Graphic design software is required to create visual content such as logos, posters, and social media postings. Choosing the best tool for your needs might be complicated with so many possibilities available. To save your time and complexities, we have come up with the top 5 best paid graphic design tools or websites.
Best Paid Graphic Design Tools
1️⃣ Adobe Creative Cloud
Adobe Creative Cloud is a suite of graphic design tools that includes Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, and more. Professionals use it for creating and editing images, graphics, and other visual content. Adobe Creative Cloud offers a range of features for photo editing, vector-based designs, layout, and typography. It also provides a library of stock images and graphics.
Undoubtedly, Adobe Creative Cloud is one of the best paid graphic design tools and creative software suites, including tools like Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign. Yet we will talk about five pros and five cons of using Adobe Creative Cloud:
✅Pros of Adobe Creative Cloud:
Comprehensive suite of tools: Adobe Creative Cloud offers a complete suite of design and creative tools, making it a one-stop shop for all design needs.
Advanced features: Adobe Creative Cloud tools have advanced features and capabilities, providing a high level of design flexibility and customization.
Integration across tools: Adobe Creative Cloud tools integrate seamlessly with each other, making it easy to move between tools and maintain consistency across projects.
Regular updates and new features: Adobe Creative Cloud tools are regularly updated with new features and improvements, ensuring the software is always up-to-date.
Community and support: Adobe Creative Cloud has a large community of users and extensive support resources, including tutorials, forums, and customer support.
❎ Cons of Adobe Creative Cloud:
High cost: Adobe Creative Cloud’s subscription model can be expensive for individuals or small businesses, especially if they only need a few tools.
Steep learning curve: Adobe Creative Cloud tools have a steep learning curve, requiring significant time and effort to learn and master.
Performance issues: Adobe Creative Cloud tools can be resource-intensive and may experience performance issues, especially on older or less powerful computers.
Complexity: Adobe Creative Cloud tools can be complex and overwhelming, which may be intimidating for beginners or those with limited design experience.
Dependency on a subscription model: Adobe Creative Cloud tools require a subscription to access, meaning users depend on the software as long as they maintain the subscription.
Website: adobe.com/creativecloud
2️⃣ Sketch
Sketch is a popular graphic design tool used by designers for creating user interfaces, web designs, and mobile app designs. It has a range of features for vector-based designs, including tools for drawing, shapes, and symbols. Sketch also supports plugins and integrations with other design tools.
There is no denying fact that Sketch is a popular vector graphics editor primarily used for UI/UX design on macOS. Still, it comes with some merits and demerits:
✅Pros of Sketch:
User-friendly interface: Sketch has a clean and intuitive user interface, making it easy to use for both beginners and professionals.
Powerful vector editing tools: Sketch’s vector editing tools are powerful and flexible, allowing for precise and complex shapes and designs.
Robust prototyping features: Sketch’s prototyping features allow designers to create interactive prototypes quickly and easily.
Integration with other tools: Sketch integrates with a wide range of third-party plugins and tools, extending its capabilities and functionality.
Collaborative features: Sketch allows for easy collaboration with team members and stakeholders through features like shared libraries and comments.
❎ Cons of Sketch:
Limited platform support: Sketch is only available for macOS, which limits its accessibility to designers who use other operating systems.
Finite file compatibility: Sketch’s files are proprietary, and other design tools may be unable to open or edit them without conversion.
Less raster editing capabilities: Sketch’s raster editing capabilities are limited compared to other design tools, which may be frustrating for designers who need to edit or create raster-based designs.
Subscription-based pricing model: Sketch’s pricing model is subscription-based, which may be cost-prohibitive for some users or businesses.
Limited animation features: Sketch’s animation features are limited compared to dedicated animation software, which may be a downside for designers who need more advanced animation capabilities.
Website: sketch.com
3️⃣ Affinity Designer
Affinity Designer is a vector-based graphic design tool to create logos, illustrations, and other visual content. It offers a range of features for drawing, painting, and manipulating vector shapes. Affinity Designer supports various file formats, including SVG, PDF, and EPS.
Truly speaking, Affinity Designer is a vector graphics editor available for both macOS and Windows. Anyway, you should know some pros and cons of using Affinity Designer:
✅Pros of Affinity Designer:
Affordable: Affinity Designer offers a one-time purchase option, making it more affordable than other popular design tools with subscription-based pricing models.
Powerful vector editing tools: Affinity Designer has a robust set of vector editing tools, making it ideal for creating complex and precise designs.
Seamless workflow: Affinity Designer offers a seamless workflow, allowing designers to move between vector and raster design quickly.
Responsive customer support: Affinity Designer’s customer support team is responsive and helpful, offering quick and practical solutions to user inquiries and issues.
Good file compatibility: Affinity Designer supports a wide range of file formats, including PSD, PDF, and SVG, making it easy to share files with clients and team members.
❎ Cons of Affinity Designer:
Limited community support: Affinity Designer has a smaller user community than other popular design tools, which may limit access to tutorials and resources.
Steep learning curve: Affinity Designer has a learning curve, which may be challenging for beginners or designers who are used to working with other design tools.
Limited integration with other tools: Affinity Designer has limited integration with other design tools and plugins, which may be a downside for designers who require additional functionality.
Less text editing capabilities: Affinity Designer’s text editing capabilities are not as advanced as other popular design tools, which may be frustrating for designers who need to work extensively with text.
Limited prototyping features: Affinity Designer’s prototyping features are limited compared to dedicated prototyping software, which may be a drawback for designers who need more advanced prototyping capabilities.
Website: affinity.serif.com
4️⃣ CorelDRAW
CorelDRAW is a vector-based graphic design tool a designer uses to create logos, illustrations, and other visual content. It offers a range of features for drawing, painting, and manipulating vector shapes. CorelDRAW also supports various file formats, including SVG, PDF, and EPS.
CorelDRAW is a vector graphics editor that has been popular for many years. Yet we will discuss five pros and five cons of using CorelDRAW:
✅Pros of CorelDRAW:
Wide range of features: CorelDRAW offers a comprehensive range of features and tools for graphic design, including vector editing, page layout, and photo editing.
User-friendly interface: CorelDRAW’s interface is easy to use and customizable, making it an accessible option for both beginners and professionals.
Good file compatibility: CorelDRAW supports a wide range of file formats, including AI, PDF, and SVG, making it easy to share files with clients and team members.
Excellent typography tools: CorelDRAW’s typography tools are robust and advanced, allowing designers to create beautiful and complex typography.
Support for automation and scripting: CorelDRAW allows for automation and scripting, making it easier to work with repetitive tasks and processes.
❎ Cons of CorelDRAW:
Expensive: CorelDRAW is relatively costly compared to other design tools, which may be a drawback for freelancers or small businesses.
Steep learning curve: CorelDRAW has a steep learning curve, which may be challenging for beginners or designers who frequently use other design tools.
Limited community support: CorelDRAW has a smaller user community than other popular design tools, which may limit access to tutorials and resources.
Buggy software: CorelDRAW has been known to be buggy, with occasional crashes and glitches. They may disrupt workflow and cause frustration.
Limited integration with other tools: CorelDRAW has limited integration with other design tools and plugins. They may be a drawback for designers who require additional functionality.
Website: coreldraw.com
5️⃣Figma
Figma is one of the best paid graphic design tools or websites. It is a web-based graphic design tool that a graphic designer can use for creating user interfaces, web designs, and mobile app designs. Its user-friendly interface allows users to collaborate with other team members in real-time. Figma offers a range of features for vector-based designs, including tools for drawing, shapes, and symbols. It also has a library of pre-made design components to customize and reuse.
In fact, Figma is a web-based design and prototyping tool that has gained a lot of popularity in recent years. Here are five pros and five cons of using Figma:
✅Pros of Figma:
Collaborative features: Figma’s real-time collaboration features make it easy for designers to work together, regardless of their location or device.
Browser-based: Figma is browser-based, making it accessible from anywhere with an internet connection. Thus, it eliminates the need for software installation or updates.
Design system management: Figma’s design system management features allow designers to create and maintain design systems. Thus, it makes it easier to create consistent and scalable designs.
Prototyping capabilities: Figma has robust prototyping capabilities, allowing designers to create interactive prototypes and animations without leaving the tool.
Version control: Figma’s version control features allow designers to keep track of changes. At the same time, they collaborate with team members on specific design versions.
❎ Cons of Figma:
Finite offline access: Figma requires an internet connection to use. However, it may disadvantage designers who need to work offline.
Limited vector editing tools: Figma’s vector editing tools are less advanced than those in dedicated vector graphics software. They may be a downside for designers who must create complex vector graphics.
Limited typography tools: Figma’s typography tools are less advanced than those in dedicated typography software. However, they may be a drawback for designers working extensively with text.
Less integration with other tools: Figma has limited integration with other design tools and plugins. They may be a limitation for designers who require additional functionality.
Limited customization options: Figma’s interface is not as customizable as other design tools. The tools may be a downside for designers who prefer a highly customized workflow.
Website: figma.com
Final Word
That’s it; the 5 best paid graphic design tools are for you. You can test and use them all and find the perfect one for your graphic design work. All design tools or websites come with both advantages and disadvantages. Therefore, we highly recommend extensive research on the design websites since most have different premium plans or subscriptions.
Although the tools do the same design work by nature, they have different functionality and interfaces. Anyway, you can also find the best free graphic design tools here.