Anyone can find themselves needing a professional-grade logo, choosing the correct graphic design software that matches your needs and logistics can get you one step further in the right direction. Graphic design software is software that can operate online or offline to create logo designs based on brand colors and a general outline by the brand or owner. Effective logos are simplistic and easy to look at while they also do a great job of displaying the brand’s values and mission along with potential hints at their industry or what they sell.
Top 6 best graphic design software for logos
- Adobe Illustrator – Industry-leading vector-based software
- CorelDRAW – User-friendly vector-based software with some advanced features
- Design Hill – A professional logo-building suite with AI usage
- Canva – A web-based drag and drop styled logo maker
- Logo Design Studio Pro – A top-selling affordable vector-based software
1. Adobe Illustrator – Industry-leading vector-based software
PRICING:
- $20.99 per month
Adobe Illustrator is the industry leader in vector-based graphic design software. Users with experience can use Adobe to create a professional-grade logo for themselves or their brand quite easily while new users can learn through the integrated tutorials. Adobe Illustrator connects to Adobe’s creative cloud which makes this software an appealing option if you use Adobe Photoshop, Indesign, Premiere, or others. Users can access this software on almost any modern device and can enjoy full scalability and responsiveness with the logos or other graphics they may create.
KEY FEATURES:
- Vector-based
- Support of 3d assets
- Cloud collaboration
- 20,000 font types
- Import scanned image feature
- 100GB of cloud storage
- Pantone or CMYK color matching tool
- Multiple page export
REASONS TO BUY:
- Works on almost any device
- Full scalability and responsiveness
- Integrated tutorials in software
- Students and teachers discount + 7-day free trial
- Variety of templates
REASONS TO AVOID:
- High learning curve if not familiar with Adobe
- Not made for quick edits
- Sharing .AI files with someone who doesn’t use Adobe can be troubling
- Lack of photo editing options
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2. CorelDRAW – User-friendly vector-based software with some advanced features
PRICING:
- $249 per year
- $499 one-time purchase for a license
CorelDRAW is another vector-based graphic design software that is known to be quite powerful and completely capable of producing professional logos. CorelDRAW is available on a subscription-based plan or for a one-time purpose for its commercial license which may appeal to some users. The software comes with advanced photo editing tools, tracing tools, and 3D drawing tools that can extend the user’s ability and improve their efficiency. With its import scanned image feature and customizable export settings, this software can hold its weight against Adobe.
KEY FEATURES:
- Vector-based
- Advanced photo editing tools
- CorelDRAW trace – an accurate tracing tool with customization
- The perspective drawing tool simplifies 3D drawing
- Multipage view
- Multiple file export with different settings
- Accurate curve MGMT
- Import scanned image feature
REASONS TO BUY:
- Versatile software with a great logo builder
- User-friendly but includes advanced features
- Advanced design tools
- Runs on Windows/ Mac
- License or subscription-based
- Helpful training videos within
- The interface is ideal and fresh
REASONS TO AVOID:
- Print preview is less accurate than illustrator
- Doesn’t integrate with Adobe
- Support can take time to assist you
» MORE: Top iPad Graphic Design Apps
3. Design Hill – A professional Logo building suite with AI usage
PRICING:
- Basic plan – $20 per month
- Premium plan – $65 per month
- Enterprise plan – $150 per month
Design Hill is one of the more unique graphic design software on this list that operates as a logo-maker, but it doesn’t mean that its power or abilities fall behind competitors. For any beginner user with a tight time frame, Design Hill can build them a high-quality, high-resolution, vector-based logo that has full scalability and responsiveness in just minutes. Within a separately purchased part of the software, users can crowdsource or hire freelance designers through the platform that can build logos for you based on your exact specifications. If you have the money to spend and need to save time, consider Design Hills’ powerful AI-powered logo builder.
KEY FEATURES:
- Logo design program
- Vector-based
- AI-powered logo builder
- Marketplace for Logo design
- Design contest feature
- Freelance designer feature
- Hire a designer feature
REASONS TO BUY:
- Ability to build your own logo through AI
- Ability to purchase a design from its marketplace or hire a designer
- Software increases efficiency and is great for users on a tight time frame
REASONS TO AVOID:
- High-resolution logos are more expensive
- Others can use the same template you had started with
- Some user privacy concerns
- Logo Maker and design shop come separately
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4. Canva – A web-based drag and drop styled logo-maker
PRICING:
- Free – $0.00 per month
- Pro – $12.99 per year
- Enterprise – $30 per month
Canva is a complete web-based, drag-and-drop graphic design software that has helped countless people build professional logos efficiently. Their main drawback is that the graphics are not vector-based so which in turn limits the graphics scalability without losing its responsiveness. The software comes with thousands of templates, and millions of icons, illustrations, and images that can only enhance the user experience. As if those million options aren’t enough, users can upload audio, video, and images instantly to Canva. With Canva, you can avoid the hasty learning curves required with other software and save yourself a chunk of money as Canvas’s free version is incredibly powerful.
KEY FEATURES:
- Web-based
- Drag and drop
- Some advanced photo editing features
- Thousands of templates
- Millions of free or premium icons, illustrations, and images
- Online collaboration features
- Import brand fonts and colors on the pro plan
- 5GB storage in uploads on the free plan
REASONS TO BUY:
- Use on any web browser
- Avoids learning curves, super easy UI
- Many integrations with other well-known services
REASONS TO AVOID:
- No offline use
- Limited scalability due to non-vector-based graphics
- Logos may not always be unique if using templates
- No AI-powered tool or logo-building wizard
- No free drawing of objects
» MORE: Best Free Online Graphic Software
5. Logo design studio Pro – A top-selling affordable vector-based software
PRICING:
- Standard Windows software – $69.99
- Platinum Windows software – $149.99
- Web-based software – $29.99 for the first month then $7.99 per month
Logo Design Studio Pro by SummitSoft has been a top-selling software in this industry for two decades now and the reasoning is clear. Their vector-based logo building software is powerful and easy to use, now boasting over 2,000 logo templates and 6,000 shapes and fonts users can easily find inspiration from a template or find one they’d like to customize and edit to their standards. Logo Design Studio Pro also comes equipped with precise drawing tools, professional special effect designs, and a color control mechanism that leaves you feeling actually in control. The software has been described as easier to use and more affordable than the highly respected Adobe Illustrator.
KEY FEATURES:
- Vector-based
- 2,000 logo templates
- 6,000 shapes and fonts
- Precise drawing tools
- Seamless effects feature to add a professional touch
- Total text control – convert text into editable shapes
- Advanced design features such as gradient, blur, glow and emboss effects
REASONS TO BUY:
- Easier than Adobe
- An affordable option
- Slogan and tagline resource provided with 500+ pre-written options
- Logos won’t lose scalability and responsiveness
- Decently priced expansion packs
REASONS TO AVOID:
- Creating custom items is complex
- The legality of taglines is confusing
- Downloaded software is only available on Windows
» MORE: Best Mac Graphic Design Software
References and Links
- https://justcreative.com/best-logo-design-software/
- https://www.thebalancesmb.com/best-logo-design-software-4171321
- https://www.creativebloq.com/buying-guides/best-logo-designer
- https://www.tailorbrands.com/blog/logo-design-software