7 picks · Design Software

Best Design Apps for Church Volunteers: 7 Picks for Every Budget

Your volunteer designs once a month and forgets the app in between. Here's which design app they can open on Saturday and still finish Sunday's graphic.

Updated October 2026

The short answer: our top picks

Remix Studio, which we make, is the quickest start for volunteers who want church-ready templates they edit in the browser. Canva is the best all-round design app: someone who serves once a month can make a decent graphic in their first session. Adobe Express is the closest alternative, Pixlr and BeFunky suit quick photo fixes, Figma suits locked templates, and Affinity suits experienced volunteers.

What about Photoshop and Procreate?

Adobe Creative Cloud is the professional standard, but Creative Cloud Pro is $69.99/mo on an annual plan (Oct 2026), and canceling after 14 days costs 50% of the remaining months. Adobe offers discounted Creative Cloud Pro to eligible 501(c)(3) nonprofits through TechSoup. It's the right tool for a staff designer who works in it every week, not for someone who designs once a month.

Procreate is a one-time $12.99 iPad app (Oct 2026) for drawing and hand-lettering. If a volunteer artist already has an iPad, ideally with an Apple Pencil, it's a good fit for series titles and kids ministry art. It isn't a general design app, and it only runs on iPad.

New to it? Follow how to make a sermon series graphic start to finish.

Curious about Remix Studio, which we make? Here's how it works and what it costs.

Would rather describe it and let AI design it? Here's how ChurchCreate works, which we also make.

At a glance

Our picks

Remix StudioOur productBest for church-ready templates
CanvaBest overall
Adobe ExpressBest Canva alternative
PixlrBest for photo fixes on a church computer
BefunkyBest for event photo recaps
FigmaBest for locked brand templates
AffinityBest free app for experienced volunteers

Side by side

How they compare

App	Best for	Price	Free option	Works on	Learning curve
Remix StudioOurs	Best for church-ready templates	With All Access Standard $57/mo or $497/yr, or Pro $117/mo (Oct 2026)	Free sample template	Web	Easy
Canva	Best overall	Free plan; Pro $144/yr; Business $250/yr per person (Oct 2026)	Yes	Web, Mac, Windows, iOS, Android	Easy
Adobe Express	Best Canva alternative	Free plan; Premium $9.99/mo; Teams $7.99/seat/mo, 2+ seats (Oct 2026)	Yes	Web, iOS, Android	Easy
Pixlr	Best for photo fixes on a church computer	Free with ads; Plus $1.99/mo, Premium $7.99/mo, yearly (Oct 2026)	Yes	Web, iOS, Android	Easy
Befunky	Best for event photo recaps	Free plan; Plus $6.99/mo billed yearly or $14.99 monthly (Oct 2026)	Yes	Web, iOS, Android	Easy
Figma	Best for locked brand templates	Free Starter; Professional Full seat $16/mo billed yearly (Oct 2026)	Yes	Web, Mac, Windows, iOS, iPad, Android	Moderate
Affinity	Best free app for experienced volunteers	Free for individuals; AI tools need a paid Canva plan	Yes	Mac, Windows	Advanced

01Best for church-ready templatesOur product

Remix Studio

Open one of 750+ church templates in Chrome, Safari or Edge, change the words, dates and colors, and export every slide, post and story at once. Nothing to install, and volunteers start from a finished sermon series design instead of a blank canvas.

Price: With All Access Standard $57/mo or $497/yr, or Pro $117/mo (Oct 2026)
Watch out for: Included with Standard and Pro plans, not Social

More about Remix Studio Visit Remix Studio ↗

Made by Church Media Squad, who also run Pro Church Media.

02Best overall

Canva

A volunteer who serves once a month can make a decent graphic in their first session. Templates cover slides, social posts, flyers and video, and a Brand Kit keeps every ministry on your church's logo and colors. Eligible churches can apply for Canva Nonprofits to get Pro free for up to 50 people.

Price: Free plan; Pro $144/yr; Business $250/yr per person (Oct 2026)
Watch out for: Popular templates can look like every other church's

Read our review Visit Canva ↗

03Best Canva alternative

Adobe Express

The free plan includes 100,000+ templates and 4,000+ Adobe Fonts, with iPhone and Android apps for finishing a graphic between services. Eligible 501(c)(3) churches can apply for Premium free for one year for up to 50 people. Otherwise Premium is $9.99/mo (Oct 2026).

Price: Free plan; Premium $9.99/mo; Teams $7.99/seat/mo, 2+ seats (Oct 2026)
Watch out for: Brand kits and one-click resize need Premium

Read our review Visit Adobe Express ↗

04Best for photo fixes on a church computer

Pixlr

It runs in the browser, so a volunteer can brighten youth lock-in photos or layer a title over a sermon graphic on the office computer without installing anything. It has layers, masks and filters like a desktop editor, and Plus is $1.99/mo billed yearly (Oct 2026).

Price: Free with ads; Plus $1.99/mo, Premium $7.99/mo, yearly (Oct 2026)
Watch out for: Free version shows ads and limits saves

Read our review Visit Pixlr ↗

05Best for event photo recaps

Befunky

A photo editor, collage maker and template-based designer in one app, in the browser or on your phone. Drop the best VBS shots into a collage and post it the same afternoon. The free plan exports with no subscription, and Plus is $6.99/mo billed yearly (Oct 2026).

Price: Free plan; Plus $6.99/mo billed yearly or $14.99 monthly (Oct 2026)
Watch out for: Free plan has a limited selection of templates and assets

Read our review Visit Befunky ↗

06Best for locked brand templates

Figma

Your staff designer builds the templates, and Figma Buzz lets volunteers change the text and photo while the logo and layout stay locked. A volunteer who only uses Buzz can work on a Collab seat, $3/mo billed yearly on Professional (Oct 2026).

Price: Free Starter; Professional Full seat $16/mo billed yearly (Oct 2026)
Watch out for: Buzz is still in beta, and there's no nonprofit discount

Read our review Visit Figma ↗

07Best free app for experienced volunteers

Affinity

Photo editing, vector design and page layout in one free app for Mac and Windows. For the volunteer who already knows design, it handles bulletin layouts with print-ready PDF export and data merge for name badges. Each person signs in with a free Canva account.

Price: Free for individuals; AI tools need a paid Canva plan
Watch out for: Pro-level tools take volunteers time to learn

Read our review Visit Affinity ↗

Our method

How we chose

Usable once a month
Can a volunteer who designs once a month open it on Saturday and finish Sunday's graphic without relearning it?
Works where volunteers are
Does it run in a browser, on a phone or on a shared church computer, with little or nothing to install?
Real cost for a church
Free plans, low-cost seats and published nonprofit programs, and what each program actually requires.
Checked at the source
Every price, plan and nonprofit program was checked on the vendor's own site in October 2026.

Questions churches ask

FAQ

What is the easiest design app for church volunteers?

Canva is the easiest for most volunteers. Its templates cover slides, social posts and flyers, and someone who serves once a month can make a decent graphic in their first session. Adobe Express is a close second.

Is Canva free for churches?

Canva Free costs nothing and covers most weekly graphics. Churches registered as charitable nonprofits (501(c)(3) in the US) can apply for Canva Nonprofits, which gives Pro features free to a team of up to 50. Canva reviews each application, so approval isn't guaranteed.

Can churches get Adobe Express Premium free?

Possibly. Adobe Express for Nonprofits gives Premium free for one year to up to 50 people and requires 501(c)(3) public charity status in the US. Adobe doesn't name churches either way, so apply and let its one-to-three-day validation decide.

Do church volunteers need Photoshop?

No. For slides, social posts and flyers, Canva or Adobe Express is easier, and Pixlr handles layers, masks and photo fixes free in the browser. If a volunteer needs pro photo, vector and layout tools, Affinity is free for individuals.

Keep exploring

All design software

See the full list →