RANKINGS/SAAS/GRAPHIC DESIGN SOFTWARE

Top 10 Graphic Design Software

10 ranked on capability, adoption, value, momentum and trust, with a plain verdict on every entry.

LISTER SCORE · UPDATED REGULARLY

Adobe Photoshop remains the industry standard for professional raster editing, making it ideal for expert photographers and digital artists. Canva is the top choice for beginners and marketers seeking quick, template-based social media designs. Meanwhile, Affinity Photo offers a powerful, subscription-free alternative that appeals to budget-conscious professionals.

RANKENTRYSCORETRENDFROM

Adobe PhotoshopAdobe Photoshop was originally created in 1987 by Thomas and John Knoll before being acquired by Adobe.95.0NEW$22.99/mo

CanvaCanva was launched in Australia in 2013 and has grown to over 100 million monthly active users.92.7NEWFree

Adobe IllustratorAdobe Illustrator was originally developed for the Apple Macintosh in 1986 as a commercial outgrowth of Adobe's in-house font development software.90.3NEW$22.99/mo

Affinity PhotoAffinity Photo was named Apple's App of the Year in 2015 for its exceptional macOS performance.88.0NEW$69.99 one-off

FigmaFigma was the first collaborative interface design tool to run entirely in web browsers.85.7NEWFree

CorelDRAWCorelDRAW was first released in 1989, making it one of the oldest vector graphics editors still in active development.83.3NEW$269.00/yr

SketchSketch was one of the first major design tools to abandon a purely print-based paradigm in favour of digital-first workflows.81.0NEW$10.00/mo

InkscapeInkscape uses Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) as its primary native format, strictly adhering to W3C standards.78.7NEWFree

ProcreateProcreate was developed by Savage Interactive, a small independent studio based in Tasmania.76.3NEW$12.99 one-off

Adobe InDesignAdobe InDesign was released in 1999 to compete with QuarkXPress, which dominated the publishing market at the time.74.0NEW$22.99/mo

LAST UPDATED 2026-07-20CURATED · UPDATED REGULARLY

The ranking, in detail

Adobe Photoshop

The world's best imaging and graphic design software.

The industry standard application for raster image editing, digital painting, and compositing.

From $22.99/moBest for Professional photo editing and digital art

95.0

Canva

Empowering the world to design.

An online graphic design platform used to create social media graphics, presentations, and posters.

From FreeBest for Quick designs and social media content for non-designers

92.7

Adobe Illustrator

Vector graphics that turn ideas into reality.

The premier vector graphics software used worldwide by designers creating digital graphics, illustrations, and typography.

From $22.99/moBest for Vector logos, icons, and scalable illustrations

90.3

Affinity Photo

Professional photo editing software.

A fast, fully-featured professional photo editing software that operates without a subscription model.

From $69.99 one-offBest for Professional photo editing on a budget

88.0

Figma

The collaborative interface design tool.

A collaborative web-based interface design tool used for UI/UX design, prototyping, and graphic layouts.

From FreeBest for Collaborative digital design and user interfaces

85.7

CorelDRAW

Professional vector illustration and layout.

A vector graphics editor designed for professional illustration, layout, and typography.

From $269.00/yrBest for Print production and sign making

83.3

Sketch

The digital design toolkit.

A toolkit for digital design built for macOS, focusing heavily on UI and UX workflows.

From $10.00/moBest for Mac-based UI and UX designers

81.0

Inkscape

Draw freely with open-source vector graphics.

A professional quality vector graphics software that runs on Linux, Windows, and macOS for free.

From FreeBest for Open-source vector illustration on a strict budget

78.7

Procreate

A powerful sketching and painting app for iPad.

A powerful raster graphics painting application developed specifically for the iPad and Apple Pencil.

From $12.99 one-offBest for Digital painting and hand lettering on iPad

76.3

Adobe InDesign

Page design and layout for print and digital publishing.

Desktop publishing and page layout software for creating works such as posters, flyers, brochures, magazines, and books.

From $22.99/moBest for Multi-page document and editorial publishing

74.0

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between vector and raster graphic software?

Raster software like Adobe Photoshop uses pixel grids to edit photographs and digital paintings, which lose quality when scaled up. Vector software like Adobe Illustrator uses mathematical formulas to create shapes and lines that can be scaled infinitely without losing quality.

Do I need to pay a monthly subscription for graphic design software?

Not necessarily. While industry giants like Adobe charge a monthly subscription fee, there are excellent alternatives such as Affinity Photo and Procreate that charge a single one-off fee, as well as entirely free options like Canva and Inkscape.

Which software is best for absolute beginners?

Canva is widely considered the best software for absolute beginners due to its intuitive drag-and-drop interface, cloud-based platform, and thousands of pre-made templates for social media and marketing.

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SAASJUL 21

Top 10 Graphic Design Software

The ranking, in detail

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between vector and raster graphic software?

Do I need to pay a monthly subscription for graphic design software?

Which software is best for absolute beginners?

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