Buying guide
Best Design & Creative tools
Creative software and resources for modern teams.
- tools reviewed
- 73
- with a free plan
- 51
- with a free trial
- 15
Our picks
Our top picks
Each slot is assigned by an editor, with the reasoning written next to it. Nobody can buy a position.
Rank #1Figma
Figma is a browser-based interface design tool for building UI mockups, interactive prototypes, and design systems collaboratively in real time.
Why it wins this slot: The undisputed collaborative design standard featuring auto-layout, design tokens, interactive component variants, and robust dev mode.
- Free plan
Rank #2Framer
Visual website builder and design tool that publishes production-ready sites directly from design, with CMS, AI agents, and no-code interactions.
Why it wins this slot: Seamlessly connects visual vector layout to production web publication with responsive breakpoints, animations, and built-in CMS.
- Free plan
Rank #3Sketch
Mac-native UI design for digital products.
Why it wins this slot: The pioneer of digital product design offering superior offline performance, native macOS integration, and local file storage.
- 30-day free trial
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Everything in this category
All Design & Creative tools
Procreate
Design & Creative
Professional illustration for iPad.
Best for: Illustrators who want desktop-grade tools on an iPad.
Figma
Design & Creative
Figma is a browser-based interface design tool for building UI mockups, interactive prototypes, and design systems…
Best for: Product design teams building UI across web and…
- Free plan
Pixelmator Pro
Design & Creative
Powerful photo editor and design tool for Mac.
Best for: Mac users who want professional photo editing and graphic design…
Excalidraw
Design & Creative
Virtual collaborative whiteboard for sketching hand-drawn like diagrams.
Best for: Software engineers, systems architects, and technical educators…
- Free plan
- Free trial
Krita
Design & Creative
Professional free and open-source painting program for digital artists.
Best for: Concept artists, comic illustrators, matte painters, and 2D…
- Free plan
Cleanshot X
Design & Creative
Advanced screenshot and screen recording tool for Mac
Best for: Mac power users wanting a professional screenshot tool with…
tldraw
Design & Creative
Tiny, collaborative digital canvas and whiteboard library with developer SDK.
Best for: Designers, developers, and educators wanting a fast, distraction-free…
- Free plan
Adobe Photoshop
Design & Creative
Industry-standard photo editing software.
Best for: Professional photo editing, retouching and compositing.
Unsplash
Design & Creative
Free high-resolution stock photography platform.
Best for: Designers, marketers and developers who need high-quality, diverse…
- Free plan
Adobe Illustrator
Design & Creative
Vector graphics for logos and illustrations.
Best for: Illustrators and brand designers who need scalable, print-ready…
Affinity Designer
Design & Creative
Professional vector design, one-time price.
Best for: Professional designers who want Illustrator-level tools without a…
Rive
Design & Creative
Interactive motion graphics for apps.
Best for: Designers who want app-grade interactive animations that developers…
- Free plan
Head to head
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