You do not always need a monthly subscription to do good work. These seven free tools are used by real professionals, and each can replace a paid program for many everyday jobs.
- Photopea runs in your browser and opens Photoshop files (PSD). Handy for quick edits on any computer.
- GIMP is a powerful free photo editor for retouching and compositing.
- Inkscape is a free vector design tool for logos, icons and illustrations, and it saves SVG files.
- LibreOffice offers word processing, spreadsheets and presentations, and opens Microsoft Office files.
- DaVinci Resolve has a free edition with professional editing and colour tools. It likes a reasonably capable computer.
- OBS Studio records your screen and streams video. It is excellent for tutorials and online classes.
- Looker Studio turns spreadsheets and other data sources into shareable dashboards.
How to choose
Start with the job, not the tool. If a free option does 80% of what you need today, use it, and upgrade only when you hit a real limit you can name. Learning the principles matters more than which logo is on the window.
Want to learn this properly?
Graphic Design: Colour, type and layout: design that makes people stop scrolling.
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