Fe/male Switch: Your Startup Facilitator & Incubator for Women

Top 10 Free Alternatives to Artboard Studio in 2025

In 2025, Artboard Studio continues to be a popular choice for mockup creation and graphic design, but several free alternatives have emerged, each offering unique features and capabilities. Whether you're looking for ease of use, specific design tools, or collaboration features, this article explores the top 10 free alternatives to Artboard Studio.

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. Canva

Description: A versatile online graphic design platform with a wide array of templates, stock photos, graphics, and fonts. Known for its user-friendly interface, Canva is suitable for both beginners and professionals.
Key Features:
Extensive library of templates for various purposes (social media, presentations, posters, etc.)
Drag-and-drop interface for easy design creation.
Collaboration features for team projects.
Stock photos and graphic elements available.
Basic photo editing capabilities.
Data Points:
User-Friendly: Suitable for users of all skill levels.
Versatile: Can be used for a wide range of design projects.
Collaborative: Supports real-time team collaboration.
Extensive Resources: Huge library of templates and design assets.
Free Tier: Offers a robust free version with many features. Learn more about Canva

2. Adobe Express

Description: Adobe's lightweight, AI-powered tool for creating quick, professional designs without the complexities of Photoshop or Illustrator.
Key Features:
AI tools for resizing and background removal.
Ready-to-use templates.
Integration with Adobe Creative Cloud.
Suitable for posters, banners, and social media graphics.
Simple and effective for quick design needs.
Data Points:
AI-Powered: Includes AI features for design enhancements.
Fast Designs: Templates allow for quick creation.
Adobe Integration: Seamlessly works with other Adobe products.
Beginner-Friendly: Easy to use, especially for quick tasks.
Free to Use: Offers a free version. Explore Adobe Express

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. Mckups

Description: A website specializing in high-quality, photorealistic mockups. Mckups focuses on providing realistic scenarios for showcasing designs in real-world contexts.
Key Features:
Photorealistic mockups for various devices and print materials.
Intuitive interface for easy navigation.
Detailed previews to help users select the perfect mockup.
Covers digital device displays and print-based designs.
Designed to mirror real-world contexts for accurate design previews.
Data Points:
High-Quality: Focuses on photorealistic mockups.
User-Friendly: Easy to navigate and find the right mockups.
Versatile: Offers mockups for both digital and print designs.
Realistic: Helps envision designs in real-world contexts.
Free Resources: Provides a curated collection of free mockups. Discover Mckups

4. GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program)

Description: A free and open-source image editor that is often considered an alternative to Adobe Photoshop.
Key Features:
Comprehensive suite of image editing tools.
Customizable interface.
Supports various file formats.
Plugins for added functionality.
Suitable for both basic and advanced editing tasks.
Data Points:
Free & Open-Source: No cost and community-driven.
Feature-Rich: Offers a wide array of editing tools.
Customizable: Adaptable to different workflows.
Versatile: Can handle various image editing tasks.
Plugins: Supports additional functionality through plugins. Learn more about GIMP

5. Figma

Description: A collaborative design tool for creating user interfaces, mobile apps, and websites. It's a cloud-based platform that is popular for real-time collaboration.
Key Features:
Vector editing tools.
Prototyping capabilities.
Version control.
Real-time collaboration features.
Suitable for UI/UX design.
Data Points:
Cloud-Based: Accessible from anywhere.
Collaborative: Designed for team projects.
Prototyping: Supports the creation of interactive prototypes.
Vector Editing: Strong vector-based design tools.
Free Tier: Offers a free version with project limits. Explore Figma

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. Mockuuups Studio

Description: Provides a wide range of photorealistic mockups for turning design concepts into reality. It's known for its high-quality and diverse collection of free mockups.
Key Features:
Extensive range of photorealistic mockups.
Easy-to-use interface.
Offers diverse previews for various designs.
Helps bring depth and realism to designs.
Free to use.
Data Points:
Photorealistic: Provides high-quality mockups.
Diverse: Covers a broad range of products and scenarios.
User-Friendly: Easy to navigate and use.
Realistic Previews: Helps in visualizing real-world application.
Free Mockups: Offers a large collection of free resources. Discover Mockuuups Studio

7. Renderforest

Description: An all-in-one branding platform that includes tools for video creation, logo design, mockups, and graphic design.
Key Features:
AI-optimized logo creation.
Photorealistic mockups for various products.
Video editing with transitions and animations.
Intuitive graphic maker for social media and print materials.
Website building tools included.
Data Points:
All-in-One: Comprehensive branding platform.
AI-Powered: Logo creation with AI assistance.
Versatile: Supports video, logo, mockup, and graphic design.
User-Friendly: Intuitive design tools.
Free Templates: Offers a collection of free templates. Explore Renderforest

8. Dynamic Mockups

Description: An automated mockup generator tool that leverages AI to create custom, high-quality product mockups, especially for POD (Print on Demand) businesses.
Key Features:
AI-powered mockup generator.
Bulk creation of mockups.
Advanced editing options, including Photoshop blending modes.
Customizable backgrounds.
**Suitable for product mockups for wall art, apparel, and more.
Data Points:
AI Mockups: Generates unique mockups using AI.
Bulk Creation: Efficiently creates large batches of mockups.
Customization: Offers advanced editing for realistic designs.
POD Focused: Ideal for print-on-demand businesses.
Time-Saving: Automates the mockup creation process. Discover Dynamic Mockups

9. Penpot

Description: A free, open-source, web-based design tool that allows designers and developers to collaborate on design and code, with features for creating prototypes and designs.
Key Features:
Real-time collaboration.
Flex and grid layouts that generate code.
Prototyping capabilities.
Feedback and design review tools.
Web-based platform for accessibility.
Data Points:
Open Source: Free and community-supported.
Collaborative: Enables multiple users to work together.
Code Generation: Helps developers by providing design code.
Prototyping: Facilitates the creation of interactive prototypes.
Web-Based: Accessible from any web browser. Explore Penpot

10. VistaCreate

Description: A free graphic design tool with a large library of templates for various purposes, making design accessible to all.
Key Features:
Over 100,000 free templates to choose from.
Large library of design elements including fonts, music, and animations.
Stock photo and video assets.
Brand kits.
Background remover and sticker maker tools.
Data Points:
Free: Offers a robust free version.
Template-Rich: Large selection of templates for various needs.
User-Friendly: Designed for ease of use with a focus on template customization.
Versatile: Suitable for social media, web, and print designs.
Creative Assets: Large library of royalty-free stock photos, videos, and vectors. Discover VistaCreate

These tools offer a variety of features that cater to different design needs and preferences. Each has its own strengths, and the best choice for you will depend on your specific project requirements.

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 Canva best used for? Canva is a versatile online graphic design platform ideal for creating designs for social media, presentations, and other visual content. Its drag-and-drop interface and extensive library of templates make it accessible to both beginners and professionals. Learn more about Canva

2. What does Adobe Express offer to designers? Adobe Express provides quick, professional design tools powered by AI, allowing for easy resizing, background removal, and integration with Adobe Creative Cloud, perfect for creating posters, banners, and social media graphics. Explore Adobe Express

3. What kinds of mockups does Mckups specialize in? Mckups specializes in photorealistic mockups for various products, including digital device displays and print materials, providing high-quality, realistic scenarios to showcase designs. Discover Mckups

4. Why is GIMP a good alternative to Adobe Photoshop? GIMP is a free and open-source image editor with comprehensive editing tools, customizable interface, support for various file formats, and a wide range of plugins, making it suitable for both basic and advanced image editing tasks. Learn about GIMP

5. How does Figma support collaborative design? Figma is a cloud-based design tool that facilitates real-time collaboration, making it ideal for creating user interfaces, mobile apps, and websites. It offers vector editing, prototyping capabilities, and version control. Explore Figma

6. What is Mockuuups Studio known for? Mockuuups Studio is known for its extensive collection of high-quality photorealistic mockups, offering an easy-to-use interface and diverse previews for various design scenarios. Discover Mockuuups Studio

7. What features does Renderforest provide? Renderforest is an all-in-one branding platform that offers AI-optimized logo creation, photorealistic mockups, video editing with animations, and intuitive tools for social media and print designs. Learn more about Renderforest

8. How does Dynamic Mockups leverage AI? Dynamic Mockups uses AI to create custom, high-quality product mockups in bulk, ideal for print-on-demand businesses. It offers advanced editing options and customizable backgrounds for realistic designs. Explore Dynamic Mockups

9. What makes Penpot a unique design tool? Penpot is a free, open-source, web-based design tool that supports real-time collaboration, code generation for flex and grid layouts, and prototyping, making it suitable for both designers and developers. Learn about Penpot

10. What resources does VistaCreate offer to designers? VistaCreate provides over 100,000 free templates along with a large library of design elements, including fonts, music, animations, and stock photo and video assets, making it a versatile tool for various design projects. Discover VistaCreate

References

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.

Violetta Bonenkamp

2025-08-06 08:17 Top Alternatives