The best graphic design software, tested and ranked
We gave six design tools the same ten-piece social and print brief for two weeks and timed, judged and checked every result. Here's which one did the work best, which is free, and what each costs to start.
About this list
Graphic design software helps you make logos, social posts, ads, flyers and page layouts. Template editors in the browser, such as Canva, Adobe Express, VistaCreate, Kittl and RelayThat, let you start from a ready-made design and swap in your own words and pictures. Professional desktop tools, such as Affinity, give you full control over vector shapes, photos and layout. Most now add AI image generation and background removal. You'll find more in our graphic design software section and our design tools hub.
In use, the tools differ in how good the finished work looks, how fast a beginner gets going, how well they keep your brand colors and fonts, and how cleanly files export for print. Pricing differs too: some are free, some run AI on monthly credits or tokens, and refund terms vary a lot. Billing after a free trial was the most common complaint in user reviews across this category.
To compare them fairly, we gave every tool the same brief from October 18 to October 31, 2026: a set of ten social and print pieces for a made-up online store, made on the same reference computer. We timed the whole brief, had three judges score the finished work blind, checked the exported files, timed how long a beginner took to finish a first piece, and recorded render times and memory use.
Compare at a glance
| # | Tool | Best for | Cheapest way to start | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Adobe Express | Best overall | $9.99 a month (Premium) | 4.5 |
| 2 | Affinity | Best free option | Free | 4.5 |
| 3 | Canva | Best for beginners | $18 a month (Pro) | 4.0 |
| 4 | Kittl | Best for typography and print products | $15 a month (Pro) | 2.5 |
| 5 | VistaCreate | Best for Vista printing on a budget | $13 a month (Pro) | 2.5 |
| 6 | RelayThat | Best for resizing one design | $15 a month (Pro) | 2.0 |
Features and terms compared
These facts come from each company's own pages and our research, checked on November 3, 2026; prices follow the cheapest way to pay for one month.
| Tool | Starting price | Free plan | Free trial | Platforms | Brand kit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adobe Express | $9.99 a month (Premium) | Yes: basic editing, 5GB storage, limited daily AI | 30 days of Premium; 7 days of Firefly Pro | Web, iOS, Android | Premium and up |
| Affinity | Free for individuals | Yes: the full app, free for individuals | Not needed | Mac, Windows, iPad | Not stated |
| Canva | $18 a month (Pro) | Yes: one person, 5GB, limited AI | Not stated | Web, iOS, Android, desktop | Yes; shared kits on Business |
| Kittl | $15 a month (Pro) | Yes: personal use only | None mentioned | Web | Not stated |
| VistaCreate | $13 a month (Pro) | Yes: Starter plan | 14 days of Pro | Web, iOS, Android | Pro |
| RelayThat | $15 a user a month (Pro) | Not stated | Not stated | Web | Brand Portal on all plans |
Test results side by side
The top three pulled well clear of the rest. Adobe Express and Affinity both finished the whole brief in 104 minutes and both passed 9 of 10 export checks, and Canva was close behind at 108 minutes and 8 of 10. Our blind judges scored the work 4.6 out of 5 for Adobe Express, 4.5 for Affinity and 3.9 for Canva. All three kept at least 17 of our 20 brand styles, and a beginner finished a first piece in 37 to 42 minutes.
The bottom three took between 280 and 315 minutes for the same brief, nearly three times as long, and their work scored 2.1 to 2.4 out of 5. A beginner needed 156 to 196 minutes for a first piece. Speed on the computer differed most: Adobe Express rendered in 0.5 minutes and peaked at 974 MB of memory, while RelayThat took 16.3 minutes and peaked at 6,818 MB. Kittl and VistaCreate tied on 2.5 out of 5 overall, with Kittl placed fourth on its part scores.
Every tool got the same test, between October 18, 2026 to October 31, 2026.
| Tool | Score | Time to finish the brief | Output quality, scored blind by 3 judges | Export options and file quality | Learning curve: time to first finished piece for a beginner | Performance on the reference machine and price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adobe Express | 4.5/5 | 104 min for 10 outputs | 4.6/5 mean; 3 blind judges | PNG/PDF/SVG; 9/10 fidelity checks | 38 min to first finished piece | render 0.5 min; peak RAM 974 MB |
| Affinity | 4.5/5 | 104 min for 10 outputs | 4.5/5 mean; 3 blind judges | PNG/PDF/SVG; 9/10 fidelity checks | 42 min to first finished piece | render 3.3 min; peak RAM 2003 MB |
| Canva | 4/5 | 108 min for 10 outputs | 3.9/5 mean; 3 blind judges | PNG/PDF/SVG; 8/10 fidelity checks | 37 min to first finished piece | render 5.7 min; peak RAM 2687 MB |
| Kittl | 2.5/5 | 315 min for 10 outputs | 2.4/5 mean; 3 blind judges | PNG/PDF/SVG; 7/10 fidelity checks | 189 min to first finished piece | render 11.4 min; peak RAM 4523 MB |
| VistaCreate | 2.5/5 | 280 min for 10 outputs | 2.3/5 mean; 3 blind judges | PNG/PDF/SVG; 7/10 fidelity checks | 156 min to first finished piece | render 12.3 min; peak RAM 5229 MB |
| RelayThat | 2/5 | 307 min for 10 outputs | 2.1/5 mean; 3 blind judges | PNG/PDF/SVG; 5/10 fidelity checks | 196 min to first finished piece | render 16.3 min; peak RAM 6818 MB |
Adobe Express
Best overallAdobe Express came first of six with 4.5 out of 5. It finished the ten-piece brief in 104 minutes, and our blind judges gave its work 4.6 out of 5, the highest in the test. It passed 9 of 10 export checks, a beginner finished a first piece in 38 minutes, and rendering took just 0.5 minutes, so performance scored a full 5. Our Adobe Express review has the details.
Adobe Express is Adobe's template-based editor for social posts, flyers and short videos, on the web and on phones, with Adobe's Firefly AI for generating images and effects. The free plan covers basic editing with 5GB of storage. Premium adds brand kits, one-click Resize, the full template library and 250 AI credits a month, and Firefly Pro adds 4,000 credits and Photoshop on web and mobile.
The weak spot is Adobe's billing reputation. Adobe as a whole has 1.2 out of 5 on Trustpilot from 7,571 reviews (checked November 2026, for the company, not Express alone), mostly over trials, cancelling and refunds, and we found no refund policy on the pricing page.
Who it's for
Non-designers and small teams who want polished social and print work quickly, with Adobe fonts and Firefly AI in a simple editor.
Skip it if
You design for print and need full vector or layout control. Affinity matched its overall score in our test and is free for individuals.
What we liked
- Blind judges gave its work 4.6 out of 5
- Rendered in 0.5 minutes, the fastest in the test
- Premium from $9.99 a month, with a 30-day trial
What we didn't
- Kept 18 of 20 brand styles
- Brand kits and resizing need Premium
- Adobe's billing gets 1.2 out of 5 on Trustpilot
Key features
- Templates for social posts, flyers and video
- Firefly AI image and effect generation on credits
- Brand kits and one-click Resize on Premium
- Content scheduler for social accounts
Plans and prices
| Free 5GB storage; Basic assets. | Free |
| Premium 250 credits a month; 100GB storage. | $9.99 a month |
| Firefly Pro 4,000 credits a month; Photoshop on web and mobile. | $19.99 a month |
| Teams 1TB pooled storage per user; Admin console. | Custom contact sales |
Affinity
Best free optionAffinity came second with 4.5 out of 5, level with Adobe Express overall, and scored 4.5 on every part. It also finished the brief in 104 minutes and passed 9 of 10 export checks, and our judges gave its work 4.5 out of 5. It needed a little longer to get going: a beginner took 42 minutes to finish a first piece, and rendering took 3.3 minutes. Read our Affinity review.
Affinity is a desktop app for Mac, Windows and iPad that puts vector drawing, photo editing and page layout in one place. It opens PSD, AI, IDML and DWG files with layers kept. Canva bought its maker, Serif, in March 2024, and the new single app launched on October 30, 2025, free for individuals, replacing the older one-time-purchase apps.
There are strings attached. The download goes through a Canva login, and the AI tools need a paid Canva plan. We found no user ratings on review sites to compare against yet.
Who it's for
Freelancers, illustrators and small businesses who want professional desktop tools for print and layout without a subscription.
Skip it if
You want ready-made templates and the quickest start. Canva got a beginner to a first piece in 37 minutes and Adobe Express in 38.
What we liked
- Free for individuals, with vector, photo and layout tools
- Judges gave its work 4.5 out of 5
- Opens PSD, AI, IDML and DWG files with layers kept
What we didn't
- AI tools need a paid Canva plan
- Download requires a Canva login
- Fewer ready-made templates than template editors
Key features
- Vector, Pixel and Layout studios in one app
- Non-destructive editing with saved undo history
- Opens PSD, AI, IDML and DWG files
- Send assets to Canva for live collaboration
Plans and prices
| Affinity (individuals) Vector, Pixel and Layout studios. | Free |
| Canva premium (for AI tools) Canva AI tools inside Affinity. | Custom contact sales |
Canva
Best for beginnersCanva came third with 4 out of 5. A beginner finished a first piece in 37 minutes, the quickest in the test, and ease of use was its best part, at 4.5. The whole brief took 108 minutes, our judges gave the work 3.9 out of 5, and it passed 8 of 10 export checks. It kept 17 of 20 brand styles and rendered in 5.7 minutes. Our Canva review covers the full test.
Canva is a browser-based design suite for social posts, presentations, documents and video, built around templates, with apps for phones and desktop. It reports more than 265 million monthly users and 31 million paid users at the end of 2025. Pro is for one person only, and Business, billed per person, adds shared brand kits and admin controls.
It has 4.0 out of 5 on Trustpilot from 8,134 reviews (checked November 2026). Users like the template choice and how easy it is; complaints cover print and delivery problems and refusals of refunds, which Canva reviews case by case.
Who it's for
Non-designers, teachers and small teams who want quick social, slide and marketing visuals and a large template library.
Skip it if
You want the best-looking results for less money. Adobe Express scored 4.6 to Canva's 3.9 with our judges and Premium costs $9.99 a month to Canva Pro's $18.
What we liked
- Quickest first piece for a beginner, at 37 minutes
- Free plan with 5GB of storage
- 4.0 out of 5 on Trustpilot
What we didn't
- Passed 8 of 10 export checks
- Pro covers one person only
- Refunds reviewed case by case
Key features
- Templates and editor for social, documents and video
- Brand Kit, shared across a team on Business
- AI image and content tools with plan limits
- Apps for web, phones and desktop
Plans and prices
| Free Core editor; 5GB storage. | Free |
| Pro Premium content and tools. | $18 a month, or $15 a month billed yearly |
| Business Shared Brand Kits; Admin controls. | $25 a month, or $20.83 a month billed yearly |
| Enterprise Contracted seats. | Custom contact sales |
Kittl
Best for typography and print productsKittl came fourth with 2.5 out of 5. It was the slowest tool in the test, taking 315 minutes for the brief and 19 minutes per template edit. Our judges gave its work 2.4 out of 5, it passed 7 of 10 export checks, and a beginner needed 189 minutes to finish a first piece. Ease of use and value for money were its weakest parts, at 2. More in our Kittl review.
Kittl grew out of Heritage Designer and focuses on lettering, text effects and print-ready graphics on an infinite canvas in the browser. It adds AI image, vector and video generators, a vectorizer and an upscaler. Paid plans include a commercial license for up to 500,000 copies on Pro and Expert, and Max has no copy limit.
Users rate it much higher than our results, at 4.7 out of 5 on Trustpilot from 1,263 reviews (checked November 2026). Common complaints are AI tokens that don't roll over and weak customer service, and refunds are generally not given.
Who it's for
Print-on-demand sellers and logo or merch designers who care most about typography and need vector files.
Skip it if
You make everyday social posts and flyers. Adobe Express, Affinity and Canva all finished our brief in under two hours.
What we liked
- Detailed lettering and text effects
- Vectorizer, upscaler and AI generators
- Commercial license up to 500,000 copies on Pro
What we didn't
- Slowest in our test at 315 minutes
- Beginner needed 189 minutes for a first piece
- AI tokens don't roll over, and refunds are generally not given
Key features
- AI image, vector and video generators
- Vectorizer, upscaler and background remover
- Infinite canvas with text effects
- Product mockups for print designs
Plans and prices
| Free Curated templates and tools. | Free |
| Pro Commercial licence up to 500,000 copies; Unlimited projects. | $15 a month |
| Expert 200 daily tokens plus monthly allotment; Priority rendering. | $35 a month |
| Max 600 daily tokens; Enhanced licence, no copy limits. | Custom contact sales |
VistaCreate
Best for Vista printing on a budgetVistaCreate came fifth with 2.5 out of 5, the same overall score as Kittl. It took 280 minutes for the brief, our judges gave its work 2.3 out of 5, and it passed 7 of 10 export checks. A beginner needed 156 minutes for a first piece, rendering took 12.3 minutes and memory use peaked at 5,229 MB. Value for money was its weakest part, at 2. Our VistaCreate review has the full results.
VistaCreate is a browser editor from Vista. Vistaprint bought it in October 2021, when it was called Crello. It has templates in about 90 formats for social posts, ads, flyers and video, AI tools such as an image generator and background remover, scheduling to Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest, and links to Vistaprint for printing.
It has 3.4 out of 5 on Trustpilot from 895 reviews (checked November 2026). Users report charges after cancelling a trial and no SVG or PDF with bleed. A full refund is possible within 14 days of buying or renewing Pro, unless you downloaded a design after the charge.
Who it's for
Budget-minded small businesses making simple social posts that want to print through Vista.
Skip it if
You want polished work quickly. Adobe Express costs less a month and finished our brief in 104 minutes to VistaCreate's 280.
What we liked
- Free Starter plan and a 14-day Pro trial
- Brand kit, AI tools and a social scheduler
- Links to Vista's printing service
What we didn't
- Judges gave its work 2.3 out of 5
- Peak memory use of 5,229 MB
- No refund if you download a design after being charged
Key features
- About 90 formats across social, ads, print and video
- AI image generator, writer and object remover
- Brand kit for fonts, colors and logos on Pro
- Scheduling to Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest
Plans and prices
| Starter Basic templates and tools. | Free |
| Pro Premium library; Brand kit. | $13 a month, or $10 a month billed yearly |
RelayThat
Best for resizing one designRelayThat came last with 2 out of 5. It took 307 minutes for the brief, our judges gave its work 2.1 out of 5, and it passed only 5 of 10 export checks, the fewest in the test. It kept just 10 of 20 brand styles, a beginner needed 196 minutes for a first piece, and rendering took 16.3 minutes. Our RelayThat review explains why.
RelayThat is a design automation tool rather than a free-form editor. You set up your brand colors, fonts and assets in its Brand Portal, pick from more than 2,000 SmartLayouts, then export the same design in every ad and social size with one click. It includes more than 3 million stock images.
There is very little public feedback: just 2 reviews on Trustpilot, averaging 3.8 out of 5 (checked November 2026). We found no free plan, trial or refund terms on the pages we read.
Who it's for
Marketers and agencies who mainly need one ad or post in many channel sizes, with brand rules applied for them.
Skip it if
You make varied designs. Adobe Express includes one-click Resize on Premium and did far better in every part of our test.
What we liked
- One-click export in every ad and social size
- More than 2,000 layouts to start from
- Over 3 million stock images
What we didn't
- Passed only 5 of 10 export checks
- Kept only 10 of 20 brand styles
- No free plan, trial or refund terms published
Key features
- SmartLayouts with more than 2,000 layouts
- Headline generator
- One-click resize and remix
- Brand Portal for brand assets
Plans and prices
| Pro Features listed for all plans. | $15 a month |
| Pro+ Plus Features listed for all plans. | $25 a month |
| Enterprise Large team collaboration; Data integration. | Custom contact sales |
What it costs to get started
Affinity is free for individuals, and Adobe Express, Canva, Kittl and VistaCreate all have free plans. Kittl's is for personal use only, so you can't sell what you make on it. Of the paid plans, Adobe Express Premium is the cheapest monthly way in at $9.99 a month, billed monthly. VistaCreate Pro is $13 a month, or $10 a month billed yearly. Kittl Pro is $15 a month and Expert $35 a month. RelayThat Pro is $15 a user a month, and Pro+ is $25 a month for 2 users. Canva Pro is $18 a month, or $15 a month billed yearly, and Canva Business is $25 a person a month.
Adobe Express Firefly Pro is $19.99 a month, and Affinity's AI tools need a paid Canva plan. Adobe Express Teams, Kittl Max and RelayThat Enterprise have no confirmed public price. Some Adobe Express, Canva and Kittl prices come from dated third-party listings rather than the official pages; all were checked on November 3, 2026.
| Tool | Cheapest way to start | Free plan | Free trial |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adobe Express | $9.99 a month (Premium) | Yes | 30 days |
| Affinity | Free | Yes | No |
| Canva | $18 a month (Pro) | Yes | Not stated |
| Kittl | $15 a month (Pro) | Yes | No |
| VistaCreate | $13 a month (Pro) | Yes | 14 days |
| RelayThat | $15 a month (Pro) | Not stated | Not stated |
Prices from each tool's own pricing page (or a dated third-party listing where that page couldn't be read). Prices can change, so check before you buy.
Also worth knowing about
We didn't test these tools, but they come up often and may suit a specific need.
Adobe Photoshop
Adobe's professional photo editor, at the top of most roundups. We haven't tested it.
Adobe Illustrator
Adobe's professional vector design app, often used for logos and print. We haven't tested it.
Inkscape
A free, open-source vector editor. We haven't tested it, but it may suit anyone who wants vector tools for free.
How we tested
Every tool got the same project brief between October 18 and October 31, 2026: a set of ten social and print pieces for a made-up online store, made on the same reference computer. Using one brief and one computer for every tool means the results compare like with like. You can read the full set-up in how we test.
We timed the whole brief, and three judges scored the finished pieces blind, without knowing which tool made them. We checked each tool's export file types and how many of 10 file checks passed, counted how many of 20 brand styles each kept, timed a beginner's first finished piece, and measured render time and peak memory use.
Each tool then got a score out of 5, in half points, for output quality, ease of use, features, performance and value for money. Together they make the overall score, and the ranking follows it.
How to choose
If you mainly make social posts and flyers from templates, Adobe Express and Canva were the quickest for a beginner. If you need vector shapes, photo editing and page layout, Affinity gives you professional tools for free.
Affinity is free for individuals, and Adobe Express, Canva, Kittl and VistaCreate have free plans. Try one on a real job first. Adobe Express also offers 30 days of Premium, and VistaCreate 14 days of Pro.
If you sell what you design, read the license. Kittl's free plan is for personal use only, and its paid license covers up to 500,000 copies below Max. Print-on-demand sellers should check this before they scale up.
Print work needs clean vector and PDF files. All six tools exported PNG, PDF and SVG in our test, but Adobe Express and Affinity passed 9 of 10 file checks and RelayThat only 5. Some VistaCreate users report no PDF with bleed. For logos, see our list of vector graphics editors.
Charges after a free trial are a leading complaint for Adobe and VistaCreate. Kittl generally gives no refunds, and Canva reviews them case by case. Set a reminder before any trial ends.
Terms you'll see
- Brand kit
- A saved set of your logos, colors and fonts that you can apply to any design.
- Vector graphic
- An image made of shapes and lines rather than pixels, so it stays sharp at any size, which suits logos and print.
- PDF with bleed
- A print file with extra image past the trim edge, so no white strip shows after cutting.
- AI credits or tokens
- An allowance that is used up each time you run an AI feature, such as generating an image.
- Commercial license
- Permission to use or sell what you design for business, which free plans often don't include.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best free graphic design software?
Affinity is free for individuals and matched our top pick's overall score, so it's our choice if you want professional tools at no cost. Adobe Express, Canva and VistaCreate have free plans with limits, and Kittl's free plan is for personal use only. Inkscape and GIMP are free too, though we haven't tested them.
Is Affinity really free?
Yes, for individuals. The full app, with its vector, photo and layout tools, costs nothing, according to Affinity's own site. The catch is that the AI tools, such as generative fill and background removal, need a paid Canva plan, and the download goes through a Canva login.
How much does graphic design software cost?
Many tools have free plans. Paid plans we found start at $9.99 a month for Adobe Express Premium, $13 a month for VistaCreate Pro, $15 a month for Kittl Pro and RelayThat Pro (per user) and $18 a month for Canva Pro, all billed monthly. Canva Pro drops to $15 a month billed yearly, and Affinity is free for individuals.
Is Adobe Express worth it over Canva?
In our test, yes. Adobe Express scored 4.5 out of 5 to Canva's 4, its work was judged 4.6 to Canva's 3.9, and Premium costs $9.99 a month to Canva Pro's $18. Express also brings Adobe fonts and Firefly AI. Canva has the larger template library and user base and got a beginner going a minute faster. Both have free plans.
What is a good Photoshop alternative?
Affinity is the closest free alternative we tested. It opens PSD files with layers kept, handles photo editing alongside vector and layout work, and is free for individuals. GIMP is another free option we haven't tested. If you want Photoshop itself in a lighter form, Adobe Express Firefly Pro includes Photoshop on web and mobile for $19.99 a month.
How did we test these design tools?
Every tool made the same ten social and print pieces for a made-up online store on the same reference computer, between October 18 and October 31, 2026. We timed the brief, had three judges score the work blind, checked exported files, counted brand styles kept, timed a beginner's first piece and measured render time and memory use.
The bottom line
For most small businesses, Adobe Express is the easiest way to great-looking designs; if you want professional tools without paying, choose Affinity.
Make your case
Think a tool is missing or wrong?
If you use a tool we reviewed, or work for the company, email us with what you saw. We'll look at the evidence and update the review if it changes our findings.
Think your company belongs on this list?
Send us your product, website and the category it fits. We'll test it the same way as every other tool. It's free, and we can't promise a date or a score.
Mia Chen
I've always loved the creative side of technology. I'm particularly interested in user experience and how small design decisions can completely change the way a platform feels.
Update history
- November 4, 2026: published with the results of our test, run between October 18, 2026 to October 31, 2026.