This article will tell you about the best apps for Surface Pro.
Surface Pro is a tablet made by Microsoft that can be used as a laptop and desktop computer. It has a touchscreen and can be connected to external monitors, keyboards, mice, and other peripherals. It runs Windows 10 Pro, which is an updated version of Windows 8.
The Surface Pro comes with some preinstalled apps that you can use right out of the box. However, there are many other useful programs that you can download from the Microsoft Store to enhance your experience with this device. Some of them are free while others cost money but will save time by replacing several other applications on your machine or computer.
Best Apps For Surface Pro
The third time’s the charm. Microsoft’s first couple of tablets met with lukewarm reception, but the Surface Pro 3 ($643.49 at Amazon Canada)(Opens in a new window) has generated some buzz and a corresponding bump in sales. Meant not just as a more-business-capable answer to Apple’s iPad, the Surface Pro rivals full-power laptops while serving double duty as a couch-friendly personal tablet. Windows 8.1 ($643.49 at Amazon Canada)(Opens in a new window) is perfectly poised for this scenario, running both traditional desktop programs and touch-friendly, modern apps fueled by the Windows Store, Microsoft’s version of Apple’s iTunes App Store.
What makes a good Surface app? The device’s capabilities hold the clues to that. Apps that take advantage of its super-high resolution screen (it has 216 pixels per inch compared with the MacBook Air’s 128ppi), of its touch and stylus input, its 5-megapixel camera, and its fourth-generation Intel Core processor.
Of course, the best apps for the Surface are, arguably, the components of Microsoft Office, which take advantage of many of these features. For example, the Office OneNote note-taking app automatically starts via a button on the stylus. Many fine apps come with the tablet’s stock collection, including Flipboard, Finance, Health&Fitness, Sports, Skype, Maps, Weather, Xbox Music, and Video. But with more than 170,000 third-party apps at your disposal, why not bolster your Surface Pro 3 with the apps below?
Click through the short slideshow to see our top picks, and be sure to chime in with your own recommendations in the comments section below.
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- Adobe Photoshop Express
Adobe Photoshop Express
Free; in-app upgrades available
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Image software leader Adobe’s free app(Opens in a new window) shows off both the excellent screen and camera of the Surface Pro 3. You can correct photos shot through the app or those living in your camera roll, with adjustments for not only exposure, contrast, and white balance, but also for clarity, vibrance, highlights, and shadows. I also appreciate that Adobe(Opens in a new window) provides an easily touchable cropping tool, Auto Fix button, and red-eye correction. You can also go beyond the realistic with Looks, which are Instagram-style filters. - Autodesk SketchBook Express
Autodesk SketchBook Express
Free
Another app that lets you use the stylus to good advantage, SketchBook Express(Opens in a new window), is a drawing app that comes from a company that knows a thing or two about illustration—Autodesk. Choose from a number of brushes, pens, and markers to create artwork on top of an existing image or one from scratch. The app can even create a symmetrical mirror-image of your drawing automatically. And you’ll save a lot of paper! - Despicable Me: Minion Rush
Despicable Me: Minion Rush
Free
Another way to take advantage of the Surface’s outstanding screen is by viewing and interacting with the rich 3D world of this fun runner game(Opens in a new window). The very fun and amusing adaptation of the animated hit Despicable Me has you using bananas to purchase perk prize pods, after running through Vector’s Fortress in a Frankenstein costume or one of many other getups. One downside is that the game takes a few minutes to load the first time around. But once you’re up and running (literally), you can enjoy the rich 3D scenery while jumping to grab all those bananas and passing your minion competition. - Drawboard PDF
Drawboard PDF
$9.99
If you have a stylus, shouldn’t you be able to mark up a PDF document, with your signature or notes? Drawboard PDF(Opens in a new window) lets you do just that, offering separate stylus and touch input options. At $10, it’s pricier than most apps, but for something that can be invaluable as a business, personal finance, and design tool, that’s hardly a king’s ransom. It works similarly to OneNote in that you can use the stylus buttons to select, move, and erase your writing. A radial menu control similar to OneNote’s lets you change options. Drawboard PDF lets you load or create PDFs, annotate them, and bookmark them. It also offers a highlighter and PDF markup-history view. - Facebook
Facebook
Free
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There’s no need to be antisocial on your Surface. Of course you could just view Facebook in the browser, but if you have a touch screen, why not take advantage of it? The official Facebook app(Opens in a new window) gives you an easy touch-friendly way to interact with all your Friends, via the newsfeed, messaging, photo uploading, check-ins, and group activity. The app offers a Snap sidebar view a live-updated start screen tile, and popup notifications. - Fresh Paint
Fresh Paint
Free
If you want to put your Surface’s pressure-sensitive stylus to the test, there are few better apps than Fresh Paint(Opens in a new window). Start with a blank canvas or an existing image or photo, and draw to your heart’s content. The app includes brushes for oil and watercolors as well as pencils. When you’re done, you can order a framed canvas print of your creation. - Netflix
Netflix
Free (requires subscription)
You want to take advantage of that glorious high-definition screen, and what better way than with the largest collection of streaming movies and TV shows around? The Netflix app(Opens in a new window) lets you search for new stuff to watch, browse and add to your movie queue, and rate shows you’ve watched. It also can resume playing a flick you’ve started on another device like your HDTV. Could you really live without access to Orange Is the New Black or The Returned on any tablet you owned?
best design apps for surface pro
Okay, we know that design apps for Windows might seem like an oxymoron. It’s true that once it was the Mac that reigned supreme amongst designers, but Windows is fast catching up as a viable operating system for design pros – with a vast array of decent apps to boot.
There are a few outliers (like Sketch), that don’t want to adapt away from Apple. But now, mostly, anything Mac can do, Windows can do as well. So, which are the best apps for Windows right now?
This post rounds up, in no particular order, the best design apps for Windows on the market and sum up what you need to know to choose between them. Want more kit options? See our guide to the best laptops for graphic design. Alternatively, if you’re more interested in drawing and painting digitally, check out our pick of the best digital art software.
Design apps for Windows
Screenshot of Photoshop Layers palette
(Image credit: Jason Parnell-Brookes)
- Adobe Photoshop
Industry standard photo editing and raster design tool.
SPECIFICATIONS
Used for: Image editing and manipulation, photo retouching, graphic design, web and app prototyping, 3D modellingPayment model: SubscriptionFree trial: 30 daysPlatforms: Mac, Windows, iPad
TODAY’S BEST DEALS
RECOMMENDED RETAIL…
Creative Cloud All Apps
£49.94/mth
Creative Cloud Photography
£9.98/mth
Creative Cloud Single App
£19.97/mth
VISIT SITE
at Adobe
REASONS TO BUY
+Industry standard
+Creative Cloud integration
+3D capabilities
REASONS TO AVOID
-Expensive
Possibly the best known of all design apps for Windows, Photoshop has dominated the profession for the last three decades, and remains the go-to for studios everywhere. Indeed, you’ll probably struggle get a job without knowing how to use it. If you’re a freelancer, of course, you have more scope for using other software, but it will probably be difficult to avoid it altogether.
But is it a any good? Well, with so many design apps for Windows around, you don’t stay on top in an ever-expanding industry for nothing, and our most recent testing found Adobe has made strident efforts to update its tool to keep it relevant for 2022. We especially love the new neural filters, and powerful 3D modelling and 3D printing features. Plus, the iPad version is a handy addition (find out more in our Photoshop for iPad review). This app is getting more and more sophisticated by the day; for example, Adobe added cloud documents version history, and support for cloud documents in offline mode.
The main reason to consider an alternative is price. Photoshop, like other Adobe tools, is now only available as part of a Creative Cloud subscription, and that doesn’t come cheap.
Having said that, there are discounts to be had (check out the latest Creative Cloud discounts), and if you’re using multiple CC tools, then the interoperability between them, and other services like Adobe Fonts and Adobe Stock, can often make the extra cost a good investment in your career. Read more in our comprehensive Photoshop review.
Adobe Illustrator
(Image credit: Beth Crane)
- Adobe Illustrator
Popular and established vector editing tool.
SPECIFICATIONS
Used for: Illustration, designing vector graphicsPayment model: SubscriptionFree trial: 30 daysPlatforms: Mac, Windows, iPad
TODAY’S BEST DEALS
Adobe Illustrator
£19.97/mth
VISIT SITE
at Adobe
REASONS TO BUY
+Industry standard
+Creative Cloud integration
+3D tools
REASONS TO AVOID
-Expensive
First launched in 1987, Illustrator has been the natural companion to Photoshop for generations of illustrators and designers, and it’s long been considered the standard vector drawing tool for the industry. That dominance is starting to ebb a little, with a rush of new rivals into the space. But it remains one of the most sought-after design apps for Windows, and our recent testing showed exactly how good it is (we gave it a strong four and half stars).
As with Photoshop, its rivals are largely competing on price, and for those whom money is less important than efficiency, Illustrator remains a hugely powerful and versatile tool, that Adobe is constantly making efforts to improve further.
In the most recent update, we especially like the new 3D tools, elegant vector editing and the cloud teamwork function. The biggest additions in recent years have been a Freeform Gradients tool that makes it super-easy to create rich gradients, a Global Editing feature that lets you simultaneously make changes across all instances of a similar object, and a smart cropping tool that automatically suggests crops based on AI. Illustrator has also now launched on the iPad see our Illustrator for iPad review), and the updates to this app make it much easier for you to share your work with colleagues and collaborators.
More broadly, the issues that apply to Photoshop apply to Illustrator too. On the plus side, its ubiquity makes it a good tool to learn for your career, and the integration with the Creative Cloud can help make your workflow smooth and speedy. On the downside, its decades-old codebase and interface are becoming a little bloated and well, there’s that monthly subscription. Find out more in our Illustrator review.
Design apps for Windows: Illustration of stylised face
(Image credit: Serif)
- Affinity Designer
Professional-grade rival to Illustrator, at an affordable price.
SPECIFICATIONS
Used for: Illustration, designing vector graphicsPayment model: One-off purchaseFree trial: 90 daysPlatforms: Mac, Windows, iPad
TODAY’S BEST DEALS
VIEW AT SERIF EUROPE UK
REASONS TO BUY
+Powerful features
+Affordable price
+Integrates with other Affinity apps
REASONS TO AVOID
-Lacks some advanced tools
Since its release for Windows in 2016, Affinity Designer has offered PC-using professionals a grown-up alternative to Illustrator, including a complete vector and pixel editing toolset, 10 million per cent zoom, non-destructive effects and adjustment layers, and more.
Our recent testing showed it is excellent value for money and it can handle a heavy load without any issues. While some capabilities in Illustrator are absent, such as distortion or warp effects, most of what you can do in Adobe’s tool, you can do in Affinity Designer. And the interface is similar enough that it’s easy to pick up and use intuitively.
Coded for the latest computers and tablets, makers Serif claim that Affinity Designer runs faster than Adobe’s products, and our experience suggests that’s very much the case, as long as you’re using relatively modern equipment. Affinity Designer is also staggeringly cheap, and you only pay once: there’s no subscription.
That said, Illustrator remains the industry standard of all the design apps for Windows, and so there’s somewhat of a chicken-and-egg problem; many studios don’t want to use it until all studios are using it. Also, while Affinity Designer is interoperable with sister tools Affinity Photo and Affinity Publisher (see below), there’s not yet anything approaching the complexity of the Creative Cloud ecosystem, with its endless number of tools, and integrated Adobe Fonts and Adobe Stock options.
For freelancers who have more freedom to organise how they work, though, this most affordable of design apps for Windows is certainly worth considering. The app is constantly being improved, for example Affinity introduced a new tool to add contours and line offsets to any shape or path, plus the ability to place linked images and resources. Read more of what we thought in our Affinity Designer 1.10 review.
Affinity Photo
(Image credit: Ben Brady)
- Affinity Photo
Low-cost rival to Photoshop that’s surprisingly capable.
SPECIFICATIONS
Used for: Image editing and manipulation, photo retouching, graphic design, web and app prototypingPayment model: One-off purchaseFree trial: 90 daysPlatforms: Mac, Windows, iPad
TODAY’S BEST DEALS
VIEW AT SERIF EUROPE UK
View at Microsoft UK IE
REASONS TO BUY
+Streamlined interface
+Fast working
+Affordable price
REASONS TO AVOID
-Lacks some advanced features
Just as Affinity Designer rivals Illustrator, Affinity Photo is one of the design apps for Windows that offers an alternative to Photoshop. And we found it’s a pretty familiar experience. Brushes, layers, masks, for example, are all treated in the same way as in Adobe’s tool.
Affinity Photo is not, however, a carbon copy of Photoshop. Indeed, while some designers will complain that Affinity Photo doesn’t do everything that Photoshop does, that’s kind of missing the point. Essentially, this most budget-conscious of design apps for Windows is not weighed down with hundreds of features that try to please everyone, but is more streamlined for specific tasks. When we tested it, we loved the uncluttered interface and the simplicity of the effective tools.
Rather than a fully fledged graphics suite, Affinity Photo is better described as photo editing software with some good art and design tools, including some distinctive features like a saveable undo history, PSD Import/Export options and a non-destructive workflow. More recent additions include the ability to add liquify adjustments as live, maskable layers.
If you’re looking for a full graphic design tool, you’re better off – as the name suggests – with Affinity Designer (above), which has pixel design capabilities alongside its range of vector tools. But if photo editing is your main concern, Affinity Photo offers some excellent tools and capabilities, at a low, one-off price. Want to know more? See our Affinity Photo review.
Design apps for Windows: Illustration of stylised face
(Image credit: Corel)
- CorelDRAW Graphics Suite
Vector-based illustration tool with a broad fanbase.
SPECIFICATIONS
Used for: Vector illustration, page layout, image editing and manipulationPayment model: One-off purchase or subscriptionFree trial: 15 daysPlatforms: Mac, Windows
TODAY’S BEST DEALS
CorelDraw Graphics Suite 2021
£299/year
VISIT SITE
at Corel Corporation
REASONS TO BUY
+Powerful features
+Intuitive interface
+Choice of payment models
REASONS TO AVOID
-Not cheap
First launched in 1987, CorelDRAW is a vector-based illustration tool that’s mainly focused on Windows (although in 2019 it did finally launch on MacOS).
So how does it compare with other design apps for Windows? Well, from our testing we found it’s difficult to recommend it over Adobe Illustrator for features, while Affinity Designer easily beats it on value for money. But CorelDRAW continues to be popular amongst everyone from artists to graphic designers, so its makers are clearly doing something right.
In recent years, its standout improvement has been the LiveSketch tool: an innovative line drawing solution for designers and illustrators who want to bypass producing thumbnails on paper and freely sketch-out vector art at the source; this is particularly useful on a drawing tablet.
Other cool features in CorelDRAW include Colour Harmony, which lets you change the look of an object from one group of complementary colours to another; Pointiliser, which lets you create vector mosaics; and the way that every layer is represented with a thumbnail representation of the shape in question. More recently, the latest versions (2020, 2021) build on the new features powered by AI, cloud-based collaborative review options, and overall improved performance. Plus there’s an impressive bitmap for vector drawing called PowerTRACE.
In short, CorelDRAW may not be the “best” at any one thing, but overall this is solid, well functioning and professional grade software for designers that’s got a lot to recommend it. Find out more in or CorelDRAW review.
Design apps for Windows: Brochure
(Image credit: Abobe)
- Adobe InDesign
The go-to desktop publishing suite for the print media.
SPECIFICATIONS
Used for: Desktop publishingPayment model: SubscriptionFree trial: YesPlatforms: Mac, Windows
TODAY’S BEST DEALS
Adobe InDesign CC
£19.97/mth
VISIT SITE
at Adobe
REASONS TO BUY
+Industry standard for print
+Good e-publishing features
+Continuing granular improvements
REASONS TO AVOID
-Requires subscription
Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator were pioneers in their respective fields of image editing and vector graphics. But when InDesign arrived on the scene in 1999, it was somewhat late to the party. The market for desktop publishing software at that time was dominated by QuarkXpress. But InDesign quickly took over, largely because of its lower price.
Nowadays, of all design apps for Windows, InDesign remains the industry standard for print publishing. And it’s evolved over the years to include some pretty nifty digital publishing features too.
When we last tested it, we loved the collaboration tools, and the fact it switches seamlessly from digital to print. Since then, the main recent innovations have been small but important ones, such as support for endnotes and better font filtering, as well as better integration with the Creative Cloud. But on the whole, Adobe has avoided too much radical change. Updates continue are constantly being made, but they tend to be granular, rather than groundbreaking. An update this April, for example, introduced the ability to map the optical size of your text to automatically set the font size.
And that’s actually quite smart, because one of the biggest appeals of InDesign is its familiarity to designers who’ve been using it for years, if not their entire careers. For those new to it, though, the interface is not that intuitive and so there is a bit of a learning curve. Head to our InDesign review to read more.
Serif
(Image credit: Ben Brady)
- Affinity Publisher
Cheap and capable rival to Adobe InDesign.
SPECIFICATIONS
Used for: Desktop publishingPayment model: One-off purchaseFree trial: 90 daysPlatforms: Mac, Windows
TODAY’S BEST DEALS
VIEW AT SERIF EUROPE UK
View at Microsoft UK IE
REASONS TO BUY
+Easy to use
+Affordable price
+Interoperable with Affinity apps
REASONS TO AVOID
-Lacks some advanced features
Launched in 2019, Affinity Publisher is a low-priced alternative to InDesign, and the sister app to Affinity Designer and Affinity Photo. We loved it in our testing, finding it simple to master, intuitive and easy to integrate with other Affinity apps.
One of the cheapest design apps for Windows around, Publisher enables you to work with dynamic photo frames, tables, baseline grids and linked resources, all backed up with end-to-end CMYK, and headline features include advanced typography options, linked text frames, master pages, and facing page spreads.
The focus is very much on print publishing, and it isn’t a particularly useful for digital design, not yet anyway. Nor is it as powerful or feature-rich as InDesign. For more in-depth opinion, check out our Affinity Publisher review.
Design apps for Windows: Illustration of cat on 3 mobile phones
(Image credit: Abobe)
- Adobe XD
Freemium tool for UI, web and app prototyping.
SPECIFICATIONS
Used for: Web and app prototypingPayment model: Free or subscriptionFree trial: No, but there is a free versionPlatforms: Mac, Windows, with iOS and Android app for testing
TODAY’S BEST DEALS
Adobe XD – Single App Monthly
US$9.99/mth
VISIT SITE
at Adobe
REASONS TO BUY
+Powerful prototyping features
+3D and VR tools
+Free version
REASONS TO AVOID
-Premium tools require subscription
Launched in 2016, Adobe XD is a vector-based UX design tool that’s popular for creating website wireframes and animated, click-through prototypes. Although you don’t need a Creative Cloud subscription to use it, we found XD makes it easy to pull in existing design work from other Creative Cloud apps, such as Photoshop or Illustrator, plus there’s a free companion app that lets you preview your work on iOS or Android devices.
There’s a free version of Adobe XD, which give you access to a limited number of fonts and 2GB of cloud storage. With a subscription to the full version, meanwhile, you’ll get access to the Adobe Fonts Portfolio, 100GB of cloud storage, plus unlimited editors, shared documents and shared links.
Our testing found XD was a powerful tool on launch – we especially liked that you can import content from other Adobe apps – and Adobe has continued to add newer and better features on a regular basis. For example, you’ve been able to use voice commands, keyboard input, and gamepad input to trigger between states of components in your prototypes.
And that’s good news for PC users looking for design apps for Windows, because not only has rival UI app Sketch not developed a Windows version, it’s ruled out doing so. Find out more on our Adobe XD review.
Design apps for Windows: Girl and dog on hill
Photoshop Elements is a lighter and cheaper version of the main Photoshop software (Image credit: Abobe)
- Photoshop Elements
Simplified version of Photoshop that’s cheap and easy to use.
SPECIFICATIONS
Used for: Image editing and manipulation, photo retouchingPayment model: One-off purchaseFree trial: YesPlatforms: Mac, Windows
TODAY’S BEST DEALS
Prime
VIEW AT AMAZON
LOW STOCK
View at Wex Photo Video
View at Adobe
See all prices (6 found)
REASONS TO BUY
+Easy to use
+One-off purchase
+Free trial available
REASONS TO AVOID
-Not suitable for pros
Like Photoshop, but don’t need all the features and want to save some money? Photoshop Elements is a raster graphics editor for entry-level photographers, image editors and hobbyists that, we found, contains most of the features of the professional version, but with fewer and simpler options.
Photoshop Elements is still about twice as expensive as Affinity Photo, so we’d suggest you take out a free 10-day trial of the latter first before committing. But if you’re already familiar with Photoshop’s interface and don’t want to learn something new, it may well be worth the money. Read our Photoshop Elements review for more.
Design apps for Windows: Inkscape web page
Inkscape is free, open source and surprisingly powerful (Image credit: Inkscape)
- Inkscape
Free and open source vector editor with advanced features.
SPECIFICATIONS
Used for: Illustration, designing vector graphicsPayment model: FreeFree trial: N/APlatforms: Mac, Windows, Linux
TODAY’S BEST DEALS
VISIT SITE
REASONS TO BUY
+Advanced feature set
+Costs nothing
+Worldwide community
REASONS TO AVOID
-Works slowly
If seeking a free graphic design tool for Windows, check out Inkscape. This open source vector editor comes with a surprisingly advanced feature set, including complex path operations, node editing, bitmap tracing and path-based text. Plus there’s a broad and enthusiastic worldwide community behind it, so if you run into trouble, it’s easy to get help and support.
The main downside of Inkscape, and the reason you might prefer to pay for a more sophisticated tool instead, is the speed of its operation, which is relatively slow and clunky. As always, though, that depends on the equipment you have. If you’re using a super-speedy machine, you might find it’s not a problem, and the fact it’s free means it’s certainly worth giving it a go.
Design apps for Windows: Canva web interface
(Image credit: Canva)
- Canva
Browser-based graphics editor that’s great for beginners.
SPECIFICATIONS
Used for: Designing social media graphics, presentations, posters, brochuresPayment model: FreeFree trial: 30 daysPlatforms: Mac, Windows, Linux
TODAY’S BEST DEALS
Canva Free
Canva Pro
£8.99/mth
Canva Enterprise
£24/mth
VISIT SITE
at Canva
REASONS TO BUY
+Easy to use
+Free version
+Pro version is cheap
REASONS TO AVOID
-Not as full-featured as others
Launched in 2012, Canva is a graphic design editor that works in the browser; so you can use it whether you’re on a Windows, Mac or Linux computer or tablet. While it’s more limited than full-blown design software like Photoshop, it is capable of creating a wide range of graphic assets, from social media graphics to brochure layouts, presentations to posters.
Based on drag-and-drop, and offering a range of templates, our testing found it’s a great choice for beginners and amateurs wanting to get started with graphic design but it’s not one for pros. Being housed in the browser, it’s also great for sharing your work and collaborating with others.
The basic version of Canva is free, but you need to take out a subscription to unlock all the features, and access unlimited folders and thousands of templates. That subscription, though, is still pretty cheap compared to most of the tools on this list. Check out our Canva review for more.
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