You likely also have social media accounts if you have an online presence. And if you use social in a business capacity, having a few free design tools on hand would be a real time-saver.
After all, if you’re not a designer, trying to create custom graphics can leave you feeling a bit disoriented.
And it can be hard to know which tools best suit your needs. That’s why we’ve collected five of the best free design tools on the market so you can save time and get down to designing immediately.
5 Best Free Design Tools for Creating Shareable Social Media Graphics
Any of the following would help you greatly when making social media graphics for sharing purposes. We’ve also made sure to indicate who these tools would best serve:
1. Canva
About: Canva is one of the most popular free design tools available. And after taking a glance at it, you’ll quickly see why. The tool is loaded with templates for creating all sorts of social media graphics as well as those for websites and even for print.
Best of all, Canva is so generally easy to use that it can make you feel like you’ve mastered design in just a few minutes. The output is amazing, and the quality of images you can create is second to none. The interface is drag-and-drop, so there’s no real learning curve here. Plus, you can apply layout variations to templates to better organize images and text.
Features: 5/5
- More templates than you’ll know what to do with.
- It makes it simple to create graphics for every social network, thanks to pre-sized templates.
- Multiple layout options for graphics and text.
- Animation options.
- A wide range included stock photography and image assets like fonts, icons, and illustrations.
- The free version is perfectly serviceable, and image exports are of professional quality.
- Premium version grants access to a wider range of assets and more export options.
Bottomline
Canva is a top-tier graphic design tool that offers a wide range of features even professionals use.
2. Pablo by Buffer
About: Next on our list is Pablo. Buffer developed this tool. Yes, the social media scheduling app. Pablo works seamlessly with Buffer and is designed to simplify creating images for social media greatly.
Its primary tool is to allow you to create graphics with overlaid text. That’s pretty much all it does, but this tool performs well for focusing on just one feature.
There are a handful of provided templates to choose from. And then, you can choose a provided image or upload your own. Then add the text you want to showcase, and that’s that.
Features: 3/5
- Add text on top of images.
- Six default templates are included.
- Add a logo if you wish.
- Drag-and-drop text to your desired location.
Bottomline
Pablo by Buffer is a barebones web-based app. It just allows you to place text on top of a photo or graphic – that’s it. But the editing process is pleasant, and with easy exporting options and direct integration with Buffer, this might be a handy tool to have on hand in a pinch. Plus, it’s free, so what’s not to love?
3. Photopea
About: If you have more complex needs, however, something like Photopea is a great free design tool to consider. It’s a free alternative to Photoshop, and since it’s web-based, you can access it from any device.
With it, you can edit photos, add filters, apply effects, and add overlaid text – all the stuff you need to create compelling social media graphics. It also works with multiple file types and allows for the editing of vector shapes. It won’t entirely replace Photoshop if that’s what you’re looking for, but it will do the job of filling the role of social graphics creator.
Features: 4/5
- Fully browser-based.
- Includes templates for various social media graphics, so getting started is easy.
- The user interface is pretty intuitive.
- Supports layers.
- Supports multiple file formats, including PSD.
- Allows for editing of text and vector shapes.
- Allows you to apply filters and effects.
Bottomline
Photopea is a fantastic free social media graphics design tool that can manage slightly more complex projects if you push it. If you’re a professional designer, you’ll find it lacking. But if you need a template-based design tool, it may fit the bill.
4. Adobe Creative Cloud Express
About: Or maybe Adobe Creative Cloud Express will be more your speed? It’s a web-based tool that makes it relatively easy to create fresh social graphics with minimal effort and experience. It includes templates and design styles (including pre-sized templates) for things like Facebook covers, Twitter headers, and Instagram Stories.
The user interface is easy to interact with, and if you have some familiarity with Adobe products, it should feel comfortable and familiar. Now, you can’t fully customize everything, but since the target demographic here is true beginners, that’s not necessarily bad.
Features: 5/5
- It comes with a pre-stocked library of templates for creating social graphics.
- Includes a variety of design assets to add to your creations.
- The drag-and-drop editor is easy to use.
- Provides access to Adobe Stock photos.
- Includes basic editing functions.
- Offers 2GB of storage space.
Bottomline
Adobe Creative Cloud Express is a versatile tool that’s easy to start. It doesn’t have all the bells and whistles, but if you’re making graphics for social media, you don’t need them.
5. Desygner
About: Last on our list today is Desygner, a graphic design tool that makes it simple to create social graphics even if you lack design experience. Most will find the free version of the app to offer enough features to create compelling designs.
It comes with thousands of templates and access to stock imagery, so the time it takes you to finish a project could be only minutes.
Features: 5/5
- Includes thousands of templates.
- Provides access to Shutterstock images.
- The editor is easy to use and offers drag-and-drop functionality.
- Includes multiple layouts to add to your designs.
- Offers vector support.
Bottomline
Desygner is a robust free tool that will serve the needs of most people seeking a way to create custom social media graphics in a shorter period of time.
Conclusion: Start Making Social Media Graphics with Free Design Tools
So if you’ve been putting off making custom social media graphics for your business, now’s the time to start. You can create professional graphics in minutes with any of the abovementioned tools.
Which tool is your favorite? Feel free to sound off in the comments below.
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