Most creators need the same few graphics again and again: thumbnails, social posts, a channel banner, slides and the occasional printable. Design editors give you templates and a canvas for all of it. A newer group of tools focuses only on YouTube, using AI to make thumbnails and to research which titles and ideas get views.
The difference that matters most on free plans is not features but rights and limits: some free tiers are for personal use only, some cap downloads at three a month, and some add a watermark or logo. Plans and terms were read from each tool's own pricing and terms pages on 4 Nov 2026, and user scores from Trustpilot the same day.
Quick picks
- One editor for everything: Canva, free to start and rated 4.0 from 8,174 reviews.
- Designs you can sell, like merch: Kittl, rated 4.7, with a commercial licence on paid plans.
- Cheapest paid editor: Pixlr Plus at $1.99/mo billed yearly, for ad-free unlimited saves.
- AI YouTube thumbnails: Pikzels, rated 4.7 from 1,864 reviews, from $28/mo billed yearly.
- YouTube research with a safety net: 1of10, free to start, with a 7-day money-back guarantee on paid plans.
How these tools were compared
This guide is built from what each company publishes and what its customers report. For every tool it checks the free plan and its limits, whether commercial use is allowed, the first paid plan monthly and yearly, refund terms, and the Trustpilot score with recent review themes.
Compare at a glance
| Tool | Free plan | First paid plan | Refunds | Trustpilot |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canva | Free suite | See pricing | No refund for fees paid | 4.0 (8,174) |
| Kittl | Personal use only | See pricing | Not stated | 4.7 (1,263) |
| Figma | Limited access | $16/mo ($12 yearly) | Not stated | 1.8 (242) |
| Visme | Visme logo, limited downloads | $12.25/mo, yearly | Not stated | 3.1 (261) |
| Snappa | 3 downloads/month | $15/mo ($10 yearly) | Not stated | Too few reviews |
| Pixlr | Ads, limited saves | $2.49/mo ($1.99 yearly) | No refunds | 2.0 (186) |
| Pikzels | A few test credits | $40/mo ($28 yearly) | No refunds | 4.7 (1,864) |
| 1of10 | 60 credits/month | $19/mo ($15 yearly) | 7-day money back | 4.2 (51) |
| vidIQ | 150 AI credits/month | $19/mo ($16.58 yearly) | Not stated | 3.7 (1,376) |
| TubeBuddy | Limited extension | See pricing | 30 days | 2.5 (26) |
Design editors
Templates and a canvas for social posts, banners, slides and print.
Canva
See pricing
Free plan: Up to 5 Canva Sites
Canva is a visual suite for designs, photos, video, presentations and whiteboards, with Magic Resize to turn one design into every format. The free plan covers most needs, including up to five Canva Sites on a free subdomain. Pro unlocks premium content and tools. Subscriptions renew automatically and fees already paid are not refunded. Prices could not be read on its site for this guide.
On Trustpilot, Canva scores 4.0 from 8,174 reviews. Reviewers praise the intuitive layout and modern templates that make presentations and social graphics quick.
Pick it as your default design tool.
Kittl
See pricing
Free plan: Personal use only curated templates
Kittl is an AI-first design platform with image, vector and video generators, background removal, upscaling and vectorizing. The free plan is for personal use only. Paid plans add a commercial licence for up to 500,000 copies, which matters if you sell shirts, mugs or prints.
On Trustpilot, Kittl scores 4.7 from 1,263 reviews. Reviewers say the design tools are easy to use, and like the AI features, templates and responsive support.
Pick it if you design merch or anything you will sell.
Snappa
Snappa makes social, ad and blog graphics at the right sizes, with 6,000+ templates and 5 million free photos. The free plan allows only 3 downloads a month. Pro is $15/mo ($10/mo yearly) for unlimited downloads, background removal and a Buffer integration.
Pick it if you want a simpler editor than Canva for social graphics.
Visme
from $12.25/mo billed yearly
Free plan: Visme offers a free plan
Visme builds presentations, documents, infographics, charts and forms. The free plan puts the Visme logo on projects and limits downloads. Starter is $12.25/mo billed yearly ($147 a year) for JPG, PNG and PDF downloads; video and PowerPoint exports need Pro.
On Trustpilot, Visme scores 3.1 from 261 reviews. Reviews are mixed: some find the drag-and-drop editor easy, others report billing problems.
Pick it for infographics and slides with charts.
Pixlr
from $2.49/mo
Free plan: 100% free, right in your browser
Pixlr is an online photo editor with AI tools such as background removal and generative fill. The free plan shows ads and limits saves. Plus is $2.49/mo ($1.99/mo yearly) for ad-free unlimited saves and 80 AI credits. Pixlr does not refund subscriptions once paid.
On Trustpilot, Pixlr scores 2.0 from 186 reviews. Recent reviewers report auto-renewals, new paywalls and credits that disappeared.
Figma
from $16/mo
Free plan: Free limited access to Figma products
Figma is a collaborative canvas for interface design, prototypes and whiteboards. The free Starter plan gives limited access. Professional is $16/mo, or $12/mo billed yearly per full seat.
On Trustpilot, Figma scores 1.8 from 242 reviews. Recent reviewers complain about confusing billing, unexpected extra seat charges and hard cancellation.
Pick it if you design websites or apps; for social graphics Canva is simpler.
Thumbnails and YouTube growth
Tools built only for YouTube: thumbnails, titles and research on what gets views.
Pikzels
Pikzels makes YouTube thumbnails from a prompt, recreates styles, fixes thumbnails in one click and scores them. You can test a few free credits without a card. Premium is $40/mo, or $28/mo billed yearly, for up to 1,800 thumbnails a year. All purchases are final, with no refunds.
On Trustpilot, Pikzels scores 4.7 from 1,864 reviews. Reviewers say it makes professional YouTube thumbnails quickly and saves time.
Pick it if thumbnails take you hours each week.
1of10
from $19/mo
Free plan: 60 credits a month
1of10 finds outlier videos, searches thumbnails, tracks competitors and generates thumbnails, titles and ideas. The free plan gives 60 credits a month with 5 results per search. Basic is $19/mo ($15/mo yearly). It offers a 7-day money-back guarantee.
On Trustpilot, 1of10 scores 4.2 from 51 reviews. Reviewers growing YouTube channels find its features useful for finding ideas.
vidIQ
from $19/mo
Free plan: 150 AI Credits every month
vidIQ offers keyword research, an AI coach, daily ideas, competitor tracking and channel audits. The free plan gives 150 AI credits a month. Boost is $19/mo ($16.58/mo yearly) for 2,000 credits. Prices are for one channel.
On Trustpilot, vidIQ scores 3.7 from 1,376 reviews. Reviewers praise fast support and find it useful for optimizing titles; opinions overall are mixed.
TubeBuddy
TubeBuddy is a browser extension for YouTube SEO, tag rankings, bulk edits and thumbnail A/B tests. The free extension is limited, and channels under 1,000 subscribers get 50% off Pro. It has a 30-day refund policy. Prices could not be read on its pricing page.
On Trustpilot, TubeBuddy scores 2.5 from 26 reviews. Recent reviewers report charges after unsubscribing and slow support.
What to check before you commit
- Commercial rights. Kittl's free plan is personal use only.
- Download caps. Snappa's free plan allows 3 downloads a month.
- Refunds. Pikzels and Pixlr refund nothing; 1of10 gives 7 days and TubeBuddy 30.
- Seats. Figma charges per seat, which reviewers say catches people out.
Which one should you pick?
- You need all kinds of graphics: Canva.
- You design products to sell: Kittl.
- You want thumbnails done fast: Pikzels.
- You research what to make next on YouTube: 1of10 or vidIQ.
- You design a website or app: Figma.
How this guide was put together
The tool list comes from the guides that rank highest for graphic design software and YouTube thumbnail makers, plus tools that run partner programs. Plans, limits and terms come from each tool's own pricing and terms pages, read on 4 Nov 2026. User ratings and review themes come from each tool's Trustpilot page, read the same day; they reflect what reviewers chose to post, not a survey of all users.