Fotor vs Microsoft Designer (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Fotor grades higher than Microsoft Designer: 3.0 against 2.4 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Fotor grades higher on value for money and features. They get the same grade on the free plan, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Fotor
Photo editor and AI image and video generator with credit plans
Microsoft Designer
Microsoft's AI image generator and graphic design app
Which one is for you
Pick Fotor if
- Fits if you edit photos and make AI images from one account on phone and computer
- Works for people who will pay $39.99 for a year
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you stay free, with limited credits and normal-quality exports
- Watch out: HD export, transparent PNG and watermark-free output need a paid plan
- Watch out: each model spends different credits; Pro's 100 buy about 2 five-second Seedance clips
- Watch out: yearly totals are shown with the monthly rate crossed out, and monthly prices were not readable
Pick Microsoft Designer if
- Fits if you already pay for Microsoft 365 and want quick graphics
- Works for people who make posts, cards and invitations from templates
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you don't want a Microsoft account, because sign-in is required
- Tight if you rely on the free tier, since the allowance isn't stated
- Watch out: Microsoft says AI benefits are for the subscription owner only
- Watch out: usage is capped by plan, with standard use on Personal and Family
How we grade them
| 3.0GPAFotorVery good | 2.4GPAMicrosoft DesignerFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | APro is $39.99 billed yearly, about $3.33 a month, under 60% of the $8 cheaper-quarter start for image tools ($4.80). It gives 100 credits a month. | CNo price is published for Designer alone, as AI use is tied to Microsoft 365 plans. |
| Free plan and trial | CBasic has limited free credits, 50 AI Agent chats and 512MB of storage, with normal-quality exports. HD export and transparent PNG need a paid plan. | CListed as free to start, but the free allowance wasn't confirmed on the pages we could read. |
| Features | BAI images and video on models like Flux, Veo and Kling, plus background and object removal, upscaling, restoration, batch editing and brand kits. Nothing in the listing is missing from the job. | CPrompt images, templates, background removal and generative erase. Image generation is capped, with standard use on Personal and Family and more on Premium and Pro. |
| Ease of use | BNo store rating on record. It opens in the browser or an app and you start editing, with nothing to set up. | BIt lives inside a Microsoft account many people already have. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, iOS, Android, Windows and Mac apps. No API or integrations are listed. | BWeb, with links into Outlook, Teams, PowerPoint, Word and SharePoint. |
| Best for | photo editing plus AI images and video | quick graphics if you already use Microsoft 365 |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Fotor and Microsoft Designer. How we grade
Where they differ
- Fotor also covers video generation.
At a glance
| Fotor | Microsoft Designer | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $39.99 per year, billed yearly | Not published |
| Free plan | Free Basic plan: limited free credits, 1 concurrent generation, 512MB of cloud storage and normal-quality exports. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Everimaging | Microsoft |
| Price read from | fotor.com | Not confirmed |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Fotor
- The Basic plan has limited free credits and normal-quality exports; HD export, transparent PNG and watermark-free output need a paid plan.
- Yearly totals are shown with the monthly rate crossed out; the Pro monthly price and the monthly-billing prices were not clearly readable.
- Each model spends a different number of credits per image or video.
Microsoft Designer
- The pricing and free allowance could not be confirmed from pages readable here, so no plans are listed.
- Microsoft says AI benefits are for the subscription owner only and cannot be shared with others.
- Image generation usage is capped by plan: Microsoft's table lists standard usage on Personal and Family and extensive usage on Premium and Pro.
- A Microsoft account sign-in is required to use it.
Key features
Fotor
- AI image and video generation
- Lists image models such as Flux, GPT Image, Nano Banana and Seedream, and video models such as Veo and Kling.
- Photo editing tools
- Background remover, object remover, image upscaler, photo restoration and batch editing.
- Credits that roll over
- Unused credits roll over while subscribed, up to 5 months of accumulation.
- AI headshot packages
- Headshots are sold as one-time image packages, separate from the subscription.
- Brand kits and templates
- Pro plans list multiple brand kits, design templates and fonts.
Microsoft Designer
- Prompt-based images
- Generates images, icons, wallpapers, stickers, clip art and avatars from a written description.
- Design from templates and sizes
- Starts designs at set sizes for social posts, ads, flyers, brochures, invitations, postcards and Outlook, Teams and PowerPoint headers.
- Image editing
- Edit image, remove background, frame images and generative erase are listed on the home screen.
- Create from prompts
- Suggestion prompts show how to fill in subject, setting and style slots to steer a result.
- Microsoft 365 link
- Microsoft's support page names Designer among the apps whose AI usage is tracked against a Microsoft 365 plan.
Plans
Fotor
Basic$0
Limited free credits, 50 AI Agent chats and 512MB of storage.
Pro$39.99
per year, billed yearly
100 credits a month, 10 concurrent generations and 2GB of storage.
Pro+$62.99
per year, billed yearly
300 credits a month, 30 concurrent generations and 100GB of storage. Shown against $7.49 a month.
Max$251.92
per year, billed yearly
1,000 credits a month by default, 50 concurrent generations and 500GB of storage. Shown against $29.99 a month.
Microsoft Designer
Pricing could not be confirmed. See designer.microsoft.com.
Ways to pay less
Fotor
- Annual discount
30% off yearly billing on Pro+ and Max
The pricing page marks Pro+ and Max with 30% off when billed yearly.
Microsoft Designer
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Fotor or Microsoft Designer?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Fotor starts at $39.99 per year, billed yearly, and Microsoft Designer has no price we could confirm.
Which has a free plan, Fotor or Microsoft Designer?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Fotor has a free plan. Microsoft Designer does not.
Which platforms do Fotor and Microsoft Designer run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Fotor lists macOS, Windows, iOS and Android apps. Both list a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.