rabbit.reviews

The Best Graphic Design

Updated May 2026·Experts: PCMag, g2 · Community: GraphicDesigning community member, Design community member

Best OverallAdobe Photoshop

Adobe Photoshop

If you're serious about graphic design, Photoshop is non-negotiable, it's the industry standard for a reason, and its AI tools have pulled even further ahead of the competition.

What holds up

  • Vast photo correction and manipulation toolset with cutting-edge generative AI
  • Unmatched auto-selection tools and layer editing capabilities
  • Cloud Documents, collaboration features, and Synced Libraries
  • Excellent raw camera file support and rich typography options

What to know

  • No perpetual license, subscription only
  • Runs many background processes that can slow down systems
  • Steep learning curve for beginners
Expert verdict
Adobe Photoshop is the world's most capable image editing software, with mind-blowing AI effects, strong collaboration features, and unmatched auto-selection tools, all in a helpful and polished interface.
PCMagView source
Expert verdict
Exemplary, 5.0 out of 5. Best for Raster and Layer Editing.
PCMag (Editors' Choice)View source
From the community
100% - Learn Adobe Suite (Photoshop, Premiere, Illustrator). I feel that every intern knows their way around Canva or can master it within a week.
r/GraphicDesigning community memberView source
From the community
you won't find any design competition winners using [Canva]
r/GraphicDesigning community memberView source
Read the full breakdown →
Best for Non-DesignersCanva

Canva

Canva has genuinely closed the gap on professional tools for everyday marketing and social content, if you're not a full-time designer, this is where you should start and probably finish.

What holds up

  • Excellent free tier with 2 million templates and 4 million photos/graphics
  • Intuitive drag-and-drop interface requiring zero design background
  • Robust AI tools including Magic Edit, Magic Eraser, and Magic Resize
  • Real-time collaboration and brand kit management for teams

What to know

  • Somewhat constraining for professional designers needing fine control
  • Limited typography options compared to pro tools
  • AI features require credits that are capped per account tier
Expert verdict
Canva offers an eye-popping variety of AI-powered graphic design tools that effectively help you move ideas from your imagination to the screen or print, no matter your skill level.
PCMag (Editors' Choice)View source
Expert verdict
Thanks to its accessibility and deep collection of tools, Canva is easily an Editors' Choice winner for graphic design software.
PCMagView source
From the community
while canva is great for basic social posts, it often falls short when you're trying to manage complex ad campaigns or keep a tight grip on brand consistency across a whole team.
r/Design community memberView source
From the community
once brands outgrow Canva, tools like Figma, Adobe Express, or even something like Runable can give more structure and flexibility without overwhelming non-design clients.
r/Design community memberView source
Read the full breakdown →
Best for Vector & IllustrationAdobe Illustrator

Adobe Illustrator

Illustrator is the tool that separates hobbyists from professionals, if you're doing logo work, brand identity, or any print design, there's no real substitute.

What holds up

  • Unparalleled typography tools and advanced vector brush creation
  • Text-to-vector AI integration for rapid ideation
  • Superb image tracing and Puppet Warp feature
  • Deep integration with Adobe Creative Cloud ecosystem

What to know

  • No perpetual license, subscription only
  • Inconsistent key commands between Illustrator and InDesign
  • Illustrator on the web not supported on Safari
Expert verdict
Adobe Illustrator is the best vector-graphics editing program and it continues to please with the text-to-vector AI integration, the ability to edit static text, and a mockup module that lets you apply vector graphics to a 2D raster object.
PCMag (Editors' Choice)View source
From the community
I love being able to make logos into vector files no matter the project, whether it's a billboard size or a business card, without losing quality. Illustrator keeps our marketing consistent despite constant changes in our company, allowing us to edit logos easily while maintaining high quality.
G2 reviewerView source
From the community
It has been the one software that has stayed pretty true over the last 15 years, allowing constant users to navigate it easily no matter how long it's been since they last used it.
G2 reviewerView source
Read the full breakdown →
Best for Teams & PrototypingFigma

Figma

Figma has won the prototyping wars, if you're designing apps, websites, or anything that needs developer handoff, this is the tool your whole team will actually use together.

What holds up

  • Real-time collaboration across all design stages from brainstorming to deployment
  • Robust developer handoff tools with code inspection built in
  • Comprehensive third-party integrations and strong font tools
  • Free tier includes unlimited draft designs and UI kits

What to know

  • Limited offline capabilities, heavily web-dependent
  • No CMYK color support for print-destined designs
  • Full seat pricing ($16-$90/month) can get expensive for large teams
Expert verdict
Figma earns our Editors' Choice award for graphic design software thanks to its advanced capabilities, superb coworking features, and top-notch user experience.
PCMag (Editors' Choice)View source
Expert verdict
Nothing else on the market quite matches up with Figma. My former go-to prototyping app, Adobe XD, is currently in maintenance mode, which means no ongoing development of new features.
PCMagView source
From the community
tools like Figma, Adobe Express, or even something like Runable can give more structure and flexibility without overwhelming non-design clients.
r/Design community memberView source
Read the full breakdown →
Best for Publication & Print LayoutAdobe InDesign

Adobe InDesign

InDesign is the one tool in the Adobe suite that has no real competitor at the professional level, if you're producing anything with multiple pages and complex layouts, this is simply what you use.

What holds up

  • Superbly balanced contextual interface with smart automatic global page adjustment
  • Interactive export for PDFs, HTML5, and ebook formats
  • Industry-standard preflight panel catches color, font, and image issues before print
  • Unlimited access to Adobe Fonts library with real-time visual font browsing

What to know

  • Subscription only, no perpetual license option
  • No tablet or web version unlike Photoshop and Lightroom
  • Inconsistent key commands compared to Illustrator
Expert verdict
Adobe InDesign is the standard-bearer for layout, page, and publication design software, and a must-have for any creative professional.
PCMag (Editors' Choice)View source
Expert verdict
InDesign is what most professionals use
PCMagView source
Read the full breakdown →