Best 11 Software for Graphic Design and Editing

Graphic design software has revolutionized the way designers and artists work, providing them with powerful tools to create stunning visuals. Whether you’re a professional designer or a beginner, having the right software can make a significant difference in your work. In this article, we will explore the best graphic design software available in the market to help you make informed buying decisions.

Our Editorial Mission

Since 1982, PCMag has been testing and rating thousands of products to assist consumers in making better purchasing decisions. We carefully evaluate each software based on its features, performance, user interface, and overall value. Our goal is to provide comprehensive and unbiased reviews that help you choose the software that best suits your needs.

Top Picks for Graphic Design Software

When it comes to graphic design, there are various software options available to cater to different artistic needs. Whether you’re looking for raster image editing, vector editing, typography, interface design, or page layout, we have selected the top picks in each category. Read on to discover the best graphic design software for your specific requirements.

Adobe Photoshop: Best for Raster and Layer Editing

• Rating: 5.0 Exemplary

Adobe Photoshop is the industry standard when it comes to raster image editing and compositing layers. It offers a vast set of photo correction and manipulation tools, making it indispensable for professional designers and photographers. Photoshop’s slick interface and cutting-edge image manipulation tools set it apart from other software options. While there are alternative programs that support Photoshop’s formats, they often lack compatibility and advanced features.

Pros of Adobe Photoshop:
– Vast set of photo correction and manipulation tools
– Slick user interface with a lot of guidance
– Tools for mobile and web design
– Rich set of drawing and typography tools
– Synced Libraries and Cloud Documents
– Supports collaboration

Cons of Adobe Photoshop:
– No perpetual license option, hard to find the best price online
– Steep learning curve
– Runs many processes in the background

Find the best deal and learn more about Adobe Photoshop here

Adobe Fresco: Best for Drawing and Painting on the iPad

• Rating: 4.5 Outstanding

Adobe Fresco is a painting, sketching, and watercolor app designed specifically for the iPad. It provides a natural drawing and painting experience, replicating the feeling of traditional art tools in a digital environment. While the app is free, you can access additional brushes and shapes with a subscription. Adobe Fresco is perfect for artists who want to create digital art on their iPad.

Pros of Adobe Fresco:
– Lifelike brush, pen, and pencil physics
– Available for iPad, iPhone, and Windows tablets
– Raster, vector, and live brushes
– Simple, effective animation
– Incredible education and support

Cons of Adobe Fresco:
– Can’t create new brushes or access Illustrator brushes
– No Chrome OS version

Learn more about Adobe Fresco here

Adobe Illustrator: Best for Vector Editing and Illustration

• Rating: 4.5 Outstanding

Adobe Illustrator is the premier vector editing and drawing application in the industry. While other software options support vector graphics, Illustrator stands out with its extensive vector design tools and excellent type support. It is the go-to choice for professional illustrators and graphic designers. Hobbyists who enjoy creating visual art can also benefit from Illustrator’s capabilities. However, if you prefer a perpetual license or want to avoid subscription fees, other software options like Affinity Designer or CorelDraw may be more suitable.

Pros of Adobe Illustrator:
– The best vector design tools on the market
– Excellent Touch Type feature
– Simplified Free Transform tool
– Powerful Puppet Warp feature for selective transformations
– Many improvements to existing features

Cons of Adobe Illustrator:
– No perpetual license option
– No uniformity of key commands with Photoshop and InDesign

Find the best deal and learn more about Adobe Illustrator here

Adobe InDesign: Best for Publication Layout and Design

• Rating: 4.5 Outstanding

Adobe InDesign is the industry standard for publication layout software. It offers a superbly balanced contextual interface, making it easy to create professional layouts. InDesign’s automatic global page adjustment feature simplifies the design process, and its interactive export options allow you to export to PDFs and HTML5. With Adobe Fonts and Adobe Stock integration, you also get unmatched typography tools and access to stock media.

Pros of Adobe InDesign:
– Superbly balanced contextual interface
– Easy, smart automatic global page adjustment
– Interactive export for PDFs and HTML5
– Can export to ebook formats

Cons of Adobe InDesign:
– Requires a subscription
– No iPadOS version (yet)

Find the best deal and learn more about Adobe InDesign here

Adobe XD: Best for Web and Mobile Interface Design

• Rating: 4.5 Outstanding

Adobe XD is a powerful tool for designing web and mobile interfaces. While it may not be the industry standard like Sketch, XD offers excellent responsive design tools and strong collaboration options. Its intuitive workspace and familiar key commands make it easy for Creative Cloud users to adapt. Unlike Sketch, Adobe XD is cross-platform and compatible with both macOS and Windows.

Pros of Adobe XD:
– Intuitive workspace and familiar key commands for Creative Cloud users
– Excellent and easy team collaboration
– Leading responsive design support
– Robust tutorials and user community
– Compatible with macOS and Windows

Cons of Adobe XD:
– Not as many plug-ins as there are for Sketch

Learn more about Adobe XD here

Canva: Best for Non-Designers Making Branded Content

• Rating: 4.5 Outstanding

Canva is a web, mobile, and desktop app that caters to non-designers who need to create promotional, marketing, and social media content. It offers appealing modern design templates for various purposes, including social media posts and presentations. While the basic version of Canva is free, a subscription provides access to a wealth of extra templates and stock content. Canva is an excellent choice for both professionals and non-designers looking to create compelling designs with ease.

Pros of Canva:
– Capable content creation, even in the free version
– No design background needed
– Mostly intuitive interface and user-friendly experience
– Impressive suite of six new tools
– Excellent learning resources

Cons of Canva:
– Can’t resize templates in the free version
– No spell-check

Learn more about Canva here

Procreate: Best for Subscription-Free Painting, Sketching, and Drawing

• Rating: 4.5 Outstanding

Procreate is a premium quality iPad app for artists of all levels. It offers a wide range of customizable features for painting, sketching, drawing, hand lettering, and animations. With its affordable one-time purchase price, Procreate is accessible to everyone with an artistic inclination. While it is only available for iPad, it provides a user-friendly experience with a minimal learning curve.

Pros of Procreate:
– No subscription and very affordable
– Rich with features
– Minuscule learning curve to get started
– Adjustments, FX, and Finishing Filters

Cons of Procreate:
– No Android or Windows versions
– No tear-off windows, vector capability, or cloud storage

Find more details about Procreate here

Serif Affinity Designer: Best for Low-Cost, Full-Featured Vector and Raster Editing

• Rating: 4.0 Excellent

Serif Affinity Designer is an affordable alternative to Adobe software. It offers professional-level capabilities at a lower price and does not require a subscription. Affinity Designer provides a good set of vector drawing tools, font support, and a unique Contour tool for joining shapes organically. It is accessible to beginners while still offering features that professionals can appreciate.

Pros of Serif Affinity Designer:
– Professional-level capabilities, yet accessible to beginners
– Competitive pricing and no subscriptions
– Fast with ProMotion support for the latest Macs

Cons of Serif Affinity Designer:
– No pattern-making tools

Learn more about Serif Affinity Designer here

CorelDraw Graphics Suite: Best for All-in-One Illustration and Page Design

• Rating: 4.0 Excellent

CorelDraw Graphics Suite is a comprehensive software package that covers illustration and page design. While Adobe Illustrator is the most famous name in vector art, CorelDraw offers unique features and is easier to use. It is a great option for those who want an affordable entry into the world of vector graphics design. CorelDraw also offers a perpetual license, allowing you to make a one-time purchase instead of paying a recurring subscription fee.

Pros of CorelDraw Graphics Suite:
– Professional-level features, some of which are unique
– Fun, easy, instant-gratification effects
– Highly customizable interface
– Subscription and perpetual licenses available for reasonable rates
– Easier to learn than Illustrator for a pro-level tool

Cons of CorelDraw Graphics Suite:
– Inconvenient for teams vested in an Adobe workflow
– Some ease-of-use issues
– Not immediately compatible with Extensis Suitcase Fusion font manager

Learn more about CorelDraw Graphics Suite here

Corel PaintShop Pro: Best for Budget-Conscious Image Editors

• Rating: 4.0 Excellent

Corel PaintShop Pro is a cost-effective alternative to Adobe Photoshop. It offers similar features and capabilities but at a lower price point. PaintShop Pro is suitable for image editors who don’t need to collaborate with other Adobe Creative Cloud users. It provides powerful effects and editing tools, extensive help and tutorials, and a good assortment of vector drawing tools.

Pros of Corel PaintShop Pro:
– Photoshop-like features at a lower price
– Powerful effects and editing tools
– Extensive help and tutorials
– Good assortment of vector drawing tools
– Automatic noise removal

Cons of Corel PaintShop Pro:
– Inconsistent interface
– No macOS version
– Some slow operations

Learn more about Corel PaintShop Pro here

Adobe Express: Best for Template-Driven Social Posts

• Rating: 3.5 Good

Adobe Express is a template-based graphic design tool designed for non-designers who need to create marketing materials or social media posts. It offers fluid templates and many stock assets, making it easy to create visually appealing content without extensive design knowledge. Adobe Express provides powerful image and video editing features and includes file conversion capabilities. While the software might not be as intuitive for users accustomed to Creative Cloud desktop apps, it offers a range of useful features.

Pros of Adobe Express:
– Fluid templates and many stock assets
– Powerful and useful image and video editing features
– File conversion capabilities
– Includes cloud storage

Cons of Adobe Express:
– Not intuitive at first if you’re used to Creative Cloud desktop apps
– Unexpected menus show up after certain actions
– No new functionality in the webpage category

Learn more about Adobe Express here

Conclusion

Choosing the right graphic design software is essential for both professionals and beginners. With the options listed above, you can find the perfect software to meet your artistic needs. Whether you’re working with raster images, creating vector designs, or designing page layouts, there is software available to help you achieve your goals. Consider your specific requirements and budget before making a decision, and remember to explore the features, user interface, and support provided by each software option.

Note: The ratings mentioned in this article are based on PCMag’s reviews and evaluations. Prices and availability may vary. Please refer to the respective software websites for the most up-to-date information.