I am not a graphic designer by trade, so I tested 5 infographic makers online. These infographic makers all offer a free subscription with access to a wide range of templates to get you started.
Infographics are a great way to present information. In training, in the newspaper, on social media and on tv. One of the biggest benefits of infographics is that they improve knowledge retention. We all know that images are worth a 1,000 words and are easier to recall, so let’s use them where we can.
In the L&D space, you can use infographics as a job aid, to explain complex issues in a participant guide, in a presentation or in elearning. From step by step process and lists to timelines and models. You choose.
The infographic maker test
Zoom offers a whiteboard feature in all their subscriptions. Miro has a free and paid subscription model, where the free version offers fewer features. Let’s take a look at the advantages and disadvantages of using Miro instead of the Zoom whiteboard. s
Quick start
All tools are user friendly and self-explanatory so you can quickly start with creating your infographic. Most tools offer a short video tutorial, but you don’t need to watch a video to get started. Venngage is the only tool in this test that asks you to pick your three favourite templates and then offers you a selection of similar templates.Not as free as it sounds
Free apps often come with limitations. Some infographic makers offer a limited number of projects in their free plan. Venngage and Piktochart offer 5 projects in their free plan, Infogram offers 10 projects, while Snappa offers 3 downloads per month. Infogram and Venngage don’t offer you a download option after finishing your infographic, so you can only share it online (or get a blurry screenshot). So, ensure you pick a tool that offers you a free download if that is what you need.
Templates and resources
All 5 infographic makers offer free templates after registration and there are plenty to choose from. You can choose different layouts and some tools also offer different sizes, like the squarer infographic I made with Venngage. Canva really stands out with more than 100 templates for infographics. It is the variety of resources that is making the difference. Some tools offer characters and a range of icons, stickers, and photo frames, while other apps have a limited library. Venngage and Piktochart offer the best range of icons and other elements to me. While Infogram has less icons, but a great range of timelines and charts. So, it depends what you are looking for.Branding
All infographic makers let you change your colours so you can align them with your brand or upload a logo. I only had issues with Infogram. They didn’t let me change the green stripe at the bottom that included their branding to my orange brand colour (I not even intended deleting their logo). I couldn’t get around the pop-up that was pushing me towards an upgrade.The results
I am sharing all 5 infographics with you so you can have a look at the results. Is there a winner? It really depends what you’re trying to achieve and if you require a free download. If you have a lot of data to put in, go for Infogram (no download) with all their charts and timelines. Otherwise, I found that Canva offers you the best range of free templates and resources without limitations, with Piktochart as a good second.
Canva.com
- Free and unlimited downloads
- Very user friendly
- More than 100 templates
- Easy access to free and paid images, photos etc.
Snappa.com
- Free download (3/month)
- Up to 60 templates
- Limited library of icons and elements.
Piktochart.com
- Free download (max. 5)
- Linked to Unsplash for images
- Good range of templates
- Plenty free resources, incl. characters and photo frames.
Infogram.com
- NO download > blurry sceenshot
- Limited library of icons
- Up to 70 templates
- Lots of timelines and charts
- Couldn’t change bottom green colour.
Venngage.com
- No free download
- Max. 5 projects
- Customised selection to suit your needs
- Good search function
- Best library of free icons, maps etc.
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