The 4 Best Apps for Creating Social Media Artwork
The 4 Best Apps for Creating Social Media Artwork
Discover the 4 best apps for non-designers who want to create beautiful social media artwork in minutes.
If you’ve read anything about marketing in the past 2 years, you’ve probably heard the warnings about our online world becoming more visual than ever. “Be prepared,” they say. “Get ready!”
But how does a business person or writer, with no formal training, create artwork that looks both attractive and professional?
I set out on a mission to find the 4 best graphic design apps for non-artists who want to create stunning artwork for social media. Following are the winners, based on these factors:
- Simplicity and site speed
- Apps with a variety of templates for the most popular social media platforms
- Apps you can jump into without watching tutorials
- Great tutorials (just in case)
- Free trial or testing period
- Affordability
At the end of this list you’ll also find a quick directory for other graphics-related tools like infographics, resizing and compression, and quote-makers.
1. Canva: Large Selection of Templates and Layouts
Canva is an online graphic design software that includes over 8000 templates.
It’s a popular choice for writers and other professionals because it’s easy to use and offers an endless number of design and template options.
Canva offers a fully-functioning “forever free” plan for up to 10 team members. The free plan gives you 1 GB of free storage space, plus it does not watermark your final version.
The Business premium plan ($12.95/month) allows you to invite 30 team members and gives you access to 300,000 photos, illustrations, and templates with unlimited storage. Canva also offers an Enterprise plan, but the price is unlisted.
One of the reasons Canva is an excellent choice for social media artwork is because they have a large collection of templates and creative layouts for:
- Tumblr
- Google+
- YouTube
- Blogs
Canva lets you download your designs in PNG, JPG, or PDF formats or share directly to email, Facebook, or Twitter. You also have the option to share your creations with an embedded or direct link.
2. SNAPPA: Quick and Easy Graphic Design Software
Snappa is fun because of its simplicity. It’s true to its “quick and easy” promise and has an interface that’s similar to Canva.
Snappa offers a decent selection of social media templates for:
- YouTube
- Blogs
The program also includes image templates for thumbnails, cover photos, ads, or custom dimensions.
Snappa’s free plan offers only a taste of its product. It gives one user up to 5 downloads per month with limited templates.
The premium plans range from $10 - $20 a month when paid annually or $15 - $30 a month when paid monthly.
Snappa lets you download your artwork to a web-optimized JPG, high-res PNG, Retina JPG, or Retina PNG. You’ll also find options for integrating with Facebook, Twitter, or the Buffer scheduling app.
3. PicMonkey: Templates for Each Social Media Platform
PicMonkey is a great choice for social media artwork because it organizes templates by social media platforms, making it easy to find exactly what you need in seconds.
The interface is fairly simple to use and includes templates and photo filters.
PicMonkey’s pricing runs between $5.99 - $8.99 month (depending on which premium service you choose) and they offer a free 7-day trial.
4. BeFunky: Photo Editor and Collage Maker
BeFunky is graphic design software that offers photo editing, collages, and templates for social media.
It includes an extensive collection of creative photo filters, along with some good-looking social media templates. One perk is that you can see the filter effect before you apply it to your photo. (So it’s easy to experiment and slightly addictive!)
BeFunky fees are affordable at only $34.92 for a one-year membership or $4.95 per month paid monthly.
Price and Feature Comparison of Social Media Artwork Apps
| Canva | SNAPPA | PicMonkey | BeFunky | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free Plan | $0 for 10 team members | 5 downloads/month with limited templates | 7-day free trial | Limited access to most features |
| Tier 1 Plan | $12.95/month for 30 team members | $10/month when paid annually or $15/month when paid monthly | $71.88 when paid annually or $7.99/month when paid monthly | $34.92 when paid annually or $4.95/month when paid monthly |
| Tier 2 Plan | Price unlisted | $20/month when paid annually or $30/month when paid monthly | $8.99/month when paid monthly | None |
| Features | Unlimited storage and access to photos, illustrations, and templates | Templates for a variety of social media channels. Integrates with social media scheduling apps such as Buffer | Photo filters and templates that are organized by social media platform | Photo editor, collage maker, photo filters, and social media templates |
Artwork Apps for Creating Printable Media
Are you ever working social media from the outside in: promoting from your store or event?
If so, you’ll love that the following design software that creates printable media for your in-person events.
Infographics
Piktograph and Venngage are excellent apps for turning your data into beautiful Infographics.
Quote Makers
All of the graphic design software above will allow you to create quote images. But Quozio and Stencil quote-makers are great when you need a boost of inspiration or new ideas.
Screenshots
Need screenshots? Awesome Screenshot offers a tool for creating enhanced screenshots that you can write on or add art to.
Image Resizing and Compressing
If you need to resize an image, try Imageresize.org or ResizeImage.net.
Want to prepare your images for a blog that will be shared on social media? You can easily resize and compress images using Fotosizer or JPEG mini Toolur.
Not interested in making your own images for social media? Learn where to find the best free images for social media.
Rhonda Bradley
Writer, Rhonda Bradley Copywriting