Creating eye-catching graphics for social media doesn’t have to be a costly endeavour. Whether you’re a small business owner, influencer, or just looking to spruce up your personal accounts, there’s a wealth of free tools available to help you craft stunning visuals. At freetrials.co.uk, we’ve tested and reviewed a variety of free social media graphics tools to bring you the cream of the crop for 2024. From intuitive drag-and-drop interfaces to extensive template libraries, we’ve identified the tools that offer the most value without requiring a subscription. Let’s explore the top free options that will elevate your social media presence.
Canva
Canva has revolutionised the way individuals and businesses approach graphic design. This user-friendly platform offers an extensive array of templates, images, and design elements that cater to various social media platforms. With its intuitive drag-and-drop interface, even those without formal design training can create professional-looking graphics in minutes. Canva’s free plan provides access to a vast library of design resources, including photos, fonts, and illustrations.
The platform’s strength lies in its versatility, allowing users to create everything from Instagram stories to Facebook cover photos, Twitter posts, and more. It’s particularly useful for small businesses and social media managers looking to maintain a consistent brand presence across multiple platforms without breaking the bank.
Key Features
- Drag-and-drop interface
- Extensive template library
- Stock photo and element library
- Collaboration tools
- Mobile app for designing on-the-go
- Brand kit (limited in free version)
Canva’s free plan offers a generous amount of features and resources. However, for those requiring advanced features like team collaboration, brand kit customisation, and access to premium stock images, paid plans start at £10.99 per month when billed annually.
Crello
Crello, now known as VistaCreate, is a powerful alternative to Canva that offers a wide range of design options for social media graphics. This platform stands out with its vast collection of animated templates, which can help create eye-catching content for platforms that support video, such as Instagram and Facebook.
Crello’s interface is clean and intuitive, making it easy for beginners to navigate while still offering advanced features for more experienced designers. The platform provides a variety of sizes and formats optimised for different social media platforms, ensuring that your designs always look their best, regardless of where they’re posted.
Key Features
- Animated templates and design elements
- Extensive library of static templates
- Stock photos and videos
- Background remover tool
- Custom font upload
- Resize tool for different platforms
Crello’s free plan includes access to many templates and design elements, with some limitations on premium content. For unlimited access to all features and resources, including advanced animation tools and brand kit features, paid plans start at £9.99 per month when billed annually.
Adobe Spark
Adobe Spark, part of the renowned Adobe Creative Suite, offers a streamlined approach to creating social media graphics. It’s particularly well-suited for users who want the power of Adobe’s design tools without the complexity of programs like Photoshop or Illustrator. The platform excels in creating quick, professional-looking graphics with minimal effort.
Adobe Spark’s strength lies in its integration with other Adobe services, allowing for seamless workflow between different creative projects. The free plan provides access to a good selection of templates and design elements, making it an excellent choice for individuals or small businesses just starting with social media marketing.
Key Features
- Easy-to-use interface
- Integration with Adobe Creative Cloud
- Customisable templates
- Automatic resizing for different platforms
- Basic photo editing tools
- Brand customisation (limited in free version)
The free plan of Adobe Spark offers a solid range of features, but it includes Adobe watermarks on exports. For watermark-free exports, advanced features, and more storage, paid plans start at £10.10 per month when billed annually.
Pablo by Buffer
Pablo by Buffer is a straightforward and efficient tool designed specifically for creating social media images. It’s ideal for users who need to quickly create simple yet effective graphics without the bells and whistles of more complex platforms. Pablo’s strength lies in its simplicity and integration with Buffer, a popular social media scheduling tool.
This integration allows users to design and schedule posts in one seamless workflow. While Pablo doesn’t offer the extensive customisation options of some other tools, it excels in speed and ease of use, making it perfect for busy social media managers or small business owners who need to maintain an active social media presence without spending hours on design.
Key Features
- Simple, user-friendly interface
- Quick image resizing for different social platforms
- Basic text and image editing tools
- Integration with Buffer for scheduling
- Curated collection of free stock photos
- Ability to upload custom images
Pablo by Buffer is completely free to use, with no paid tiers or hidden costs. However, to fully leverage its scheduling capabilities, users might consider subscribing to Buffer’s paid plans, which start at £5 per month when billed annually.
Snappa
Snappa is a graphic design tool that strikes a balance between simplicity and functionality. It’s particularly useful for creating social media graphics, blog headers, and ads. The platform offers a clean, intuitive interface that allows users to create professional-looking designs quickly. Snappa’s template library, while not as extensive as some competitors, provides high-quality, modern designs that are easily customisable.
One of Snappa’s unique features is its one-click background remover, which can be a time-saver for users working with product images or portraits. The platform also offers direct integration with various social media platforms, streamlining the process of creating and sharing content.
Key Features
- User-friendly drag-and-drop interface
- High-resolution stock photos library
- One-click background remover
- Custom font uploads
- Direct social media sharing
- Team collaboration features (in paid plans)
Snappa’s free plan allows users to create up to 3 designs per month with access to limited templates and graphics. For unlimited downloads, access to all templates, and team collaboration features, paid plans start at £8.99 per month when billed annually.
Desygner
Desygner is a versatile graphic design tool that caters to both beginners and more experienced designers. It offers a wide range of templates for various social media platforms, as well as other marketing materials like flyers and brochures. What sets Desygner apart is its powerful branding features, which allow users to maintain consistent brand identity across all their designs.
The platform also offers a unique PDF editing feature, enabling users to import and edit PDF files directly within the tool. This can be particularly useful for businesses that need to update existing marketing materials or repurpose content for social media.
Key Features
- Extensive template library
- PDF import and editing
- Brand kit functionality
- Multi-page design capabilities
- Automatic resizing for different platforms
- Team collaboration tools (in paid plans)
Desygner’s free plan provides access to basic features and a limited number of templates. For full access to all templates, premium features, and team collaboration tools, paid plans start at £6.95 per month when billed annually.
BeFunky
BeFunky is a multifaceted online platform that combines photo editing, graphic design, and collage making into one user-friendly tool. It’s particularly strong in its photo editing capabilities, offering a range of filters and effects that can elevate social media images. The graphic design component provides templates for various social media posts, making it easy to create cohesive content across different platforms.
BeFunky’s interface is intuitive and well-organised, allowing users to switch between different creative modes seamlessly. One of its standout features is the AI-powered background remover, which can quickly isolate subjects in photos – a valuable tool for creating professional-looking product images or portraits for social media.
Key Features
- Advanced photo editing tools
- Social media templates
- AI-powered background remover
- Extensive library of stock photos
- Batch editing capabilities
- Integration with stock photo platforms
BeFunky’s free plan offers basic editing and design tools with limited access to premium content. For full access to all features, including advanced editing tools and premium effects, paid plans start at £7.99 per month when billed annually.
Fotor
Fotor is a comprehensive online photo editing and graphic design platform that offers a range of tools suitable for creating social media graphics. It’s particularly strong in its photo enhancement capabilities, featuring a variety of filters and effects that can give images a professional look. Fotor’s graphic design module includes templates for various social media platforms, making it easy to create appropriately sized images for different networks.
The platform also offers a unique HDR (High Dynamic Range) feature, which can dramatically improve the quality of landscape or architectural photos – perfect for businesses in the travel or real estate sectors. Fotor’s collage maker is another standout feature, allowing users to create engaging multi-image posts for platforms like Instagram.
Key Features
- Advanced photo editing tools
- HDR technology
- Social media templates
- Collage maker
- Text overlay and graphics
- Beauty retouching tools
Fotor’s free plan provides access to basic editing tools and a limited selection of effects and templates. For access to all premium features, including advanced editing tools and the full template library, paid plans start at £7.99 per month when billed annually.
Visme
Visme is a versatile design tool that goes beyond simple social media graphics, offering capabilities for creating infographics, presentations, and even animated content. This makes it an excellent choice for businesses looking to create a variety of visual content for their social media strategies.
Visme’s strength lies in its data visualisation tools, allowing users to easily transform dry statistics into engaging, shareable graphics. The platform offers a wide range of templates and design elements, all of which can be customised to match brand guidelines. Visme also provides collaboration features, making it suitable for teams working on social media campaigns together.
Key Features
- Infographic and chart creation tools
- Animated graphics capabilities
- Wide range of customisable templates
- Data import and visualisation
- Brand kit functionality
- Collaboration tools (in paid plans)
Visme’s free plan allows for up to 5 projects with limited templates and storage. For unlimited projects, access to premium assets, and team collaboration features, paid plans start at £12.25 per month when billed annually.
Stencil
Stencil is a streamlined graphic design tool specifically tailored for quick social media image creation. It’s designed with speed and efficiency in mind, making it ideal for small businesses or social media managers who need to produce high-quality graphics rapidly. Stencil’s interface is clean and intuitive, allowing users to create professional-looking images in just a few clicks.
The platform offers a vast library of over 5 million stock photos, icons, and graphics, as well as hundreds of fonts and pre-made templates. One of Stencil’s unique features is its browser extension, which allows users to quickly turn any image they find online into a custom graphic, perfect for sharing on social media.
Key Features
- Extensive stock photo and icon library
- Quick image resizing for different platforms
- Chrome extension for easy image creation
- Customisable templates
- Integration with Buffer for scheduling
- Instant image resizing
Stencil’s free plan allows for up to 10 images per month with access to a limited number of photos and icons. For unlimited images, full access to the photo library, and additional features, paid plans start at £9 per month when billed annually.
How to choose the best social media graphics tools for you
Assess your design skills and needs
Consider your current design abilities and the complexity of graphics you aim to create. Some tools offer user-friendly interfaces with pre-made templates, ideal for beginners, while others provide more advanced features for experienced designers. Think about the types of social media content you frequently post and choose a tool that aligns with those specific requirements.
Evaluate platform compatibility and integration
Look for tools that seamlessly integrate with the social media platforms you use most. Check if the software allows direct posting to your accounts or offers easy export options in the correct image sizes and formats for each platform. Additionally, consider whether the tool works well with other applications in your workflow, such as project management or content scheduling software.
Compare features and limitations of free versions
Carefully review the features available in the free tier of each tool. Some may offer a wide range of design elements and functionalities at no cost, while others might have more restricted free versions. Pay attention to any limitations on the number of designs you can create, access to premium assets, or watermarking policies. Balance these factors against your needs to find the tool that offers the most value without requiring a paid upgrade.
Which Free Social Media Graphics Tool Is Best?
Canva is a great choice for those seeking a versatile and user-friendly option. Its extensive library of templates and intuitive interface make it an excellent tool for both beginners and experienced designers who need to produce content quickly. The free plan offers a wide range of features suitable for creating eye-catching social media graphics. We recommend Canva for small businesses and individual content creators looking for a well-rounded solution.
If you’re interested in animation and video content, Crello (now VistaCreate) is worth exploring. The free plan includes access to animated templates and a video editor, which can help your social media posts capture attention in increasingly video-centric feeds. We find Crello particularly useful if you’re a marketer or social media manager wanting to incorporate more dynamic content into your strategies.
Adobe Spark (now part of Adobe Express) offers a free option for those who value integration with other design tools. It provides seamless connectivity with other Adobe products and includes features like font synchronisation and brand kit functionality, making it particularly useful for maintaining consistent branding across various social media platforms. We recommend Adobe Spark if you’re a freelance designer or agency already using other Adobe products in your workflow.
Frequently Asked Questions about Free Social Media Graphics Tools
What are the best free social media graphics tools available?
Some of the top free social media graphics tools include Canva, Crello, Adobe Spark, Pablo by Buffer, Snappa, Desygner, BeFunky, Fotor, Visme, and Stencil. Each offers a free plan with various features and templates to create eye-catching social media visuals.
Is Canva completely free to use?
Canva offers a generous free plan that includes access to thousands of templates, photos, and graphics. While there is a paid Pro version with additional features, many users find the free plan sufficient for their social media design needs.
What limitations does Snappa’s free plan have?
Snappa’s free plan typically allows users to create a limited number of designs per month and provides access to a subset of their template library. For more frequent use or access to premium features, users may need to upgrade to a paid plan.
Can I use Adobe Spark for free?
Yes, Adobe Spark offers a free plan that includes basic editing tools, templates, and the ability to create social media graphics. However, some advanced features and premium content may require a subscription.
How does Pablo by Buffer compare to other free graphics tools?
Pablo by Buffer is known for its simplicity and quick creation of social media images. While it may have fewer features than some other tools, it’s entirely free and integrates well with Buffer’s social media scheduling platform.
Are the images created with these free tools suitable for commercial use?
Most of these tools offer a mix of free and premium elements. It’s important to check the licensing terms for each specific image or element you use. Many free elements are suitable for commercial use, but some may require attribution or be limited to personal use only.
Can I create animations or videos with these free tools?
Some of these tools, like Canva and Visme, offer basic animation features in their free plans. However, more advanced video creation capabilities are often reserved for paid versions.
How do I choose the right free graphics tool for my needs?
Consider factors such as ease of use, available templates for your specific social media platforms, the variety of design elements offered, and any limitations on the number of designs you can create. It’s often helpful to try a few different tools to see which interface and features work best for you.
Do these free tools offer templates optimised for different social media platforms?
Yes, most of these tools provide templates sized specifically for various social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. This helps ensure your graphics look great across different channels.
Can I collaborate with team members using the free versions of these tools?
Collaboration features are often limited in free plans. Some tools may offer basic sharing capabilities, but full team collaboration features are typically available only in paid versions. Check each tool’s specific offerings if team collaboration is important to you.
