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Best Creative Apps | Turning Ordinary Ideas into Extraordinary Masterpieces

Get inspired with the best creative apps for digital art and design. A must-read for every creator in 2026.

Art & DesignJanuary 05, 2026

That mind-bending animation you just double-tapped? The stunning digital portrait that made you zoom in? That video with edits so seamless it looked like movie magic? They weren’t made in a million-dollar studio. They were probably made on a train, in a coffee shop, or on a couch—by someone who has the right apps on their phone.

But it's not magic, and it’s not a wand. It’s an app. A new breed of shockingly powerful, intuitive, and AI-supercharged creative apps are turning people into prolific artists, filmmakers, and designers.

So, don't let your best ideas die in your drafts folder. Let's unlock the arsenal that will finally bring them to life. Here’s our carefully curated list of the best creative apps for businesses.

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List of the Best Creative Apps

1.

Depositphotos

Editor's Choice
4.5
Rated 4.6
Rated 3.7
  • Pros & Cons

    Pros

    • Huge stock library with millions of high-quality images
    • Easy search with advanced filters for quick asset discovery
    • Supports vectors, photos, and videos for diverse needs
    • Regularly updated with fresh, trending content
    • Great for businesses, designers, and marketing teams

    Cons

    • Subscription and credit packs can be expensive
    • Limited free content available without purchase
    • Cannot edit images directly within the app
  • Why You'll Love It

    DepositPhotos is more than a library! It’s your integrated creative engine, empowering you to find the perfect asset or generate a completely unique one in a single click.
  • More about product

    DepositPhotos stands as a creative powerhouse with its integrated suite of AI tools. Beyond searching, it offers a Reverse Image Search feature that lets you upload an image to instantly find visually similar files across its vast library. This feature is ideal for discovering matching styles or alternative versions. Alongside this, the AI Image Generator transforms simple text prompts into stunning, one-of-a-kind visuals.

    Need to clean up an image? The one-click Background Remover and AI Image Upscaler save you hours of tedious editing, letting you focus on what matters most: your creative output. It offers a meticulously curated library of over 300 million high-quality, royalty-free assets, including stock photos, vector illustrations.

    Designed for a seamless workflow, DepositPhotos helps you organize your favorite assets into collections and integrates smoothly into your projects. With flexible subscription plans and on-demand options that fit any budget, it’s the ultimate, all-in-one resource that grows with your creative ambitions.

2.

Canva

Editor's Choice
4.5
Rated 4.8
Rated 4.8
  • Pros & Cons

    Pros

    • Easy drag-and-drop editor for quick designs
    • Huge template library for social media, presentations, etc
    • Supports collaboration with teams in real time
    • Cross-platform sync between mobile and desktop
    • AI-powered tools for text, image, and video editing

    Cons

    • Advanced features are locked behind the Pro plan
    • It can feel overwhelming for beginners with too many options
    • Performance slows on large, complex projects
    • The free version has a watermark on premium assets
  • Why You'll Love It

    Canva is your all-in-one design tool, empowering you to create stunning visuals for any project in minutes. It's the ultimate creative toolkit, offering an effortless drag-and-drop editor and a vast library of templates.
  • More about product

    Canva has completely changed the game for just about everyone else. Its real power is that it saves you from the terror of a blank page. You can grab a template for an Instagram post or a business presentation that already looks great, making it easy to get started.

    As one of the best apps for graphic designers, Canva has carved out a huge space for itself for a reason. It’s built for the marketing manager, the startup founder, or the student who needs to create something that looks professional without spending weeks learning complex software.

    Lately, though, its 'Magic Studio' features have made it much more powerful. The AI tools are surprisingly good at handling the grunt work. These can do everything from removing a background, coming up with an image idea from a text prompt, or resizing one design to fit five different formats instantly. For the everyday design tasks that most people face, it's an absolute workhorse.

3.

Adobe Express

Editor's Choice
4.3
Rated 4.8
Rated 4.6
  • Pros & Cons

    Pros

    • Professional templates with Adobe-quality design
    • AI-powered photo, video, and text editing tools
    • Easy integration with Adobe Creative Cloud
    • Great for marketing content like flyers and posts
    • Frequent updates with new features and content

    Cons

    • Premium features are locked behind a subscription
    • Feels slower compared to lightweight design apps
    • Limited control compared to Photoshop or Illustrator
    • The workspace can feel cluttered with too many panels
    • Export settings lack deep customization
  • Why You'll Love It

    Adobe Express empowers you to create stunning social graphics, videos, and marketing materials in minutes. This is one of the best apps for creatives that offers professional tools, made incredibly simple and accessible for everyone.
  • More about product

    What Adobe Express really does is solve the "I need this to look good, and I need it done now" problem that most creators and businesses face. You’re not starting from a scary blank screen. Instead, you can grab a professional template that gets you 90% of the way there for a flyer, a social post, or whatever you're making.

    The truly powerful part is how you finish that last 10%. Maybe the template is perfect, but the photo is wrong. Instead of spending ages scrolling through stock sites, you can just type a description of what you want, and the Firefly AI creates the image for you. It can also remove a messy background from one of your own photos with a single click.

    And it's built for how people actually work. If you're on a team, you can edit together and use shared brand assets to stop things from getting messy. When your design is finally ready, you don’t have to rebuild it three different times for TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube; the app reformats it for you. Adobe Express is for people who have ideas they need to get out into the world without getting bogged down by overly complex software.

4.

CapCut

Editor's Choice
4.2
Rated 4.8
Rated 0.0
  • Pros & Cons

    Pros

    • Professional-level video editing for free
    • Supports multi-layer editing with effects and transitions
    • AI tools for background removal, captions, and more
    • Huge music and sound effect library
    • Optimized for quick social media content creation

    Cons

    • Large file sizes take up storage quickly
    • Export speed can be slow on older devices
    • Too focused on TikTok-style content, limiting versatility
    • Advanced editing precision isn’t as strong as Pro Tools
    • Data privacy concerns due to ByteDance's ownership
  • Why You'll Love It

    CapCut is the ultimate mobile video editor for creating social media content that pops. It packs an incredible number of powerful, trend-focused features into a simple, free-to-use app, allowing you to create professional-looking videos.
  • More about product

    CapCut has quickly become the go-to video editor for our team, and for good reason. It simplifies the editing process with an intuitive, mobile-friendly interface while offering an impressive suite of features. You can easily trim, merge, and adjust the speed of your clips, and even create smooth slow-motion effects with its optical flow feature.

    One feature that we truly love about this video editor is its massive and constantly updated library of trending effects, filters, stickers, and royalty-free music. In our team's workflow, this is a game-changer; we use the intelligent AI auto-captions to save hours on subtitling.

    The vast library allows even non-editors to easily suggest specific trending sounds during review, making our collaboration incredibly fast. Whether we are editing an Instagram Reel or a more polished YouTube video, CapCut provides all the tools we need to bring our brand’s vision to life and share it with the world effortlessly.

5.

Loom

Editor's Choice
4.2
Rated 4.8
Rated 3.9
  • Pros & Cons

    Pros

    • Quick video recording for tutorials and updates
    • Instant sharing with auto-generated links
    • Great for remote teams and async communication
    • Simple trimming and call-to-action options
    • Works across mobile and desktop platforms

    Cons

    • Free plan caps video length and storage
    • Upload times can be slow for long HD videos
    • Limited editing features compared to Pro Tools
    • Compression sometimes reduces video clarity
    • Occasional bugs when recording with audio input
  • Why You'll Love It

    Loom is the best tool for asynchronous video communication, allowing you to record and share your screen, camera, or both in seconds. It’s the fastest and easiest way to get your message across with a personal touch.
  • More about product

    Forget the marketing fluff about ‘redefining collaboration.’ Loom is for people who are sick of long meetings and discussions.

    Instead of writing a wall of text to explain something, you just hit record, talk over whatever is on your screen for a couple of minutes, and send the link. It's perfect for giving feedback on a design or showing a bug without having to schedule a call.

    It does have some surprisingly decent tools built in. If you mess up, you can snip out the bad part instead of starting over, which is a relief. The AI features are also genuinely useful—they'll automatically generate a title and chapters, making you look more organized than you probably are.

    And yes, it plugs into Slack, Jira, and other tools, so you can just paste the link and people can watch it on the app they're already using. It's just a faster way to communicate!

6.

Inshot

Editor's Choice
4.2
Rated 4.9
Rated 4.7
  • Pros & Cons

    Pros

    • Easy-to-use video and photo editor
    • Wide variety of filters, transitions, and effects
    • Good for quick social media content creation
    • Supports exporting in multiple resolutions
    • Frequent updates with new creative tools

    Cons

    • The free version has ads and watermarks
    • Limited timeline control for precise editing
    • Not ideal for multi-layer professional projects
    • Some stock music and stickers feel outdated
    • Advanced color grading is not available
  • Why You'll Love It

    InShot is a video editing app that puts the power of a professional suite right in your pocket. It reduces your struggles with complicated software and lets you start making amazing videos on the go.
  • More about product

    InShot is an all-in-one video and photo editor designed for creators who need to edit content quickly and efficiently on their mobile devices. It offers a wide array of powerful features, from basic tools like trimming, splitting, and merging clips to advanced capabilities (AI effects, auto-captions, and green screen support).

    This is one of the best AI apps for creative businesses that comes packed with a vast library of free music, sound effects, animated stickers, and stylish text options. This makes it easy to add a creative flair to your projects. You can easily adjust video speed for slow-motion or time-lapse effects, and apply unique filters.

    It also lets you add transitions and format your video for any social platform, including TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube. InShot provides all the tools you need to produce professional-looking content without ever touching a desktop.

7.

Notion AI

Editor's Choice
4.2
Rated 4.8
Rated 4.7
  • Pros & Cons

    Pros

    • All-in-one workspace for notes, tasks, and docs
    • Highly customizable with templates and databases
    • Supports collaboration and team knowledge sharing
    • AI-powered writing and productivity tools
    • Cross-device sync for seamless workflow

    Cons

    • Offline mode is limited and inconsistent
    • It can feel overwhelming for new users
    • Mobile interface is less fluid than desktop
    • Formatting text on mobile can feel clunky
    • Large databases may lag in the app
  • Why You'll Love It

    Notion is a single, flexible platform that replaces countless apps for notes, tasks, wikis, and databases. It's a customizable digital Lego set for your life and work.
  • More about product

    Notion revolutionizes productivity by blending everyday work apps into one seamless environment. Our team loves Notion for its modularity. With this tool, you can create everything from simple documents and to-do lists to complex project management dashboards and shared team wikis.

    Its key features include interconnected pages, databases with multiple views ( tables, boards, calendars, and galleries), and powerful collaboration tools for real-time editing and commenting. With the recent integration of AI, Notion can now summarize meeting notes, draft content, and automate tasks, acting as an intelligent partner in your workflow.

    For us, this is one of the best note-taking apps that serves as a central source, housing everything from company policies and project roadmaps to meeting minutes and design specs. It integrates with popular tools like Slack, Google Drive, and Jira, ensuring a smooth workflow. Notion is a great app for creative businesses as it adapts to your unique needs, making it the most versatile productivity tool on the market.

8.

ClickUp

Editor's Choice
4.0
Rated 4.6
Rated 3.9
  • Pros & Cons

    Pros

    • Powerful project management with task tracking
    • Supports docs, chat, goals, and dashboards
    • Customizable workflows for teams and individuals
    • Integrates with Slack, Google Drive, and more
    • Free plan includes many features for small teams

    Cons

    • Can feel bloated with too many features
    • The mobile app is less polished than the web version
    • New users face a steep learning curve
    • Notifications can become overwhelming
    • Interface feels cluttered in dense projects
  • Why You'll Love It

    ClickUp is the one app to replace them all, a hyper-customizable platform that brings all your work—tasks, docs, chat, goals, and more—into a single, unified workspace. It’s designed to eliminate friction and context-switching, saving your team one day a week.
  • More about product

    ClickUp is a comprehensive project management and productivity suite built for teams of all sizes and industries. You can visualize your work in over 15 different ways, including Lists, Boards, Calendars, and Gantt charts, ensuring everyone on the team can work the way they prefer.

    Upon our research with the tool, we found that it offers robust task management with custom statuses, fields, and priorities, but it goes far beyond that. It includes collaborative Docs for wikis and knowledge bases, real-time Chat for seamless communication, Whiteboards for brainstorming, and Dashboards for a high-level overview of your projects.

    The platform also features ‘ClickUp Brain,’ an AI assistant that can summarize long threads, generate action items, and write content. With hundreds of integrations with popular tools like Slack, Google Drive, and Salesforce, ClickUp acts as the central hub for all your work. It's designed to scale with your team, from solo users to large enterprises, providing the structure and tools needed to manage anything and everything!

9.

Planoly

Editor's Choice
4.0
Rated 4.7
Rated 3.9
  • Pros & Cons

    Pros

    • Visual Instagram and social media planner
    • Drag-and-drop grid for perfect feed design
    • Schedule posts, stories, and reels easily
    • Useful hashtag manager and content calendar
    • Supports collaboration for social media teams

    Cons

    • Free version limits posts and accounts
    • Best suited for Instagram, weak on TikTok/LinkedIn
    • Analytics are very basic compared to rivals
    • Lacks built-in editing tools for content refinement
    • Paid plans are not budget-friendly for solo creators
  • Why You'll Love It

    Planoly takes the guesswork out of social media and turns your creative vision into a beautiful, engaging reality. It's your ultimate visual planner for social media, designed to perfect your aesthetic and streamline your content strategy.
  • More about product

    Planoly excels with its visual-first approach to social media management. Its signature feature is the drag-and-drop grid planner, which allows you to see exactly how your photos and videos will look on your Instagram profile. Beyond visual planning, Planoly is a powerful social planner that simplifies your entire workflow.

    With its auto-post scheduling, you can set your content to go live on Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, Facebook, and other platforms at optimal times. This saves you time and ensures a consistent posting schedule.

    It is one of the best creative apps that also provides valuable content inspiration with weekly trends and a holiday calendar, and helps you stay organized with a dedicated media library. It is one of the best apps for content creators who are looking to monetize. It also offers features like a link-in-bio tool and the ability to sell digital products directly from your profile.

10.

Infinite Painter

Editor's Choice
4.0
Rated 4.1
Rated 4.4
  • Pros & Cons

    Pros

    • Professional-level drawing app with realistic brushes
    • Intuitive UI designed for artists and illustrators
    • Supports layers, blend modes, and advanced tools
    • Exports in PSD for Photoshop compatibility
    • Affordable compared to other pro drawing apps

    Cons

    • Limited free brushes; full set requires purchase
    • Not as feature-rich as Procreate on iOS
    • Large canvases can lag on mid-range devices
    • Stability issues when handling very big files
    • Smaller artist community compared to mainstream apps
  • Why You'll Love It

    Infinite Painter is one of the most advanced painting and drawing apps ever created for mobile devices, offering a professional-grade experience with an incredibly realistic feel. It’s a powerhouse for artists who crave unparalleled control.
  • More about product

    Infinite Painter is packed with a rich, powerful set of features designed for artists of all levels. At its core is a superior brush engine with customizable presets that interact realistically with canvas textures. You can create and share your own brushes with over 100 settings to tweak for the perfect stroke.

    The app is built for a seamless professional workflow, offering robust layer support with Photoshop blend modes, layer and clipping masks, and powerful selection tools. Unique features like five different 3D perspective guides, smart shape detection, and seamless pattern creation make complex tasks effortless.

    Infinite Painter’s interface is clean and highly customizable, allowing you to dock your favorite tools for quick access and minimize clutter. Whether you're sketching, painting, or creating intricate illustrations, Infinite Painter provides all the tools you need in one sophisticated and powerful package.

    Also Read: Best Drawing Apps in 2025

    Categorizing the Best Creative Apps

    Here’s a table simplifying your search for the best apps for creative businesses by organizing the apps by their core function.

    Category App Name Best For
    Stock Media & Assets DepositPhotos Sourcing high-quality, royalty-free stock photos, vectors, and videos
    All-in-One Content Creation Adobe Express All-in-one design with powerful AI features and Adobe integration
    Canva Quick and easy design for non-designers (social posts, presentations)
    Video Editing CapCut Trendy, template-driven video editing for social media (TikTok, Reels)
    InShot Comprehensive and user-friendly mobile video and photo editing
    Social Media Management Planoly Visual-first planning and scheduling, especially for Instagram
    Buffer Straightforward and reliable post-scheduling and performance analytics
    Digital Art & Illustration Infinite Painter Professional-grade digital painting and drawing with a realistic feel
    Productivity & Project Management ClickUp Managing complex projects and team workflows with high customizability
    Notion Building customized, all-in-one workspaces for notes and creative projects
    Productivity & Collaboration Loom Asynchronous communication via quick and easy screen-sharing videos

    Wrapping Up!

    Your creative toolkit is no longer just a paintbrush or a pen; it's a dynamic suite of digital allies, each offering a unique canvas for the story only you can tell. Forget limitations and embrace a new reality.

    With the endless inspiration from stock libraries like DepositPhotos, you can turn any vision into a vibrant reality. With the precision of Adobe's professional suite and the design-on-the-go simplicity of Canva and other creative apps, you can streamline your entire creative process.

    Experiment, combine, and find one of the best creative apps that make your creativity feel effortless. So, load up your new arsenal, launch your favorite app, and go build something unforgettable. Let your curiosity lead the way, because in this digital age, the only limit is the scope of your imagination.

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What are creative apps, and why are they useful?

    Creative apps are digital tools designed for designing, editing, planning, or managing creative work like photos, videos, graphics, or content. They make it easier for individuals and teams to create professional-quality projects without needing advanced technical skills.

  • Which creative app is best for beginners?

    For beginners, Canva and InShot are excellent choices. Canva is perfect for quick designs and social media graphics, while InShot makes video editing simple and fun without a steep learning curve.

  • Do I need paid versions of these apps to get real value?

    Not always. Many apps like CapCut, Canva, and Buffer offer powerful free versions. However, if you need advanced features, brand kits, or unlimited scheduling, upgrading to a paid plan is worth it.

  • Which creative apps are most useful for businesses and teams?

    Best apps for creatives like ClickUp, Notion, Buffer, and Adobe Express are great for collaboration, project management, and marketing. They help teams organize tasks, manage campaigns, and maintain consistent branding.

  • Can I use these creative apps across different devices?

    Yes. Most creative apps like Notion, Canva, Adobe Express, and Loom sync across desktop, mobile, and web. This allows you to start a project on one device and continue seamlessly on another.

WRITTEN BY
Riya

Riya

Content Writer

Riya turns everyday tech into effortless choices! With a knack for breaking down the latest gadgets, trends, and tips, she brings clarity and confidence to your downloading decisions. Her experience with ShopClues, Great Learning, and IndustryBuying adds depth to her reviews, making them both trustworthy and refreshingly practical.

From social media hacks and lifestyle upgrades to productivity boosts, digital marketing insights, AI trends, and more—Riya’s here to help you stay a step ahead. Always real, always relatable!

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