Top 10 Free Alternatives to RelayThat in 2025

As graphic design becomes increasingly important for businesses and individuals alike, tools like RelayThat have risen to prominence. However, it's worth exploring other alternatives that might fit varying needs and skill levels. Here are the top 10 free alternatives to RelayThat in 2025, offering a range of features to help you create stunning visuals.

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1. Canva

Core Functionality: Graphic design platform with drag-and-drop interface, templates, and stock photos.
Free Tier Limits: Basic features, limited templates and stock photos, up to 5GB of storage.
Ease of Use: Very user-friendly, suitable for beginners.
Key Features: Wide range of templates, social media integrations, brand kit options, background remover, text effects, image upscaling, AI features.
Intended Use Case: Social media graphics, presentations, posters, marketing materials. Learn more about Canva

2. Pixlr

Core Functionality: Online photo editor with AI-powered tools, text-to-image AI, and advanced editing capabilities.
Free Tier Limits: Limited features and usage, some ads.
Ease of Use: Beginner-friendly UI, similar to Photoshop.
Key Features: AI tools, layers, filters, retouching, extensive editing features.
Intended Use Case: Photo editing, graphic design, image manipulation. Explore Pixlr

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3. GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program)

Core Functionality: Open-source image editor for photo retouching, image composition, and image authoring.
Free Tier Limits: Completely free and open source.
Ease of Use: Steeper learning curve, but powerful once mastered.
Key Features: Highly customizable, layers, filters, brushes, plugins, supports many image formats.
Intended Use Case: Professional photo editing, digital art, graphic design. Discover GIMP

4. Photopea

Core Functionality: Advanced online photo editor similar to Photoshop.
Free Tier Limits: Completely free with ads.
Ease of Use: User-friendly interface for those familiar with Photoshop.
Key Features: PSD support, layers, masks, brushes, advanced editing tools, custom Photoshop brush support.
Intended Use Case: Photo editing, graphic design, web design mockups. Learn more about Photopea

5. Adobe Express

Core Functionality: Online and mobile graphic design tool for creating quick social media content and marketing materials.
Free Tier Limits: Limited access to templates and assets.
Ease of Use: Intuitive drag-and-drop interface.
Key Features: Templates, social media post creation, basic photo editing, integrations with other Adobe products.
Intended Use Case: Social media posts, quick marketing materials, flyers, banners. Discover Adobe Express

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6. Fotor

Core Functionality: AI-powered online photo editor and graphic design tool.
Free Tier Limits: Free with limited features and ads.
Ease of Use: Easy to use, with AI features.
Key Features: AI object removal, generative AI tools for images and videos, templates for various use cases.
Intended Use Case: Photo editing, social media graphics, presentations. Explore Fotor

7. Krita

Core Functionality: Open-source painting program designed for artists and illustrators.
Free Tier Limits: Completely free and open source.
Ease of Use: Requires some learning for full potential.
Key Features: Advanced brush engine, layers, color management, animation tools.
Intended Use Case: Digital painting, illustration, concept art. Learn more about Krita

8. WordSwag

Core Functionality: AI-powered text and photo editor that transforms words into designs.
Free Tier Limits: Limited features, watermark on free usage.
Ease of Use: User-friendly, focused on text-based graphics.
Key Features: AI text styles and layouts, photo editing, creative text effects.
Intended Use Case: Creating quotes, social media graphics, and promotional text visuals.

9. PicLumen

Core Functionality: Text-to-image AI generator with editing features.
Free Tier Limits: Completely free with full functionality.
Ease of Use: User-friendly interface.
Key Features: Image upscaler, background remover, image colorizer, image reference, and advanced AI models.
Intended Use Case: Visual design creation, image editing, social media content.

10. MyEdit

Core Functionality: AI-powered photo editing tool with effects.
Free Tier Limits: Limited daily AI credits, limited features on free plan.
Ease of Use: Easy to use, with AI features.
Key Features: AI effects, generative AI, various editing tools.
Intended Use Case: Photo editing, enhancing images.

These alternatives offer a broad spectrum of functionalities to suit various graphic design needs. While some come with restrictions on their free tiers, they all provide valuable tools to enhance your visual content without the need for significant investment.

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FAQ

1. What are some free graphic design tools like RelayThat?

Canva, Pixlr, and Photopea are some of the best free graphic design alternatives to RelayThat. Each offers various tools suitable for creating social media graphics, marketing materials, and photo editing. Explore Canva | Check out Pixlr | Discover Photopea

2. Are there any free tools for professional photo editing?

GIMP and Photopea are excellent free tools for advanced photo editing. GIMP is open-source and highly customizable, while Photopea offers a user interface similar to Photoshop. Learn more about GIMP | Discover Photopea

3. Which free alternative to RelayThat is best for digital painting?

Krita is a highly recommended free tool for digital painting and illustration. It offers advanced brush engines, layers, and animation tools, making it ideal for digital artists. Explore Krita

4. Can I create social media graphics for free?

Yes, tools like Canva, Adobe Express, and WordSwag are perfect for creating social media graphics quickly and easily with their user-friendly interfaces and numerous templates. Explore Canva | Discover Adobe Express

5. Are there any free AI-powered photo editors?

Pixlr, Fotor, and MyEdit are AI-powered photo editors that offer various editing tools and effects for free. Check out Pixlr | Explore Fotor

6. What's a good text-to-image generator for free?

PicLumen is a free text-to-image AI generator with robust editing features, including image upscaling and background removal.

7. Which tool is best for creating marketing materials?

Canva and Adobe Express are highly versatile and user-friendly options for creating marketing materials such as flyers, banners, and posters. Explore Canva | Discover Adobe Express

8. Are there any open-source graphic design tools?

GIMP and Krita are two of the best open-source graphic design tools available for free, offering extensive customization and advanced features. Learn more about GIMP | Explore Krita

9. Can I remove backgrounds from images for free?

Yes, tools like Canva and PicLumen offer free background removal features that are easy to use. Explore Canva

10. Which tools are best for web design mockups?

Photopea is a powerful free tool ideal for creating web design mockups, offering support for PSD files, layers, and advanced editing tools. Discover Photopea

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.