7 Best Free Logo Design Applications 

An important part of your new business is building your brand and creating a logo. Your brand is your value in the marketplace and your relationship with your customers. Do you absolutely need a logo? Of course not, but it helps differentiate you. Designers rightfully charge a lot to design a collateral system that includes a logo, cards, folders, packaging, etc. But on a startup budget, that can be a luxury. Fortunately, there are some great alternatives. 

Logo design contests

Over the last few years we’ve seen the emergence of companies like 99designs that are based on logo design contests where designers from all over the world submit their concepts. I’ve used 99designs a few times and have been very pleased with the results. Identify your preferences for color, fonts, industry and style.

Are you a minimalist or do you prefer ornate design? Narrow down the responses and choose the winner. It’s very efficient and you get a surprising array of responses. Some are terrible but you’ll get at least three or four that are very good. Cost: $299

There are two logo-maker methodologies among the logo design software

Templates. You’ll be presented with thousands of icons with placeholder text above, below or through the icon. Identify an icon you like, then customize the placeholder text with the name of your business and/or tagline. Change the font, size and color. There really are endless possibilities.

Choose your style preferences and be presented with potential logos. This methodology is the same as with 99designs described above–it’s an iterative process. Select your style preferences and apply a series of filters. Keep drilling down until you reach a design that meets your design preferences. 

Logo design app

With the following applications you can create a free logo, though there’s a charge for Wix. I included it in my list because of its ease of use and I like that if you’re building your website in Wix, there’s some nice compatibility. If you’re not liking one app, switch to another. Thankfully, for most of this free logo design software, you don’t have to create an account and sign in just to test it. You should be able to do a quick test to see if you like the application. While they all pretty much work the same way, each is a little different. 

1. Hatchful is a mobile app for iOS and Android that helps you build a brand from scratch — right from the palm of your hand. It’s trusted by 140,000+ business owners. Hatchful will suggest logos from hundreds of available templates.
2. Canva is likely the most hands-on logo-maker on the list and it’s great for beginners. Canva’s templates are broken down by niches such as badges, art/design, fashion, sports, food and drink, etc. So many of us are already using Canva for other design work — posters, flyers, postcards, etc., you’ll easily ramp up to this free logo maker.
3. Brandcrowd has more than 140,000 logo designs. These logos are icons that have templated text that you can write over to add your business name or tagline. Choose font and colors to personalize. Once you’ve created your logo, you’ll receive a zipped file with a complete suite of files–png, jpg, eps, svg and pdf. Brandcrowd also creates business cards, social posts and banners. 
4. Ucraft helps you create a professional logo in just a few clicks. Export this as a png file for free or in svg or eps formats for $7. The high-resolution, transparent-background png file is completely free and can be used in any online space. 
5. Squarespace is not only a popular website platform, it also has a great free logo-maker that’s available even if you’re not creating a website. While there are fewer options, Squarespace is notable for its ease of use.
6. Wix. $49 for the logo as a standalone product, $99 for the logo and website together. The Wix model is to identify style preferences and be presented with possible logo designs. Keep selecting and filtering down until you create a design that fits your style preferences. 
7. Adobe now is offering a free logo design maker. Theirs is the templated version where they offer an array of quality icons with text that the user can customize. Using Adobe products is a strategic step into the Adobe design world. 

Picture your logo on cookies . . . 

and other collateral products. A few of these free logo design applications provide a full suite of products for review–they’ll show you how your logo will look on business cards, social media posts, t-shirts, letterhead, banners, and yes, on food. If you’re going to be developing more collateral items or if your business is ecommerce, this is an attractive feature. 

Note that this list of the best free logo design software is by no means an exhaustive compilation of the free logo-building applications on the market. I tested these applications for ease of use and accessibility, and these passed my test. There are also more applications that are available for a modest fee, but I love cool free stuff, and these applications will all do the job. 

The power of logos and the brands they represent

We think of instantly recognizable logos like McDonalds and CocaCola. Or Apple with its award-winning advertising. Looking back over the years, Apple has led the way in delivering sleek, forward-looking products. We all remember lines around the block for the release of the latest version of an iPhone. Or think about the logos for luxury goods–Louis Vuitton or Chanel, for instance. Both represent high-end products of minimalistic design that hold their value. 

Trademark a logo and name

A logo is just as important for startups as it is for big brands. It is a visual representation of your company that serves as a symbol for your values, mission, and personality. Your logo becomes a recognizable image for your company. A logo can evoke emotions and feelings that influence the way people perceive your brand. For example, a logo with bright colors and bold fonts can create a sense of excitement and energy, while a logo with muted colors and elegant fonts conveys quiet sophistication.

 

Types of logos

• Lettermark logo. The initials of your company’s name. This type of logo works for companies with long or complicated names as it creates a recognizable symbol. 
• Wordmark logo. Your company’s full name in a distinctive font. 
• Emblem logo. An icon helps create a strong visual identity, allowing for more creativity in the design process. 

Conclusion

A logo helps create consistency in your business’ branding.

• It can be used across all of your marketing materials, from your website to your social media profiles, helping to create a unified brand identity.
• The good news is that much of this free logo design software shows you exactly how your new logo will look on all of your collateral items.
• A logo is an important part of building a strong brand identity, and it can help to increase brand recognition, build trust, and differentiate your brand from those of your competitors

If you have questions about these easy-to-use applications, contact Top of Mind Marketing. We’re writers and digital media specialists.