1
FlexClip
Easy online video maker
Freemium
FlexClip is a browser-based video editing tool that makes it easy to create marketing videos, social media content, and presentations with templates and stock media.
10 Best Design Tools in 2026
By Toolradar Team · Updated February 2026
Design, prototyping, and creative tools
Key Takeaways
- FlexClip is our #1 pick for design in 2026.
- We analyzed 7 design tools to create this ranking.
- 6 tools offer free plans, perfect for getting started.
How the Top Design Tools Compare
The design category is highly competitive in 2026, with FlexClip and Proto.io both scoring 0/100 on Toolradar's editorial assessment, followed closely by Venngage at N/A/100. The tight scores reflect how mature this market has become.
Pricing varies significantly among the top picks: FlexClip (freemium (free tier available)), Venngage (freemium (free tier available)), Infogram (freemium (free tier available)) offer free access, while Proto.io requires a paid subscription. Teams on a budget should start with FlexClip, which scores null/100 despite its free tier.
2
Proto.io
High-fidelity prototyping without code
Paid
Proto.io is a prototyping tool for creating fully-interactive high-fidelity prototypes that look and work like the final app. Ideal for user testing and stakeholder presentations.
3
Venngage
Infographic and visual content maker
Freemium
Venngage is an online infographic and visual content creation tool. Helps businesses create infographics, reports, presentations, and social media graphics with templates.
4
Infogram
Data visualization and infographics
Freemium
Infogram is a data visualization tool for creating interactive infographics, charts, maps, and reports. Used by marketers, journalists, and businesses to make data engaging.
5
Datawrapper
Create charts and maps for the web
Freemium
Datawrapper is a tool for creating responsive charts, maps, and tables for embedding on websites. Popular with newsrooms and content teams for data visualization.
6
Flourish
Data visualization and storytelling
Freemium
Flourish is a data visualization platform for creating animated and interactive charts, maps, and stories. Popular for creating engaging data journalism and presentations.
7
SVGator
SVG animation tool
Freemium
SVGator is an online SVG animation tool that creates lightweight animations without coding. Export as SVG, CSS, JavaScript, or Lottie formats.
Best Design For
Related Categories
What is Design Software?
Design software encompasses tools for creating visual content—from UI/UX design and prototyping to graphic design and illustration. The landscape has shifted dramatically with cloud-based, collaborative tools replacing traditional desktop applications.
Figma's rise changed everything. Real-time collaboration became table stakes, and 'design in the browser' proved that cloud tools could match desktop performance. Now every design tool is racing to add collaboration, prototyping, and developer handoff features.
The best design tools in 2026 aren't just about pushing pixels—they're about enabling design systems, streamlining collaboration with developers, and supporting the entire product design workflow from wireframe to production.
Editor's Take
“After evaluating 7 design software? tools, FlexClip stands out. For budget-conscious teams, FlexClip (null/100, free tier available) delivers strong value. The competition is fierce — the gap between top tools is narrower than ever, so the best choice comes down to your team's specific workflow and priorities.”
— Toolradar Editorial Team · February 2026
Key Data Points
7+
Tools analyzed on Toolradar
6
Offer free or freemium plans
N/A/100
Top editorial score
According to Toolradar's analysis across 7+ products, 86% offer free or freemium plans. The top-rated tools average a score of 0/100, with FlexClip leading at /100.
Key Features in Modern Design Tools
Real-time Collaboration
Multiple designers working simultaneously, comments, and version history. Solo design tools are dead for team use.
Components & Design Systems
Reusable components with variants, shared libraries, and design tokens. Essential for maintaining consistency at scale.
Prototyping
Interactive prototypes with transitions, smart animations, and user flows. Test ideas before writing code.
Developer Handoff
Auto-generated specs, CSS values, asset exports, and inspect mode. Bridge the design-to-code gap.
Auto Layout
Responsive designs that adapt to content. Stop manually resizing everything when text changes.
Plugin Ecosystem
Icons, stock photos, accessibility checkers, design linting. Plugins extend core functionality significantly.
Who Uses Design Software?
Design tools serve a wide range of creative and product roles:
Product Designers: UI/UX design, user flows, and prototyping. Figma dominates this space for collaborative product design.
Graphic Designers: Marketing materials, social graphics, presentations. Canva has democratized this; Adobe remains the professional standard.
Design Teams: Design systems, component libraries, and cross-team collaboration. Enterprise features matter here.
Developers: Design specs, asset exports, and inspect mode. Developers are heavy users of handoff features.
Marketers & Non-Designers: Quick graphics and social posts. Tools like Canva serve users who aren't professional designers.
How to Choose Design Software
The right tool depends on what you're designing and who you're collaborating with:
- 1Match the tool to the work. UI/UX design? Figma is the standard. Graphic design and print? Adobe is still king. Quick social graphics? Canva. Don't use enterprise tools for simple tasks.
- 2Consider your team's OS mix. Sketch is Mac-only. Figma works everywhere via browser. If you have Windows users, this matters.
- 3Evaluate collaboration needs. Solo designer? Any tool works. Design team? Real-time collaboration and design systems support are essential.
- 4Check developer integration. How do designs get to developers? Figma's inspect mode and Dev Mode are excellent. Some teams still need Zeplin for complex specs.
- 5Factor in learning curve. Canva: minutes to learn. Figma: days. Adobe suite: weeks to months. Match complexity to your team's needs and patience.
Design Tools Market in 2026
Figma's dominance continues even after the Adobe acquisition fell through. AI features are emerging everywhere—background removal, auto-layout suggestions, and design generation. The 'design to code' space is heating up with tools like Anima and Builder.io. Design systems tooling is maturing, with Figma tokens and third-party tools enabling better design-dev workflows.
Related Guides
Frequently Asked Questions
Has Figma killed Sketch?
Effectively, yes for most teams. Sketch's Mac-only approach and lack of real-time collaboration put it at a severe disadvantage. Sketch still has loyal users who prefer native Mac performance and their plugin ecosystem, but the industry has moved to Figma. Even Adobe's acquisition attempt validated Figma's dominance.
Is Adobe Creative Cloud still worth it?
For professional graphic design, photography, and video—absolutely. Photoshop, Illustrator, and Premiere Pro remain industry standards with no real alternatives for advanced work. For UI/UX design, Adobe XD lost to Figma. For quick graphics, Canva often suffices. Evaluate what you actually need.
What's the best free design tool?
Figma's free tier is incredibly generous—unlimited files, real-time collaboration, and most features. It's professional-grade software you can use for free. Canva's free tier is excellent for graphic design. For photo editing, Photopea offers Photoshop-like features in a browser, free.
Should I learn Figma or Adobe XD?
Learn Figma. XD has effectively lost the market. Figma is the industry standard for product design, and those skills transfer to any company. Adobe has shifted focus away from XD toward acquiring Figma (blocked by regulators) or building competitive features into other products.
What's the difference between Figma and Framer?
Figma is for design—creating interfaces, prototypes, and design systems. Framer started as prototyping but evolved into a website builder that imports Figma designs. Many teams use Figma for design and Framer to turn those designs into live marketing sites. They're complementary, not competitive.
Quick Facts About This Category
#1
FlexClip
Top rated
6
Free Tools
With free or freemium plans
7
Tools Reviewed
In this category
2026
Last Updated
February
Related Categories
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Our Ranking Methodology
At Toolradar, we combine editorial expertise with community insights:
40%
Editorial Analysis
Features, UX, innovation
30%
User Reviews
Real feedback from verified users
15%
Pricing Value
Cost vs. features offered
15%
Integrations
Ecosystem compatibility
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