If you plan to go into business, any kind of business, you’re going to need a logo. Your logo is your calling card, and it’s the most identifiable part of your overall brand. When it comes to creating one, most business owners are somewhat lost. These applications are your best bet when creating your own logo. They range from the complex and professional to simple web tools that anyone can use, so you’re sure to find something that suits your skill set and needs.
Inkscape
Inkscape is a full-featured vector graphics editor that focuses on one thing, simple vector images like logos. Unlike some of the other professional grade options on this list, Inkscape doesn’t try to do everything. It’s focused on allowing designers to draw crisp high-quality logos, icons, and vector art.
Open source
Professional grade
Create anything
Focused on vector graphics
Learning curve
Requires some design skill
Even though Inkscape does have a bit of a learning curve, it’s a free open source program, so you can try it out and learn at your own pace. It’s widely used too, so you can definitely find quality resources to get yourself started. Inkscape is a top grade tool that can produce amazing results in the right hands.
Download Inkscape for Windows, Mac, or Linux
Adobe Photoshop
It’s Photoshop. If you haven’t heard of it by now, where have you been? Interestingly enough, Photoshop really isn’t a logo creation program. It’s always been more geared toward photo editing, but Adobe’s most famous creative program is so full-featured, it’s capable of just about anything concerning digital images.
Super powerful application
Loaded with tools
Create anything
Huge community and documentation
Steep learning curve
High price tag
Not focused on logos
Photoshop is another professional grade tool, packed with features and astounding capabilities. Unfortunately, that also means you need to know your way around before you can get much done. When you do, though, there’s no denying that it’s more than capable of creating a great logo.
Purchase an Adobe Photoshop CC subscription
GIMP
Maybe you want something similar to Photoshop but you don’t love the idea of a hefty price tag or monthly subscription. Well, that’s where GIMP comes it. GIMP stands for GNU Image Manipulation Program, and it’s a popular open source Photoshop alternative for basic projects, making it a great option for logos.
Open source
Create anything you want
Tons of different tools
Some learning time
Not focused on logos
GIMP does require some knowledge to get running, but it’s a much more basic application than something like Photoshop or Illustrator. It has a fairly straightforward set of tools that you can use to modify existing images or draw your own. GIMP something of a “jack of all trades.” It can do nearly everything, but it’s certainly not the best at any of it. Still, GIMP can be a great way to get into professional-quality logo design with minimal investment.
Download GIMP for Windows, Mac, or Linux
Adobe Illustrator
If you’re looking for the industry standard in logo design, look no further. It’s pretty hard to escape Adobe Illustrator in the design world, and for good reason. Adobe’s been at this for a long time, and they’ve really set all their own standards.
The industry standard
Packed with powerful tools
Create exactly what you need
Steep learning curve
Costly professional grade software
Adobe Illustrator is probably the most feature complete program on this list, and it’s got the best recognition in the industry, leading to the widest support and largest communities. Illustrator also isn’t for beginners. It’s a complex professional tool with a hefty professional price tag.
Purchase an Adobe Illustrator CC subscription
Canva
Fans of the Google Apps Suite and other simple cloud-based solutions should look no further than Canva. You can design your logo entirely in the cloud without installing a thing on our computer. Canva makes the process as smooth as possible, offering tons of high-quality tools for you to play with to your heart’s content. As an added prize, Canva is mostly free.
Super simple to get started
Use it from anywhere
No expensive software
Some features cost money
Canva offers a gigantic library of stock photos, shapes, and other design elements that you can work into your original creations. Plenty of them are completely free, but you’ll have to pay for some of them. Don’t worry, though, they aren’t expensive.
CorelDRAW
CorelDRAW is another major player in the graphic design space. This illustration program has been around for a long time, perfecting its formula and being refined into a truly formidable tool. With CorelDraw, you’re certainly not limited to just logos. It’s a full digital illustration application that’ll enable you to create original artwork and modify it to fit a more simplistic logo format.
Major industry recognized program
Loads of tools for designers and illustrators
Create anything you want
For professionals only
Steep price tag
CorelDRAW is complex, and it’ll require some training and practice to become capable enough to produce quality pieces. Once you’re ready, though, you certainly won’t find yourself limited. Like the other major professional programs on this list, CorelDRAW does come with a fairly steep price tag.
Purchase CorelDRAW for Windows or Mac
Sothink Logo Maker
Sothink Logo Maker is dedicated to enabling businesses to create their own logos and branding. Logo Maker features a simple and familiar interface that lets you get right to work. It includes hundreds of templates to get you started and the tools to modify them to match your brand. Sothink Logo Maker also bundled professionally designed color schemes to convey the right look and feel.
Simple to use
Tons of templates
Color schemes are great for branding
Custom drawing only available in the Pro version
There’s also a Pro version of Logo Maker that comes with more of everything. It has more templates, more color schemes, and more tools for you to really make your logo yours. With Logo Maker Pro, you can draw your own images free hand to create literally anything. Compared to some of the other options, the price for Logo Maker Pro is more than manageable too.
Purchase Sothink Logo Maker Pro for Windows
LogoMaker
LogoMaker is an online service catering to small businesses that allows you to create your own logo in only a few minutes using their collection of fonts, icons, and design resources. You can easily select positioning, style, colors, and most things you’d want for a business logo with minimal effort.
All online
Simple easy to use interface
Great library of art resources
Somewhat limiting
Sales pitches for other services
LogoMaker is entirely online, and you can get away with designing something at minimal cost. That said, they do try to sell additional services, like business cards and domain registration. Depending on where you are with your business, that might be welcome news.
Krita
Krita is an unlikely candidate for a list like this, but it’s here for a good reason. If you are actually a digital artist looking for a platform to create something entirely original for your logo, Krita can absolutely fill that role and more. Krita is an open source program that aims to compete with the likes of Adobe Illustrator and CorelDRAW… for free.
Open source
Powerful tools for art and design
Paint anything you like
Requires actual artistic talent
Learning curve
Over the years, Krita has earned a fantastic reputation for trading blows with the industry big dogs and offering a truly quality application that anyone can get their hands on. Since Krita is an open source application, it plays well with Inkscape and GIMP, allowing you to create a unique open source workflow for your design. While this is great for artists, Krita probably isn’t the best for business owners just looking to get a nice looking logo. It requires some actual artistic skill to be good with Krita.
Download Krita for Windows, Mac, or Linux
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