Individuals starting a business who need a logo and other assets Platform:Īlthough this design tool is free, it brings a lot of value. Pixlr E includes a photo collage maker that combines your favorite photos into a clean, cohesive design. Pixlr X includes regularly updated templates for social media, presentations, resumes, business cards, newsletters, and event invitations. Pixlr has two options: Pixlr E for photo editing and Pixlr X for graphic design.

While it’s less advanced in function than Illustrator, it’s cloud-based and supported on mobile, desktop, or the web. Pixlr offers plenty of features for editing, creating, and sharing creative images. Individuals whose position requires them to work from different devices to create images Platform: If this sounds technically advanced, GIMP offers tutorials for newcomers to the tool so you get the most out of it. GIMP is free and open source, so there is a market of third party plugins to enhance your productivity and design capabilities. Better still, GIMP provides options for customization and third party plug-ins, so if your image editing needs are somewhat unique, you might want to check this tool out. GIMP, which stands for GNU Image Manipulation Program, has limited vector functions but has similar tools to Photoshop, making it an impressive image editor with powerful image manipulation options.

GIMPĪdvanced designers who need a custom tool to create illustrations and graphics Platform: It also offers an open source vector graphics package, so if you have the technical skills, you can incorporate Inkscape into your other software programs. Inkscape is a quality product for pro- or semi-pro web designers working within SVG file format. Unlike some free tools, this tool allows layering, grouping, and locking objects so you can completely customize the look and feel of a project while maintaining a streamlined workflow. You can create complex textures and gradients in Inkscape, too. One of the most comparable substitutes to Adobe Illustrator, Inkscape has plenty of similar sketching, illustrating, and editing tools, including keys to move and rotate by screen pixels, bitmap tracing, color painting over objects, and edit gradients with handles. Pro and semi-pro illustrators and web designers Platform: Best Free Adobe Illustrator Alternatives 1.

Illustrator projects for beginners