8 Top Graphic Design Software Tools in 2024

Graphic design is an integral part of every digital marketing strategy as almost every subset of digital marketing requires some or the other type of design. Social media marketing requires designs to be posted on social media handles, paid advertising requires visually appealing posters to attract the target audience, and so on. Design is an easy way to convey a brand’s message to its target audience. This is the reason why graphic design has gained the utmost significance in the past few years. In this article, we have listed some of the best graphic design software tools that designers can use in 2024:

1. Adobe Illustrator

Adobe Illustrator is one of the most popular software tools for professionally designed artwork or illustrations. It can be used to create detailed drawings for online publishing as well as printing purposes. It has an easy-to-use interface where you can get access to various colors, different types of brushes, shadows, and many more elements to create designs. 

Apart from this, there are special effects that can be used to create specific designs like infographics, posters, invitation cards, and a lot of other designs. However, it is quite expensive and hence might not be a suitable choice for individuals looking for budget-friendly graphic design tools. It comes with a monthly plan priced at $37.99 and there are no discounts even with annual prepayment. Some of its key features are:

You can either choose a template or start your design from scratch.

• It can be integrated with other tools within the Adobe family.
• It supports multiple file formats and has a wide range of vector design tools.

2. Adobe Photoshop

Adobe Photoshop, as the name suggests, is for editing images or creating them from scratch. It is one of the most popular tools among graphic designers due to its versatility and amazing features. It comes with a wide range of designer tools suitable for beginners as well as professional graphic designers. Also, the easy-to-use user interface and detailed tutorials make it an even better choice for designers. The pricing for this software is also the same, i.e. $37.99/month. Some of its key features include:

• It comes with a large library of templates, images, videos, icons, etc.
• Users can take advantage of the custom layers, brushes, and adjustment options.
• It supports multiple file formats, including PNG, JPG, etc.
• It can easily be integrated with other Adobe programs.

3. Figma

Figma is another popular graphic design software that comes with a free plan having amazing features. It allows multiple designers to collaborate on the same design. Its simple drag-and-drop feature makes the software extremely easy to use and collaborate on. Organizations can even create private plugins and integrate them. It comes with a wide range of free tools that designers can use to enhance their work. Designers can get real-time feedback at Figma, which makes it one of the preferred choices of those working as a team. It comes with a free as well as a paid plan. In order to get access to all its features, you can purchase its paid plan, which is priced at $12 per month.

• It comes with a free plan with amazing features.
• It comes with unlimited cloud storage and drafts, making it perfect for small businesses or teams.
• It allows you to integrate with third-party apps.

4. Procreate

Procreate is a digital art studio and is among the most popular graphic design tools used today. It is exclusively made for iPad and is supported by the Apple pencil. It doesn’t come with a monthly or yearly plan, but you just have to make a one-time purchase worth $19.99 to access all its features. It can be used to create 3D paintings with excellent brush control and other features. The tool comes with over 200 customizable brushes and a lot of other features that allow designers to come up with the perfect illustrations, images, or digital artwork. Some of its key features include:

• It comes with a large library of tutorials.
• You can import Photoshop brushed to it.
• It has a great user interface.
• The software supports Apple Pencil.

5. Affinity Designer

Affinity Designer is a preferred choice for graphic design beginners due to its easy user interface and features. It is very similar to Adobe Illustrator in terms of user interface and other factors. The grids and guides of this software can simplify your design no matter what type of project you are working on. It supports a wide range of standard formats and supports a 1,000,000% zoom for accurate designing, helping you ensure maximum perfection. The platform needs you to charge a one-time fee, which is $69.99 for Mac OS and Windows and $18.49 for iPad. Some of its key features include:

• It comes with unlimited artboards and demands fewer resources.
• You can set it up quickly in just a few steps.
• The software is quite affordable.

6. Canva

Canva is among is most widely used graphic design software tools in 2024. It has gained high popularity due to its amazing features that are accessible with the free plan. Its paid plan gives you access to even more features and benefits. It is used to create web designs, social media posts, offline posters, and a lot of other designs. User can choose from a wide range of available images, elements, backgrounds, templates, and fonts, to create a design as per their needs and preferences. It has three pricing plans, including one that is free. Some of its key features include:

• Its drag-and-drop feature makes it extremely easy to use for beginners.
• It comes with plenty of built-in editing tools and allows real-time collaboration.
• It has a wide collection of resources and tutorials. 

7. Inkscape

If you are looking for a free yet functional graphic design software tool for vector graphic designing, Inkscape is one of the best options you can find. It is an open-source tool that designers can use to create powerful illustrations and get access to amazing editing functions. It has a user-friendly interface, which allows users to get easy access to a wide range of tools. You can import AI and CorelDRAW files into it and work on them. Some of its key features include:

• It supports multi-line, line spacing, and letter spacing
• It has a built-in XML editor
• It is accessible on Windows, Mac, web-based, and Linux.

8. ClipStudio

ClipStudio is another popular option that you can consider if you are looking for a graphic design tool, especially for comic creation or illustration. It comes with numerous advanced tools and realistic brushes, allowing users to create visually appealing and precise artwork. From a simple basic illustration to an entire comic, you can create anything with ClipStudio using its amazing features. It is not free, but comes with various licensing models. Some of its key features include:

Can be used to create 3D models and AI posing.

• It comes with custom brushes
• Its Vector lines with a hand-drawn feel are perfect for creating animations.

Summing Up

Your decision of choosing the right graphic design tool should depend on your needs. If you need graphic design software for your individual needs or some basic projects, you can go for tools that come with a free plan. However, if you are working on a more professional project that requires precision and advanced artwork, you might have to opt for paid software tools like Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, and others listed above. 

MadHawks, being one of the top digital marketing agencies, has a dedicated team of graphic design professionals having in-depth knowledge of all these software tools. If you are looking for graphic design experts, you can reach out to our experts. For any further information, contact us today!

FAQs

1. What is graphic design software?

Ans. Graphic design software is a tool used to create digital artwork, designs, or artwork. These tools come with a wide range of resources, including colors, fonts, brushes, templates, elements, images, etc, that can be used to create any type of design from scratch.

2. What are some popular graphic design software options?

Ans. Some of the popular graphic design software tools are: Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, Canva, CorelDRAW, Figma, Procreate, Affinity Designer, Inkscape, ClipStudio, Gimp, Krita, and Vectr. 

3. Is graphic design software expensive?

Ans. Some graphic design software tools are expensive, such as Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Affinity Designer, etc. However, some of them even come with free plans, such as Canva. 

4. What are some good alternatives to Adobe products?
Ans. Some good alternatives to Adobe Photoshop are Inkscape, Blender, Gimp, Pixlr, etc. 

5. What graphic design software is best for beginners?

Ans. Canva is one of the best graphic design software for beginners as its free plan comes with a wide range of tools and resources. Even without paying a fee, designers can get access to numerous free templates, images, elements, and a lot of other resources.