In today’s fast-paced digital landscape, it’s essential to come up with compelling social media graphics that can help your brand stand out against competitors. For most small business owners or social media managers, however, that task doesn’t always come easily.
That’s where AI-powered tools can come in handy. With the help of these beginner-friendly and affordable apps, even users without any background in graphic design can come up with engaging social media graphics that inform, promote, and spark interest in your brand.
If you’re interested in learning more about these tools, we’ll walk you through the best options in this article. Let’s dive in!
The Best AI-Powered Content Creation Apps: A Quick Guide
For a quick look at the different AI-powered tools you can use for creating social media graphics online, we’ve compiled an easy guide:
| Canva | Adobe Express | VistaCreate | Visme | PosterMyWall | |
| Free version available | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Starting price | Pro ($15) | Premium ($9.99) | Pro ($13) | Starter ($29) | Premium ($9.95) |
| AI-powered features | ✔️AI photo editor ✔️Background generator ✔️AI voice ✔️Text-to-image | ✔️Text effects ✔️Background remover ✔️Template generator ✔️Text-to-image | ✔️Object remover ✔️Image generator ✔️Resizing tool | ✔️Generate presentations ✔️Text-to-speech generator ✔️AI resizing tool | ✔️One-click resizing tool ✔️AI background remover ✔️AI Writer ✔️AI subtitles ✔️Text-to-image generator ✔️ |
| Best for | Beginners, social media managers | Marketers, nonprofit organizations | Commercial use, marketing | Businesses, educators, and students | All-around use, small business owners, marketers, and social media managers |
The Top AI-Powered Tools for Creating Social Media Posts
Here are our top picks for user-friendly and highly accessible AI-powered tools for designing social media posts:
- Canva
Overview
A platform for beginners and non-designers, Canva offers a simple drag-and-drop editing interface where users can play around with different elements and themes for a wide variety of design types.
Standout features
- 1,000+ design types
- 4.5M+ stock photos and graphics
- Cloud storage
- Brand Kits
Pros and cons
| Pros | Cons |
| ✔️Team collaboration features | ❌Limited templates may result in repetitive designs |
| ✔️Cloud storage available on free and paid plans | ❌Limited design elements on free plan |
| ✔️Integration with other CRM tools | ❌Limited export options |
Why we recommend it
Due to its popularity, Canva is often one of the most commonly cited when it comes to drag-and-drop editors. This can make sharing and collaborating on designs more convenient.
- Adobe Express
Overview
Often cited as a simpler version of Photoshop, Adobe Express is another drag-and-drop editing tool part of the Creative Cloud Suite. Its interface shares similarities with Canva, but with additional useful features also available on other Adobe applications.
Standout features
- 100,000+ templates
- Access to Adobe Stock Library
- 4,000+ fonts
- Cloud storage
Pros and cons
| Pros | Cons |
| ✔️Version history feature can help users access accidentally deleted or corrupted files | ❌Fewer templates when compared with other tools |
| ✔️Available on desktop and mobile | ❌Can get pricey due to different paid design elements |
| ✔️Integration with other Adobe apps | ❌Limited video and photo editing features |
Why we recommend it
While you’re not going to get the same advanced features on Adobe Express as Photoshop, the app serves as a user-friendly alternative that also comes with some helpful AI-powered features for easy editing.
- VistaCreate
Overview
VistaCreate is another online graphic design tool specifically made for beginner designers. The app’s interface is clean, simple, and highly accessible for making different types of social media posts.
Standout features
- 100k+ templates
- 1M+ images, videos, and vectors
- Free fonts, music, and animations
- Logomaker
Pros and cons
| Pros | Cons |
| ✔️Generous cloud storage plan on the free version | ❌Limited free templates |
| ✔️Logomaker tool | ❌Pricier subscription plan compared to other tools |
| ✔️Sticker maker tool | ❌Not suitable for complex designs |
Why we recommend it
Due to its straightforward interface, VistaCreate makes for a convenient online design tool for creating basic designs. Although the app does not offer as many design types or templates, VistaCreate remains a suitable tool for those looking to focus on simple social media graphics like Facebook or Instagram posts.
- Visme
Overview
Visme is an online graphic design platform known for its extensive list of assets and different design elements. While it also offers a simple drag-and-drop editor, Visme particularly stands out for its ability to edit different design types, including forms/surveys and even PDFs.
Standout features
- AI design generator
- Integrations with external tools
- Team collaboration
Pros and cons
| Pros | Cons |
| ✔️Wide variety of export options | ❌Users cannot download free plan designs on the |
| ✔️Extensive template library for different design types | ❌Limited cloud storage options |
| ❌Subscription plans can get pricey |
Why we recommend it
While Visme doesn’t put specific focus on a certain niche of design types, it does offer users a wide variety of tools for different visual content needs. In particular, Visme is a great option for users looking to create varying outputs, from presentations to survey forms.
- PosterMyWall
Overview
PosterMyWall is a comprehensive yet user-friendly online design tool known for its extensive library of free and customizable templates. The app is also packed with a lot of useful AI-powered tools, including an AI Background Remover, which can be highly useful for editing photos without sacrificing quality.
Standout features
- AI toolkit (text-to-image generator, AI captions, subtitles, etc.)
- 1M+ free templates for all types of niches
- Content Planner
- Social media management tools
- Unlimited downloads
- Brand Kits
Pros and cons
| Pros | Cons |
| ✔️Clean and beginner-friendly interface | ❌Features may be too basic for expert or pro graphic designers |
| ✔️Comprehensive AI-powered features for more efficient editing | |
| ✔️Free Stock graphics and audio for commercial use. |
Why it’s our top pick
While the best online design tool will depend entirely on your needs, we generally recommend PosterMyWall for every type of user due to the app’s versatile yet accessible features. At an affordable pricing point, users can get access to comprehensive AI features that can make the design process a lot smoother.
How to Best Use AI Tools to Create Social Media Graphics
Now that we’ve gone through the most effective AI tools for creating social media graphics, we’ll also provide you with some helpful tips that you can apply to ensure high-quality and professional-looking visual content.
Below are some tips to try out when using your new AI-powered online design tool:
- Generate Images
A lot of online design tools come with a built-in stock library for photos, but it also helps to take advantage of text-to-image generators for more precise images. Simply input a prompt, click on a button, and you’ll immediately get your required image in no time.
- Customize Templates
The best part about drag-and-drop editors is that they allow you to easily customize templates depending on your needs. To avoid generic and repetitive graphics, we highly recommend playing around with different design elements to come up with original and striking content.
- Review Analytics
Reviewing analytics reports may seem like a troublesome task, but most online design tools provide highly accessible AI-generated data reports that tell you which types of posts perform better than others. This way, you can tailor your social media graphics depending on your audience’s preferences.
- Write Captions
A visually striking social media graphic is best paired with a memorable caption that can catch your followers’ attention. In case you’re having difficulty thinking of one, simply load up an AI Writer and you’ll get a catchy and trendy caption in no time!
Set to Design Like a Pro?
Each online design tool will give you different kinds of features, so it’s best to consider your specific needs to find the best option for you. Whatever you choose, these AI-powered tools are specifically designed to cut costs, boost creativity, and help you make outputs that help your brand stand out.
If you’re ready to level up your social media graphics today, simply check out these free apps and get started with your first design!
