Microsoft Designer is a free AI design app that generates social posts, invitations, and graphics from a text description, wrapping DALL·E image generation and layout intelligence in a Canva-style editor.

Describe what you need, "an Instagram post for a Saturday bake sale, warm and playful", and Designer proposes complete designs with generated imagery, typography, and layout, ready to customize. Image Creator produces standalone AI images; editing tools handle background removal, generative erase, and restyling; and templates cover the social-and-event graphics people actually make. It integrates with Copilot, Word, and PowerPoint, works in the browser and mobile apps, and is free with a Microsoft account, boosted allowances come with Microsoft 365.

Who is it for?

Non-designers making social and event graphics, students, small businesses on zero budget, and Microsoft 365 households wanting design output inside their ecosystem.

How much does Microsoft Designer cost?

Free with a Microsoft account, including generation boosts; Microsoft 365 subscribers get higher daily boosts and deeper integration. There is no separate paid tier.

Our verdict

For free AI design, Designer is quietly excellent, full layouts, real editing tools, no watermark games. Canva still wins on template depth and brand kits, but at this price Designer is the default recommendation for casual design.