Sam McCraw
Are you looking to quickly and easily create great-looking design assets but not sure which of the plethora of online design tools to choose?
We’ve tested many online graphic design tools and apps, and put together a list of the best ones to make it easy for you to find the software that has what you’re looking for.
We’ve ranked them from strongest to weakest in terms of ease of use, functionality, design templates, and value for money.
Let’s dive right in.
You can jump to a specific product if you want:
- Canva
- Adobe Express
- Placeit
- VistaCreate
- Snappa
- Renderforest
- Visme
- Pixelied
- Poster My Wall
- Design Wizard
- Stencil
Let’s get to the list.
#1 Canva
In at number one is Canva which, in our opinion, is hands down the best online design tool around at the moment.
There are plenty of websites like Canva but none that quite offer the same ease of use, functionality, and array of predesigned templates to choose from.
We’ve looked at several different areas of Canva before such as the Canva logo maker (you can see our article on how to make a logo with Canva) and also how to create Twitch designs with Canva but there are so many other facets to the tool.
Whether you’re just dipping your toe into the world of online design or you’ve used several different tools before you should have no problem using Canva, it’s interface is incredibly user-friendly.
Their customization options that will help you create fantastic and unique-looking designs in no time.
You can read our full Canva Pro review for more details.
Main template categories:
- Logos
- YouTuber templates (thumbnails, banners, endscreens, etc,)
- Twitch templates (overlays, banners, panels, etc.)
- Video intros
- Video templates
- Instagram templates (Stories, posts, highlights, etc.)
- Infographics
- Posters & flyers
- Printables
Template examples from Canva:
Pricing:
- Free plan: plenty of amazing tools and templates
- Canva Pro monthly: $12.99
- Canva Pro annual: $119.99
Highlights:
- Incredible template library (covers most categories)
- Top-notch customization options
- Very beginner friendly
- Intuitive and easy to learn interface
- Pro features (background remover, resize tool, etc.)
- Affordable subscription prices
Overall, it’s a fantastic online graphic design tool for anyone looking to create a really professional-looking designs, no matter what niche you’re in and your design experience.
#2 Adobe Express (formerly Adobe Spark)
You’ve probably heard of Adobe Photoshop or InDesign before but you might not have been aware of Adobe Express, the company’s challenger to Canva.
It’s a quality online design software that, much like the majority of tools in this list, is designed to allow anyone to jump on it and start designing straight away. There’s no real learning curve to it.
They have plenty of tools and graphics to allow you to create designs from scratch or you can utilize one of their huge library of templates.
We were particularly impressed by their logo templates and so we featured the tool in our best online logo makers article. You can also read our full Adobe Express logo maker review (we reviewed it when it was still Adobe Spark).
It’s an incredible too but not quite as good as Canva (in our opinion), you can see why in our article Adobe Express vs Canva.
Main template categories:
- Social media graphics
- Logos
- YouTuber templates (thumbnails, banners, etc)
- Flyers & posters
- Instagram templates (Stories, posts, etc.)
Template examples from Adobe Express:
Pricing:
- Free plan: plenty of free tools and templates
- Monthly plan: $9.99
- Annual plan: $99.99
Highlights:
- Great range of predesigned templates
- Simple and user-friendly interface
- Great range of video editing tools
- Adobe Express mobile app
- Access to full Adobe Stock collection (paid plans only)
- Access to Adobe Fonts (paid plans only)
Adobe Express is a fantastic online graphic design tool that lets users create designs and content with ease. A lot can be done with their free plan too for those on a tight budget.
#3 Placeit
Placeit is a little bit different from the previous two tools in that it mainly focuses on providing high-quality templates to its users that require very little customizaton.
We have a Placeit tutorial that takes you through how to use the tools in the most effective way.
The design tool is probably best known for its mockup and logo templates, many of which are fantastic quality, and if you’re a YouTuber or Twitch streamer there are plenty of tools for you to help brand your content (see our article on creating Twitch designs with Placeit).
If you’re looking to create designs as quickly as possible then Placeit could be a great option for you, however, if you’re looking for a tool with greater customization features then it’s probably better to look to another tool such as Canva (see our article: Placeit vs Canva).
Read our full Placeit review for more details.
Main template categories:
- Logos
- Mockups
- YouTuber templates (thumbnails, banners, endscreens, etc,)
- Twitch templates (overlays, banners, panels, etc.)
- Video intros
- Instagram templates (Stories, posts, etc.)
Template examples from Placeit:
Pricing:
- Free templates
- Placeit monthly subscription: $14.95
- Placeit annual subscription: $89.69
Highlights:
- Fantastic template library to start your designs from
- Templates for a vast array of niches (e.g. gaming, fashion, etc.)
- You can create something that looks professional in seconds
- Intuitive and easy to learn interface
- Annual subscription is great value for money
Overall, Placeit is a fantastic online design tool particularly for those looking to create mockups, logos, or brand a YouTube/Twitch channel.
#4 VistaCreate (formerly Crello)
VistaCreate is another user-friendly and intuitive online design software. Like Canva, VistaCreate has a huge predesigned template library and an array of customization tools that help you create unique-looking designs with ease.
You can dive into a comparison of the two tools in our VistaCreate vs Canva article (we did the comparison when VistaCreate was still called Crello).
What helps VistaCreate stand out from alternatives tools is the ease in which it allows you to create designs from a blank canvas or customize one of their templates. It has a similar user interface to Canva and is just as beginner-friendly.
So if you’re looking to create content for social media, a logo for your brand or even animated designs and videos VistaCreate is likely to offer what you’re looking for.
Main template categories:
- Animated designs (TikTok videos, animated logos, etc.)
- Social media content (Facebook & Instagram posts, Pinterest pins, etc.)
- Logos
- YouTuber templates (thumbnails, banners)
- Banner ads
- Printables
Template examples from VistaCreate:
Pricing:
- Free plan: plenty on offer for free users
- VistaCreate Pro monthly: $13
- VistaCreate Pro annual: $120
Highlights:
- Huge template library
- Easily create animated designs and videos
- User-friendly interface
- Useful integrations (e.g. direct posting to Facebook, Instagram, etc.)
- Pro features (Background remover, resize tool, etc.)
- Affordable subscription pricing
Incredible online design tool that has so much to offer. It’s not quite as good as Canva at the moment (in our opinion) but close.
#5 Snappa
If you’re looking for an online graphic design software that has plenty of customization options but offers up a simple and accessible user interface then Snappa could be just what you’re looking for.
There are quite a few sites like Snappa but none that balance the simplicity and powerful editing features quite as well.
The tool, like many other online design software programs offers a quality library of predesigned templates and Snappa is particularly strong when it comes to social media templates, as well as templates for YouTubers.
We’ve ranked them amongst the best YouTube banner makers and YouTube endscreen makers. You can also see the steps needed to create a YouTube banner with Snappa in the linked article.
Main template categories:
- Social media graphics
- YouTuber templates (thumbnails, banners, endscreens, etc,)
- Twitch templates (banners, screens, panels, etc.)
- Infographics
- Banner ads
Template examples from Snappa:
Pricing:
- Free plan: 3 downloads per month
- Pro plan monthly: $15
- Pro plan annual: $120
Highlights:
- Plenty of great quality templates to utilize
- Access to full library and toolkit for free
- Buffer integration (content scheduling)
- Clean and easy user interface
If you’e looking for a clean and simple online graphic design tool that still has fantastic customization tools then we’d recommend you check out Snappa.
#6 Renderforest
Renderforest is probably best Placeit alternative, certainly more so than any other tool in this list as their template range covers similar areas such as video intros, mockups, logos, and social media templates as well as a few additional categories.
What makes Renderforest stand out from other online design tools is the quality of their video tools. Their video intro maker is one of the best around in terms of ease of use and the quality of the templates.
They also offer users the ability to create good-looking websites, as well as mockups which not too many of the design tools in this list offer, there are a few other sites like Renderforest that offer a similar mix though.
When it comes to customizing designs Renderforest is very easy to use and navigate. Their customization tools aren’t as good as some of the other design software, notably Canva and VistaCreate, but it is still a very user friendly product.
Main template categories:
- Logos
- Mockups
- Video intros
- Instagram templates (Stories, posts, etc.)
- Presentations
- Printables
- Websites
Template examples from Renderforest:
Pricing:
- Free plan: some free tools and templates
- Lite plan: $14.99 /month or $199.98 /year
- Pro plan: $29.99 /month or $239.88 /year
- Business plan: $29.99 /month or $239.88 /year (per user)
Highlights:
- High-quality YouTube intro maker
- Varied mockup templates
- Template collections
- Very easy and intuitive interface
Renderforest isn’t as powerful or as useful as some other tools such as Canva at the moment but the tool has plenty to offer, particularly when it comes to creating video intros and mockups.
#7 Visme
If you’re looking to create visualizations such as infographics, charts, maps, presentations, and more then Visme could be the online graphic design software for you.
The design tool has been around for some time and has evolved to become one of the top tools available at the moment.
Visme pretty much offers everything Canva does except it doesn’t quite offer the same usability and template quality at the moment, in our opinion.
That being said they offer some fantastic and intuitive customization tools, and plenty of quality templates that you can utilize as the starting points for you designs.
Where the tool leads the market is in their infographics and presentation templates and tools. So, if that’s an area of interest to you, you should definitely check out what they have to offer.
There are some quality Visme alternatives too that have a similar range of infographic and presentation templates.
Main template categories:
- Infographics
- Presentations
- Social media graphics
- Printables
- Video intros and outros
Template examples from Visme:
Pricing:
- Free plan: plenty of free tools & templates
- Personal plan: $29 /month or $147 /year
- Business plan: $59 /month or $297 /year
What we like:
- Quality templates to use as the starting point of your design
- Presentation and infographic templates
- User friendly interface
- Powerful customization tools and features
For those of you looking to quickly and easily create professional-looking designs, particularly presentations and infographics, Visme could be a great option for you.
#8 Pixelied
Pixelied is a fairly new kid on the block but has quickly established itself as a solid online graphic design software.
Similar to PicMonkey, Pixelied started off with a focus on photo editing and has a useful range of photo manipulation tools, filters, and effects.
They have since expanded their offering to become a fully fledged online design tool with templates for social media, banners, headers, eBook covers, and much more.
The tool has a good range of predesigned templates too, which can be easily customized and transformed using their simple customization tools.
Main template categories:
- Social media graphics
- Headers & banners
- YouTuber templates (Thumbnails, intros, outros, etc.)
- Twitch templates (Panels, banners, etc.)
- Mockups
- Photo manipulation
Template examples from Pixelied:
Pricing:
- Free plan: 200+ templates
- Pro plan: $9.95 /month
- Pro+ plan: $16.95 /month
Highlights:
- A solid range of predesigned templates
- Simple and clean customization tools
- Intuitive and easy to learn interface
- Up and coming mockup generator
Overall, Pixelied is a great online design tool with plenty of good-looking templates and a clean and simple user interface that makes creating designs fun.
#9 Poster My Wall
Poster My Wall is another fantastic online design tool, particularly for beginners as it is incredibly easy to use.
They have an expansive library of predesigned templates for a range of areas including social media platforms, posters, album covers, and an extensive range of email design templates.
The tool also has a solid range of tools for YouTubers, it’s featured amongst our top recommended YouTube thumbnail makers.
Like the majority of the tools in this list, Poster My Wall is very user-friendly and quick to learn. The customization tools and features are good, albeit not as extensive as some of other other featured tools such as a Canva.
Main template categories:
- Social media graphics
- Posters & flyers
- YouTuber templates (Thumbnails, banners)
- Printables
- Email templates
Template examples from Poster My Wall:
Pricing:
- Free plan: plenty of free tools & templates
- Premium: $9.95 /month or $99.95 /year
- Premium plus: $29.95 /month or $319.95 /year
What we like:
- Good range of predesigned templates
- Very beginner friendly
- Access to StoryBlocks video library (premium feature)
- Plenty of usage from the free plan
If you’re a beginner looking for a tool to help you create quality designs then you’ll definitely find value from Poster My Wall.
#10 Design Wizard
Design Wizard is a very similar tool to Canva but at the moment Canva just does everything a little bit better than their newer counterparts.
That being said, Design Wizard still has plenty to offer in the way of design templates, ease of use, and customization options. Particularly for those of you just dipping your toe into the world of online graphic design.
They have templates for a huge range of areas including social media content, eBook covers, posters, printables, videos, and so much more.
The tool also has several very useful 3rd party integrations including Hubspot, Marketo, and Buffer. So, if you have accounts with any of those platforms you can combine them with Design Wizard to streamline your design and content sharing processes.
Main template categories:
- Social media graphics
- Logos
- Album covers
- YouTuber templates
- Banner ads
- Videos
Template examples from Design Wizard:
Pricing:
- Basic plan (free)
- Pro plan: $9.99 /month or $89 /year
- Business plan: $49.99 /month or $449 /year
What we like:
- Solid range of predesigned templates
- Templates in many different categories
- Easy tool for beginners
If you’re looking to quickly and easily create a really professional-looking designs you could do a lot worse than to use Design Wizard as your tool of choice.
#11 Stencil (GetStencil)
For those of you looking to crank out as much as visual social media content as possible, Stencil is a great option for you.
The customization features and template range with Stencil isn’t as strong as some of the other tools in the list such as Canva, VistaCreate, and Placeit but the simplistic and intuitive interface does make it a total breeze to crank out designs.
Stencil also features several 3rd party integrations including one that gives users the ability to post their designs directly to social media platforms including Facebook, Pinterest, and others.
However, the most useful integration for bloggers is their WordPress plugin that allows you to add your designs from Stencil directly to your WordPress content. It’s a huge timesaver if you’re a website owner that use the WordPress platform.
Main template categories:
- Social media graphics
- eBook covers
- Zoom backgrounds
Template examples from Stencil:
Pricing:
- Free plan: 10 designs per month
- Pro plan: $15 /month or $108 /year
- Unlimited plan: $20 /month or $144 /year
Highlights:
- Some good quality templates
- Create designs insanely quickly
- Image resizer
- WordPress plugin
- Intuitive and easy to learn interface
If you’re someone who needs to put out visual social media content quickly or a blogger on WordPress who wants an easy way to create and add great-looking visuals to your content then Stencil could be the design tool for you.
Honorable mentions
There were a few tools that didn’t quite make our top 11 but we think are still worth a mention:
To conclude…
So there you have 11+ tried and tested online graphic design tools.
Whether you’re looking for an affordable (or free) option or you need a tool that offers plenty of customization features, we’re positive one of the tools in this list will have what you’re looking for.
Enjoy creating! Oh, and if you have any questions, comments or have suggestions for other awesome online graphic design software that we might have missed, leave a comment below!
