75 Essential Tools Every Designer Should Use

Are you tired of wasting time searching for the perfect design tools? In 2025, the right toolkit can transform your workflow, spark creativity, and help you deliver professional results faster than ever. This list covers 75 essential tools every designer should know, with up-to-date pricing and detailed descriptions to help you choose wisely.

I’m Riten, founder of Fueler a platform that helps designers and creatives get hired by showcasing real assignment-based work samples. In this article, I’ve handpicked the most vital design tools for 2025, from industry standards to innovative newcomers. Your toolkit is your creative engine choose wisely, and you’ll stay ahead in a rapidly evolving field.

1. Adobe Photoshop

Adobe Photoshop remains the gold standard for photo editing, digital painting, and graphic design. Its advanced AI-powered features, extensive brush libraries, and robust layer support make it indispensable for everything from retouching to creating complex compositions. Seamless integration with other Adobe apps ensures a smooth workflow for professionals.

Pricing: $20.99/month (7-day free trial).

2. Adobe Illustrator

Ideal for vector graphics, logo creation, and illustration, Adobe Illustrator offers precision drawing tools, scalable artboards, and powerful typography features. Its integration with Creative Cloud makes asset sharing and collaboration easy. Designers rely on Illustrator for branding, packaging, and print projects that demand crisp, scalable visuals.

Pricing: $20.99/month (7-day free trial).

3. Figma

Figma is a cloud-based UI/UX design platform that enables real-time collaboration, prototyping, and design system management. Its browser-based interface allows teams to work together from anywhere, making it a favorite for remote and distributed teams. Figma’s plugin ecosystem and developer handoff tools streamline the entire product design process.

Pricing: $12/month for individuals, $45–$100/month for professional plans, free tier available.

4. Sketch

Sketch is a Mac-exclusive vector design tool celebrated for its intuitive interface, powerful symbol system, and extensive plugin library. It’s a staple for UI, web, and icon design, offering shared libraries and easy prototyping. While best for Apple users, Sketch’s collaborative features and export options make it a go-to for many studios.

Pricing: $99 one-time purchase for a personal license.

5. CorelDRAW Graphics Suite

CorelDRAW Graphics Suite is an all-in-one solution for vector illustration, layout, photo editing, and typography. It’s popular among print designers for its color management, PDF support, and multi-page handling. The suite includes Corel PHOTO-PAINT and other tools, making it a versatile choice for professionals seeking a robust alternative to Adobe.

Pricing: $22.42/month subscription or perpetual license (special pricing available).

6. Affinity Designer

Affinity Designer is a powerful, affordable vector and raster design app for Mac, Windows, and iPad. Its one-time purchase model appeals to freelancers and small teams. With advanced grid systems, unlimited artboards, and lightning-fast performance, it’s perfect for branding, illustration, and UI design without ongoing subscription fees.

Pricing: One-time purchase, typically under $70.

7. Canva

Canva is a cloud-based platform designed for quick, professional-quality graphic design. With drag-and-drop templates, an extensive asset library, and team collaboration features, it’s ideal for social media, presentations, and marketing materials. Canva’s intuitive interface makes it accessible for beginners while still offering flexibility for experienced designers.

Pricing: $12.99/month for Pro, free plan available.

8. Procreate

Procreate is a digital painting and illustration app built exclusively for iPad. Its natural brush engine, customizable tools, and intuitive gestures make it a favorite among illustrators and concept artists. Procreate supports high-res canvases and time-lapse recording, making it perfect for both personal art and professional commissions.

Pricing: $12.99 one-time purchase on the App Store.

9. Adobe XD

Adobe XD is a specialized tool for UI/UX design, wireframing, and interactive prototyping. Its repeat grid, auto-animate, and voice prototyping features accelerate workflow. XD’s integration with Creative Cloud and real-time collaboration make it ideal for product teams and freelancers working on apps, websites, and digital experiences.

Pricing: $9.99/month for individuals, plans for teams start at $22.99/month.

10. InVision

InVision is a web-based platform for prototyping, design collaboration, and user testing. Its intuitive interface allows designers to create interactive mockups, gather feedback, and manage design projects in one place. InVision’s Freehand tool is especially useful for remote brainstorming and whiteboarding sessions.

Pricing: Free plan available, Pro plan $7.95/month per user.

11. Adobe Lightroom

Adobe Lightroom is a powerful photo editing and management tool favored by photographers and designers alike. It offers advanced color correction, batch editing, and cloud syncing across devices. Lightroom’s intuitive interface helps streamline your workflow, making it easy to organize and enhance large photo libraries.

Pricing: $9.99/month (part of Adobe Photography Plan).

12. Blender

Blender is a free, open-source 3D creation suite supporting modeling, animation, rendering, and video editing. It’s widely used for creating 3D assets, motion graphics, and visual effects. Blender’s active community and frequent updates make it a top choice for designers venturing into 3D and animation.

Pricing: Free.

13. Marvel App

Marvel App is a user-friendly prototyping and collaboration tool for designers and product teams. It allows quick creation of interactive prototypes from static designs with user testing and handoff features. Marvel is ideal for designers who want to validate ideas fast and collaborate seamlessly.

Pricing: Free plan available, Pro plan $12/month.

14. Zeplin

Zeplin bridges the gap between designers and developers by generating style guides, assets, and code snippets automatically from design files. It streamlines handoff and reduces miscommunication, making it essential for teams focused on efficient product delivery.

Pricing: Starts at $17/month per user.

15. Affinity Photo

Affinity Photo is a professional photo editing software offering powerful retouching, HDR merging, and RAW editing. It’s a cost-effective alternative to Photoshop, with a one-time purchase model and no subscription fees, ideal for freelancers and small studios.

Pricing: One-time purchase, around $55.

16. Balsamiq

Balsamiq is a rapid wireframing tool that helps designers sketch user interfaces quickly. Its drag-and-drop components and low-fidelity style encourage fast iteration and brainstorming without getting bogged down in details. Perfect for early-stage UX design and client presentations.

Pricing: $9/month for cloud, $89 one-time for desktop.

17. Google Fonts

Google Fonts is a free, extensive library of open-source fonts for web and print use. It offers easy integration with design tools and websites, making typography accessible and customizable for all projects.

Pricing: Free.

18. Inkscape

Inkscape is a free, open-source vector graphics editor similar to Illustrator. It supports SVG format and offers powerful drawing tools, making it a great option for budget-conscious designers needing vector capabilities.

Pricing: Free.

19. Adobe After Effects

After Effects is the industry-leading software for motion graphics and visual effects. It allows designers to create sophisticated animations, transitions, and cinematic effects, widely used in video production and digital marketing.

Pricing: $20.99/month (single app plan).

20. Trello

Trello is a visual project management tool that helps designers organize tasks, collaborate with teams, and track progress using boards and cards. Its simplicity and flexibility make it ideal for managing design workflows and deadlines.

Pricing: Free plan available, Business Class $12.50/user/month.

21. Notion

Notion is an all-in-one workspace combining notes, databases, and project management. Designers use it to organize ideas, document processes, and collaborate with clients or teams, enhancing productivity and communication.

Pricing: Free for personal use, $8/user/month for teams.

22. Slack

Slack is a communication platform widely used by design teams for real-time messaging, file sharing, and integrations with other tools. It fosters collaboration and quick feedback, essential for agile design workflows.

Pricing: Free plan available, Standard $8/user/month.

23. Hotjar

Hotjar provides heatmaps, session recordings, and user feedback tools to help designers understand how users interact with websites and apps. This data-driven insight guides UX improvements and design decisions.

Pricing: Basic free plan, paid plans start at $39/month.

24. Webflow

Webflow is a no-code website builder that combines visual design with clean, exportable code. Designers can create responsive websites and prototypes without writing code, accelerating development and client delivery.

Pricing: Free starter plan, paid plans from $12/month.

25. Adobe InDesign

InDesign is the go-to tool for page layout and publishing, perfect for magazines, brochures, and ebooks. It offers precise typography controls, master pages, and integration with Adobe Creative Cloud.

Pricing: $20.99/month (single app plan).

26. Clip Studio Paint

Clip Studio Paint is a versatile digital painting app favored by illustrators and comic artists. It offers natural brush dynamics, vector layers, and animation features, making it ideal for detailed artwork.

Pricing: One-time purchase around $50.

27. Axure RP

Axure RP is a powerful prototyping tool for creating complex, interactive wireframes and specifications. It supports conditional logic and dynamic content, suitable for advanced UX design and user testing.

Pricing: Starts at $29/month.

28. Gravit Designer

Gravit Designer is a free vector design app available on multiple platforms. It offers intuitive tools for UI, illustration, and print design, with cloud syncing and offline capabilities.

Pricing: Free basic plan, Pro plan $49/year.

29. Loom

Loom is a video messaging tool that lets designers record screen shares with voiceover for quick feedback, tutorials, or presentations. It enhances remote collaboration and client communication.

Pricing: Free plan available, Business $8/user/month.

30. Zeplin

Zeplin automates design handoff by generating specs, assets, and code snippets from design files. It improves collaboration between designers and developers, reducing errors and speeding up development.

Pricing: Starts at $17/month per user.

31. Adobe Dimension

Adobe Dimension lets designers create photorealistic 3D mockups and product visualizations without complex 3D skills. It’s great for packaging design, branding, and advertising presentations.

Pricing: $20.99/month (single app plan).

32. SketchUp

SketchUp is a 3D modeling software popular for architectural and interior design. Its intuitive interface and extensive library make it easy to create and visualize spatial designs.

Pricing: Free web version, Pro $299/year.

33. Descript

Descript is an all-in-one audio and video editing tool that uses transcription for easy editing. Designers creating multimedia content find it invaluable for podcasts, tutorials, and presentations.

Pricing: Free plan available, Pro $12/month.

34. Vectr

Vectr is a free, simple vector graphics editor for basic design needs. It’s accessible online and offline, suitable for beginners and quick projects.

Pricing: Free.

35. Adobe Spark

Adobe Spark is a web and mobile app for creating social graphics, web pages, and short videos quickly. It’s user-friendly and integrates with Creative Cloud.

Pricing: Free plan, Premium $9.99/month.

36. Krita

Krita is a free, open-source digital painting program with professional features for illustrators and concept artists. It supports brushes, layers, and animation.

Pricing: Free.

37. Monday.com

Monday.com is a flexible work operating system that helps design teams plan, track, and deliver projects collaboratively. Its visual boards and automation improve workflow efficiency.

Pricing: Starts at $8/user/month.

38. Adobe Premiere Pro

Premiere Pro is a professional video editing software used for everything from short clips to feature films. It offers advanced editing tools, effects, and integration with other Adobe apps.

Pricing: $20.99/month.

39. Pixlr

Pixlr is a free, browser-based photo editor with powerful tools for quick edits and creative effects. It’s accessible without installation and suitable for on-the-go editing.

Pricing: Free basic, Premium $5/month.

40. Zeplin

Zeplin is essential for design-to-development handoff, automating specs and asset delivery to ensure smooth collaboration and faster product launches.

Pricing: Starts at $17/month per user.

41. Miro

Miro is a collaborative online whiteboard platform perfect for brainstorming, wireframing, and mapping user journeys with teams. Its intuitive interface and endless canvas make it easy to organize ideas visually, whether you’re remote or in-person.

Pricing: Free plan available, Team plan $8/user/month.

42. FontBase

FontBase is a free, fast font manager for Windows, Mac, and Linux. It allows designers to organize, preview, and activate fonts instantly. Its clean interface and Google Fonts integration make managing large font libraries easy and efficient.

Pricing: Free, Pro version $3/month.

43. Milanote

Milanote is a visual workspace for organizing ideas, moodboards, and creative briefs. It’s ideal for designers who want to collect inspiration, plan projects, and share boards with clients.

Pricing: Free plan, Pro $12.50/month.

44. Principle

Principle is a Mac app for creating animated and interactive user interface prototypes. It’s perfect for designers who want to show motion, transitions, and microinteractions in their app or web designs.

Pricing: $129 one-time purchase.

45. Framer

Framer is a powerful prototyping tool that lets you design responsive layouts, advanced interactions, and animations. It’s browser-based and supports real-time collaboration, making it a favorite for modern product teams.

Pricing: Free plan, Pro $25/editor/month.

46. Google Drive

Google Drive offers secure cloud storage, real-time collaboration, and easy sharing for design files. Its integration with Google Workspace makes it a staple for teams managing assets and documents.

Pricing: 15GB free, Google One starts at $1.99/month for 100GB.

47. Dropbox

Dropbox is a reliable cloud storage service with file syncing, backup, and sharing features. Designers use it to store large files, collaborate with clients, and keep projects organized.

Pricing: Free plan, Plus $11.99/month.

48. Eagle

Eagle is a digital asset management tool built for designers. It helps you organize, tag, and search images, videos, and inspiration files in one place, making creative workflows more efficient.

Pricing: $29.95 one-time purchase.

49. Color Hunt

Color Hunt is a free platform for discovering trendy color palettes curated by designers. It’s a quick source of inspiration for web, branding, or UI projects, helping you find the perfect color combinations.

Pricing: Free.

50. Coolors

Coolors is a fast color scheme generator that lets you create, save, and export palettes for any project. Its intuitive interface and export options make it a go-to for designers working on branding or digital products.

Pricing: Free, Pro $3/month.

51. Unsplash

Unsplash offers a massive library of high-resolution, royalty-free images for use in commercial and personal projects. Its search and collection features make finding the perfect photo easy, saving designers time and budget.

Pricing: Free.

52. Pexels

Pexels provides free stock photos and videos with a generous license for commercial use. Its curated collections and search tools help designers find quality visuals for websites, social media, and presentations.

Pricing: Free.

53. Envato Elements

Envato Elements is a subscription-based library of design assets, including graphics, templates, fonts, and stock photos. Unlimited downloads make it cost-effective for designers working on multiple projects.

Pricing: $16.50/month.

54. The Noun Project

The Noun Project offers millions of royalty-free icons and illustrations, searchable by keyword and style. Designers use it for UI, presentations, and branding, with easy SVG downloads.

Pricing: Free with attribution, Pro $39.99/year.

55. Flaticon

Flaticon is a huge database of vector icons in multiple formats. Its collections and customizable options make it a favorite for web and app designers needing consistent, scalable iconography.

Pricing: Free with attribution, Premium $8.25/month.

56. Iconscout

Iconscout provides millions of icons, illustrations, and 3D assets, all searchable and easy to customize. Its plugins for Figma, Sketch, and Adobe streamline workflow for designers needing quick, quality assets.

Pricing: Free with attribution, Pro $12/month.

57. LottieFiles

LottieFiles is a platform for discovering, testing, and sharing lightweight, animated vector graphics (Lottie animations). Designers use it to add engaging motion to apps and websites without heavy file sizes.

Pricing: Free, LottieFiles Pro $20/month.

58. Streamline Icons

Streamline Icons offers a comprehensive collection of consistent, customizable icon sets in multiple styles and formats. Its robust search and export features make it ideal for large design systems.

Pricing: $99/year for full access.

59. Google Material Icons

Google’s Material Icons library provides hundreds of free, open-source icons designed for clarity and consistency in web and mobile interfaces. They’re easy to integrate and customize for any project.

Pricing: Free.

60. Font Awesome

Font Awesome is a widely used icon toolkit offering thousands of scalable vector icons for web and app projects. Its CDN, kits, and plugins make implementation seamless for designers and developers.

Pricing: Free, Pro $99/year.

61. DaFont

DaFont is a massive archive of free fonts for personal and commercial use. Designers browse by style, popularity, or theme to find unique typography for branding, posters, or web projects.

Pricing: Free (check licenses for commercial use).

62. Adobe Fonts

Adobe Fonts provides unlimited access to thousands of high-quality typefaces included with Creative Cloud subscriptions. Seamless syncing and licensing make it a professional’s choice for web and print design.

Pricing: Included with Adobe Creative Cloud ($20.99/month+).

63. WhatFont

WhatFont is a browser extension that quickly identifies fonts on any website. It’s a handy tool for designers seeking inspiration or matching client requests, saving time in font discovery.

Pricing: Free.

64. Google Keep

Google Keep is a simple note-taking and idea-capturing app that syncs across devices. Designers use it to jot down inspiration, save color codes, or create quick checklists for projects.

Pricing: Free.

65. Evernote

Evernote is a robust note-taking and organization tool with powerful search, web clipping, and document scanning features. It’s ideal for designers managing research, references, and project notes.

Pricing: Free basic plan, Personal $14.99/month.

66. Notability

Notability is a note-taking and sketching app for iPad and Mac, popular among designers for its handwriting, annotation, and audio recording features. It’s great for brainstorming and client meetings.

Pricing: $8.99 one-time purchase.

67. MindMeister

MindMeister is a collaborative mind mapping tool for visualizing ideas, workflows, and project plans. It’s perfect for designers who want to brainstorm, organize concepts, or present strategies to clients.

Pricing: Free plan, Pro $6.99/month.

68. Lucidchart

Lucidchart is a web-based diagramming tool for flowcharts, wireframes, and process maps. Its drag-and-drop interface and collaboration features make it valuable for designers working on UX, systems, or presentations.

Pricing: Free plan, Individual $7.95/month.

69. Mockplus

Mockplus is a rapid prototyping tool for web and app interfaces, featuring drag-and-drop components, team collaboration, and easy sharing. It’s ideal for designers needing quick, interactive prototypes.

Pricing: Free plan, Pro $16/month.

70. Whimsical

Whimsical combines flowcharts, wireframes, mind maps, and sticky notes in one collaborative platform. Its simple, intuitive interface is perfect for brainstorming, planning, and early design exploration with teams.

Pricing: Free plan, Pro $12/month.

71. Marvel POP

Marvel POP (Prototype on Paper) lets designers turn paper sketches into interactive app prototypes by snapping photos and linking screens. It’s great for quick concept validation and user testing.

Pricing: Free with limited projects, Pro $12/month.

72. Bannersnack (now Creatopy)

Creatopy is an online banner and ad design tool offering templates, animation, and team collaboration. Designers use it for fast, professional ad creation across platforms.

Pricing: Starts at $24/month.

73. Placeit

Placeit is an online mockup generator for showcasing designs on apparel, devices, packaging, and more. Designers can create realistic product previews without Photoshop, perfect for portfolios or client presentations.

Pricing: Free limited, Unlimited $14.95/month.

74. Remove.bg

Remove.bg uses AI to instantly remove backgrounds from photos, saving designers hours of manual editing. It’s invaluable for product shots, profile images, and marketing materials.

Pricing: Free with low-res, paid plans from $9/month.

75. TinyPNG

TinyPNG is an online image compression tool that reduces file sizes without sacrificing quality. Designers use it to optimize images for web and mobile, improving load times and performance.

Pricing: Free for limited use, Pro $39/year.

Final Thought

Building the perfect design toolkit in 2025 means staying updated, investing in the right software, and finding tools that match your creative process. With these 75 essential tools, you’ll streamline your workflow, boost your productivity, and elevate your work. Don’t hesitate to experiment with new options—your toolkit should evolve as your skills and ambitions grow12345.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How do I choose the right design tools for my needs?

Start by identifying your main design tasks—like illustration, UI, or motion graphics—and select tools that excel in those areas. Consider your budget, platform compatibility, and collaboration needs. Many tools offer free trials, so test a few before committing to a paid plan345.

2. Are paid tools always better than free alternatives?

Not necessarily. Many free tools like Blender, Inkscape, and Google Fonts offer professional-quality features. Paid tools often provide advanced capabilities, better support, and integration, but it’s best to mix both based on your workflow and project requirements364.

3. How often should I update my toolkit or subscriptions?

Review your toolkit every six months to ensure you’re using the most effective and cost-efficient tools. Cancel unused subscriptions and explore new releases or updates that could improve your workflow. Staying current helps you remain competitive and productive in the design industry.

4. What’s the best way to organize my design tools and assets?

Use cloud storage solutions like Google Drive, Dropbox, or Eagle to keep your files organized and accessible. Font managers, asset libraries, and note-taking apps can help you categorize resources, making it easier to find what you need and maintain a smooth workflow.

5. Should I invest in learning new tools every year?

Yes, dedicating time to learn new tools or features keeps your skills relevant and opens up new creative possibilities. The design landscape evolves quickly, so continuous learning ensures you can handle diverse projects and impress clients or employers with your adaptability

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