Professional vector graphics for logos, illustrations, and brand systems.
ProprietaryArt & DesignMacWindowsiPadPaid · See website
33 toolsPublic bookmarkCurated by Bookmarkit TeamUpdated August 2026
Best art and design tools
Art and design tools are the apps you draw, layout, and prototype in. This shortlist includes Figma, Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, Blender, Canva, Penpot, Sketch, and Procreate. Image generators are listed separately because they create drafts. These products are where you make the file you actually ship.
What are art and design tools?
Art and design tools are software for creating visual work: interfaces, illustrations, print layouts, motion, and 3D. They store layers, components, and export presets. Some are collaborative (Figma, Penpot). Some are desktop-first (Photoshop, Blender, Procreate). A generator can feed them. It does not replace versioning, design systems, or print marks.
This shortlist includes Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe XD, Affinity Designer, Affinity Photo, Behance, and 27 more.
Who this shortlist is for
- Product designers comparing Figma with Penpot, Sketch, or Lunacy
- Brand and marketing teams that live in Canva or Adobe
- 3D and motion people choosing Blender, Spline, Cinema 4D, or Rive
How we picked
We include tools whose primary job is making or hosting visual work. Generators, stock sites, and generic office docs stay off this page unless they are a core design surface.
- Used to create or finish visual files, not only generate a one-off image
- Has a real catalog profile with category and pricing model
- Fits UI, illustration, photo, 3D, or design-system work
- Not a thin AI wrapper around someone else’s editor
The shortlist
Open a profile for pricing, alternatives, and a product page.
Industry-standard photo editing and digital compositing for creative professionals.
ProprietaryArt & DesignMacWindowsAndroidPaid · See website
Alternative to GIMP and Affinity Photo and Luminar Neo
UI/UX design and prototyping tool for wireframes and interactive mockups.
ProprietaryArt & DesignWebFreemium · See website
Vector and raster design app for UI, illustration, and marketing assets.
ProprietaryArt & DesignWebFreemium · See website
Professional photo editor with a one-time purchase instead of a subscription.
ProprietaryArt & DesignWebFreemium · See website
Behance is a Art & Design product used by individuals and teams who want a reliable, modern workflow.
ProprietaryArt & DesignWebFreemium · See website
Free open-source 3D suite for modeling, animation, rendering, and VFX.
FreeArt & DesignMacWindowsLinuxFree · See website
Alternative to Cinema 4D
Drag-and-drop design platform for social graphics, presentations, and brand kits.
Freemium (Subscription)Art & DesignMacWindowsLinuxFreemium · See website
CINEMA 4D is a commercial, cross-platform, high-end 3-D graphics application, produced by MAXON Computer GmbH of Friedrichsdorf, Germany.
ProprietaryArt & DesignMacWindowsPaid · See website
Clip Studio Paint, previously Manga Studio or ComicStudio in Japan, is a family of software applications for Mac OS X and Microsoft Windows.
ProprietaryArt & DesignMacWindowsAndroidPaid · See website
Alternative to Krita and Adobe Photoshop and Affinity
Coolors is a Art & Design product used by individuals and teams who want a reliable, modern workflow.
ProprietaryArt & DesignWebFreemium · See website
Dribbble is the go-to resource for discovering and connecting with designers and creative talent around the globe.
Freemium (Subscription)Art & DesignWebFreemium · See website
Alternative to Behance
Collaborative interface design and prototyping in the browser for product teams.
Freemium (Subscription)Art & DesignMacWindowsAndroidFreemium · See website
Design-to-publish website builder with motion, CMS, and AI-assisted creation.
Freemium (Subscription)Art & DesignMacWindowsFreemium · See website
Free, open-source image editor for photo retouching, compositing, and graphic design.
FreeArt & DesignMacWindowsLinuxFree · See website
Alternative to Krita and Adobe Photoshop and Affinity
Free open-source vector graphics editor for illustration and SVG design.
FreeArt & DesignMacWindowsLinuxFree · See website
Alternative to Adobe Illustrator and Affinity
Khroma is a Art & Design product used by individuals and teams who want a reliable, modern workflow.
ProprietaryArt & DesignWebFreemium · See website
Free digital painting studio for illustration, comics, and concept art.
FreeArt & DesignMacWindowsLinuxFree · See website
Alternative to GIMP and Adobe Photoshop
LottieFiles is a Art & Design product used by individuals and teams who want a reliable, modern workflow.
ProprietaryArt & DesignWebFreemium · See website
Maya is a Art & Design product used by individuals and teams who want a reliable, modern workflow.
ProprietaryArt & DesignWebFreemium · See website
Penpot is the open-source design platform for teams that design, build, and scale digital products.
Freemium (Subscription)Art & DesignSelf-HostedFreemium · See website
Think of Pinterest as a virtual pinboard — a place where you can create collections of things you love and "follow" collections created by p.
FreeArt & DesignAndroidiPhoneiPadFree · See website
Procreate is a multi-award winning, creative illustration app built from the ground up for iPad with a pocket-sized variant for iPhone.
ProprietaryArt & DesigniPhoneiPadFreemium · See website
Remove Background AI is a Art & Design product used by individuals and teams who want a reliable, modern workflow.
ProprietaryArt & DesignWebFreemium · See website
Powering Spotify Wrapped, Duolingo, and products reaching 2 billion users.
ProprietaryArt & DesignWebFreemium · See website
Mac-native UI design tool with symbols, libraries, and prototyping.
ProprietaryArt & DesignMaciPhoneiPadPaid · See website
Spline is a Art & Design product used by individuals and teams who want a reliable, modern workflow.
ProprietaryArt & DesignWebFreemium · See website
Substance 3D is a Art & Design tool for teams and individuals who want a reliable, modern workflow.
ProprietaryArt & DesignWebFreemium · See website
Visual website builder that outputs production-ready HTML, CSS, and CMS sites.
Freemium (Subscription)Art & DesignSoftware as a Service (SaaS)Freemium · See website
Alternative to Squarespace
ZBrush is a Art & Design product used by individuals and teams who want a reliable, modern workflow.
ProprietaryArt & DesignWebFreemium · See website
Affinity Publisher handles professional page layout with tight integration to Affinity Photo and Designer.
ProprietaryArt & DesignWebFreemium · See website
Lunacy is a free UI design app from Icons8 with offline support and built-in graphics.
ProprietaryArt & DesignWebFreemium · See website
Browser-based Photoshop-style editor that opens PSD files for free.
ProprietaryArt & DesignWebFreemium · See website
How to choose a design tool
Match the file type and the team. UI systems want multiplayer and components. Illustration wants brushes and color management. 3D wants a viewport and a renderer.
| If this is the job | Look at |
|---|---|
| Product UI and design systems | Figma first, then Penpot, Sketch, or Lunacy if you need a different license or desktop workflow. |
| Pixel and print work | Photoshop, Affinity Photo, Photopea, or Illustrator and Affinity Designer for vectors. |
| 3D and motion | Blender, Spline, Cinema 4D, Maya, ZBrush, or Rive for product motion. |
| Non-designers making assets | Canva, with a designer-owned template library so the brand does not drift. |
Related research
Best AI image generation tools
Hosted generators and local UIs for still images, not video.
Best video and media tools
Editors, recording, and hosting. Text-to-video is a separate list.
Best writing and content tools
Editors, grammar tools, and long-form rooms. Research overlays sit next door.
Art and design software
Full category directory, not this editorial shortlist.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best design tool for product teams?
Figma is the default for UI and design systems because files are multiplayer and component-based. Penpot is the common open alternative. Sketch remains a Mac-centered option. Pick based on plugins, Dev Mode needs, and whether you must self-host.
Is Canva enough instead of Adobe?
Canva is enough for social, decks, and template-based brand work. It is not a replacement for Photoshop or Illustrator when you need print prepress, complex masking, or vector illustration. Many teams keep Canva for requesters and Adobe for production designers.
What is a good free alternative to Photoshop?
Photopea runs in the browser and opens PSD files. GIMP and Krita are desktop options. Affinity Photo is a paid one-time alternative. None of them clone every Photoshop plugin. Test your actual file, not a blank canvas.
Should I learn Blender or a hosted 3D tool?
Learn Blender if you need full control and you can spend time on the UI. Use Spline or similar hosted tools if you need a 3D object on a marketing site this week. Cinema 4D and Maya still show up in motion and VFX shops.
How do design tools relate to AI image generators?
Generators draft. Design tools finish. You still need components, export settings, and a place to comment. Keep both bookmarked and decide where the source of truth lives (usually Figma or Adobe, not the generator history).