Learn About Crello: Cost, Functionality, Courses, Alternatives

Since Crello first launched in 2016, it has been a powerful tool used by graphic designers and other professionals in many industries to create high-quality graphic designs for various projects. In January 2022, it merged with VistaPrint and rebranded as VistaCreate. Although the cloud-based program is still known as Crello, performing an internet search for it will lead you to VistaCreate's website.

It remains one of the most popular graphic design programs with a massive library of more than one million royalty-free images, thousands of professional ready-made templates, and easy-to-use tools to build creative designs for online and offline use.

What is Crello and how does it work?

Crello, now called VistaCreate, is an online design tool that anyone can use to create professional-looking designs, even without a graphic design background. Crello offers free and pro (paid) subscription plans. As we'll explore in more detail below, using this program allows you to create:

• Static designs using images, photos, and other visuals

• Designs that incorporate video and audio content

• Animated graphics

• Social media assets, such as graphics for Instagram stories

• Visual material for blogs and long-form content.

• Assets for paid ads and other digital marketing campaigns

• Invitations, flyers, business cards, and other print material

As a web-based program, Crello allows you to design online through your personalized account, without having to download the program to your device. Once you are signed in, you can choose from thousands of ready-made templates and design formats that you can easily customize with your own text, images, or other files. You can also start projects from scratch using custom dimensions. The result can be print-ready or shared digitally.

Read more: Tips for Creating an Impressive Graphic Design Portfolio

What are the benefits of using Crello?

Since Crello combined forces with VistaPrint to become VistaCreate, it offers even more benefits. One of the most significant benefits is that this program empowers people with limited graphic design experience to make creative designs at affordable rates.

Here are the features you'll find in the free and pro versions: 

Crello (now VistaCreate) also includes image cropping and resizing tools, which allow you to adjust contrast, fade, and saturation. Along with downloading your completed projects to your computer or device, you can also post them to Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram directly from the program.

How much does Crello cost?

Crello has two usage options: a free version and the VistaCreate Pro Plan with added features, including team accounts, version history, and other features listed in the table above. You can subscribe to the Pro plan for $13 a month or pay annually at a rate of $10 a month, saving 23 percent.

Both versions are available on the web and as an app on Android and iOS.

What can you do with Crello?

There are many design possibilities with Crello. Some popular project options include: 

Social media content:

• Facebook posts, covers, event covers, video covers, video stories, ads

• Instagram stories, posts, highlight covers, video stories, ads

• LinkedIn covers

• Pinterest graphics

• Tumblr graphics

• Twitch offline banners

• Twitter posts, headers, ads

• YouTube channel art, video thumbnails

Documents:

• Brochures

• Certificates

• Flyers

• Invitations

• Cards

• Invoices

• Letterhead

• Menus

• Newsletters

• Postcards

• Posters

• Resumes

Graphics:

• Logos, animated logos

• Email headers

• Infographics

• Storyboards

• Zoom backgrounds

• Blog posts, headers, banners

Projects:

• Coupons

• eBooks

• Gift certificates

• Photo books

• Schedule planners

• Recipe cards

• T-shirts

• Tickets

• Business cards

• Labels

• Presentations

• Proposals

• Full HD videos

Who uses Crello?

Anyone who wants to complete a visual project can use Crello (now VistaCreate). Below, we've listed some of the different professionals and creators who can benefit from this graphic design software.

Small business owners

Start-up owners or leaders of small businesses often wear many hats, including serving as their own marketing team. They can use Crello to design for businesses and create compelling advertisements, social media posts, website elements, blogs, and outreach videos, potentially without having to invest in professional design services.

Social media influencers and users 

Social media influencers and marketing executives may opt for Crello’s pro plan to create content consistent with their client's brand identities. Whether the marketing executive works for a company or runs their own freelancing business, they can use this tool to make attractive designs for Instagram posts, blog posts, and more.

Educators

Presentations to learners of all kinds must be highly engaging to be most effective at conveying lessons. Teachers, professors, consultants, and corporate trainers can use Crello to create memorable graphics and presentations for the learners they support.

Event planners

Crello can also be used to make invitations, name tags, seat placement cards, thank you cards, and guest books for weddings. Wedding planners can create a matching set with the same font, color palette, and images to align with their vision for the bride and groom’s special day.

Marketers and advertisers 

Marketing professionals can use Crello to design assets for the marketing plans they devise for their clients.

Offline content designers

People who want to design materials for print also benefit from the program. Posters, flyers, coupons, and business cards are some types of the printed material you can create with Crello.

Read more: What Do Poster Designers Do? 2022 Career Guide

Alternatives to Crello 

There are several free and low-cost online graphic design tools that you may want to explore, before committing to Crello (now VistaCreate).

Canva

One of the most popular online graphic design programs is Canva. It also has a user-friendly interface like Crello, but with a drag-and-drop technology that makes it easy to insert particular elements into a project. This program also has built-in integrations, so you can email, link, or share assets on social media without having to download and save the file. It has more than 250,000 templates from which to choose, as well as unlimited downloads for the free version.  

DesignWizard

This online graphic design program has more than 1,000 templates for social media project use. Buffer, HubSpot, and Marketo are integrated as well. While there is 24/7 customer support, DesignWizard is not available on mobile devices as an app.

Piktochart

Piktochart is another graphic design tool with a user-friendly interface for photo editing, flyers, infographics, and more. While often used for social media projects, it is best known for creating professional reports. Unlike the other programs, it is easy to transfer complex data from your files online.

BeFunky

With one million stock images and vector files, you have plenty to choose from when creating content on BeFunky. It provides a simple design process, which you can access on your computer and a mobile app.

Vectr

People with little graphic design experience may also appreciate Vectr, a mobile app and a web-based version that integrates easily. People primarily use this program to create vector files for offline designs such as flyers, brochures, business cards, and other print-ready projects.

View the table below to compare software programs easily:

Crello key takeaways

Crello, now VistaCreate, can make it easy create attractive designs for a variety of offline and online purposes, whether you have little graphic design experience or years of formal training. You can subscribe to the free or pro version of VistaCreate and access many features to customize a design. Compare VistaCreate to similar programs to select the best one for your graphic design needs.

Learn new skills today with Coursera

Even with free and low-cost graphic design tools like Crello, or VistaCreate, your work can improve dramatically by learning the principles and best practices that professionals know. Enroll in the California Institute of the Arts Graphic Design Specialization on Coursera to take your visual communication projects to the next level.