pay too since you can choose between a one-off payment or a subscription.
So why is CorelDraw lower on our list of the best graphic design software? It's actually hard to decide which is whether CorelDRAW or Illustrator is the 'better' tool. Both have tons of features, but the interfaces are quite different. While fans of CorelDRAW insist that it's easier to use than Illustrator, the fact remains that Illustrator is the industry-standard tool, and in many jobs, you'll be expected to use it.
That said, there's no issue with importing and exporting AI and PDF files to CorelDRAW. The main reason to choose one over the other however is because you prefer the interface and workflow. If you've never used either and you have the time, we'd suggest signing up for the free trial of both so you can compare them for yourself.
05. Creative Cloud Express
Formerly Adobe Spark, Adobe Creative Cloud Express (or CC Express) is the newest addition to the Adobe family, and the brand's attempt to compete with affordable entry-level graphic design software like Canva and Picsart. Available online and as a mobile app for both iOS and Android, it takes the basic photo/video editing tools and the Asset library from across Adobe's suite of apps and puts them into an accessible one-stop package.
Best of all the app is free to download and free to use forever – for a limited number of basic tools. You can unlock more features if you sign up for a premium CC express account for $9.99 / £10.10 a month or $99.99 / £101.15 per year. There's a 30-day free trial of the premium version so you can try it out before you commit.
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