Boost Your Small Business Marketing With These 5 Photoshop Alternatives 

Whether you’re asking an expert graphic designer or a professional artist, Photoshop is often cited as the go-to software for any type of visual output. But for those with little experience in graphic design, Photoshop can be an overwhelming tool to use.

In this article, we’ll explore the top 5 Photoshop alternatives that are not only user-friendly but perfect for small business owners looking to create professional-looking designs. If you’re ready to start designing like a pro, let’s begin!

Why Use a Photoshop Alternative?

If you have the time, resources, and patience to spare, Photoshop is one of the best graphic design tools available on the market. But let’s say that you’re a small business owner or beginner social media manager on the search for a tool that’s easier to use but can achieve the same high-quality results.

In that case, we cannot recommend trying out an online design tool enough. And if that doesn’t convince you, below are the different advantages of investing in a Photoshop alternative:

1. Save on Costs

While it’s a powerful tool packed with a ton of advanced features, Photoshop may be too expensive for some users. With online design tools, however, you can create designs for free and in a more efficient way. 

2. SImpler Design Process

One of the best features of an online design tool is its library of free and customizable templates. By utilizing this feature, users no longer have to start designs from scratch and can even come up with more creative outputs. 

3. Collaborate With a Team

Although Photoshop also offers collaboration features, it’s not exactly the most cost-efficient way to work on designs with a team. With online design tools, however, you can simultaneously work together on designs in real-time, whether you’re on mobile or desktop.

4. Schedule posts

Adding to its cost-effectiveness, online design tools also offer social media management features that are particularly great for small businesses with limited resources. Aside from being able to create your own social media graphics, you can also manage your profiles all from one convenient dashboard. 

The Most Effective Image Editing Tools for Small Business Marketing

For small businesses or brands that prioritize photo editing features, we’ve gathered the top tools you can check out to enhance your social media marketing:

1. Fotor

Overview

Fotor is an online graphic design tool known for its extensive list of features and platform compatibility. That said, Fotor particularly stands out for its comprehensive set of photo editing features, perfect for businesses that need to perform advanced edits on images. 

Key features

• Background Remover
• 1-Tap Enhance
• AI Art Effects
• Skin Retouch
• Image Generator

Pros and cons for small businesses

Pros	Cons
☑️Comprehensive photo editing tools for more advanced editing	❌Limited free version
☑️Useful AI features	❌Watermarked downloads on the free plan
☑️Dedicated photo design app	❌Limited layout features and templates for social media graphics

2. Snappa

Overview

Snappa is another online graphic design tool known for its simplicity and straightforward features. While the app doesn’t come with the same extensive and advanced set of tools as Fotor, it is generally the better pick for first-time designers or those who prefer a more basic design tool. 

Key features

• 6,000+ templates
• Custom font uploads
• Integration with CRM tools
• Team collaboration
• Up to 5 users

Pros and cons for small businesses

Pros	Cons
☑️Straightforward pricing plans	❌Paid subscription plans are pricier when compared with other tools
☑️Highly accessible interface; suitable even for those without experience in graphic design	❌No built-in social media management features
	❌Limited templates

The Top Online Tools for Designing Social Media Graphics and Layouts

For users looking for a simple and user-friendly drag-and-drop style editing interface, here is a list of the top apps you can check out online:

3. Canva

Overview

Canva is an online graphic design tool popular among social media managers and amateur designers. The tool offers a user-friendly drag-and-drop editor where users can lay out different design elements or customize existing templates. 

Key features

• 1,000 Brand Kits
• Background remover
• Plan and schedule social media content
• Team collaboration
• Up to 1TB of cloud storage

Pros and cons for small businesses

Pros	Cons
☑️Thousands of different design types	❌Limited free design elements
☑️Magic Write tool for AI-generated write-ups	❌Customization features may be lacking for some users
☑️Simple and free team collaboration features	❌Limited templates

4. Visme

Overview

Visme is another online design platform where users can drag and drop different elements to create a variety of design types. In particular, Visme stands out for its extensive library of data-centric design elements that are ideal for infographics. Additionally, Visme also features a wide variety of customization options for presentations and reports. 

Key features

• Spell checker
• Hundreds of project types
• AI touch-up tools
• AI image generator

Pros and cons for small businesses

Pros	Cons
☑️Wide variety of export options (PDF, PPT, HTML5, etc.)	❌Limited built-in social media management tools
☑️Extensive library for data-heavy graphic designs	❌Expensive subscription plans
☑️	❌Limited features on the free version

5. PosterMyWall

Overview

PosterMyWall is an online graphics design, marketing, and social media management platform best suited for small business owners and social media managers. The app offers a highly accessible drag-and-drop editor where users can customize a variety of different design types.

Not only that, but PosterMyWall also offers a handy set of AI-powered tools for a more efficient and creative design process. 

Key features

• One-click resize tool
• Unlimited downloads
• Free Stock graphics and audio for commercial use.
• AI background remover
• 1M+ free and customizable templates
• Content Planner

Pros and cons for small businesses

Pros	Cons
☑️Extensive set of AI generation tools (text-to-image, subtitles, writer, etc.)	❌Pro designers may find the tool’s customization features lacking
☑️Cost-effective pricing plans
☑️Social media management features best suited for small business owners, marketers, and managers

5 Best User-Friendly Online Graphic Design Apps: Pricing Guide

In contrast to Photoshop, online graphic design tools can help you save time, resources, and cost. Here’s a quick breakdown of the top tools available online:

	Fotor	Snappa	Canva	Visme	PosterMyWall
Free plan inclusions	✅Basic editing features ✅Limited effects, fonts, and design elements ✅Limited AI credits ✅Download with watermark	✅1 user ✅6,000+ templates ✅5,000,000+ HD photos & graphics ✅3 downloads per month	✅Drag-and-drop editor ✅2M+ design templates ✅1,000+ design types ✅4.5M+ stock photos and graphics	✅500MB storage ✅10 AI Credits ✅Unlimited projects ✅Limited PPT imports	✅1M+ free and customizable templates for all types of niches ✅Audio/video recorder and editor ✅3,330+ email templates ✅Social media marketing ✅Business profile
Monthly pricing compared to Photoshop  ($34.49)	✅Pro ($8.99) ✅Pro+ ($19.99)	✅Pro ($15) ✅Team ($30)	✅Pro ($15) ✅Teams ($10/per user)	✅Starter ($29) ✅Pro ($59) ✅Enterprise (Custom)	✅Premium ($9.95) ✅Premium Plus ($29.95)
Trial period for subscription plans	✅7-day trial	❌Access to free version only	✅ 30-day trial	❌Access to free version only	✅Free 14-day trial

Level-Up Your Designs Today

If you’re looking for a quick, easy, and cost-effective means to produce high-quality social media graphics for your small business, say no more. These user-friendly online design tools can help make your design process a lot smoother without the unnecessary hassle.

Whether you’re aiming to create a brand new logo or a social media infographic, check out these apps and put your creativity to the test!