The Friday Freelancer #020: 3 better design tools than Adobe CC.

Hey, Huw here.

I don’t know if you heard the news.

Adobe has acquired Figma.

I was shocked today, as many were, that Adobe had bought Figma for $20 billion.

If you don’t know Figma is a browser-based design platform that helps you build products.

I used it myself for web projects and I loved it.

Maybe you used it yourself?

I loved it because it was simple, intuitive, and free to use.

Many people are upset that Adobe may add it to their Creative Suite membership model.

And with price being a deciding factor for many freelancers, I thought today I would look at some lower-cost options.

Let’s look at software alternatives to Adobe CC.

Enjoy

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Affinity Photo

The best Adobe Photoshop alternative on the market.

It is not free, but neither is it an expensive subscription plan.

You can obtain the application for yourself for a one-time fee. However, you must pay separately for Windows, Mac, and iPad.

Aside from that, you must pay for any updated versions, which are not expensive. The software has a lovely and simple interface with a plethora of basic and advanced features for creatives and graphic designers.

Try it out?here.

Pros:

• simple interface
• works with raster and vector images
• layer editing
• strong brush selection

Cons:

• no design templates included

Other options for Adobe Photoshop:

1. Pixlr
2. Procreate
3. Photopea

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Inkscape

The best Adobe Illustrator alternative.

This popular free and open-source software has a long history and an impressive set of features.

With drag-and-drop rendering, a node tool, Boolean operations, and customisable fonts, the user interface is ideal for beginners. Inkscape's Bezier tool allows you to create and draw accurate tracks.

This application's beginner and advanced features allow you to create detailed and intricate artwork.

Certain professionals avoid using this free alternative because image processing is slightly slower in the Mac version. Overall, it is a good option for creatives and unquestionably the best free Adobe Illustrator alternative.

You can try it here.

?Pros:

• free and open source
• east to use
• vector-based graphics
• Mac OS and Windows

Cons:

• all tools and features may not be available

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Other options for Adobe Illustrator:

1. Affinity Designer
2. Sketch
3. Vectr

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Affinity Publisher

The best Adobe InDesign alternative.

Affinity Publisher is similar to Adobe InDesign, but it is much less expensive.

So, without emptying your wallet, you can easily get started on your design projects with this feature-rich tool.

The excellent set of page layout tools simplifies the process of designing books, posters, or graphics for websites or print media.

Features like the smart colour picker and preflight checker are ideal for publishing and editing.

Try it out here.

Pros:

• one-time purchase
• affordable
• access to Affinity Photo
• packed full of professional features

Cons:

• can not read InDesign files

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More alternatives to Adobe InDesign:

1. VivaDesigner
2. QuarkXPress
3. Scribus

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Now, if you’re like me and LOVED Figma for your web and digital products.

I feel now a little in limbo, waiting to see what Adobe does with it.

As they also have Adobe XD, which does a lot of the same things as Figma, time will tell what happens from here.

Here are 3 alternatives to Figma or XD.

Sketch

An award-winning app made for MacOS. Try it out for yourself?here.

InVision

A great digital product design and collaborative alternative. Try it out for yourself?here.

Proto.io

For UX designers, entrepreneurs, product managers, marketers, and anyone with a great idea. Try it out for yourself?here.

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See you again next week.

Whenever you're ready, there are?3 ways I can help you.

1. Grab the Freelance Starter Kit (just $19)??here

2. Get fast actionable coaching with my 1:1 coaching packages?here.

3. Build a profitable, more efficient freelance design business?here.

Have a fun weekend!

Huw