7 Best Graphic Design Software with Free Plans or Trials for 2024

We’ll start over our graphic design software list with Adobe Illustrator. 

From the same company that owns Adobe Commerce (formerly Magento), it’s one of the most highly recommended tools for creating and editing vector graphics and laying out graphic design elements with multiple layers. 

Most users praised the number of advanced tools, calling it the most flexible, efficient, and complete program you might need for designing vector art. For example, the “puppet warp” feature allows you to transform only a portion of your image.

A huge plus is also the fact that it’s easy to install and compatible with most OS.

In addition, its integration with other Adobe projects is fantastic, making it simple to open and export to other Adobe products with a single click. Users also appreciate that Adobe continues to add new features and enhancements to the software with every new update.

Keep in mind that it’s not straightforward software. So, even though there are numerous video tutorials, if you’re looking for free graphic design software for beginners, this is not the best choice. 

You can get Adobe Illustrator on desktop and iPad for $20.99 a month. The entire Adobe suite of over 20 apps costs $54.99 per month. A free 30-day trial allows you to test the software without providing credit or debit card information.

Adobe Photoshop is one of the best-known photo editing software on the design market, offering drawing, typography, editing, and various photo-altering effects. This design wizard provides photographers and designers with everything they might need. 

In addition, Adobe is constantly adding new AI-powered tools, such as the fantastic Sky Replacement, Color Transfer, Neural Filters, and Landscape Mixer. More practical tools, such as pattern preview, live shapes, and cloud-stored files, have also recently appeared. 

Some of the most impressive things you can do with Photoshop is adding color to your old black-and-white pictures or combining different photos into one and creating completely unique scenery. 

However, just like Adobe Illustrator, it’s not the most user-friendly tool, and some people might find the interface overwhelming. Similarly, it requires stronger machines to run smoothly, though it is compatible with most OS.

You can get Adobe Photoshop for $20.99 monthly. However, to get over 20 creative Cloud apps in this good graphic design app, you need to pay $54.99 monthly.

DesignCap is an excellent option for creating professional-looking graphic design solutions. Users can make logos, flyers, charts, reports, menus, business cards, and any graphic design they need.

What we’d like to emphasize is that no advanced graphic skills are required, as many users praise the simplicity of the software. So, it’s one of the best free graphic design software for beginners. 

Moreover, its premium prices are lower than those of other graphic design software on the list, putting less pressure on you to stick with it if it happens not to fit your needs.

That being said, even if you’re not a beginner, you should still be able to create both simple and advanced designs with the features this product offers. 

DesignCap gives access to an extensive built-in database with thousands of high-quality templates and a large collection of shapes, illustrations, and fonts. This makes it a great choice for those looking for graphic design apps with free resources included.

DesignCap has a free plan where you can upload five images, save five designs, and all exported images will be in JPG format. With the basic plan, which is $4.99 a month ($59.88 billed annually), you’ll get unlimited templates, modules, and stock icons. 

In addition, you can get 100 image uploads and save 100 designs while gaining access to export formats in both PNG and PDF. 

The Plus plan, which costs $5.99 monthly ($71.88 billed annually), gives you complete access to all the platform’s features and services. 

Vecteezy is a web-based SVG editing software with a variety of graphics tools. It enables you to create, edit, and customize original vector designs with custom color, font, size, and more before downloading.

You can find photos, videos, and fantastic vector illustrations for personal and commercial use. According to reviews we’ve read, many of them are quite impressive and of high quality. Plus, considering the size of their database, you are guaranteed to find what you need.

In addition, their network of contributors is constantly adding fresh content. Many users praised the search option, as it allows them to find what they need in no time. So, it’s safe to say that their database is well organized.

This creator community online is trusted by designers at the world’s top brands like Amazon, whose value reached $683.85 billion in 2021, Facebook, Google, Microsoft, and many others.

The simplicity of Vecteezy’s graphic design toolkit is what makes this software fantastic. Quickly changing shapes and colors is one of the most useful features. A nice touch is the predefined graphics you can apply to your photos.

The monthly unlimited subscription is $14.00. You get unlimited downloads, full commercial rights, exclusive access to bundles, editor access, and more. However, you can save 36% if you choose the yearly subscription – you’ll be billed $9.00 monthly.

Lunacy is a free designing software for Mac, Linux, and Windows. It’s next-gen vector graphic software for UI, UX, and web design. 

Navigating the interface, drawing complex shapes, and exporting objects is straightforward with Lunacy. It’s free for personal and commercial use and works online and offline. In addition, the software includes built-in free graphics (illustrations, icons, and photos).

You’ll also get AI-powered tools like image upscale, background remover, and text and avatar generators. Lunacy can also handle dusty kits from Sketchappsources and the latest versions of .sketch files. But there’s no need to buy a Sketch or Mac license. 

This free online graphic design software is easy to use, mainly thanks to its intro tutorial. They offer free and paid licenses with no time limit. With the free plan, you get limited formats in lower resolution, and you have to link to Icons8 whenever you use their assets.

For the complete set of all the graphics, music, Pichon, Lunacy, and plugins, you have to pay $29, and you won’t have to credit them. If you want to buy them separately, they cost $13, but you can get the icons and illustrations together for only $19. 

Canva is one of the best tools for graphic designers. Users can create different types of visual content — social media posts, brochures, invitations, graphics, logos, etc. on desktop and mobile. 

It’s considered one of the easiest-to-use logo-making tools, which is also why we consider it the best for those in the marketing field.

The free plan is suitable for people who work on small projects. Free users get over 250,000 free templates and 100+ design types for social media graphics, presentations, etc. However, some elements will come with a watermark if you’re a free user.

If you’re looking for more customization options and improved productivity, you should choose the Canva Pro package, which costs $9.99 per user monthly if billed annually. There’s also an Enterprise plan available for $30 per user per month if paid for the whole year. 

With premium content and features like Background Remover, Brand Kit, and more, Canva Pro makes it simple for you to achieve your desired professional designs.

All in all, Canva is a graphic design software that is free to download and allows you to create visual materials even without extensive graphic design experience. And if you really like it, there is also a phone app, allowing you to work on the go.

CorelDRAW is a top free graphic design software that includes modern and professional features, some of which are quite unique in the field. For example, it has customizable brushes, shape blending, and many advanced-fill options.

You can easily work with different sheets in a single CDR file. Bitmap trace is its best feature, allowing you to convert any image to a vector by just tracing them. It helps in creating any type of vector shapes and logos.

This marketing design software is versatile enough to meet any creative requirement. You can use it for engraving, signage, product demand development, and catalogs. It works for more than just drawings; you can develop certificates, pamphlets, business cards, forms, and signs. 

You can try this complete graphic design suite free for 15 days with no credit card required. Or you can subscribe to any of their special offers right now at $269.00/year, $1,199/year, $29.99/year, or $69.99/year.

The subscription offers fantastic ongoing value by providing instant access to new features and content, support for cutting-edge technologies, and optimal performance.