Gone are the days when graphic design relied solely on manual clicks and endless revisions. A new class of AI-powered assistants is here to supercharge your creativity, automate tedious tasks, and help you produce stunning visuals faster than ever before. But with a rapidly growing market, figuring out which platforms actually deliver can be a challenge.

This guide is designed to cut through the noise. We've tested, analysed, and organised a definitive list of the best AI tools for graphic design available today, focusing on practical applications for marketers, designers, and business owners. Whether you need to generate unique, on-brand images you fully own, vectorise a logo, or simply remove a background in seconds, there’s a specialised tool here for you.

Forget generic feature lists. Each entry in this resource provides a clear breakdown of what the tool does best, its core features, and ideal use cases, from social media posts to professional ad creatives. We'll offer an honest look at the strengths and weaknesses of each platform, along with pricing summaries and quick tips to help you get the best results. You'll find direct links and screenshots for every tool, making it easy to see them in action. Let's find the perfect AI assistant to streamline your creative workflow.

1. Instastock

Instastock stands out as a powerful and intuitive AI-first stock image studio, designed to eliminate the complexities of image licensing for good. It empowers marketing teams, creators, and small businesses to generate unique, high-quality, and fully-owned visuals on demand, making it an indispensable asset among AI tools for graphic design. Its workflow is built for speed and creative freedom, allowing anyone to produce custom assets without needing deep technical expertise.

What truly sets Instastock apart is its conversational AI editor, which behaves more like a creative partner than a piece of software. You can refine an image with simple, plain-language commands like "change the background to a minimalist office" or "swap the coffee cup for a laptop." This natural interaction drastically speeds up the iteration process, making it simple to achieve the perfect composition.

Core Features & Benefits

• Full Asset Ownership: Every image you generate is yours to keep and use without any licensing restrictions. This is a game-changer for commercial use in ads, on product pages, or across social media channels.
• Conversational AI Editor: Easily make detailed adjustments, swap objects, or change the entire mood of an image by typing instructions, just as you would with a human designer.
• One-Click Restyling: Instantly transform an image to fit different campaign aesthetics or brand guidelines, saving countless hours on manual edits.
• Integrated Video Generation: With a single click, convert your static images into short, engaging videos powered by OpenAI's Sora 2 model, perfect for social media content.
• Ideal For: Marketing teams, freelance designers, content creators, and e-commerce brands needing a rapid supply of on-brand visuals.

Things to Consider

Instastock’s primary strength is its workflow efficiency and the complete ownership it provides. However, while the platform offers a free trial (your first 3 to 5 images are free with no card required), detailed pricing for higher-volume plans isn't prominently displayed on the public site. Like all AI generators, achieving a production-ready image may require a few attempts to refine your prompts.

Website: https://instastock.studio

2. Adobe Firefly + Creative Cloud (Photoshop, Illustrator)

For designers already living inside Adobe’s ecosystem, Firefly isn't just another tool; it’s a native upgrade to your existing workflow. Instead of exporting assets to a separate AI platform, Firefly brings powerful generative capabilities directly into the apps you use every day, like Photoshop and Illustrator. This deep integration is its biggest strength, making it one of the most practical ai tools for graphic design available for professionals.

The experience feels less like a bolted-on feature and more like a natural extension of the creative process. You can select an area in a Photoshop image and use Generative Fill to seamlessly add or remove objects, or expand your canvas with Generative Expand, which intelligently builds out the scene. In Illustrator, you can generate editable vector graphics from a simple text prompt, saving hours on initial concepts.

Key Features & Use Cases

• In-App Generative AI: Use Generative Fill in Photoshop to alter product photos or ad creatives without leaving the app. Create scalable vector icons and patterns in Illustrator with Text to Vector Graphic.
• Credit-Based System: Adobe’s model provides a set number of monthly “generative credits” for high-resolution outputs. Standard-resolution generations are often unlimited on paid Creative Cloud plans, which is great for experimentation.
• Enterprise & Team Controls: A major benefit for agencies and larger businesses is the robust admin control and commercial-safe model, as Firefly is trained on Adobe Stock and openly licensed content.

Strengths & Weaknesses

Getting Started

Access Firefly through a standalone subscription or as part of most Creative Cloud plans. Start with simple prompts in Photoshop’s Generative Fill, like "add a small potted plant on the desk," to see how it interprets context.

Website: Adobe Firefly & Creative Cloud

3. Canva (Magic Studio: Magic Design, Generative Fill, AI image)

For marketing teams and small businesses that need polished visuals without the steep learning curve of professional software, Canva’s Magic Studio is a game-changer. It integrates AI directly into its famously user-friendly, browser-based editor, making it one of the most accessible ai tools for graphic design available. The focus isn't just on image generation; it’s on creating complete, on-brand marketing assets in minutes, from social media posts to presentations.

Canva’s approach democratises design by simplifying complex tasks. With Magic Design, you can upload an image or type a prompt, and Canva will instantly generate a selection of fully customisable templates. Features like Generative Fill, Magic Expand, and the AI-powered background remover handle tedious editing tasks with one click, letting users concentrate on the message rather than the technicalities. Its strength lies in speed and team-based collaboration.

Key Features & Use Cases

• Magic Design & Text to Image: Instantly generate complete, branded layouts for social media posts or ads from a simple text prompt. It's a fantastic starting point for campaigns. For more information, check out our guide on how to generate images with AI.
• Integrated AI Editing Tools: Use Generative Fill to add or replace objects in photos, Magic Expand to intelligently extend your canvas, and Magic Write to generate compelling ad copy.
• Team & Brand Kits: Perfect for businesses, the Brand Kit feature ensures every asset created by your team remains consistent with company colours, fonts, and logos.

Strengths & Weaknesses

Getting Started

Canva offers a generous free tier to get started. Paid plans like Canva Pro or Canva for Teams unlock higher limits on AI features and advanced tools like the Brand Kit. Begin by trying Magic Design for a "Facebook post about a new coffee blend" to see how quickly you can get a polished result.

Website: Canva

4. Figma (Figma AI in Design, FigJam, Slides)

For design teams already building UI and marketing assets in Figma, its native AI tools are a game-changer for workflow acceleration. Rather than being a standalone generator, Figma’s AI is woven into the collaborative design environment you know and love. This makes it an incredibly efficient solution for teams who want to speed up content creation, brainstorming, and layout design without leaving their primary workspace.

The experience is less about generating final images from scratch and more about augmenting the design process. You can use AI to suggest text for a social media post, find and place images in layouts, or automatically organise a brainstorming session in FigJam. This focus on practical, in-context assistance makes it one of the most useful ai tools for graphic design teams focused on productivity and collaboration.

Key Features & Use Cases

• Accelerated Content Creation: Use AI to automatically generate copy for UI components like buttons and headlines, or suggest text and visuals for marketing graphics and presentations in Slides.
• Intelligent Asset Management: Quickly find relevant assets from your libraries with natural language search, making component and image discovery much faster.
• Web-First Collaboration: Figma’s core strength remains its real-time collaborative canvas, now enhanced with AI features that teams can use together during live sessions.

Strengths & Weaknesses

Getting Started

Figma’s AI features are available in open beta for users on paid Professional, Organisation, or Enterprise plans. Once enabled, you can start by highlighting a text box and clicking the AI icon to see content suggestions, or use the new asset search capabilities to find components more intuitively.

Website: Figma Pricing

5. Midjourney

Midjourney has earned its reputation as a powerhouse in the AI art scene, celebrated for producing consistently high-quality, artistic, and often beautifully stylised images. While it began as a Discord-based experience, its newer web interface makes it more accessible, allowing designers to use it for everything from high-concept art and mood boards to unique illustrations for branding projects. Its distinctive aesthetic makes it one of the most recognisable ai tools for graphic design.

The platform excels at rapid ideation. A designer can quickly generate dozens of visual concepts in minutes, exploring different styles, colour palettes, and compositions that would otherwise take hours of manual work. The vibrant community on Discord also serves as a massive, real-time resource for prompt inspiration and advanced techniques, making it a great place to learn and refine your skills. If you're looking for more details, you can explore this deep dive into Midjourney's capabilities.

Key Features & Use Cases

• High-Quality Image Generation: Ideal for creating fantasy art, abstract concepts, and highly detailed illustrations for editorial content or album covers.
• Discord & Web Interface: Generate images directly on the website or engage with the community and advanced bot features on Discord for a more collaborative workflow.
• Subscription Tiers: Offers four plans (Basic, Standard, Pro, Mega) that provide different amounts of "fast" GPU time. Higher-tier plans include private generation ("Stealth Mode") and unlimited "Relax Mode" generations.

Strengths & Weaknesses

Getting Started

Sign up on the Midjourney website and choose a subscription plan. Start by using simple, descriptive prompts on their web alpha. For example, try "cinematic shot of a bioluminescent forest at night, fantastical, detailed" to see its signature artistic flair in action.

Website: Midjourney

6. Stability AI — Clipdrop (and Stable Artisan)

More than just a single-function app, Clipdrop is a powerful suite of AI-driven utilities designed to solve common, everyday design problems. Backed by Stability AI, the creators of Stable Diffusion, it acts like a digital Swiss army knife for designers. Instead of a platform focused solely on image generation, Clipdrop offers a collection of precise tools for background removal, image upscaling, object cleanup, and even relighting scenes, making it one of the most practical ai tools for graphic design for production tasks.

The platform is organised around individual ‘apps’ that each perform a specific function, which is ideal for quick fixes without a complex workflow. For more advanced generation, their Stable Artisan tool (accessed via Discord) provides direct access to the latest Stable Diffusion models. This multi-pronged approach allows designers to choose between web-based utilities for quick edits or a more powerful, community-driven tool for creative exploration.

Key Features & Use Cases

• Designer Utility Suite: Use Cleanup to remove unwanted text or objects from product shots, Uncrop to expand image canvases, and Image Upscaler to prepare low-resolution assets for print.
• Flexible Access & APIs: The suite is available as a web app, but its real power for teams lies in the API, allowing developers to integrate features like background removal directly into their own applications or e-commerce platforms.
• Discord-Based Generation: Stable Artisan offers a different experience, using a credit system within Discord to generate images with the latest Stable Diffusion models, catering to users who prefer that interactive environment.

Strengths & Weaknesses

Getting Started

Explore the free tools on the Clipdrop website to get a feel for their capabilities. Test the Background Removal on a complex product photo to see its accuracy. For heavy users, the Pro subscription unlocks higher limits and resolutions.

Website: Clipdrop by Stability AI

7. Shutterstock — AI Image Generator + Licensing

For businesses that prioritise legal peace of mind, Shutterstock’s AI Image Generator offers a compelling proposition. It bundles text-to-image generation directly with licensing and indemnification, providing a clear and commercially safe pathway to using AI imagery. This focus on legal protection and contributor compensation makes it a practical choice for agencies and companies that need to mitigate risk in their creative projects.

Rather than just being a standalone creative tool, Shutterstock’s generator is positioned as an extension of its massive stock library. When you generate an image, you get the same standard licence you would with any of its human-created assets. This straightforward approach removes the legal grey areas often associated with AI art, making it one of the more dependable ai tools for graphic design for commercial use.

Key Features & Use Cases

• Licensing and Indemnification: Every downloaded image comes with a standard licence, perfect for marketing materials, social media adverts, and website visuals where legal clarity is paramount.
• Contributor-Focused Model: The AI is trained on Shutterstock’s own library, and the company has a fund to compensate the artists whose work contributed to the models.
• Predictable Generation Packs: Instead of complex credit systems, you buy packs of generations. The "Generative AI Plus" plan, for example, offers 100 generations per month, with each prompt creating four image options.

Strengths & Weaknesses

Getting Started

You can purchase generation packs directly from Shutterstock. Start with a clear, descriptive prompt for a common commercial need, like "overhead shot of a laptop and coffee on a clean, minimalist wooden desk," to see its strengths in creating familiar, usable stock imagery.

Website: Shutterstock AI Image Generator

8. Getty Images — Generative AI by Getty Images / iStock

For enterprise teams and large agencies where legal assurance is non-negotiable, Getty’s AI offering provides a powerful, commercially-safe alternative. Unlike models trained on scraped internet data, this tool is built exclusively on Getty Images’ and iStock’s vast, high-quality, and fully licensed creative libraries. This focus on ethical sourcing means every asset generated comes with legal indemnification, removing the copyright risks that often accompany AI-generated content.

This platform is less about a standalone creative app and more about an enterprise-grade engine for producing on-brand visuals with confidence. It’s one of the best ai tools for graphic design when the output needs to withstand legal scrutiny for major advertising campaigns or corporate use. The emphasis is on control, quality, and rights-cleared outputs that can be deployed at scale without worry.

Key Features & Use Cases

• Commercially Safe Generation: Create campaign visuals, product backdrops, or website hero images knowing they are trained on licensed content and come with legal protection.
• Advanced Control & Quality: Use features like camera controls and 4K upscaling for high-fidelity outputs. The Edify-based model offers improved prompt adherence for more precise results.
• Enterprise Integration: Leverage the API to integrate generative capabilities directly into your company’s workflows or use fine-tuning options to train the model on your unique brand style.

Strengths & Weaknesses

Getting Started

You can explore the tool on the Getty Images or iStock websites. For individuals, plans are available, but to unlock the full suite of enterprise features like API access or model fine-tuning, you will likely need to contact their sales team for a custom solution.

Website: Getty Images Generative AI

9. Kittl

Kittl is a browser-based design powerhouse that excels where typography and intricate lettering are centre stage. While many ai tools for graphic design focus purely on image generation, Kittl shines by integrating AI features into a workflow geared towards creating logos, t-shirt designs, posters, and branded merchandise. It feels less like a blank canvas AI and more like a specialised tool for designers who love working with text.

The platform streamlines the creation of complex text effects that would typically require advanced skills in Illustrator or Photoshop. With one-click transformations, a vast library of commercial-use fonts, and a robust mockup generator, it’s an incredibly efficient tool for getting product visuals ready for an e-commerce store or marketing campaign.

Key Features & Use Cases

• Advanced Text Effects: Instantly apply complex warps, shadows, and decorations to text. Perfect for creating eye-catching logos, custom apparel, and event posters.
• AI-Powered Toolkit: Use the AI image generator to create background textures or icons. The AI product background generator is also excellent for creating realistic e-commerce photos.
• One-Click Mockup Generator: Visualise your designs on t-shirts, mugs, and posters without leaving the platform. This is a huge time-saver for merch designers, and you can learn more about creating mockups to streamline your workflow further.
• Rich Asset Library: Access a huge library of templates, fonts, and illustrations with clear commercial licensing, which is a major benefit for professional work.

Strengths & Weaknesses

Getting Started

Kittl offers a free tier to explore the basic features. Paid plans unlock more AI tokens, full commercial licenses, and vector exports. Start by browsing the template library to deconstruct a design you like. While Kittl is great for physical product mockups, similar principles apply if you want to create website mockups to present digital projects.

Website: Kittl

10. Vectorizer.AI (Raster-to-vector conversion with AI)

For designers who frequently need to convert bitmap images like JPEGs and PNGs into scalable vectors, Vectorizer.AI is an indispensable utility. This highly specialised tool uses AI to trace raster artwork with incredible precision, transforming pixelated logos, icons, or illustrations into clean, editable SVG files. It excels at a task that has traditionally been a tedious and time-consuming part of a designer’s workflow, making it one of the most practical ai tools for graphic design for production-heavy environments.

Unlike the "image trace" functions in traditional software that often produce messy results, Vectorizer.AI analyses shapes, colours, and curves to create high-fidelity vector outputs that require minimal clean-up. This is a game-changer for preparing low-resolution client logos for print, recreating artwork for merchandise, or digitising sketches for use in Illustrator or Affinity Designer. Its focused purpose and execution make it a powerful addition to any creative toolkit.

Key Features & Use Cases

• Automated Raster-to-Vector Conversion: Instantly convert a PNG logo or a JPG illustration into a fully editable SVG, ready for large-format printing or animation.
• Web App & API Access: Use the simple drag-and-drop web interface for one-off conversions or integrate the API into an automated workflow to process images in bulk.
• Flexible Subscription Models: The web app offers an unlimited plan for heavy individual users, while the API uses a credit system with rollover, ideal for fluctuating business needs.

Strengths & Weaknesses

Getting Started

Simply visit the website and drag your raster image file into the browser. The tool processes it automatically, providing a before-and-after preview. You can sign up for an unlimited plan for high-volume use or purchase API credits if you need to build it into an automated pipeline.

Website: Vectorizer.AI

11. remove.bg (AI background removal and “Magic Background”)

For years, remove.bg has been the industry standard for one specific, crucial task: instantly deleting backgrounds from images. Its specialised AI model is exceptionally good at identifying and isolating subjects, from people to products, making it an indispensable utility for e-commerce stores, marketers, and social media managers. It’s one of those ai tools for graphic design that saves hours of tedious manual pathing in Photoshop, delivering clean cut-outs in seconds.

While its core function remains unmatched for speed and accuracy, the platform has expanded its capabilities with a "Magic Background" feature. This allows users not only to remove the original background but also to generate a new, AI-created scene behind their subject. This addition turns a simple utility into a more comprehensive creative tool, perfect for quickly mocking up product shots in different environments or creating unique social media posts without leaving the app.

Key Features & Use Cases

• High-Accuracy Background Removal: Get precise, clean cut-outs for product photos, headshots, or marketing assets. The API and bulk processing options are ideal for large e-commerce catalogues.
• Magic Background Generation: After removing a background, use a text prompt to create a new setting for your subject, such as placing a product on a "marble countertop with soft morning light".
• Plugins & Integrations: Works directly within design software like Figma and Adobe Photoshop, as well as e-commerce platforms like Shopify, streamlining the workflow for designers and store owners.

Strengths & Weaknesses

Getting Started

You can use the tool for free on their website to test its accuracy with low-resolution downloads. For commercial use and high-resolution outputs, you’ll need to purchase credits or sign up for a subscription. The plugins are a great way to integrate its power directly into your existing design process.

Website: remove.bg

12. Amazon.co.uk — Software and subscriptions (Adobe codes, design tools)

While not a tool itself, Amazon.co.uk is a strategic and often-overlooked resource for acquiring the very ai tools for graphic design we’ve been discussing. For designers in the UK, it provides a trusted, familiar marketplace to purchase official software subscriptions, like Adobe Creative Cloud, often at a discount. This is particularly useful during major sales events like Black Friday or Prime Day, where you can find prepaid codes that offer significant savings over direct subscriptions.

This route is ideal for freelancers or small businesses looking to manage costs, as purchasing a 12-month prepaid code can lock in a lower price and simplify budgeting. The platform offers the security of Amazon's checkout and UK-based customer service, which can be a comfort compared to less-known digital software resellers. However, it's crucial to read listings carefully to distinguish between one-time codes and auto-renewing subscriptions managed through your Amazon account.

Key Features & Use Cases

• Official Software Codes: Purchase legitimate prepaid subscriptions for Adobe Creative Cloud, getting access to tools like Photoshop and Illustrator with Firefly integration.
• Promotional Savings: Keep an eye out during Amazon’s sale periods (Prime Day, Black Friday) to secure annual subscriptions at a reduced price.
• UK Billing and Support: Benefit from a familiar checkout process, clear UK invoicing, and access to Amazon’s returns framework and customer support.
• Flexible Options: Find various subscription lengths and plans, but always double-check if the purchase is a one-time code or an auto-renewing plan.

Strengths & Weaknesses

Getting Started

Search for your desired software, such as "Adobe Creative Cloud," and filter by "Download." Before purchasing, thoroughly read the product description and customer reviews to confirm you're buying a prepaid code that suits your needs.

Website: Amazon.co.uk Software

Top 12 AI Graphic Design Tools — Feature Comparison

Integrating AI into Your Creative Workflow

We've explored a powerful and diverse collection of AI tools for graphic design, from the all-encompassing ecosystems of Adobe Creative Cloud and Canva's Magic Studio to specialised powerhouses like Midjourney and Vectorizer.AI. It’s clear that artificial intelligence is no longer a futuristic concept; it's a practical, accessible, and increasingly indispensable part of the modern creative toolkit. The era of staring at a blank canvas, unsure of where to begin, is rapidly coming to an end.

The key takeaway is that there is no single "best" AI tool. The right choice is deeply personal and depends entirely on your specific projects, team structure, and creative objectives. A freelance designer focusing on branding might find Kittl's AI-assisted typography and logo features invaluable, while a large marketing team needing licensed, high-quality stock imagery will naturally gravitate towards solutions from Shutterstock or Getty Images. The true power lies in understanding how to blend these technologies into a cohesive and efficient workflow.

Finding Your Perfect AI Collaborator

To navigate this new landscape, consider your primary needs. Are you looking for a creative spark or a production workhorse?

• For Ideation & Pure Creativity: Tools like Midjourney and Stability AI's platforms are exceptional for visual exploration. They are your digital sketchpads, allowing you to generate a vast array of concepts and styles quickly, pushing the boundaries of your imagination without the pressure of a final deliverable.

• For Integration & Daily Tasks: If your work is centred in a specific environment, integrated tools are your best bet. Adobe Firefly is a game-changer for anyone already fluent in Photoshop and Illustrator, bringing generative capabilities directly into familiar workflows. Similarly, Figma AI enhances collaboration and design efficiency right where your team already operates.

• For Speed & Accessibility: For social media managers, bloggers, and small businesses, speed is often paramount. Canva’s Magic Studio excels here, offering a suite of easy-to-use AI features that can turn a simple text prompt into a polished social media post in minutes. Likewise, single-purpose tools like remove.bg save countless hours on tedious but essential tasks.

The Shift from Creator to Creative Director

One of the most significant shifts these AI tools for graphic design introduce is a change in the designer's role. It's evolving from being solely a hands-on creator to also being a creative director. Your skill is now amplified by your ability to write effective prompts, to curate the best AI-generated outputs, and to artfully refine those results with your professional eye and design expertise. This new dynamic doesn't diminish human creativity; it augments it. As you integrate these tools, the ongoing the debate between AI art and human art becomes less about opposition and more about a new kind of creative partnership.

Ultimately, the goal is not to let AI take over but to use it as a powerful assistant. Let it handle the repetitive tasks, generate a dozen initial concepts in the time it would have taken you to create one, and provide you with assets that you can then mould and perfect. This frees you up to focus on the strategic aspects of design: the brand story, the emotional impact, and the overall campaign goals. Experiment, be curious, and find the combination of tools that not only makes your work faster but also makes it more enjoyable and impactful. The future of design is a collaborative one, and your next great creation is just a prompt away.

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Ready to stop worrying about licensing and start building a library of completely unique, on-brand visuals? Instastock is the solution for teams who need fully-owned, campaign-ready images without the creative limitations. Train it on your brand style and generate endless visuals with a simple, conversational editor. Explore Instastock today and see how easy it is to own your creative assets.

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