Best Free Design Tools
The free apps designers actually use.
You don't need an expensive subscription to make great-looking work. These are the free (and genuinely useful) design tools worth your time, plus a few browser tools you can use on this site without installing anything.
Some links below may be affiliate links. If you sign up through them we may earn a small commission — at no extra cost to you. We only recommend tools we think are genuinely useful.
Figma
Collaborative UI & interface design
The industry standard for UI design, with a capable free 'Starter' plan that covers most solo and small-team work.
- Real-time collaboration
- Huge plugin & community library
- Runs in the browser
Canva
Fast graphics for social & docs
The quickest way to make social posts, slides and simple graphics from templates — no design background needed.
- Thousands of templates
- Easy for non-designers
- Brand kit on free tier
GIMP
Free photo editing
A powerful, fully free alternative to Photoshop for photo retouching and raster editing.
- No subscription, ever
- Layers, masks, filters
- Cross-platform
Coolors
Colour palette generator
Generate and explore colour palettes fast — great for kicking off a brand or UI.
- Instant palette ideas
- Accessibility checks
- Export to code
Google Fonts
Free web typefaces
Hundreds of open-source fonts you can use for free in any project, web or print.
- 100% free for commercial use
- Easy web embedding
- Variable fonts
FAQ
Yes. Some are fully free (GIMP, Google Fonts) and others have a free tier that's plenty for most people (Figma, Canva, Coolors).
Figma, Canva and Coolors run in the browser. GIMP is a download. And Gearboxly's own design tools (like the colour extractor and gradient generator) run right here with nothing to install.
Last updated 2026-08-25. Prices and free tiers change — check each tool's site for the latest.
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