Best free graphic design programs for researchers (GIMP vs Inkscape vs Sketchbook vs Affinity)

Need to make a figure for your paper? We’ve got you covered.

There are seemingly endless choices when it comes to graphic design software. When you’re just starting out it’s impossible to know where to start. Is it worth paying for one? Are the free ones even any good? And if you pay for a program, it should be better than the free programs, right? Not necessarily. Some companies charge laughable amounts of money for their software \cough Adobe cough</span>, and lock you into questionable subscription contracts \cough also Adobe cough. The truth is that there are graphic design programs that are just as good (maybe even better) that are absolutely free.

Why do researchers need to understand graphic design?

The best way to communicate your research is with some eye-catching visuals. Whether you need to create a conference poster, a schematic diagram, or a scientific illustration there are endless ways that you can use graphic design and illustration to showcase and enhance your work. We work with scientists every day to create custom graphics and animations, and we’ve tried pretty much every digital illustration program there is. So you don’t have to do the same we’ve compiled a list of some of the most popular free programs, along with a strong recommendation for which you should try first!

GIMP

GIMP? A program called GIMP? It stands for GNU Image Manipulation Program. Yes, they know what else ‘gimp’ means. And no, they’re not changing the name.

GIMP is one of the most widely used digital design programs around. Why? Because it’s great! It’s essentially a free alternative to Adobe Photoshop. So, if you need to do image manipulation, illustration, or digital painting, then Gimp is worth trying. It’s a very powerful program, but this can also be a downside. The interface is very complex, there’s a steep learning curve, and it’s often tricky to find the one button you need amongst the sea of other buttons and dropdown menus. Also, because it can do so much, I’ve sometimes found it to be a bit slow and can freeze up when file sizes get too big.

PROS 👍	CONS 👎
Professional grade software.	No vector graphics support.
Awesome for photo editing/manipulation.	Interface isn’t very user friendly.
Raster graphics support.	It’s called ‘Gimp’. Remember you may have to cite the program in your methods section…
Open source (if you’re into that kinda thing)

INKSCAPE

Whereas programs like GIMP create pixel-based raster graphics, Inkscape creates vector graphics. Vector graphics are perfect for when you need a clean looking design that can be scaled to any size without becoming pixellated.

For years the industry standard for creating vector graphics was Adobe Illustrator, which came with a hefty price tag. Inkscape then became the go-to software for people looking for a free alternative (that was until a new free software hit the scene, but more on that later).

It’s been around for a while and is a perfectly good option for making vector graphics. Overall though it can be a bit clunky, and buggy. There’s limitations to what it can do and it doesn’t always play nicely when exporting and importing files between programs. One upside of it being so widely used is that there are plenty of online tutorials and forums that can help with learning and troubleshooting problems.

PROS 👍	CONS 👎
Large user base means plenty of online resources	Missing the higher-level functions of professional grade programs.
Also open source.	Doesn’t support CMYK colour profiles for printing.
Plenty of features for creating complex vector graphics.	Not for raster graphics editing.
	Bit buggy and unstable.

SKETCHBOOK

Like the name suggests, Sketchbook is a digital drawing app. We’ve included it here in the list of ‘free’ programs, but there’s a catch. It’s only free on mobile devices. If you want to create on an iPad or an Android tablet, then sketchbook is one of the better drawing apps out there. But the desktop version comes with a modest fee ($40AUD).

Since its drawing focussed its best used with a drawing input, like a drawing tablet or iPad. Of all the programs on this list it is perhaps the easiest to use, with a clean, intuitive interface. It’s also packed with enough features that lots of many experienced illustrators stick with using Sketchbook. I do a lot of digital drawing and quite like sketchbook for, well, sketching! I really like handwriting notes at conferences and using sketchbook with a tablet is a great way for me to organise my thoughts visually.

While it’s great for drawing it’s not really suitable for other applications like photo editing, or creating clean figures like flowcharts, graphs, and schematics. Like GIMP it’s great for creating raster graphics but not vector graphics.

PROS 👍	CONS 👎
User friendly and intuitive.	Specialised for drawing, so not great for graphic design or photo editing.
Great for digital illustration, especially when paired with a pen/stylus.	You have to pay for the desktop version, but it's relatively affordable.
Full layer support with plenty of customisable pens/brushes.

AFFINITY

A few years back Affinity wouldn’t have been on this list. Previously called Affinity Designer, it’s been around since 2014, and you used to have to purchase a licence for. But in 2024 the company was acquired by software company Canva, who did something completely unexpected, they made this professional grade design program completely free to use. There are a bunch of AI features hidden behind a paywall but, meh, who cares. AI image generation can be a trap anyway, especially for researchers! Many peer reviewed journals are moving to ban AI generated images due to the ethical concerns surrounding transparency and accuracy.

Being a professional grade graphic design program there is a steep learning curve to using Affinity, but boy howdy do we have a solution for you! Perhaps the greatest feature of Affinity is that it is the closest thing we have to an all-in-one design program. And that includes paid software. It can do vector graphics, raster graphics, text formatting, photo editing, you name it. Unlike other design programs that specialise in doing one thing, this new generation of Affinity tries to combine them all together in one free program.

It has a surprisingly clean interface considering all the features it has. I usually expect a few more bugs and glitches when using free software, but I’ve been pleasantly surprised at how quickly Affinity launches and how smooth it runs. Considering how powerful the program is, and the editing capabilities it has, I’m amazed at how reliable Affinity has proven to be.

PROS 👍	CONS 👎
Professional grade software.	Has a steep learning curve. Or does it???
Vector graphics AND raster graphics compatible.	Some downsides to being a jack-of-all trades program, but not many!
Has a bunch of other capabilities like photo editing, and document formatting.
Pretty much replaces Adobe design suite.

So, which one is the best?

Usually, the answer to this question is something like, “well, it depends on your personal preferences and whether you’re making vector or raster graphics”. But Canva changed the game in 2024 when they acquired a professional design suite and made it completely free. I’ve used each of these programs, amongst many others, but these days I do most of my design work in Affinity.  It’s especially useful as a replacement for Adobe Illustrator because its one of the best vector graphics programs available.

If you want to get started using Affinity, let me teach you!

We made a step-by-step course made specifically for researchers, showing you how to create clear, professional, publication-ready figures and posters, even if you’ve never done design before. Just click here to find out more.

Like I said above, the best way to summarise and communicate information is with some snappy visuals. So, here is a summary of the features of these free graphic design programs.

The good news is, all these programs are completely free, so there is no cost to download each one and have a play around with. You’ll find the one that works best for you and will probably jump between a couple of them depending on the type of images you’re creating. Being able to create professional looking graphics will be a huge boost to your research output. It will help you communicate more effectively and draw attention to your work. Hopefully this list will help get you started on your creative journey!

Yours creatively,

James O’Hanlon