Content Types
If you were to compare the Web to a huge, global classroom, then visual content, especially infographics, would be the popular kid in the class. They not only receive three times more “likes” than other types of online content, they also get a lot more “shares.”
The reason for this is quite simple: 90% percent of the information processed by the brain is visual. Not only that, but visuals are reportedly processed 60,000 times faster than text alone.
It makes sense then that since 2010, infographics have steadily risen in popularity--and they’re only getting more popular as time goes on:
The only problem with infographics, however, is that they require a significant amount of time to produce--at least several days’ worth of work if you want to design a high-quality one that will go viral. And if you want to create one from scratch, you’ll have to invest in some pricey desktop software such as Adobe Illustrator or Photoshop.
On the other hand, there are now dozens of free online infographic makers that allow you to create your own professional-looking infographics in a fraction of the time it takes to do them on your own.
To help you choose which software best meets your needs, we’ve compiled a handy guide with a list of features and pros and cons for each online infographic maker.
Unlike most of the tools on this list, Visme offers users the ability to create other visual content besides infographics, such as presentations, reports, social media memes, resumes, product demos, among other things.
Its easy-to-use drag-and-drop software is perfect for people with little to no design experience as it offers them hundreds of beautifully designed templates, thousands of graphic assets, chart tools in a variety of styles and millions of free, searchable images.
Of all the different options out there, Visme is one of the few infographic tools that is both simple to use and flexible, allowing users to create what they envision in their minds from scratch. Besides this, users can also add animation or interactivity to any element.
Features:
Price: Access basic features for free for as long as you like. Paid plans start at $7 a month per user.
Pros: The possibilities are endless in terms of the types of visual content you can create besides infographics.
Cons: Free plans offer limited access to templates, assets and chart widgets.
Ideal for: Marketers, corporate teams, entrepreneurs, educators and non-designers in general
The best way to describe Canva is as an easy-to-use online version of Photoshop, but for non-designers. Its user-friendly image is solidified from the get-go: It starts off with a short tutorial on how to use their design program and then presents users with several templates and content types to choose from.
Unlike more sophisticated and expensive programs, it actually saves users the hassle of searching for images and icons and determining the dimensions and layout of projects.
Features:
Price: The standard plan is free for all users. If you want to access premium features, paid plans start at $9.95 a month per user. However, images and illustrations available in Canva cost $1 each time you publish a project.
Pros: Vast selection of stock images and templates to choose from.
Cons: Image assets have to paid for individually. No options for adding animation or interactivity to objects.
Ideal for: Non-designers
This program helps users feel at home with its intuitive interface and easy-to-follow tour of its main features and functions. It offers users hundreds of templates to choose from, as well as plenty of chart styles and interactive maps.
Features:
Price: Basic features can be accessed for free. Paid plans start at $15 a month per user.
Pros: Large selection of templates and chart styles
Cons: Price is high compared to other infographic makers. No options for adding animation or interactivity to objects.
Ideal for: Marketers, entrepreneurs, educators and non-designers in general
An infographic tool developed by the online data visualization sharing community Visual.ly, Venngage offers users hundreds of professionally designed templates, charts, maps and icons. Like the other infographic makers on this list, it offers basic features for free but does not allow you to download projects until you upgrade to the Premium version.
Features:
Price: Basic features can be accessed for free. Paid plans start at $19 a month per user.
Pros: Wide selection of templates, icons and graphic assets
Cons: Free version does not offer ability to download projects or publish them privately
Ideal for: Marketers, entrepreneurs, educators and non-designers in general
This infographic maker is ideal for those who want to create more complex charts, graphs and data visualizations in general. It offers more than 35 different chart styles, from common bar charts to more complex bubble charts and maps. You can insert data directly into the tools spreadsheet or import data from Excel.
Features:
Price: Paid plans start at $19 a month per user.
Pros: Large selection of chart types
Cons: No free plans.
Ideal for: Users who want to create more complex data visualizations, such as journalists or researchers.
This is our take of the top 5 best infographic makers available on the Web right now. Which do you think is the best infographic tool for your needs? We would love to hear your thoughts and reactions in the comments section below.
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About the Author
Nayomi Chibana is a journalist and writer for Visme’s Visual Learning Center. Besides researching trends in visual communication and next-generation storytelling, she’s passionate about data-driven content.