Free Design Tools
Which UI and graphic design tools a startup can use for free today, how far the free plan goes, whether designs may be used commercially, whether a card is needed and what the first paid plan costs, read from each tool's own page.
Free allowances read on each provider's own pages, all checked on or after . Design tools change their free plans from time to time: confirm the terms on the tool's page before your team builds its design files there.
Design tools a startup can use for free today include Figma (Limited free access to Figma products), Affinity (Free for individuals), Penpot (Free and fully featured), Adobe Express (Free to use, basic content tools), and UXPin (Limited Free plan, 2 prototypes). Each of the 11 free plans below links to the tool's page that states it, with its main limit, whether designs may be used commercially, whether a card is needed and what the first paid plan costs.
A startup designs from day one: the product screens, the logo, the pitch deck, the launch graphics. The leading UI design tools have a free plan, and several graphic design tools are free outright.
The headline rarely tells you how far it goes. A free plan can cap projects, prototypes or AI credits, or limit commercial use, and some tools are free only for individuals. Each tool below shows what is free, its main limit, whether designs may be used commercially, whether a card is needed and what the first paid plan costs, quoted from the tool's own page with the date we read it.
Which tools we picked and the order they appear in are our editorial choices; the terms are the providers'. Some of these providers pay us a referral commission when someone signs up through our link: those links are labeled, and they play no part in which tools are listed or where.
UI and product design tools with a free plan
Interface design and prototyping for apps and websites, with a free plan to start.
- 1
Figma
The best-known UI tool, on a limited free plan
Figma's Starter plan gives limited free access to its products, with 150 AI credits a day, up to 500 a month. The first paid plan, Professional, is $16 a month per full seat.
- First paid plan
- Professional: $16 a month per full seat (source: figma.com)
- 2
Penpot
Open-source design you own, free and fully featured
Penpot's Professional plan is free and fully featured, for up to 8 team members plus unlimited viewers. Its Unlimited plan is $7 per editor a month.
- What's free
- Free and fully featured (source: penpot.app)
- First paid plan
- Unlimited: $7 per editor a month (source: penpot.app)
- 3
UXPin
Code-based prototypes, after a 14-day trial
Every UXPin plan starts with a 14-day free trial, and no credit card is required. The limited Free plan allows 2 prototypes, and the Core plan is $49 a month per seat.
- Payment card
- No credit card required (source: uxpin.com)
- First paid plan
- Core: $49 a month per seat (source: uxpin.com)
- 4
Uizard
Turning a text prompt into a first screen
Uizard's Free plan has unlimited free viewers and commenters, 3 AI generations a month and 2 projects. Pro is $12 a month if billed annually.
- First paid plan
- Pro: $12 a month if billed annually (source: uizard.io)
- 5
Lunacy
A free design app with a full single user license
Lunacy's own page lists a full single user license at Free, with no paid tier shown on that page.
- 6
Sketch
A 30-day test of the Mac app before paying
Sketch lets you start free for 30 days with no credit card needed, then you pick a subscription or a one-time license. The Standard plan is $12 per editor a month, billed yearly.
- What's free
- Free for 30 days (source: sketch.com)
- Payment card
- No credit card needed (source: sketch.com)
Graphic design and image editing tools that are free
Graphics, social images and photo editing, with a free plan or free for good.
- 1
Affinity
Pro design, photo and layout software for individuals
Affinity's own page says it is free for individuals. Organizations that need SSO are sent to Canva Enterprise.
Start free at AffinityTerms read on affinity.studio on Affinity: the free allowance and how to start - 2
Adobe Express
Social posts and flyers from templates, free
Adobe Express's Free plan gives basic content creation tools and limited generative AI credits and assets, with no credit card required. Premium is US$9.99 a month.
- Payment card
- No credit card required (source: adobe.com)
- First paid plan
- Premium: $9.99 a month (source: adobe.com)
- 3
Photopea
A free browser photo editor with the premium features
Photopea's page says you can enjoy all the premium features without spending a dime. Its files open instantly and never leave your device.
- 4
Pixlr
Quick AI photo edits and generations in a browser
Pixlr's home page says it is 100% free, right in your browser. Paid plans add ad-free editing and thousands of AI credits, and Plus is $2.49 a month.
- First paid plan
- Plus: $2.49 a month, ad-free (source: pixlr.com)
- 5
Kittl
Templates and AI images for personal projects
Kittl's Free plan includes 100 AI tokens one time, and its designs are for personal use only with no commercial rights. Pro is $19 a month, or $14 billed annually.
- Main limit
- 5 saved projects (source: kittl.com)
- Commercial use
- No, personal use only (source: kittl.com)
- First paid plan
- Pro: $19 a month, $14 billed yearly (source: kittl.com)
Also useful for design and creative work
Referral links, picked for fit and ordered by fit (70%) and what a signup earns us (30%), at no cost to you. They never change this page's ranking.
Compare the top options
How this comparison is built
The list covers UI and graphic design tools a founder can use for free today without applying to a program. The order and the "best for" notes are our editorial reading of each tool's terms. Every term comes from the tool's own pricing or help page on the date shown, never from a third-party list; follow each link for the full conditions. A cap on files or editors, or commercial use kept for paid plans, can matter more than the headline, so the comparison quotes them wherever the tool states them. Some of these tools pay StartupPerks a referral commission, and their links are labeled as referral links; that decides neither whether nor where a tool appears, and no tool pays for a placement on this page.
Read the full methodologyCommon questions
What is the best free design tool?
It depends on what you design. By the terms each tool states, Penpot is free and fully featured for up to 8 team members, Figma gives limited free access to its products, Affinity is free for individuals, and Photopea offers its premium features at no charge in the browser.
Is Figma free?
Figma's free Starter plan gives limited access to its products, with 150 AI credits a day and up to 500 a month. Professional costs $16 a month per full seat.
What is a free Figma alternative?
Penpot is open source, free and fully featured for up to 8 team members, and Lunacy offers a free full single-user license.
Is Affinity free?
Affinity is free for individuals; organizations need Canva Enterprise.
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