If you’re someone interested in graphic design, all you need to know is that neither experience nor fancy editing software is necessary to achieve your creative goals. By leveraging the right design tool, you can easily create visually compelling designs—quick, easy, and hassle-free.
To help you get started, we’ll go over the top user-friendly design tools you can find online and their different features. If you’re set to start designing like a pro, let’s dive in!
The Best Online Design Tools for Beginners at a Glance
In case you’re in a rush, we’ve got you covered. Here is a quick roundup of the top design tools for beginners and their different key features, recommended use cases, and learning curves:
| Canva | Visme | Piktochart | VistaCreate | PosterMyWall | |
| Key features | ☑️Drag-and-drop editor ☑️Brand Kits ☑️Integrations with CRM tools ☑️Cloud storage ☑️Team collaboration | ☑️Unlimited projects ☑️5M+ photo library ☑️Collaboration ☑️Workflows ☑️Analytics | ☑️Branded templates ☑️Unlimited PNG, PDF, and PPT downloads ☑️5M+ Premium assets ☑️Transparent background downloads | ☑️Remove background ☑️Resizing tool ☑️Sticker maker ☑️Team account | ☑️2M+ customizable free-to-use templates ☑️Beginner-friendly drag and drop editor ☑️Social media management ☑️AI tools (background remover, text-to-image, etc.) ☑️Audio/Video recorder and editor |
| Use case | Basic social media graphics | Infographics and presentations | Reports, presentations, and other data-visualization needs | Logos and basic designs | All-around content creation needs + social media management and marketing |
| Learning curve | Low | Moderate | Moderate | Low | Very low and highly beginner-friendly |
The Top Online Graphic Design Tools for Beginners
For a more detailed look at the best online graphic design tools for beginners, here is a simple rundown of each tool and its different features:
1. Canva
Canva is an online design platform popular for its user-friendly drag-and-drop interface. With Canva, users can create various design types, such as posters and social media graphics.
Pricing (monthly)
- Free
- Pro ($15)
- Teams ($10/user)
Free plan inclusions
- Drag-and-drop editor
- Templates
- 4.5M+ stock photos and graphics
- 5GB of cloud storage
- 1,000+ design types
Pros and cons
| Pros | Cons |
| ✅Extensive library of different design types | ❌Limited customization features |
| ✅Robust team collaboration features | ❌Some design templates may appear repetitive |
| ✅Can be easily integrated with external platforms, such as CRM tools | ❌Limited export formats |
2. Visme
Visme is an online graphic design tool known for its more advanced tools and built-in AI-powered features. Compared to Canva, Visme allows more room for users to create dynamic and interactive content, as well as access to data visualization tools.
Pricing (monthly)
- Free
- Starter ($29)
- Pro ($59)
- Enterprise (Custom)
Free plan inclusions
- 10 AI credits
- Unlimited projects
- Most templates
- Limited PPT imports
- 500MB of storage
Pros and cons
| Pros | Cons |
| ✅Ideal for translating data-heavy content into designs | ❌Runs on AI credits, which may be pricey for some users |
| ✅Various built-in AI tools | ❌May require a learning curve for some users |
| ❌Fewer templates compared to other tools |
3. Piktochart
Piktochart is an online design tool that functions similarly to platforms like Canva, but focuses more on templates and assets for infographics and reports. While the tool still offers a variety of different design templates, the app is better-suited for those interested in designing data-heavy content.
Pricing (monthly)
- Pro ($29)
- Business ($49)
- Enterprise (Custom)
Free plan inclusions
- 2 PNG downloads
- Unlimited visual projects
- All templates and formats
- 100MB storage
Pros and cons
| Pros | Cons |
| ✅Wide variety of assets for charts, infographics, and presentations | ❌Limited templates for other design types, like social media graphics |
| ✅Built-in presentation mode accessible on the platform | ❌Pricier subscription plans |
| ❌Limited customization features |
4. VistaCreate
Formerly known as Crello, VistaCreate is another graphic design platform that offers a drag-and-drop interface. When compared with other tools, VistaCreate is a more straightforward design tool, making it an ideal choice for users who want to design basic visual content.
Pricing (monthly)
- Free
- Pro ($13)
Free plan inclusions
- 100k+ templates
- 85 design formats
- Creative assets
- Photo and video editing tools
Pros and cons
| Pros | Cons |
| ✅Easy-to-navigate interface | ❌Very few customization options |
| ✅Basic animation and video tools | ❌Limited AI tools |
| ❌Fewer templates compared to other platforms |
5. PosterMyWall (Most recommended)
PosterMyWall is a comprehensive and beginner-friendly design tool that offers an extensive list of useful design features. With PosterMyWall, users can get access to over 2M free and customizable templates for various niches, a handy set of AI-powered tools, like an AI background remover, and a wide variety of other design and marketing features for affordable pricing plans.
Because of these, we highly recommend PosterMyWall for all types of users. Whether you’re interested in creating social media graphics, event posters, or designs for your brand, PosterMyWall offers various effective tools without the complicated features.
Pricing (monthly)
- Free
- Premium ($9.95)
- Premium Plus ($29.95)
Free plan inclusions
- 2M+ customizable templates
- User-friendly drag-and-drop editor
- Free standard quality images
- Audio/Video recorder and editor
- Publish directly to social media
Pros and cons
| Pros | Cons |
| ✅Generous and affordable pricing plans | ❌Limited video editing features |
| ✅Beginner-friendly interface with no learning curve | |
| ✅Comprehensive online design features, including AI tools, templates, assets, and many others |
Quick and Easy Design Tips for Non-Designers and Beginners
Now that we’ve gone over the top design tools in the market, we’ll also share some simple yet effective tips you can apply to maximize your online design tool. Here is a quick rundown of the best design tips for beginners and non-designers alike:
1. Stick to a theme
Whether you’re a pro or a beginner designer, it’s crucial to keep your design consistent. Not only does this save you time and effort, but it also helps keep your work visually stunning and cohesive.
If you’re working on graphics for a specific theme or brand, we highly recommend utilizing a Brand Kit tool to ensure that your design is consistent throughout.
2. Follow the visual hierarchy
Following the visual hierarchy rule might sound complicated, but it simply means ensuring that the most important parts of your content are the most dominant. If you’re making a poster, for instance, ensure that your title is the most readable, and utilize smaller fonts for minor details.
3. Limit your fonts
Regardless of the content of your design, it’s best to keep the number of typefaces or fonts you’re using to a minimum. This helps improve readability and helps keep your design visually compelling.
4. Use templates
The great thing about utilizing free templates is that you don’t have to strictly stick to the original design. In many ways, a template can serve as a great starting point for your design, whether it be a poster or a social media graphic.
5. Utilize AI tools
Whether you need help in brainstorming a design or caption, AI tools can help you come up with more creative outputs. With an AI Images tool, you simply need to type in a prompt, click on a button, and immediately get your desired image without browsing through an extensive stock photo library.
Turn Your Ideas Into Stunning Graphics
With a little patience, effort, and the help of the right design tool, you can easily create visually stunning content for your specific needs. The best part? These tools don’t require the expertise of a professional or even experience with graphic design.
Simply choose a tool that checks your list, browse through its template library, and start turning your ideas into visually compelling content!