When it comes to AI-powered design tools, Lunacy by Icons8 and Picsart stand out as two popular choices. Both offer unique features that cater to different user needs, from professional graphic design to quick and creative edits. But how do they truly compare? Let’s dive into their strengths, weaknesses, and key differences.
Overview of Lunacy and Picsart
Lunacy: A Professional Design Tool with AI Capabilities
Lunacy is a free graphic design software developed by Icons8, designed primarily as an alternative to Sketch. It offers robust vector editing capabilities, UI/UX design tools, and AI-powered features like background removal, avatar generation, and text-to-image generation. Unlike Sketch, Lunacy is available for Windows, macOS, and Linux, making it accessible to a broader audience.
Picsart: A Creative Editing Suite for Everyone
Picsart, on the other hand, is an all-in-one creative platform that blends AI-powered design tools with a strong focus on social media content. It includes photo and video editing features, AI image enhancements, a vast library of stickers, and a user-friendly interface. While it caters more to casual designers and content creators, it also offers advanced tools for professionals looking for quick edits.
User Interface and Ease of Use
Lunacy: Intuitive for Designers, but a Learning Curve for Beginners
Lunacy’s interface is clean, modern, and similar to Sketch, making it an excellent choice for professional designers. However, beginners might face a slight learning curve due to the variety of features and tools available. The software does offer helpful tooltips and guides, but mastering vector design requires some practice.
Picsart: Simple, User-Friendly, and Perfect for Quick Edits
Picsart is designed with simplicity in mind. Its interface is highly intuitive, making it easy for anyone to edit photos, create collages, or enhance images with AI effects. The drag-and-drop functionality and pre-made templates make content creation effortless, especially for beginners.
AI Features and Capabilities
Lunacy: Advanced AI Tools for Designers
Lunacy integrates AI to streamline the design process. Some of its standout AI-powered features include:
- AI Background Removal – Quickly removes backgrounds from images.
- Avatar Generator – Creates custom avatars using AI.
- Text-to-Image AI – Converts text prompts into visual graphics.
- AI Upscaling – Enhances image quality without pixelation.
These features make Lunacy a powerful tool for UI/UX designers and digital artists who need smart AI automation while working with vectors and layouts.
Picsart: AI-Powered Enhancements for Instant Creativity
Picsart offers a broader range of AI tools aimed at casual designers and social media creators, including:
- AI Image Enhancement – Automatically improves image quality.
- AI Background Removal – Similar to Lunacy but more focused on quick edits.
- AI Filters & Effects – Adds creative filters and AI-generated effects.
- AI Avatar & Stickers – Generates custom stickers and avatars for social media.
Picsart’s AI features prioritize speed and creativity, making it a go-to choice for users who want visually appealing content with minimal effort.
Design Capabilities and Features
Lunacy: A Full-Fledged Design Suite
Lunacy is more than just an AI-powered editor. It is a professional design tool with:
- Vector Editing Tools – Perfect for UI/UX and graphic design.
- Collaboration Features – Teams can work on projects in real time.
- Sketch Compatibility – Opens and edits Sketch files seamlessly.
- Offline Access – Works without an internet connection.
Picsart: A Feature-Rich Editor for Social Content
Picsart’s design capabilities focus on creativity rather than professional graphic design. It includes:
- Photo Editing – Offers a variety of filters, retouching tools, and overlays.
- Video Editing – Basic video editing with AI-powered effects.
- Social Media Templates – Ready-made designs optimized for platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.
- Remixable Content – Allows users to customize and remix community-generated content.
Performance and Speed
Lunacy: Smooth Performance with Offline Capabilities
Lunacy is optimized for performance, even on less powerful devices. Since it supports offline use, users can work without worrying about internet connectivity. It runs smoothly on Windows, macOS, and Linux, with minimal lag, even when handling complex vector graphics.
Picsart: Fast and Cloud-Based, but Requires Internet
Picsart is a cloud-based tool, which means it relies heavily on internet connectivity. While this allows for instant updates and access to an extensive asset library, it can slow down performance on weaker connections. On mobile devices, the app runs efficiently, but more complex edits may require a high-performance device.
Pricing and Accessibility
Lunacy: Free with Optional Premium Features
Lunacy is free to use, making it an excellent alternative to Sketch or Adobe XD. It offers optional premium features, such as additional cloud storage and collaboration tools, but the core functionalities remain free.
Picsart: Freemium Model with Subscription Plans
Picsart follows a freemium model, offering basic tools for free while locking advanced features behind a subscription. The Picsart Gold plan provides access to premium effects, templates, stock content, and AI tools, but it requires a monthly or yearly payment.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Lunacy Strengths
✔ Free and feature-rich for professional designers.
✔ AI-powered tools for efficient workflow.
✔ Works offline and supports collaboration.
✔ Compatible with Sketch files.
Lunacy Weaknesses
✘ Steeper learning curve for beginners.
✘ Lacks some advanced AI-powered creative effects.
Picsart Strengths
✔ User-friendly and ideal for quick edits.
✔ AI-powered tools designed for instant creativity.
✔ Huge asset library, including stickers and templates.
✔ Strong focus on social media content.
Picsart Weaknesses
✘ Requires an internet connection for most features.
✘ Limited vector design capabilities.
✘ Advanced features are locked behind a subscription.
Which One Should You Choose?
- For Professional Designers & UI/UX Creators → Lunacy is the better choice due to its advanced vector tools, offline capabilities, and Sketch compatibility.
- For Social Media Content Creators & Casual Users → Picsart is ideal with its AI-powered effects, templates, and easy-to-use interface.
Ultimately, the decision depends on whether you need a powerful design tool for professional projects (Lunacy) or an AI-enhanced platform for creative content and social media (Picsart).
