10 Design Tools for Creating Engaging Social Media Carousels

In the ever-evolving world of social media design, the right tools can make all the difference. When experts like a Creative Director and a Senior Graphic Designer share their insights, you know you’re getting top-tier advice. The first insight comes from a Web Designer + Copywriter who highlights Canva for its quick and easy carousels, while the last insight features an Operations Manager who praises Vista Social for its integrated and streamlined approach. This article compiles a total of ten invaluable insights from industry professionals.

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Canva: Quick and Easy Carousels

There’s no doubt about it (and I know countless will agree)…Canva is the go to for quick and easy carousels. 

Canva is an incredibly user-friendly platform, with LOADS of high quality free fonts and templates available for entrepreneurs on a budget. For those with a pro account, you can make any template on brand with your fonts and colors with a few quick clicks of the mouse. The ability to duplicate a design to then update it with new colors and information for your next carousel idea—OR to resize and reuse on other platforms like Pinterest—make it an absolute game changer for efficient batch content creation.  

There are also always new templates being added—so you never have to worry about trying to come up with variations of past designs to keep things interesting. And it literally is as easy as searching for a “carousel post” template, selecting the size you want it to be, and personalizing it with your desired colors and fonts. AI options can even help with the writing…what more could a content creator ask for?

Carrie Bondioli, Web Designer + Copywriter, Bloem Creations

aiCarousels: Efficient for Marketing Teams

I’ve found aiCarousels to be incredibly efficient for our marketing team. After trying various tools, its AI writing assistance helped us cut design time by 60% while maintaining our professional brand voice, especially when explaining complex tech features. While it’s not the cheapest option out there, the customizable templates have really streamlined our workflow and helped us maintain consistency across all our social channels.

Paul Sher, CEO, FuseBase

Visme: Versatile and User-Friendly

I use Visme to create social media carousels, and it is beneficial. It provides excellent versatility without being too complicated. With Visme, I can quickly design professional carousels using various templates, which saves me time. The platform lets me customize my visuals to match my brand style. 

I appreciate how easy it is to use, making it accessible for everyone, even those without design skills. It also has advanced options for skilled users. Its interactive features and simple drag-and-drop interface allow quick changes, which is essential for keeping up with social media trends. For anyone looking for a tool that combines functionality and ease of use, Visme is a great choice.

Tammy Sons, Founder/CEO, TN Nursery

Affinity Designer: Control and Smooth Transitions

For social media carousels, I’ve got two trusty tools in my design toolbox: Affinity Designer and, more recently, Canva.

Affinity’s my go-to when I want absolute control, placing items next to each other to nail those buttery-smooth transitions. I love creating elements that overlap like one endless scroll!

But lately, Canva’s been creeping in, and I’m not even mad about it. The transparent background tool on Canva is a dream for whipping up visuals fast, letting me pull off clever layering and image combos without breaking a sweat. Canva’s pretty much design-for-the-lazy-genius at this point.

Chris Andrade, Founder, Pixelbricks Design

Figma: Collaborative and Efficient

Figma is my go-to tool. It excels at keeping all images visible on the same screen, side by side, which makes designing a cohesive carousel easier and more efficient. Figma also shines with its robust asset management-everything from icons to pre-set components can be accessed and reused across projects, which is a huge time-saver. The platform’s collaboration features are outstanding; team members can be added directly to the project, allowing them to provide feedback in real-time. This means that from concept to final tweaks, everyone stays in sync, with the added benefit of accessing a shared asset library and customizable elements that streamline the creative process. For any design-heavy work like carousels, Figma is a powerhouse, seamlessly balancing design functionality and team collaboration.

Priyanka Sharma, Social Media Manager, Michelin

Adobe Express: Consistent Branding

I often use Adobe Express to create social media carousels. I recommend it because it allows you to create your brand with a logo, custom colors, templates, and typography and then easily apply that branding to any design. This means every piece of content stays consistent with your brand identity without extra effort.

Adobe Express offers a vast array of templates, which speeds up the design process. You can customize these templates to match your brand’s look and feel, ensuring that all your social media posts have a cohesive appearance.

Moreover, the ability to save brand elements within the tool means you don’t have to manually input your colors and fonts every time. It’s all stored and ready to use, which not only saves time but also minimizes the risk of inconsistencies. 

Consistent branding across all platforms enhances brand recognition and builds trust with your audience. When people repeatedly see the same visual cues, they’re more likely to remember and trust your brand.

Ihor Kirpichnikov, Senior Graphic Designer | Founder, Ikagency.com

Adobe Illustrator: Seamless Visual Narratives

I prefer using Adobe Illustrator to create social media carousels. Illustrator allows me to line up artboards side by side, making it easy to design overlapping artwork that spans seamlessly across each slide—which is particularly useful for creating a cohesive visual narrative throughout—and the “align all” and “select similar” tools are incredibly handy too.

I also appreciate the batch image-exporting features, where maximum file size can vary between different platforms, and the ability to export the same carousel as an unflattened PDF, makes it straightforward to share on LinkedIn and still remain indexable in search.

George Beresford, Creative Director, George Beresford Design

PostNitro: AI-Powered Carousel Creation

For creating social media carousels, I recommend PostNitro. This AI-powered tool simplifies design by generating engaging carousel content quickly and efficiently. With its user-friendly interface, users can input ideas or existing content, and PostNitro will create visually appealing carousels optimized for platforms like Instagram and LinkedIn.

What sets PostNitro apart is its ability to provide customizable templates that align with your brand, saving significant design time. The platform also offers automatic resizing and layout optimization, ensuring your carousels look great on any device. Additionally, the AI-generated content suggestions help enhance engagement by providing fresh ideas tailored to current trends. Overall, PostNitro’s speed, ease of use, and practical design capabilities make it an excellent choice for creating impactful social media carousels.

Sheraz Ali, Founder & CEO, HARO Links Builder

Adobe Illustrator: High-Quality Customization

When it comes to creating social media carousels, my go-to tool is Adobe Illustrator. It allows you to arrange your artboards seamlessly, creating visually fluid carousels that capture attention as viewers swipe through. This “seamless” effect is great for telling a cohesive story across multiple slides, making it not only more engaging but also more professional. Plus, with Adobe Libraries, you can easily access brand-specific elements like typography and color palettes, ensuring that your carousel aligns perfectly with your branding. The level of customization Illustrator offers is unmatched, making it ideal for anyone looking to create high-quality, impactful social media content.

Katharina Garmon, CEO & Founder of Socialkind Studio, Socialkind Studio LLC

Vista Social: Integrated and Streamlined

We use Vista Social for creating social media carousels, and I highly recommend it. Its direct integration with Canva allows you to design images without leaving the platform, making the process seamless and efficient. Plus, Vista Social supports scheduling carousel posts across multiple platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok, streamlining your social media management.

Tom Molnar, Operations Manager, Fit Design

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