When it comes to design software, there is no shortage of amazing programs. You can find hundreds of design programs online at your fingertips, but it can be tough to differentiate their abilities. At our social media agency, we have creatives with extensive experience working with a variety of different design programs. To help you find the perfect one for your company, we have listed out the top 5 design software programs our creatives swear by.
Best Overall: Adobe Photoshop
Why we love it: The standard of graphic design, Photoshop is still regarded the top of the top when it comes to creative software. The intuitive software allows both beginner and advanced designers to create a variety of creative designs. From photo editing to vectors and illustrations, Photoshop has all the tools you need.
Price: Starts at $9.99/month
Best for Beginners: Canva
Why we love it: Perhaps no other program is more user-friendly than Canva. With an easy-to-navigate side panel with tons of photos, shapes, fonts, and pre-made designs, even the most inexperienced creative can make beautiful graphics.
Price: Free, paid versions start at $9.95/month
Best for the Price: GIMP
Why we love it: Very similar to Photoshop, GIMP gives those who aren’t ready to invest money into editing software the chance to get their feet wet. With a variety of capabilities, GIMP makes it possible to make complicated designs without the monthly fees of other popular programs.
Price: Free
Best for Photos: Adobe Lightroom Classic
Why we love it: The software interface is easy to use, and offers more tools than other comparable programs that bring photos to life. Plus, many photo editors are slow to load, whereas Lightroom operates quickly and smoothly, making editing a breeze.
Price: Starts at $9.99/month
Best for Digital Illustration: Affinity Designer
Why we love it: As a vector application, Affinity Designer is one of the best for the price. With comparable tools to Adobe Illustrator, Affinity’s performance and usability is excellent and allows users to work fast and efficiently.
Price: $49.99 one-time download
To learn more content creation tips from our social media agency, click here.
