Every post you see on social media today differs from the others in terms of design, style, and content. To stand out in this crowded online space, creating visually striking and engaging graphics that capture your audience’s attention is essential.
But there is no one way of composing varied visual graphics, that is where different social media graphic tools come into play, each with their own specialisations.
Here’s a list of the 10 best social media graphics tools for creating illustrations, infographics, animated videos, live streams, stories, and more.
Rundown
- The complete social media graphic toolset: Canva, “A perfect social media graphic tool to make anything from a simple post to infographics, find stock images, create and edit videos, and create animations.”
- To make infographics: Visme, “The most used template-oriented tool that helps you make varied types of infographics.”
- To get icons for free: Icons8, “A tool that provides a wide variety of icons to use in design and development projects.”
- To get illustrations for free: Freepik, “A tool that has a wide variety of illustrations under the Creative Commons licence for personal and commercial projects.”
- For the expert illustrators: Adobe Illustrator, “A vector editing tool for experts that includes a wide range of tools to create and edit illustrations.”
- To get high-quality stock photos: Shutterstock, “A high-quality image stock library that has the most popular stock photos in the world.”
- To live stream videos: Wave.Video, “A video creation and hosting platform that allows users to create, edit, share videos online, and stream online.”
- To create animated videos: Animatron, “The easiest animated video creation tool to operate with little knowledge in the field that provides numerous features to create videos.”
- To create professional-looking videos: InVideo, “A user-friendly video creation tool with a wide variety of templates and a library of stock footage, music, and other assets.”
- To design social media stories: Offeo, “A perfect tool for stories that offers thousands of templates to make stories with its drag-and-drop features quickly.”
Recommended Social Media Graphics Tools
The complete social media graphic toolset
Canva
Platform Type | All-in-one visual design platform |
Best For | Non-designers needing a versatile all-purpose graphic tool |
Pricing Model | Free / From $15/mo (Pro) |
Key Feature | Thousands of templates, drag-and-drop editor, AI design tools, and video editing |
Learning Curve | Low |
Canva is a versatile and user-friendly tool for all your graphic design needs. Whether it is social media graphics for Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or Instagram, Canva has got you covered. With its vast library of templates, stock images, and editing tools, you can easily design stunning graphics even if you have no prior graphic design experience. The platform also features AI tools that allow you to create custom designs, illustrations, and images.
- You can access thousands of expert-made templates covering every social media format including stories, cover pictures, and standard posts.
- You can use drag-and-drop editing tools and a huge stock image library without needing any prior design experience.
- You can collaborate with your team in real time, sharing and editing designs together from the same workspace.
- You can create and edit high-quality videos for social media, websites, or other digital channels using Canva’s built-in video editor.
- You can use AI tools to generate custom images, backgrounds, and design elements directly within the platform.
Just a heads up: Canva’s illustration capabilities are not as advanced as dedicated illustration software like Adobe Illustrator. If you need to create complex vector illustrations from scratch with full creative control, you will find Canva too limited for that specific use case. It excels at templated design rather than freeform illustration work.
To make infographics
Visme
Platform Type | Visual content and infographic creation platform |
Best For | Marketers and businesses turning data into visual content |
Pricing Model | Free / From $12.25/mo (Starter) |
Key Feature | Thousands of infographic templates with data-driven chart tools |
Learning Curve | Low |
If you’re looking to transform your data into stunning visual representations, look no further than Visme. From simple infographics to complex ones, Visme has thousands of templates for you to customise. Infographics work particularly well on social media, and Visme gives you everything you need to produce them without a design background.
- You can use Visme’s intuitive interface to create custom and visually appealing infographics in minutes from pre-built templates.
- You can take advantage of the charts feature to create data-driven infographics that tell stories with numbers and statistics.
- You can collaborate with your team and share comments on different marketing projects to ensure a seamless workflow.
- You can create custom elements and embed finished infographics into your website using the tool’s HTML export feature.
- You can resize and download individual sections of your infographic for flexible use across different platforms and formats.
Note that Visme is primarily oriented around templates and data visualisation. If you need full freeform design flexibility or advanced illustration capabilities, it will feel constrained compared to tools like Adobe Illustrator. It is best suited to marketers and small businesses rather than professional graphic designers.
To get icons for free
Icons8
Platform Type | Icon and design asset marketplace |
Best For | Designers and developers needing diverse icon sets |
Pricing Model | Free / Paid subscription for full access |
Key Feature | Huge categorised icon library with colour customisation and SVG export |
Learning Curve | Low |
Icons8 is probably the best place on the internet to find any icon related to anything. Whether you need outlined, silhouette, coloured, or 3D icons, this icons marketplace has it all, with thousands of new icons added every day. Most of its library is free to use, making it a go-to resource for designers and developers alike.
- You can find icons from a huge categorised library, making search fast and comfortable regardless of what you are looking for.
- You can download icons in different sizes and change their colours to match your brand or design requirements.
- You can drag and drop icons directly into your editing tool of choice for immediate use without extra steps.
- You can access SVG icons, vector illustrations from top Dribbble illustrators, professional 3D illustrations, studio stock photos, AI-generated faces, and music, all under one subscription.
Worth knowing before you commit: while much of Icons8’s basic icon library is free, commercial use of higher-quality assets and full SVG downloads requires a paid subscription. The free tier also adds an attribution requirement to some assets, so check the licence terms before using icons in commercial projects without upgrading.
To get illustrations for free
Freepik
Platform Type | Vector illustration and stock image marketplace |
Best For | Non-designers needing ready-made vectors for commercial projects |
Pricing Model | Free (with attribution) / From $9.99/mo (Premium) |
Key Feature | Huge stock library of vectors and images across thousands of categories |
Learning Curve | Low |
If you are not an illustrator or do not have the budget to hire a designer, Freepik could be your solution. It provides pre-made vector illustrations and stock images that let you create professional-looking creatives in minutes. The premium licence allows you to use vectors and images in your commercial projects as well, making it practical for businesses of all sizes.
- You can access a huge stock library of vectors and stock images covering thousands of categories, from business and technology to lifestyle and nature.
- You can download multiple high-definition illustrations per day according to your project needs.
- You can use downloaded vectors in Canva, Illustrator, or any other design tool by simply importing the file.
- You can benefit from a constantly growing marketplace as designers are motivated to add new graphics every day, keeping the library fresh and varied.
Do note that free downloads on Freepik require attribution to the original creator. If you want to use assets commercially without attribution, a Premium subscription is required. The free plan also limits the number of daily downloads, so heavy users will need to upgrade to get the most out of the platform.
For the expert illustrators
Adobe Illustrator
Platform Type | Professional vector illustration software |
Best For | Expert designers and agencies creating original illustrations |
Pricing Model | From $22.99/mo (or included in Creative Cloud) |
Key Feature | Full vector editing with infinite scalability, layers, and AI-powered tools |
Learning Curve | High |
If you are an expert or have a company with a team of designers looking for a professional illustration tool, Adobe Illustrator is the industry standard. It gives you complete control over every element of your creative, built on a vector foundation that means your illustrations maintain perfect quality at any size.
- You can create illustrations from scratch with an extensive feature set, powerful vector editing tools, and compatibility with a wide range of file formats.
- You can scale images up or down infinitely without any quality loss, as illustrations are based on mathematical formulas rather than pixels.
- You can work on multiple layers at once, applying special effects, drawing auto traces, and managing complex compositions with precision.
- You can use AI-powered generative tools, auto trace, and multi-page artboard publications to accelerate your illustration workflow.
Adobe Illustrator’s depth of features comes with a steep learning curve, making it unsuitable for beginners or casual social media creators. It is a professional tool that rewards investment of time and skill. Pricing is also on the higher side, and it requires a Creative Cloud subscription rather than a one-off purchase.
To get high-quality stock photos
Shutterstock
Platform Type | Stock photography and media library |
Best For | Designers, bloggers, and marketers needing premium stock imagery |
Pricing Model | From $29/mo (images) / Pay-per-image also available |
Key Feature | 400M+ images from 1M contributors, with 200,000 new images added daily |
Learning Curve | Low |
Use Shutterstock for all your stock image needs. The platform offers a vast library of over 400 million high-quality stock images, vectors, and illustrations from more than one million contributors across 150 countries, with 200,000 new images added every day. It is the perfect tool for designers, bloggers, marketers, and developers who need a constant supply of fresh creative images.
- You can access millions of stock images, vectors, and illustrations across hundreds of categories for any project type.
- You can get exclusive access to premium content including editorial images, music tracks, and video footage.
- You can use the Shutterstock editor to customise images, add text, brand logos, and CTAs directly on the platform without needing separate software.
- You can download images in multiple sizes and formats to fit your project’s specific needs across different platforms.
- You can save your favourite images to your personal account for quick access later in recurring projects.
One thing to know about Shutterstock: it is a subscription-based service and can be expensive for users who only need images occasionally. Pay-per-image pricing is available but works out significantly more costly per image than a monthly plan. If your image needs are infrequent, a free alternative like Unsplash or Freepik may serve you better.
To live stream videos
Wave.Video
Platform Type | Video creation and live streaming platform |
Best For | Content creators streaming simultaneously across multiple platforms |
Pricing Model | Free (watermarked, 2 channels) / From $20/mo (Streamer) |
Key Feature | Simultaneous multistreaming to Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, and Twitch |
Learning Curve | Low |
Looking to take your live streaming game to the next level? Wave.Video is the ultimate tool for all your live streaming needs. It allows you to host live streams simultaneously on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and Twitch, saving you the time and effort of managing separate streams for each platform.
- You can multistream to different channels simultaneously, broadcast from two cameras at once, and screenshare your live stream directly from your computer.
- You can adjust the chat box to manage live comments easily across platforms during your broadcast.
- You can use fully customisable layouts without writing any code, and record streams in high quality for later repurposing.
- You can schedule live streams on different channels in advance and access analytics and metrics to understand your audience after each broadcast.
Worth knowing before you commit: the free plan adds a watermark to your streams and limits you to two channels. Watermark-free streaming in 1080p across up to five channels requires the Streamer plan at $20 per month. If you primarily create pre-recorded video content rather than live streams, other tools on this list may be a better fit.
To create animated videos
Animatron
Platform Type | Animated video creation platform |
Best For | Beginners and businesses creating explainer or social media animations |
Pricing Model | Free / From $15/mo (Lite) |
Key Feature | Drag-and-drop animation builder with customisable characters and templates |
Learning Curve | Low |
Whether you need animated explainer videos, whiteboard animations, HTML5 online animation videos, or any other animation-related content, Animatron is the perfect tool for the job. With its powerful, customisable templates, animation tools, and drag-and-drop feature, you can create engaging and high-quality animated videos even without animation experience.
- You can use a wide range of customisable templates for different video types including explainer videos, product demos, and social media videos.
- You can create custom animations from scratch and add your own audio, text, and branding to match your identity.
- You can use features like text-to-speech, motion graphics, and customisable characters to create engaging and professional-looking animated content.
- You can use the drag-and-drop feature to build animated videos without any prior knowledge of animation software or techniques.
There is one limitation to flag here: Animatron’s output can feel somewhat templated, and advanced users who want highly custom or complex animations may find its capabilities limiting compared to professional animation software. It is designed for speed and accessibility rather than maximum creative control.
To create professional-looking videos
InVideo
Platform Type | Online video creation and editing platform |
Best For | Businesses, marketers, and content creators making social media videos |
Pricing Model | Free (watermarked) / From $20/mo (Plus) |
Key Feature | 5,000+ templates, 9M+ premium media assets, and text-to-video generation |
Learning Curve | Low |
With its advanced features and user-friendly interface, InVideo is the ultimate video creation tool for businesses, marketers, and content creators alike. It gives you access to a vast library of over 5,000 unique design templates and 9 million premium media assets including iStock footage, helping you create high-quality videos that stand out from the crowd.
- You can use the built-in text-to-video generator to convert long blog posts and articles into engaging, full-length videos in just a few clicks.
- You can choose from a large audio library featuring every mood and genre to add the perfect music to your videos.
- You can pull out short clips from your longer videos to share on social media, boosting engagement and driving traffic to your website.
- You can add an unlimited number of elements including filters, emojis, animated scene transitions, and other animated objects to make your videos truly stand out.
Just a heads up: InVideo’s free plan adds a watermark to all exported videos, so a paid plan is required for watermark-free publishing. The AI-generated output can also feel formulaic for channels that rely heavily on personality-driven content or complex visual storytelling. It works best for templated marketing and promotional video content.
To design social media stories
Offeo
Platform Type | Social media story and ad creation platform |
Best For | Marketers and creators making social media stories and short ads |
Pricing Model | Free trial / From $19/mo |
Key Feature | Thousands of story templates, 3M+ Shutterstock assets, AI-generated designs |
Learning Curve | Low |
Looking for a robust platform to design captivating and visually stunning social media stories? Offeo is a powerful Facebook Marketing partner that offers a wide range of features to help you take your social media storytelling to the next level. With its high-quality designer templates, drag-and-drop interface, and AI-generated design options, you can create engaging stories and ads quickly without needing design expertise.
- You can use high-quality designer templates that are easy to implement and customise for any brand or campaign.
- You can add high-quality effects and animations to your designs to make your stories more visually dynamic and engaging.
- You can access 3M+ Shutterstock images and footage directly within the platform for all your visual content needs.
- You can use over 5,000 soundtracks across 30+ different themes to add the right audio to your story content.
- You can customise dimensions to suit any platform, ensuring your stories look correct whether you are publishing to Instagram, Facebook, or TikTok.
Okay, but there is one thing about Offeo worth noting: it is primarily focused on story and short-form ad content, so it is not the right tool if you need a general-purpose design platform for all your social media formats. For longer-form video content or full graphic design needs, you would need to use it alongside another tool from this list.
