Top 10 Design Apps You Should Be Using in 2025

In today’s digital age, design apps are essential tools for professionals, hobbyists, and creatives alike. Whether you’re creating stunning graphics, designing logos, or crafting intricate illustrations, having the right design app can elevate your work. The market is flooded with design tools, each offering unique features and capabilities. In this article, we’ll explore the top 10 design apps for 2025, their key features, and why they stand out in the world of design.

1. Adobe Photoshop: The Gold Standard for Graphic Design

Adobe Photoshop remains the gold standard when it comes to graphic design. Whether you’re a professional designer or a beginner, Photoshop provides an unmatched set of tools for photo manipulation, digital painting, and vector graphics.

• Why choose Adobe Photoshop?

  • Advanced Features: Powerful features such as layers, masks, and blending modes.

  • Versatile: Ideal for both raster and vector-based designs.

  • Industry Standard: Photoshop is used by professionals in industries such as photography, advertising, and web design.

If you’re looking for an all-in-one design app that offers complete control over your designs, Adobe Photoshop is the way to go.

2. Canva: Simplifying Design for Everyone

Canva is an intuitive design tool that simplifies the design process for non-designers. With its drag-and-drop interface, pre-made templates, and vast library of fonts and images, Canva is perfect for creating social media posts, business cards, flyers, and even presentations.

• Why Canva is a favorite:

  • User-Friendly: Perfect for beginners and anyone looking to create quality designs quickly.

  • Free Plan: Offers a robust free version with access to many features.

  • Templates: Over 250,000 templates for various design needs.

Whether you’re designing for personal or business purposes, Canva is an excellent choice for simple yet effective designs.

3. Figma: The Ultimate Collaborative Design Tool

For teams working on UI/UX design, Figma has become the go-to platform. Figma allows multiple designers to collaborate in real-time, making it ideal for remote teams and agencies.

• Why use Figma?

  • Collaboration: Real-time collaboration with multiple team members.

  • Cloud-Based: Accessible from anywhere with an internet connection.

  • Vector Networks: Efficient and flexible vector design tools.

Figma is a great tool for teams that need to work together seamlessly, especially in the world of web and mobile app design.

4. Sketch: A Design Platform for Mac Users

Sketch is one of the most popular design tools for web and mobile UI/UX design on macOS. With an emphasis on simplicity and ease of use, Sketch provides the right tools for creating beautiful interfaces and prototypes.

• Why Sketch is essential:

  • Vector Editing: Offers precision vector tools perfect for interface design.

  • Plugins: Extensive library of plugins to extend functionality.

  • Prototyping: Build interactive prototypes for web and mobile designs.

If you’re a Mac user focusing on interface design, Sketch offers all the tools you need to create stunning designs.

5. Affinity Designer: A Powerful and Affordable Alternative

Affinity Designer offers many of the same features as Adobe Illustrator but at a fraction of the cost. It is known for its speed, precision, and powerful vector and raster tools, making it perfect for both graphic designers and illustrators.

• Key Features of Affinity Designer:

  • Vector and Raster Tools: Seamless switching between vector and raster-based design.

  • Affordable: One-time purchase with no subscription required.

  • Precision: High-quality rendering and detailed controls for advanced users.

If you’re looking for an affordable alternative to Adobe Illustrator without sacrificing features, Affinity Designer is the perfect choice.

6. Procreate: The Best App for Digital Illustration

Procreate is the go-to app for digital artists and illustrators. Available on the iPad, Procreate offers an impressive range of brushes, tools, and capabilities for creating high-quality illustrations and animations.

• Why Procreate stands out:

  • Brush Library: Thousands of brushes for every style and medium.

  • Real-Time Performance: Fast, responsive drawing experience with minimal lag.

  • Affordable: One-time purchase with no subscription fees.

For anyone into digital art, Procreate is a must-have, offering powerful tools in an easy-to-use app.

7. Inkscape: A Free and Open-Source Design Tool

Inkscape is a free, open-source vector graphics editor that rivals paid apps like Adobe Illustrator. It’s an excellent tool for creating illustrations, logos, and technical drawings.

• Why choose Inkscape?

  • Free: Completely free with no hidden costs.

  • Vector Editing: Powerful vector editing tools with robust path operations.

  • Cross-Platform: Available on Windows, macOS, and Linux.

For anyone on a budget or who prefers open-source software, Inkscape is an excellent choice for vector design.

8. Visily: Best for UX/UI Design

Visily is an all-in-one UI/UX design platform that allows you to design, prototype, and collaborate. It’s a fantastic tool for teams looking to create wireframes and interactive prototypes without the complexity of other design tools.

• What makes Visily stand out?

  • Intuitive UI: Drag-and-drop interface perfect for creating wireframes and prototypes.

  • Real-Time Collaboration: Easily share designs and collaborate with your team.

  • Low-Code: Allows non-technical users to create interactive prototypes with ease.

If you’re focused on user experience design, Visily is an excellent tool for quickly prototyping and collaborating on app and web design projects.

9. Blender: 3D Design Made Easy

For 3D modeling and animation, Blender is an open-source tool that has become the industry standard. Whether you’re working on 3D modeling, rendering, or animation, Blender has all the tools you need for high-end design.

• Why Blender is essential:

  • Open-Source: Free to use with no subscription fees.

  • Powerful 3D Tools: Advanced features for modeling, sculpting, and animation.

  • Extensive Community: A large and supportive user community that shares tips, tutorials, and resources.

If you’re looking for a free yet powerful tool for 3D design and animation, Blender is unbeatable.

10. Vistaprint: Print Design Made Easy

Vistaprint is more than just a printing service; it also provides a design tool that helps you create high-quality business cards, flyers, and other print materials.

• Why use Vistaprint?

  • Template Library: Access a wide range of customizable templates.

  • Print and Design in One: Create designs and immediately order prints.

  • Affordable: Low-cost designs and printing options.

If you need to create professional-looking print materials, Vistaprint offers an easy solution for small businesses and individuals.

FAQs

What is the best app for graphic design?

The best app for graphic design depends on your needs. Adobe Photoshop is excellent for photo manipulation, while Canva is great for quick designs. For professionals, Figma and Affinity Designer are top contenders.

Can I use these apps for mobile app design?

Yes! Apps like Figma, Sketch, and Visily are particularly suited for mobile app design and UI/UX design.

Which design app is best for beginners?

For beginners, Canva is the easiest and most intuitive option. It provides everything you need to get started with basic design without the learning curve.

Conclusion

Choosing the right design app can make a world of difference in the quality and efficiency of your work. Whether you’re creating detailed graphics, designing a user interface, or crafting stunning digital art, the best design apps of 2025 offer the tools and features needed for every designer. Explore these platforms, and find the one that suits your needs the best.