Discover 30+ programs to help you illustrate, design, animate and more! This is the A to Z of graphic design software, featuring both free and premium programs that you can download and start using today.
Interested in including your software on the list? Email collaboration@envato.com to be added! Or visit tutsplus.com/advertise for more sponsored content opportunities.
Written prices are correct at the time of publishing.
Envato Elements
Looking for assets to use in your designs and illustrations? Try Envato Elements! Get unlimited downloads of design assets, templates, and fonts. Millions of creative digital assets, with simple commercial licensing, and you can cancel any time.
Follow along with us over on our Envato Tuts+ YouTube channel:
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ArtRage
ArtRage by Ambient Design 79 USD for Windows/Mac
ArtRage is a digital art program that specializes in digital painting tools and resources that mimic traditional art. From oil paint on canvas to watercolor and pencils, you can smear, mix, and blend just like the real thing!
Animatron Studio
Animatron Studio by Animatron Inc From Free for Windows/Mac/Linux
Animation Studio is an online animation maker perfect for creating online advertisements, including banner ads and short videos. Its drag-and-drop UI makes it great for beginner animators.
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Boxy SVG
Boxy SVG by Jarosław Foksa From 9.99 USD/year for Windows/Mac/Linux
Boxy SVG is an SVG file editor aimed at both beginner and professional web designers and developers. With a minimal and well-thought-out UI, Boxy SVG aims to create a streamlined SVG editor where the image takes center stage.
Blender
Blender by The Blender Foundation Free for Windows/Mac/Linux
Blender is a free 3D computer graphics program used for creating animated films, visual effects, and video games. It supports the entire 3D pipeline, from modeling to animation and finally rendering!
BlenderHDR Image Based Lighting in Blender in 60 Seconds
BlenderCreating a Rabbit in Blender: Part 1
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CorelDRAW
CorelDRAW by Corel Corporation 249.00 USD/year for Windows/Mac
CorelDRAW is a graphics editor for vector illustration, photo editing, and typography! It’s a suite of several programs that has everything you need for both you and any collaborators.
Clip Studio Paint
Clip Studio Paint by CELSYS Inc From 49.99 USD for Windows/Mac
Clip Studio Paint is used for the digital creation of comics, digital art, and 2D animation. It’s a favorite amongst digital painters for its painting-focused user interface and natural brush feel!
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(Affinity) Designer
Affinity Designer by Serif 49.99 USD for Windows/Mac
Affinity Designer is fast becoming a favorite among professionals for creating print projects, logos, icons, UI designs, and much more! Affinity Designer stripes back the UI, ditches the bloat and gimmicks, and gives you a completely streamlined graphic designing experience.
Affinity Designer30+ Awesome Affinity Designer Textures, Assets, & Resources (Free & Premium!)
Affinity Designer25+ Best Free Affinity Designer Brushes (& Affinity Designer Tutorials!)
DaVinci Resolve
DaVinci Resolve by Blackmagic Design Free for PC/Mac/Linux
DaVinci Resolve is a color correction and video editing program that can also create and combine visual effects, motion graphics, and audio post-production. This makes it one of the world’s first all-in-one video editing software packages that is 100% Hollywood used and approved!
VideoHow to Export Color-Corrected Clips From DaVinci Resolve
VideoHow to Work With Scopes in DaVinci Resolve
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Envato Elements
Envato Elements by Envato From 16.50 USD/mo for PC/Mac/Linux
Envato Elements is a one-stop shop for all your graphic design needs! Get unlimited downloads of graphics, photos, and fonts. Millions of creative digital assets, all with simple commercial licensing! With just one monthly fee.
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FireAlpaca
FireAlpaca by PGN Inc Free for PC/Mac
FireAlpaca is a free digital painting software package that boasts fast rendering times and an easy-to-understand UI. And the best part? They are very vocal about how they will be free forever!
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GIMP
GIMP by GIMP Team Free for PC/Mac/Linux
GIMP is a free and open-source image editor that’s been around for a whopping 25 years and is still getting active updates! Both artist and graphic-designer-friendly, GIMP has a whole library of third-party programs, so you can customize your workspace to your exact needs.
Gravit Designer
Gravit Designer by Corel Corporation From Free for PC/Mac/Linux
Gravit Designer is a full-featured vector graphic design program with a suite of fast and flexible tools specially made for professional designers and artists. Gravit does both vector and raster-based processing, as well as having everything you need for web and UI design.
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HitFilm Express
HitFilm Express by FXhome Limited Free for PC/Mac
HitFilm Express is a free video editor with a slew of professional-grade editing tools! Perfect for everyone, including film students, gamers, and YouTubers—even if you’ve just started your journey into video editing!
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InDesign
InDesign by Adobe From 20.99 USD/mo for PC/Mac
InDesign is the industry-leading layout and page design software for both print and digital media. Create and publish books, magazines, posters, and more, all while taking advantage of Adobe’s other integrated services.
Adobe InDesignA to Z of InDesign: Tips, Tricks, & Hacks!
Adobe InDesignHow to Change the Font Color in InDesign
Illustrator
Illustrator by Adobe From 20.99 USD/mo for PC/Mac
Illustrator is the industry standard when it comes to vector graphics software. From digital art to mobile graphics and of course web UI, Illustrator is used worldwide, and for good reason!
Adobe IllustratorA to Z of Illustrator: Tips, Tricks, & Hacks!
Adobe IllustratorHow to Create a Pastel Gradient Background
Inkscape
Inkscape Free for PC/Mac/Linux
Inkscape is an open-source and free vector-based software that has all of the tools a professional illustrator or web designer might need, at the best price: free! Easy to use, with tons of learning resources, this professional program is beginner-friendly.
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Krita
Krita Free for PC/Mac/Linux
Krita is a free and open-source painting program. Aimed at concept artists, matte painters, and comic artists, Krita has tons of online learning resources that are all also free!
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Lucidpress
Lucidpress by LPS Holdco From 10 USD/mo for PC/Mac/Linux
Lucidpress is an online branded content creator full of easy-to-use graphic design templates and a user-friendly UI. As it’s browser-based, it works on all computers, is super lightweight, and is quick to use!
Luminar
Luminar by Skylum From 99 USD for PC/Mac
Luminar is a photo editing program that is fully powered by artificial intelligence! As Luminar is powered by AI, it’s incredibly easy to learn as a beginner, while still being powerful enough for professionals to use. Instantly retouch photos or manipulate photos with just a few clicks.
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MyPaint
MyPaint Free for PC/Mac/Linux
MyPaint is a free painting program that focuses on creating a simple interface with no distraction, and a brush feel that mimics real brushstrokes. MyPaint gives you everything you need and non of what you don’t!
MediBang
MediBang by MediBang Inc Free for PC/Mac
MediBang is a drawing app that's specialized for comic and manga artists. It’s available for PC, iPad, iPhone, and Android devices, so you can draw anywhere at any time!
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Natron
Natron Free for PC/Mac/Linux
Natron is an open-source video compositing software package for VFX and motion graphics. It includes multi-layer rotoscoping, various keying tools, and powerful rendering for fast production times.
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OpenToonz
OpenToonz by Dwango Free for PC/Mac/Linux
OpenToonz is a free drawing program aimed at 2D animators. It’s the open-source version of Toonz, which has been used by animation company Studio Ghibli!
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Placeit
Placeit by Envato From 7.47 USD/mo for PC/Mac/Linux
Placeit is an online and easy-to-use tool for branding content and mockup graphics. There are thousands of templates to choose from, including logos, videos, flyers, and more—all of which are completely customizable in your browser!
VideoHow To Make a YouTube Intro Video Online With Placeit Templates
PlaceitHow to Animate a Static Logo
(Adobe) Photoshop
Photoshop by Adobe From $9.99/mo for PC/Mac
Photoshop is a world-leading program in photo editing and retouching. Few photo editors can go toe to toe with Photoshop thanks to its extensive user-created library of free and premium brushes, actions, and other resources.
Adobe PhotoshopHow to Make a Gold Statue in Photoshop
Adobe PhotoshopHow to Add a Glow Effect in Photoshop
Procreate
Procreate by Savage 9.99 USD for Mac
Procreate is a well-loved digital painting app for the iPad and other Apple devices. Create sketches, full illustrations, and even animations from anywhere, thanks to it being an exclusive mobile app.
Procreate30+ Best Procreate Tutorials for Beginners and Advanced!
ProcreateHow to Do Calligraphy on Procreate
(Affinity) Publisher
Affinity Publisher by Serif 49.99 USD for PC/Mac
Affinity Publisher is a professional publishing software program used to compose books, magazines, website mockups, and more. With a smooth and intuitive UI, it’s fast becoming a favorite in the publishing industry.
Affinity PublisherA to Z of Affinity Publisher: Tips, Tricks, and Hacks
Affinity PublisherHow to Design a Postcard Template in Affinity Publisher
(Affinity) Photo
(Affinity) Photo by Serif 49.99 USD for PC/Mac
Affinity Photo is a photo editing software well known for its speed and power. It can be used for photo compositing, retouching, and illustrations, and it's the only fully featured photo editor that is on Mac, Windows, and iOS.
Affinity PhotoA to Z of Affinity Photo: Tips, Tricks, and Hacks!
Photo EffectsHow to Remove an Object in a Photo in Affinity Photo
Pixelmator
Pixelmator by Pixelmator Team 7.99 USD for Mac
Pixelmator is a photo editing app created exclusively for the iPad. It’s fully featured and is ideal for both photo retouching and color grading!
PaintTool SAI
PaintTool SAI by SYSTEMAX Inc 50 USD for PC/Mac/Linux
PaintTool SAI is a lightweight painting program that is simple and easy to learn. It aims to make digital painting quicker and more enjoyable, with zero lag and top tear anti-aliasing.
Pixlr
Pixlr by Inmagine From Free for PC/Mac
Pixlr is a browser-based photo editor that has both easy-to-use templates and AI-powered tools. If you are a premium user, you can even use it offline with their desktop version.
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QuarkXPress
QuarkXPress by Quark Software Inc From 474 USD/year for PC/Mac
QuarkXPress is an all-in-one program with easy photo editing, illustration, and web layout tools. You can also seamlessly transition from web to mobile publication for easy application designing.
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RawTherapee
RawTherapee by RawTherapee Team Free for PC/Mac/Linux
RawTherapee is a RAW image processing program. Cross-platform and free, it’s aimed at both new enthusiasts and long-time professionals, with all the tools and settings you need to edit your RAW files.
Rebelle
Rebelle by Escape Motions 89.99 USD for PC/Mac
Rebelle is a digital painting program that brings traditional supplies to your computer. It offers realistic interaction between oil paints and watercolor, without sacrificing performance or speed!
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(AutoDesk) Sketchbook
Sketchbook by Autodesk Inc Free for PC/Mac
Sketchbook is a drawing and painting program aimed at designers, architects, and concept artists. It has a simple UI, ideal for tablets and on-the-go sketching!
Sketch
Sketch, Sketch B.V 9 USD/mo for Mac
Sketch is an online UI and graphic designing program. With real-time collaboration and being so easy to use, it’s the ideal tool for team and group work.
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Toon Boom
Toon Boom From 25 USD for PC/Mac
Toon Boom is an award-winning pack of programs aimed at 2D animators. Used by professionals worldwide, Toon Boom is an industry standard that excels in animation, storyboarding, and end production.
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Vectr
Vectr by Inmagin Free for PC/Mac/Linux
Vectr is a free, cross-platform, vector graphics software package that is easy to use thanks to having a number of free templates. Vectr aims to simplify the graphic design process, letting you focus on what matters most: the designs!
Vecteezy
Vecteezy by Eezy Inc From Free for PC/Mac/Linux
Vecteezy is a resource site that specializes in vector art but also has a large library of photo and stock video content. It contains a mixture of both free and premium content, with professional-level quality to help you get your project done faster.
Conclusion
And that is our A to Z list of graphic design software, both free and premium!
Did we miss a few? Interested in including your software on the list? Email seo-outreach@envato.com to be added! Or visit tutsplus.com/advertise for more sponsored content opportunities.
Looking to learn even more? Check these out!
Adobe PhotoshopHow to Sharpen an Image in Photoshop-
Adobe PhotoshopHow to Make a Gold Statue in Photoshop
Photoshop ActionsHow to Create a Grass Action Text Effect in Adobe Photoshop-
Adobe PhotoshopHow to Add a Glow Effect in Photoshop
Adobe PhotoshopHow to Create a Storm Photo Effect in Photoshop
Text EffectsHow to Create a Magma Hot Text Effect in Photoshop
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