Top 10 Free Alternatives to Canva in 2025

As we step into 2025, a host of robust graphic design tools have emerged as strong contenders to Canva. These tools offer a myriad of features, free of charge, enabling users to craft professional visuals without hitting their budget. Here's a detailed comparison of the top 10 free Canva alternatives, focusing on their unique offerings and functionalities.

Boost Your SEO by Getting Featured in Our Blogs and get a backlink.

We publish content about startups, education, tech, funding, etc. that ranks well not only in Google but also in Perplexity, ChatGPT, Grok and other AI tools.

👉 Get featured now!

1. Picsart

Website: Picsart
Description: Picsart is a versatile online graphic design tool that brings an extensive selection of tools, templates, and stock photos for creating a variety of visuals.
Ease of Use: No prior design experience or software download required.
Features: Offers a wide range of free design tools, from templates to stock photos.
Use Case: Ideal for creating graphics for brochures, banners, social media, and logos.
Platform Availability: Available online.

2. VistaCreate (Formerly Crello)

Website: VistaCreate
Description: This is a free graphic design tool with an extensive library of templates and design elements, including animated templates.
Templates: Over 100,000 free templates for social media, web, and print formats.
Creative Assets: Access to over 70 million photos, videos, and vectors.
Features: Includes a library of fonts, music, animations, illustrations, and backgrounds.
Use Case: Perfect for businesses needing dynamic, frequently updated content.

Get your FREE Landing Page Analysis!

Insert your landing page link and get a super useful analysis and easy fixes to get more clicks!

👉 Get Your Analysis Here!

3. Pixlr

Website: Pixlr
Description: Pixlr is an online image editor available both as a web application and a mobile app, ideal for those looking for robust photo editing capabilities.
Features: Offers over 600 overlays, effects, and borders, and includes a photo editor (Pixlr E) and template-based designer (Pixlr Designer).
Ease of Use: User-friendly, especially for photo editors.
Cost: Free plan available with additional paid options.
Platform Availability: Web, iOS, and Android applications.

4. Fotor

Website: Fotor
Description: An online design maker that provides tools for creating various visuals, from posters to logos.
Ease of Use: Easy and fast to use, suiting those without design experience.
Features: Offers a library of design templates and AI-powered tools.
Templates: Range of templates for social media graphics.
Use Case: Creating marketing materials and social media graphics.

5. Adobe Express

Website: Adobe Express
Description: A free AI-powered design tool by Adobe, designed for quick, professional designs.
Features: Includes AI tools for resizing and background removal, and offers ready-to-use templates.
Integration: Seamlessly integrates with Adobe Creative Cloud.
Ease of Use: Simple to use, suitable for all skill levels.
Use Case: Ideal for social media graphics, posters, and banners.

Validate your startup idea with the unique borrowed authority approach: we publish articles about your product in our blog and you get traffic and testers for your MVP

Prove Market Demand: See real organic traffic and waitlist conversions

Unlock High-Potential Keywords: Receive a curated list of top-performing keywords directly from Google Search Console data.

Estimate Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC): Gain financial foresight with an estimated CAC based on real keyword performance data.

🔗 Start validating your startup now

6. DesignWizard

Website: DesignWizard
Description: This is a free online graphic design software for quickly creating various visuals.
Ease of Use: Allows the creation of designs in seconds.
Templates: Offers a wide array of design templates.
Features: Focuses on providing tools for free graphic design.
Use Case: Quick graphic design projects.

7. GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program)

Website: GIMP
Description: A free, open-source image editor often compared to Adobe Photoshop.
Features: Provides comprehensive tools for image manipulation and graphic design.
Cost: Completely free and open-source.
Use Case: Ideal for advanced photo editing and graphic design.
Platform Availability: Windows, macOS, and Linux.

8. Visme

Website: Visme
Description: A design tool tailored for data visualization and interactive content.
Features: Offers interactive elements, data visualization tools, and a range of templates.
Templates: Wide variety of templates for diverse design needs.
Ease of Use: User-friendly, allowing for interactive content creation.
Use Case: Perfect for presentations and data-rich infographics.

9. Photopea

Website: Photopea
Description: A free online editor that closely replicates Adobe Photoshop's interface and features.
Features: Supports advanced photo editing tools and custom Photoshop brushes.
Cost: Free to use.
Use Case: Great for users familiar with Photoshop seeking a free option.
Platform Availability: Web-based, no software download required.

10. Simplified

Website: Simplified
Description: A design tool positioned as a direct alternative to Canva, offering various features for graphic design and content creation.
Features: Includes tools for graphic design, marketing, and content creation.
Templates: Good variety for different content types.
Use Case: Suitable for various design, marketing, and content requirements.
Platform Availability: Web-based platform.

These alternatives offer a variety of features catering to different design needs, from simple graphics to complex photo editing, making them excellent choices for those looking for free design tools in 2025.

Join ElonaHunt (like ProductHunt but for women) and explore the coolest women-focused startups out there!

Discover your next big inspiration and connect with like-minded female entrepreneurs!

👉 Join the Hunt Here

FAQ

1. What is Picsart used for?

Picsart is a free online graphic design tool suitable for creating various types of visuals, including social media posts, logos, brochures, and banners. Explore Picsart

2. What features does VistaCreate offer?

VistaCreate provides over 100,000 free templates, access to over 70 million photos, videos, and vectors, as well as fonts, music, animations, and illustrations. Learn more about VistaCreate

3. How can I use Pixlr for image editing?

Pixlr offers a wide range of tools and effects for image editing, including over 600 overlays, effects, and borders. It is available as both a web application and mobile app. Discover Pixlr

4. What can I create with Fotor?

Fotor allows users to create posters, flyers, cards, logos, and social media graphics with its easy-to-use tools and a large library of templates. Check out Fotor

5. Is Adobe Express easy to use for beginners?

Yes, Adobe Express is simple to use and suitable for both beginners and experienced designers. It offers AI tools for resizing and background removal, and integrates seamlessly with Adobe Creative Cloud. Explore Adobe Express

6. What type of designs can I make with DesignWizard?

DesignWizard enables you to create various graphic designs quickly with its wide range of templates. Learn more about DesignWizard

7. Can GIMP replace Adobe Photoshop?

GIMP is a free, open-source image editor with a wide array of tools for image manipulation and graphic design, making it a strong alternative to Adobe Photoshop. Discover GIMP

8. What is Visme best for?

Visme is ideal for data visualization and creating interactive elements, making it perfect for presentations and infographics. Explore Visme

9. What makes Photopea similar to Adobe Photoshop?

Photopea is a free online editor with advanced photo editing tools and support for custom Photoshop brushes, making it an excellent choice for users familiar with Photoshop. Learn more about Photopea

10. What are the primary uses of Simplified?

Simplified offers various features for graphic design, marketing, and content creation, making it a versatile tool for different design needs. Check out Simplified

About the Author

Violetta Bonenkamp, also known as MeanCEO, is an experienced startup founder with an impressive educational background including an MBA and four other higher education degrees. She has over 20 years of work experience across multiple countries, including 5 years as a solopreneur and serial entrepreneur. She’s been living, studying and working in many countries around the globe and her extensive multicultural experience has influenced her immensely.

Violetta is a true multiple specialist who has built expertise in Linguistics, Education, Business Management, Blockchain, Entrepreneurship, Intellectual Property, Game Design, AI, SEO, Digital Marketing, cyber security and zero code automations. Her extensive educational journey includes a Master of Arts in Linguistics and Education, an Advanced Master in Linguistics from Belgium (2006-2007), an MBA from Blekinge Institute of Technology in Sweden (2006-2008), and an Erasmus Mundus joint program European Master of Higher Education from universities in Norway, Finland, and Portugal (2009).

She is the founder of Fe/male Switch, a startup game that encourages women to enter STEM fields, and also leads CADChain, and multiple other projects like the Directory of 1,000 Startup Cities with a proprietary MeanCEO Index that ranks cities for female entrepreneurs. Violetta created the "gamepreneurship" methodology, which forms the scientific basis of her startup game. She also builds a lot of SEO tools for startups. Her achievements include being named one of the top 100 women in Europe by EU Startups in 2022 and being nominated for Impact Person of the year at the Dutch Blockchain Week. She is an author with Sifted and a speaker at different Universities. Recently she published a book on Startup Idea Validation the right way: from zero to first customers and beyond and launched a Directory of 1,500+ websites for startups to list themselves in order to gain traction and build backlinks.

For the past several years Violetta has been living between the Netherlands and Malta, while also regularly traveling to different destinations around the globe, usually due to her entrepreneurial activities. This has led her to start writing about different locations and amenities from the POV of an entrepreneur. Here’s her recent article about the best hotels in Italy to work from.

About the Publication

Fe/male Switch is an innovative startup platform designed to empower women entrepreneurs through an immersive, game-like experience. Founded in 2020 during the pandemic "without any funding and without any code," this non-profit initiative has evolved into a comprehensive educational tool for aspiring female entrepreneurs.The platform was co-founded by Violetta Shishkina-Bonenkamp, who serves as CEO and one of the lead authors of the Startup News branch.

Mission and Purpose

Fe/male Switch Foundation was created to address the gender gap in the tech and entrepreneurship space. The platform aims to skill-up future female tech leaders and empower them to create resilient and innovative tech startups through what they call "gamepreneurship". By putting players in a virtual startup village where they must survive and thrive, the startup game allows women to test their entrepreneurial abilities without financial risk.

Key Features

The platform offers a unique blend of news, resources,learning, networking, and practical application within a supportive, female-focused environment:

Skill Lab: Micro-modules covering essential startup skills
Virtual Startup Building: Create or join startups and tackle real-world challenges
AI Co-founder (PlayPal): Guides users through the startup process
SANDBOX: A testing environment for idea validation before launch
Wellness Integration: Virtual activities to balance work and self-care
Marketplace: Buy or sell expert sessions and tutorials

Impact and Growth

Since its inception, Fe/male Switch has shown impressive growth:

3,000+ female entrepreneurs in the community
100+ startup tools built
5,000+ pieces of articles and news written

Partnerships

Fe/male Switch has formed strategic partnerships to enhance its offerings. In January 2022, it teamed up with global website builder Tilda to provide free access to website building tools and mentorship services for Fe/male Switch participants.

Recognition

Fe/male Switch has received media attention for its innovative approach to closing the gender gap in tech entrepreneurship. The platform has been featured in various publications highlighting its unique "play to learn and earn" model.