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    Free resource

    AI design tools, ranked by the job

    Every other list scores tools out of ten. That's the wrong metric. We sort them by the job you're hiring them for — and tell you where each one falls over in real client work.

    The method

    Studio-tested, not scraped

    Everything here has been run against live client work — packaging artwork, campaign video, brand systems and print-ready output. Three things decide whether a tool makes the list.

    01

    Output you can ship

    Print-resolution files, editable vectors and correct type. If it only survives on a screenshot, it doesn't make the cut.

    02

    Control over the result

    Repeatable characters, locked brand colour and reference control. Slot-machine generators cost more time than they save.

    03

    Fits the pipeline

    API, MCP or a plugin inside Figma, Adobe or Blender — so the tool joins your workflow instead of becoming another silo.

    Dancer mid-leap in coloured studio light, illustrating creative momentum

    Pick the tool for the job. Then move fast.

    Every tool

    The directory

    36 of 36 tools

    Magnific

    Paid

    Upscale and re-imagine an image with controllable added detail

    API

    Freepik AI Suite

    Freemium

    One subscription covering generation, upscaling, video and stock

    API

    Midjourney

    Paid

    Reach the highest aesthetic ceiling on stylised imagery

    Recraft

    Freemium

    Generate genuinely editable vector artwork

    API

    Ideogram

    Freemium

    Get typography right inside a generated image

    API

    Adobe Firefly

    Freemium

    Generate commercially safe assets inside an existing Adobe workflow

    APIPlugin

    Krea

    Freemium

    Iterate on an image in real time while you sketch

    API

    Leonardo AI

    Freemium

    Produce large volumes of on-model assets from a trained style

    API

    Lovart

    Freemium

    Hand a whole design brief to an agent and review the output

    Khroma

    Free

    Generate colour palettes tuned to your own taste

    Coolors

    Freemium

    Build, test and export a palette a client can sign off

    Plugin

    remove.bg

    Freemium

    Cut a product out of its background cleanly and fast

    APIPlugin

    Photoroom

    Freemium

    Turn a phone photo of a product into a sellable image

    API

    Pacdora

    Freemium

    Visualise packaging artwork on real dieline shapes

    Artboard Studio

    Freemium

    Compose branded mockup scenes in the browser

    Runway

    Freemium

    Direct short-form video with camera and motion control

    API

    Kling AI

    Freemium

    Generate realistic motion and physics in short clips

    API

    Descript

    Freemium

    Edit video by editing the transcript

    API

    Figma

    Freemium

    Design, prototype and hand off interfaces as a team

    APIMCPPlugin

    Penpot

    Free

    Run a design system on open-source, self-hostable tooling

    APIPlugin

    Uizard

    Freemium

    Turn a sketch or brief into an editable UI concept

    Galileo AI

    Paid

    Generate high-fidelity UI screens from a text brief

    ComfyUI

    Free

    Build a repeatable, node-based image pipeline you control

    API

    Topaz Photo AI

    Paid

    Recover detail in real photography for print

    Plugin

    Clipdrop

    Freemium

    Run quick single-purpose fixes on an image

    API

    Vectorizer.AI

    Paid

    Convert a raster logo into clean, usable vector paths

    API

    Looka

    Paid

    Produce a starter logo and basic brand kit quickly

    Fontjoy

    Free

    Find a type pairing that actually contrasts

    WhatFontIs

    Freemium

    Identify a typeface from an image

    API

    Canva Magic Studio

    Freemium

    Let a non-designer produce on-brand collateral safely

    APIPlugin

    FLUX (Black Forest Labs)

    Freemium

    Run a top-tier open image model in your own pipeline

    API

    Stable Diffusion

    Free

    Generate images locally with full control and no per-image cost

    API

    Notion

    Freemium

    Hold the brief, the brand rules and the feedback in one place

    APIMCP

    Google Drive

    Freemium

    Store and share the actual files with clients

    APIMCP

    Spline

    Freemium

    Build interactive 3D for the web without a 3D background

    API

    Blender

    Free

    Render packaging and product CGI to a print standard

    Plugin

    Questions

    Before you pick a stack

    How are these AI design tools ranked?

    By job, not by score. We group tools around the task you're hiring them for — upscaling, vector output, typography, packaging mockups, motion, workflow — then note where each one breaks down in real client production.

    Which tools work with MCP, APIs or plugins?

    Use the integration filters in the directory. MCP-ready tools can be wired into agent workflows, API tools can be automated in a pipeline, and plugin tools drop into Figma, Adobe or Blender.

    Do I need every tool on this list?

    No. Most studios run four to six. The stack builder assembles a shortlist from the jobs you actually do, so you're not paying for overlapping subscriptions.

    Is AI output safe to use for commercial client work?

    It depends on the model's licence and training data. We flag commercially safer options — like Adobe Firefly and licensed stock models — in each tool entry, but always confirm rights before print or paid media.

    One place to start. Every job covered.

    Answer a few questions about the work you actually produce and we'll assemble a shortlist — tools, integrations and the gaps a human still has to fill.