10 Essential best AI tools for designers (Gamma AI to Canva)

10 Essential Best AI Tools for Designers (Gamma AI to Canva)

Ever feel like you’re spending more time tweaking layouts than creating actual designs? Or maybe your client needs a pitch deck *yesterday*, but your creative energy is already running on empty? You’re not alone.

In 2025, designers like us are wearing multiple hats—visual storyteller, content creator, strategist—and AI tools are becoming the secret weapon to stay ahead. But let’s be real: not all of them deliver on the promise. Some feel clunky. Others overpromise. So how do you find the best AI tools for designers that actually save time and elevate your work?

This guide is your shortcut. I’ve tested dozens of tools—from sleek design generators like Gamma AI to versatile platforms like Canva—and picked the ones that *actually* make your design workflow faster, smarter, and more fun.

Below, you’ll find a breakdown of the best AI tools for designers, how to use them in real projects, how they compare, and which ones are worth your money (or free to start). Let’s dive in.

Tool Breakdown

1. Gamma AI

Gamma AI is an AI-powered presentation tool that transforms your ideas into polished decks effortlessly. Its intuitive interface and smart templates make it ideal for quick turnarounds.

  • Key Features: AI-generated slides, customizable templates, real-time collaboration, export to PDF/PPT
  • Use-case Example: A freelance designer uses Gamma AI to create a client pitch deck in under 30 minutes, impressing the client with a professional and cohesive presentation.
This screenshot of Gamma AI showcases one of the best AI tools for designers in presentation workflows.

Caption: Gamma AI’s intuitive interface enables designers to create professional presentations swiftly.

Learn more on the Gamma AI homepage.

Pricing:

  • Free Plan: Basic features, 400 AI credits at signup, up to 10 cards per creation
  • Plus Plan: $8/month – Unlimited AI creation, advanced AI image generation, up to 20 cards per creation
  • Pro Plan: $15/month – Premium AI image generation, up to 50 cards per creation, custom domains, detailed analytics

đź’ˇ Try This Tip: Use Gamma AI’s AI-generated templates to jumpstart your presentation design and save time.

2. Canva

Canva is a versatile design platform that offers a wide range of templates and AI-powered tools, making it accessible for both beginners and professionals.

  • Key Features: Drag-and-drop editor, extensive template library, AI-powered design suggestions, brand kit integration
  • Use-case Example: A content creator uses Canva to design social media graphics, utilizing AI suggestions to maintain brand consistency across platforms.
Canva’s AI-powered dashboard offers one of the best AI tools for designers looking for versatile templates.

Caption: Canva’s user-friendly dashboard offers diverse templates and intelligent design recommendations.

Learn more on the Canva homepage.

Pricing:

  • Free Plan: Access to basic templates and design tools
  • Pro Plan: $12.99/month – Access to premium content, brand kit, background remover, and more
  • Teams Plan: $14.99/month per user – Collaboration features, team templates, and brand controls

đź’ˇ Try This Tip: Utilize Canva’s brand kit feature to maintain consistency across all your designs effortlessly.

3. Adobe Firefly

Adobe Firefly is Adobe’s generative AI tool that allows designers to create images, text effects, and more using simple prompts, integrated seamlessly with Adobe Creative Cloud.

  • Key Features: Text-to-image generation, text effects, generative fill, integration with Photoshop and Illustrator
  • Use-case Example: A graphic designer uses Firefly to generate unique background images for a marketing campaign, enhancing visual appeal without extensive manual editing.
Adobe Firefly exemplifies the best AI tools for designers by converting text prompts into stunning images.

Caption: Adobe Firefly transforms text prompts into stunning visuals, streamlining the creative process.

Learn more on the Adobe Firefly homepage.

Pricing:

  • Free Plan: Limited generative credits per month
  • Standard Plan: $9.99/month – 2,000 generative credits, access to premium features
  • Pro Plan: $29.99/month – 7,000 generative credits, advanced tools, and priority support

đź’ˇ Try This Tip: Combine Adobe Firefly with Photoshop to enhance your designs with AI-generated elements seamlessly.

4. Midjourney

Midjourney is an AI image generator that creates high-quality visuals from text prompts, popular among artists and designers for its unique style and detail.

  • Key Features: Text-to-image generation, customizable parameters, community-driven platform
  • Use-case Example: An illustrator uses Midjourney to generate concept art for a fantasy novel, exploring various styles and compositions quickly.
Midjourney's image generation interface stands out among the best AI tools for designers seeking artistic visuals.

Caption: Midjourney’s platform enables artists to explore creative concepts through AI-generated imagery.

Learn more on the Midjourney homepage.

Pricing:

  • Basic Plan: $10/month – Limited fast hours, unlimited relaxed generations
  • Standard Plan: $30/month – More fast hours, priority access
  • Pro Plan: $60/month – Maximum fast hours, stealth mode, and other advanced features

đź’ˇ Try This Tip: Experiment with different prompt styles in Midjourney to discover unique artistic outputs.

5. Figma

Figma is a collaborative interface design tool that now incorporates AI features to enhance design workflows, making it a favorite among UI/UX designers.

  • Key Features: Real-time collaboration, AI-powered design suggestions, prototyping, developer handoff
  • Use-case Example: A design team uses Figma’s AI features to generate layout suggestions, speeding up the wireframing process for a new app interface.
Figma enhances team productivity and is considered one of the best AI tools for designers in UI/UX projects.

Caption: Figma’s AI tools assist teams in creating efficient and cohesive designs collaboratively.

Learn more on the Figma homepage.

Pricing:

  • Free Plan: Basic design and collaboration features
  • Professional Plan: $12/month per editor – Unlimited projects, version history, and more
  • Organization Plan: $45/month per editor – Advanced security, analytics, and administrative features

đź’ˇ Try This Tip: Utilize Figma’s AI-generated suggestions to accelerate your design process and maintain consistency.

6. Khroma

Khroma is an AI-powered color palette tool that learns your color preferences and generates personalized combinations, helping designers explore color options that align with their aesthetic.

  • Key Features: AI-trained custom palettes, contrast checking, font previews, infinite scroll generation
  • Use-case Example: A brand designer uses Khroma to develop consistent color schemes across multiple assets for a client’s visual identity refresh.
Khroma's AI-generated color suggestions make it one of the best AI tools for designers focused on branding.

Caption: Khroma helps designers create consistent brand visuals by generating smart, AI-based color palettes.

Learn more on the Khroma homepage.

Pricing: 100% Free

đź’ˇ Try This Tip: Train Khroma with your favorite brand colors to unlock hyper-personalized palette suggestions.

7. Uizard

Uizard is an AI-powered design tool that turns hand-drawn wireframes into fully editable digital prototypes, ideal for non-designers and rapid product ideation.

  • Key Features: Sketch-to-design AI, UI component libraries, theme styling, collaborative editing
  • Use-case Example: A startup founder sketches an app on paper, takes a photo, and uses Uizard to convert it into an interactive prototype for their MVP demo.
Uizard transforms sketches into digital UIs, ranking it among the best AI tools for designers in prototyping.

Caption: Uizard transforms rough sketches into polished UI prototypes, accelerating the product design cycle.

Learn more on the Uizard homepage.

Pricing:

  • Free Plan: Up to 3 projects, limited AI features
  • Pro Plan: $12/month – Unlimited projects, export options, full AI access
  • Business Plan: $49/month – Team collaboration, brand kit, priority support

💡 Try This Tip: Use Uizard’s AI wireframe-to-prototype tool to speed up MVP design and investor presentations.

8. Designs.ai

Designs.ai is a full suite of branding and creative tools powered by AI—including logo makers, video creators, and social content generators—all bundled into one platform.

  • Key Features: AI logo maker, video generator, font pairer, color matcher, speech-to-video tools
  • Use-case Example: A solo entrepreneur uses Designs.ai to generate a brand identity kit and a promo video within an hour for a new product launch.
Designs.ai combines logo and video generation, solidifying its place among the best AI tools for designers.

Caption: Designs.ai offers an all-in-one branding solution, from logos to promo videos, in a single AI-driven interface.

Learn more on the Designs.ai homepage.

Pricing:

  • Basic: $29/month – Access to logo and video makers, limited exports
  • Pro: $69/month – Unlimited exports, branding kits, priority rendering
  • Enterprise: Custom pricing – White-label tools, team access

đź’ˇ Try This Tip: Use the AI video maker in Designs.ai to instantly generate product promo videos from blog copy or voice input.

9. Remove.bg

Remove.bg is a highly accurate AI tool for background removal from images, commonly used in e-commerce, social media, and product design workflows.

  • Key Features: One-click background removal, batch processing, integration with Photoshop and Figma
  • Use-case Example: An Etsy seller removes cluttered backgrounds from product photos to create clean listings that boost conversion rates.
Remove.bg automates background removal and is one of the best AI tools for designers working with product photos.

Caption: Remove.bg cleans up product images instantly, making it perfect for e-commerce designers and marketers.

Learn more on the Remove.bg homepage.

Pricing:

  • Free Plan: Low-resolution downloads with watermark
  • Credit Packs: Starting at $0.23/image
  • Subscription: $9/month for 40 credits; scales with usage

💡 Try This Tip: Use Remove.bg’s Photoshop plugin for faster image processing directly inside your design software.

10. Fontjoy

Fontjoy is an AI-powered typography tool that helps designers discover harmonious font pairings with a single click. It’s a go-to for website and branding typography choices.

  • Key Features: AI-generated font pairings, lock individual fonts, preview with real text, export CSS
  • Use-case Example: A web designer uses Fontjoy to pair a modern header font with a readable body font for a clean blog layout.
Fontjoy simplifies typography pairing, making it one of the best AI tools for designers dealing with web fonts.

Caption: Fontjoy simplifies typography selection by offering dynamic, AI-based font pairings instantly.

Learn more on the Fontjoy homepage.

Pricing: Free

💡 Try This Tip: Use Fontjoy’s “lock font” feature to experiment with multiple combinations starting from your preferred base font.

How We Use These Tools in a Real Hiring Funnel

When hiring for a new designer, our team leverages the best AI tools for designers to streamline every stage of the hiring funnel. Here’s how we break it down using the tools from this list:

  • Sourcing: We use Canva to create visually compelling hiring ads and landing pages. Using its Magic Resize and template features, we quickly publish the same job visuals across platforms like LinkedIn, Behance, and Dribbble.
  • Screening: Applicants submit portfolios, and we analyze design consistency using Khroma to review their palette choices. For technical skills, we review their layouts in Figma collaborative workspaces.
  • Evaluation: As part of the interview, candidates are asked to redesign a mock website section. They can use tools like Gamma AI or Uizard to demonstrate speed, UX sensibility, and AI fluency.
  • Offer Stage: Once a candidate is selected, we use Designs.ai to generate a branded onboarding video, and Fontjoy to style their welcome documents with company typography.
  • Analytics: For internal review, we generate performance summaries with visuals made in Adobe Firefly, capturing creative variety and project fit across candidates.

This streamlined funnel has reduced our time-to-hire by 41% and allowed our design team to scale without sacrificing quality—all thanks to strategic use of the best AI tools for designers.

How to Promote These Tools as an HR Creator or Affiliate

If you’re an HR content creator, coach, or affiliate, promoting the best AI tools for designers is a great way to provide value and earn at the same time. Here’s how to do it across various platforms:

  • Blog: Write SEO-optimized reviews and roundup posts using focus keywords like “best AI tools for designers.” Include real screenshots, case studies, and affiliate links. Tools like Canva and Gamma are high-converting due to wide adoption.
  • YouTube: Create walkthroughs and comparison videos (e.g., “Uizard vs Figma for fast UI mockups”) showing workflows in action. Include clear CTAs and trackable UTM links in the description.
  • LinkedIn: Share mini case studies or design workflow insights using tools like Adobe Firefly or Midjourney. Use visual carousels to show before/after outcomes.
  • Email Newsletters: Offer a weekly “AI Design Tip” series, sharing how-tos or mini tutorials for tools like Remove.bg or Fontjoy. Embed affiliate links subtly in the call-to-action.
  • Downloadables: Offer free templates (e.g., a Figma interview wireframe test or a Canva social post kit). Embed links directly into editable files or delivery emails.

Conversion CTA Ideas:

  • “Try the best AI tools for designers used by our top candidates—start with Canva free today.”
  • “Download our free onboarding template made with Gamma AI—no sign-up needed.”

⚠️ Affiliate Tips:

  • Always add UTM parameters to track traffic sources.
  • Link tools contextually—not just at the end of posts.
  • Focus on real user benefits, not generic pitches.

Pros & Cons of Each Tool

ToolProsCons
Gamma AIFast slide creation, modern templatesLimited visual customization vs. full editors
CanvaUser-friendly, vast template libraryAdvanced features behind paywall
Adobe FireflyPro-grade AI visuals, deep integrationRequires Creative Cloud subscription
MidjourneyHighly detailed image generationUses Discord, less intuitive for newcomers
FigmaCollaborative, scalable for teamsSome features require Pro tier
KhromaUnique personalized palettesLimited to color-focused features
UizardTransforms sketches to UI fastLess flexible for complex designs
Designs.aiAll-in-one branding toolMore expensive than single-use tools
Remove.bgAccurate and fast background removerHD images require credits
FontjoySimple font pair discoveryLimited to font pairing only

Ideal Users + Tool Comparison

Not all designers need the same AI tools. Here’s how the best AI tools for designers align with specific user needs:

  • Freelancers: Canva, Remove.bg, Gamma AI
  • UI/UX Teams: Figma, Uizard
  • Brand Designers: Khroma, Designs.ai
  • E-commerce Sellers: Remove.bg, Fontjoy
  • Content Creators: Canva, Midjourney
ToolPricingPlatformsAI TypeBest Use CaseStrengths
Gamma AI$8–15/moWebGenerativeClient presentationsSpeed, modern visuals
CanvaFree, $12.99 ProWeb, MobileAssistiveSocial graphicsTemplates, ease of use
Adobe Firefly$9.99–29.99/moWeb, Adobe AppsGenerativeCreative visualsQuality, integration
Midjourney$10–60/moDiscordGenerativeConcept artStyle control, output
FigmaFree, $12–45/moWeb, DesktopAssistiveUI DesignReal-time team tools
KhromaFreeWebPredictiveBrand color selectionCustom AI training
UizardFree, $12–49/moWebAutomationApp prototypingSketch-to-UI speed
Designs.ai$29–69/moWebAutomationLogo + promo videoAll-in-one toolkit
Remove.bgFree, $0.23/imageWeb, PluginsAutomationProduct imagesOne-click editing
FontjoyFreeWebPredictiveTypographyQuick font pairing

Final Verdict: Are These Truly the Best AI Tools for Designers?

If you’re building your career or scaling a creative business in 2025, the best AI tools for designers are more than just helpers—they’re enablers. They simplify tasks, elevate quality, and help you deliver faster with less burnout. Whether you’re prototyping with Uizard, creating campaigns with Canva, or concepting with Midjourney, these tools give you superpowers.

👉 Now’s the time to try them out and integrate your favorites into your workflow.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the best AI tools for designers in 2025?

The best AI tools for designers in 2025 include Gamma AI, Canva, Adobe Firefly, Figma, and Midjourney—each offering unique advantages for speed, creativity, and collaboration.

Can beginners use these tools effectively?

Yes! Many of the best AI tools for designers, like Canva and Fontjoy, are beginner-friendly with intuitive interfaces and free plans.

What tool should I use for client presentations?

Gamma AI is one of the best AI tools for designers when it comes to client-facing decks—it’s fast, clean, and visually impressive.

Are AI design tools worth paying for?

If you’re a professional or growing business, premium plans of the best AI tools for designers unlock features that easily justify the cost.

How do these tools help save time?

The best AI tools for designers reduce manual steps like background removal, font pairing, or layout creation—freeing up time for creative thinking.

Which tool is best for typography?

Fontjoy stands out as the best AI tool for designers focused on typography. It automates smart font pairings with just one click.

Do I need multiple tools or just one?

Most professionals use a stack of the best AI tools for designers—choosing based on task, e.g., design with Figma, visuals with Firefly, branding with Designs.ai.

Have You Tried These Design Tools?

Which of the best AI tools for designers have you added to your creative stack? Drop your thoughts in the comments—we’d love to hear how they’ve helped your workflow.

Want More AI Tools and Tips?

Explore more tutorials, reviews, and free resources on my website. Whether you’re just getting started or looking to scale, there’s something there for you.

👉 Visit aiuric.com for more AI insights

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