About 33; min
Most people who need to create graphics aren’t designers. They’re marketers, small business owners, social media managers, teachers, or startup founders who just need something that looks professional without a six-month learning curve or a $50/month subscription.
The good news: the design tool market has shifted hard toward non-designers in recent years. The tools below don’t require you to understand kerning, bleed, or color theory. They’re built around templates, drag-and-drop editing, and smart defaults that make decent-looking work easy.
We looked at six options that all come in under $30/month on their paid tiers, tested each one with someone who has zero formal design training, and ranked them across pricing, learning curve, template quality, brand kit features, and export flexibility.
Quick Comparison: 6 Design Tools for Non-Designers
| Tool | Starting Price | Free Plan | Templates | Brand Kit | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canva | $15/mo (Pro) | Yes (generous) | 1M+ | Yes (Pro) | Everything |
| Visme | $12.25/mo | Yes (limited) | 1,000+ | Yes (paid) | Presentations & infographics |
| Snappa | $10/mo | Yes (3 downloads/mo) | 6,000+ | Yes (paid) | Social media graphics |
| Piktochart | $14/mo | Yes (watermarked) | 800+ | Yes (paid) | Infographics & reports |
| VistaCreate | $10/mo | Yes (decent) | 150,000+ | Yes (Pro) | Social media & print |
| RelayThat | $25/mo | No | Fewer, smart layouts | Yes (core feature) | Brand consistency at scale |
The 6 Best Design Tools for Non-Designers in 2026
1. Canva — Best Overall
Canva is the default answer for a reason. It has the largest template library of any tool on this list, works in a browser with no download required, and the free tier is genuinely usable — not a frustrating demo designed to push you to upgrade.
The interface is drag-and-drop with snapping guides, auto-resize between formats, and a magic background remover that works well enough for most use cases. Non-designers can go from blank to finished social post in under five minutes with a decent template as a starting point.
Pricing:
Template library: Over 1 million templates across every format imaginable — social posts, presentations, flyers, email headers, video thumbnails, resumes, and more. Quality varies, but there’s enough good material that you rarely need to start from scratch.
Brand kit: Available on Pro and Teams. You can store brand colors, fonts (upload your own), and logos, then apply them across any design with one click. It works consistently, which matters when you’re producing a lot of content.
Export options: PNG, JPG, PDF (print and web), MP4, GIF, SVG (Pro only). You can also publish directly to social media or schedule posts from within Canva.
Learning curve: About 30 minutes to feel comfortable. If you can use Google Slides, you can use Canva.
Best overall pick for 90% of non-designers. The free plan is genuinely good, and Pro at $15/mo is worth it the moment you need brand consistency or more than occasional use.
2. Visme — Best for Presentations and Infographics
Visme takes a different approach than Canva. Where Canva is a general-purpose design tool, Visme leans into data visualization and presentations. If you need to make a quarterly report, a sales deck, an infographic with real data, or anything that communicates numbers and information clearly, Visme is the stronger choice.
It has a built-in chart builder that can pull from Google Sheets, a proper slide-by-slide presentation mode, and templates that are noticeably more “business professional” in their aesthetic than Canva’s.
Pricing:
Template library: Around 1,000+ templates, smaller than Canva but more focused. Presentation and infographic templates are particularly strong. The data widget library (charts, maps, timers) is the best on this list.
Brand kit: Available on paid plans. Stores colors, fonts, and logos. Also has a “brand wizard” that can pull your colors from a URL — useful if you’re setting up for a client.
Export options: PDF, PNG, HTML5 (interactive), MP4, GIF. Presentations can be shared via link with analytics (view counts, engagement tracking) on Pro.
Learning curve: Slightly steeper than Canva — maybe 1-2 hours to get fluent. The interface is a bit more complex because of the data features.
If presentations and data-heavy documents are your main output, Visme beats Canva on this specific use case. The chart and infographic tools are noticeably better.
3. Snappa — Best for Fast Social Media Graphics
Snappa is the stripped-down version of every tool on this list — and that’s its main selling point. It’s built for one thing: making social media graphics fast. There’s no animation editor, no presentation mode, no chart builder. What there is is a clean interface, properly-sized presets for every major platform, and a solid stock photo library baked in.
The free plan is limited to 3 downloads per month, which is basically useless. But at $10/mo, the paid plan is the cheapest full-featured option on this list.
Pricing:
Template library: Around 6,000+ templates organized by platform and use case. Not the largest library, but the templates tend to be clean and modern rather than cluttered.
Brand kit: Available on Pro. Stores colors, fonts, and logos. Simple implementation — no bells and whistles, but it works.
Export options: PNG and JPG only. You can post directly to social accounts. No PDF or video export — this is purely a static image tool.
Learning curve: The fastest to learn on this list. 15-20 minutes and you’re productive.
Snappa is the right choice if you need to pump out social graphics quickly and don’t need anything beyond static images. It’s fast, affordable, and doesn’t try to be more than it is.
4. Piktochart — Best for Infographics and Reports
Piktochart has been the go-to infographic tool for over a decade, and it still holds up. The template quality for data visualization, step-by-step guides, process flows, and statistical summaries is noticeably higher than generalist tools like Canva in this specific category.
It also has a decent PDF report builder that’s well-suited to nonprofit organizations, educators, and marketers who regularly produce visual reports. The interface is a bit older-feeling than newer tools, but it’s not slow or frustrating.
Pricing:
Template library: Around 800+ templates, smaller than competitors. But infographic-specific quality is high. Includes dedicated templates for reports, resumes, posters, and social graphics alongside the infographics.
Brand kit: Available on Pro and Business. Standard implementation — colors, fonts, logos. Nothing unusual here.
Export options: PNG, PDF, and shareable links. No video or GIF export. Downloads at high resolution suitable for print.
Learning curve: About 45 minutes to an hour. The interface is a bit more structured than Canva — some users find it easier for complex layouts, others find it slightly fussier.
Piktochart is the specialist’s choice for infographics and reports. If that’s what you primarily make, it’s worth the slight premium over Snappa. If you need variety, Canva is more flexible.
5. VistaCreate (formerly Crello) — Best for Volume and Variety
VistaCreate (rebranded from Crello a couple of years ago after Depositphotos acquired it) has a template library that dwarfs competitors at 150,000+ options. The quality is more variable than Canva’s curated selection, but the sheer volume means you can almost always find something usable as a starting point.
The tool is particularly strong for print materials — flyers, posters, cards, menus — and has a growing animation and video template section that’s more capable than most non-designers realize they need. The free plan is more generous than most, and the paid tier at $10/mo matches Snappa for affordability.
Pricing:
Template library: 150,000+ templates across 70+ categories. Also includes a library of animated templates and video templates. The sheer breadth is unmatched on this list.
Brand kit: Available on Pro. Stores colors, fonts, logos. Also includes brand palettes — you can set up multiple brand profiles, which is useful for agencies or anyone managing multiple clients.
Export options: PNG, JPG, PDF, MP4, GIF. Print-quality PDF export is included, which is notably not available on all tools at this price point.
Learning curve: Similar to Canva — about 30-45 minutes to get comfortable. The interface is clean and modern post-rebrand.
VistaCreate at $10/mo is genuinely good value, especially for anyone who needs both digital and print output. The template volume makes it easy to find starting points for obscure formats.
6. RelayThat — Best for Brand Consistency at Scale
RelayThat is the most different tool on this list. Where every other option is template-first, RelayThat is brand-first. You set up your brand — colors, fonts, logos, image style — and it automatically generates dozens of design variations across every format simultaneously. Change one element of your brand, and every layout updates.
This is a completely different workflow than Canva or Visme. You’re not picking templates and editing them. You’re defining your brand rules and letting the tool generate layouts that respect those rules. For non-designers who need to produce high volumes of consistently on-brand content, this approach eliminates a lot of the manual work.
The trade-off: at $25/mo it’s the priciest on this list, there’s no free plan, and the creative ceiling is lower if you want to break outside your defined brand styles.
Pricing:
Template library: Smaller number of layout structures (not traditional templates), but the auto-generation means you get many variations without hunting for templates. Each format has 10-20 layout options that adapt to your brand.
Brand kit: This is RelayThat’s core feature, not an add-on. You define your entire brand in a setup wizard, and every design is automatically consistent.
Export options: PNG, JPG, PDF. Covers most use cases but lacks video/animation export.
Learning curve: The initial brand setup takes 30-60 minutes, but once done, generating graphics is faster than any other tool on this list. Different learning curve — front-loaded rather than ongoing.
RelayThat is worth it if you produce 10+ branded graphics per week and consistency is more important than creative flexibility. Overkill for casual use; underrated for high-volume content creators.
Head-to-Head: Which Tool Wins on Each Dimension?
| Dimension | Winner | Runner-Up | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Snappa / VistaCreate ($10) | Visme ($12.25) | RelayThat ($25) is the most expensive |
| Free Plan | Canva | VistaCreate | RelayThat has no free plan |
| Template Quantity | VistaCreate (150K+) | Canva (1M+) | Piktochart weakest here (800+) |
| Template Quality | Canva | Visme (for data) | VistaCreate has high volume but mixed quality |
| Learning Curve | Snappa (easiest) | Canva | Visme slightly steeper |
| Brand Kit | RelayThat | Canva | RelayThat is built around brand consistency |
| Presentations | Visme | Canva | Others weak here |
| Infographics | Piktochart | Visme | Canva can do it but not the focus |
| Social Media Speed | Snappa | VistaCreate | RelayThat also fast once set up |
| Print Export | VistaCreate | Piktochart | Snappa doesn’t do PDF |
Which Tool Should You Pick?
Best Overall: Canva Pro ($15/mo)
For the majority of non-designers, Canva is the right answer. The template library is the most mature, the brand kit works well, the interface is intuitive, and the Pro plan at $15/mo covers every mainstream use case. Start with the free plan to confirm it fits your workflow, then upgrade when you hit the limits.
Best Free Option: Canva Free
Canva’s free plan is more useful than most people expect. You get access to thousands of templates, basic editing, and decent export options with no credit card required. It’s limited on storage and some premium assets, but it’s a real working tool, not a trial.
Best for Social Media: Snappa ($10/mo) or VistaCreate ($10/mo)
Both come in at $10/mo. Snappa is faster and cleaner if you only need static social graphics. VistaCreate is the better pick if you also need animated posts, video templates, or print materials at the same price point.
Best for Presentations: Visme ($12.25/mo)
If presentations are a significant part of your output — pitch decks, client reports, training materials — Visme’s slide-building experience and data visualization tools are worth the slight premium over Canva on this specific task.
Best for High-Volume Branded Content: RelayThat ($25/mo)
If you’re producing 10+ branded graphics per week and consistency across formats matters, RelayThat’s automation approach saves time that Canva cannot. The higher price is justified at volume; it’s overkill for occasional use.
Start with Canva Free — no credit card required. Upgrade to Pro when you need brand kits or the full template library.Frequently Asked Questions
Do any of these tools work offline?
All six are browser-based and require an internet connection. Canva has a desktop app that can open existing designs offline, but you need to be online to save and export. None of them have a fully offline workflow.
Can I use my own fonts in these tools?
Yes — Canva Pro, Visme Pro, Piktochart Business, VistaCreate Pro, and RelayThat all allow custom font uploads. Snappa Pro does not currently support custom font uploads; you’re limited to their font library.
Which tool is best if I manage multiple brands or clients?
RelayThat’s agency plan (multiple brand workspaces) and Canva Teams (shared brand assets with admin controls) are the best options for multi-brand work. VistaCreate Pro also supports multiple brand profiles, which is useful at its $10/mo price point.
Are these tools good enough for print materials?
For basic print materials — flyers, posters, simple brochures — yes. VistaCreate and Piktochart both export print-quality PDFs with bleed settings. Canva Pro also handles this well. For complex print production (catalogs, books, multi-page documents with precise typography), you’d want a more specialized tool.
What’s the best option for a very small budget?
Canva Free handles basic needs at no cost. If you need more, Snappa and VistaCreate both come in at $10/mo — the lowest paid tier on this list. Both are worth the money if you’re creating graphics more than a few times per month.
