Canva
by Canva
An easy design app for social posts, flyers, slides and more.
Best for Owners who design their own social posts and flyers
Free plan, paid plans from Pro: US$144 per year for one person
AI directory · 5 tools
AI design and video tools for small business marketing
These tools let you make social posts, flyers, presentations and videos without a design team. Many add AI features that generate images, avatars or edit video from a transcript. A small business can use them to keep marketing in house.
Key takeaways
- Some tools are general design apps and others focus on talking-head or edited video.
- AI features often run on credits that reset each month.
- Free plans usually add a watermark or limit exports.
Design and video at a glance
| Tool | Best for | Free plan | Paid plans from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canva | Owners who design their own social posts and flyers | Yes | Pro: US$144 per year for one person |
| Adobe Express | Businesses that already use Adobe products | Yes | $9.99 per month for Premium |
| Descript | Teams that edit podcasts or recorded meetings | Yes | From $16 per person per month for Hobbyist, as listed |
| Synthesia | Businesses that make training or how-to videos | Yes | $19 per month billed monthly, or $14 per month billed yearly for Starter |
| HeyGen | Businesses that want a custom avatar of themselves | Yes | $29 per month, or $24 per month billed annually, for Creator |
Prices as listed on each vendor’s pricing page. Follow a tool’s page for its source.
The tools
Adobe Express
by Adobe
A design and video app with Adobe Firefly AI features.
Best for Businesses that already use Adobe products
Free plan, paid plans from $9.99 per month for Premium
Descript
by Descript
Edits video and audio by editing the text of the transcript.
Best for Teams that edit podcasts or recorded meetings
Free plan, paid plans from From $16 per person per month for Hobbyist, as listed
Synthesia
by Synthesia
Makes videos with AI avatars from a script.
Best for Businesses that make training or how-to videos
Free plan, paid plans from $19 per month billed monthly, or $14 per month billed yearly for Starter
HeyGen
by HeyGen
Creates avatar videos and translates them into many languages.
Best for Businesses that want a custom avatar of themselves
Free plan, paid plans from $29 per month, or $24 per month billed annually, for Creator
How to choose
- Decide whether you mostly make images and documents or mostly make video.
- Check the export limits and watermark rules on the free plan.
- Look at how AI credits or minutes are counted on each paid plan.
- Read the vendor's data note, especially if you upload faces, voices or client work.
Head-to-head comparisons
Guides
Rather hand it over?
Design and video: common questions
Can I try Design and video tools for free?
Many tools in the Design and video category have a free plan or a trial. Free plans usually limit exports or add a watermark.
Are my uploads used to train AI in Design and video tools?
It varies by vendor and sometimes by plan. Each tool page here links to what the vendor says.
About the author
Andy Kang, AI Partner Team. Andy Kang writes the AI directory for AI Partner Team, which sets up and builds AI tools for small businesses alongside managed IT. Each page is written from the vendor’s own pricing, help and trust pages, and shows the day those pages were checked.
- Facts come from the vendor’s own website and help docs, linked on every page.
- Each page shows the date we last read those sources.
- We do not score or rank tools. We say who each one suits and who it does not.
- If a vendor does not publish a price, we say so instead of guessing.
Free IT check
Want design and video set up for your team?
We reply within 1 business hour, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm Pacific.
Thanks. We have it.
We reply within 1 business hour, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm Pacific.