Best Logo Makers for Small Businesses and Startups
Five logo makers compared by what you can download free, which file formats you get, who owns the logo and what it really costs.
For most small businesses, Looka is the safest starting point: you can design for free, pay once for a logo package, and the Premium tier includes real vector files. Brandmark is the cheapest one-time option, Zoviz suits people who manage several brands, Tailor Brands makes sense if you’re also forming an LLC, and Adobe Express is a decent free stopgap. None of them gives you a trademark, and that’s worth knowing before you print anything.
Disclosure. The buttons in this guide link to each tool’s official site. If we join a tool’s affiliate program later, those links may earn us a commission at no extra cost to you, and that won’t change how we rank anything. See our affiliate disclosure.
Quick comparison
Prices are the list prices we could find on official pages in October 2026. Where a vendor’s page was unclear, the table says so.
| Tool | Best for | Free option | Main advantage | Biggest drawback | Pricing reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Looka | Startups wanting a one-time logo with an upgrade path | Design and save free, download is paid | Premium package includes SVG, EPS and PDF | Basic package is low-res PNG only | $20 or $65 one-time |
| Tailor Brands | Owners who also want LLC formation | Low-res download | Vector and 21 social sizes in the paid download | Logo-only pricing isn’t clear on its pricing pages | See logo maker page |
| Brandmark | No-subscription buyers | Unlimited free generation | Simple one-time pricing | Terms say little about ownership | $35, $95 or $195 one-time |
| Zoviz | Freelancers and marketers with several brands | Create and preview free | Brand assets, link-in-bio and more under one plan | Subscription pricing for a one-time need | From $29/mo or $199/yr |
| Adobe Express | Quick, free logos for social and web | Yes, 500×500 export | Free, with Adobe fonts and templates | No dedicated logo package or stated trademark guidance | Premium $9.99/mo |
What to check before you pay for a logo
- The file you actually get. A logo you can only use as a small PNG is a problem the first time you need a banner or a printed sign. Look for SVG, EPS or PDF and a transparent background.
- Whether you can edit it later. Several tools lock the name or icon after purchase.
- Who owns it. Vendors that mention ownership usually mean copyright in the finished logo, not trademark rights, and not the individual icons inside it.
- One-time or subscription. A logo is usually a one-time need, so a monthly plan can cost more than it’s worth.
The logo makers, reviewed
1. Looka: the best all-round pick
Looka lets you generate and edit logos for free, then charge at download. According to its help pages, the Basic logo package is $20 one-time and the Premium package is $65 one-time. The Brand Kit subscription is $96 a year, and a Brand Kit Web plan is $129 a year. Looka’s pricing page didn’t show dollar amounts when we looked, so confirm the figures at checkout.
What you get: Basic is a single low-res 1000×1000 PNG on a coloured background, with no transparent or vector file. Premium adds SVG, EPS, PDF and PNG files, plus transparent, all-black and all-white versions. The Brand Kit adds 300-plus templates for social posts, business cards, flyers, presentations and invoices, though Looka doesn’t print anything for you.
Ownership: Looka says you own the logo and hold copyright in the logo as a whole, but not in individual elements such as symbols. It doesn’t offer trademark protection and points you to your national trademark office.
Watch out for: the company name text and layout can’t be edited after purchase, and the cheap package really is cheap. Most businesses should skip Basic and buy Premium.
2. Tailor Brands: logos bundled with business setup
Tailor Brands lets you make a logo free and download a low-res version. A high-res download adds vector EPS, a transparent SVG, PNG and 21 resized social media versions, according to its logo maker page. The company says the logo is fully yours after purchase and sells trademark registration as a separate service.
The trouble is pricing. The pricing pages we found showed LLC-formation plans, not logo plans: Lite at $0, Essential at $199 a year and Elite at $249 a year, plus state fees, with only Elite listing free logos. We couldn’t confirm a standalone logo price or refund terms on an official page, so we’re not quoting one.
Pick it if you’re also forming a company and want one vendor to handle the paperwork, the logo and a basic website.
3. Brandmark: the one-time-fee option
Brandmark lets you generate unlimited logos without an account. Its pricing page lists three one-time packages: Basic at $35, Designer at $95 and Enterprise at $195, with no monthly charges. Basic includes PNG and vector files. Designer adds source files, unlimited revisions, brand guidelines, a one-page website, a business card and social designs. Enterprise adds up to 10 hand-crafted concepts and a font download.
The homepage promises full copyright, but Brandmark’s terms don’t address ownership, trademarks or exclusivity, so the two don’t line up. If ownership matters to you, ask support to confirm it in writing. Designs also lean toward templates, which is our own read, not a vendor claim.
Pick it if you want a fixed price, no subscription, and you’re comfortable with a more automated result.
4. Zoviz: for multiple brands and ongoing assets
Zoviz is subscription-based. Its pricing page lists Starter at $29 a month or $199 a year, Pro at $49 or $339, and Business at $99 or $699, with Enterprise custom. The page suggests you can subscribe for a month, download your logo and cancel. Refunds are available within 30 days only if you haven’t downloaded files or used AI credits.
Downloads cover JPG, PNG, SVG and PDF, with a transparent background option for PNG. The standard licence covers one brand and isn’t exclusive, and you can’t change the icon or business name after purchase. Zoviz also says that owning the file isn’t the same as trademark registration.
Watch out for: the pricing page contradicts itself in places. AI credits, website counts and team sizes differ between the plan cards and the comparison table, so check the live page before choosing a tier.
Pick it if you build brands for clients or run several of your own, and you’ll use the extras like link-in-bio pages and digital business cards.
5. Adobe Express logo maker: the free stopgap
Adobe says its logo maker is free for everyone. The free download is a 500×500 square file in PNG, JPG or PDF, and animated logos export as MP4. Premium is $9.99 a month on the pricing page, but we couldn’t confirm which logo features need it, or whether you can export an SVG.
There’s no dedicated logo package and no trademark guidance on the logo page. That’s fine for a social profile or a side project, but it isn’t what we’d use as the permanent mark for a business.
Pick it if you need something decent today, at no cost, and you plan to revisit it.
Choose by situation
| If you… | Start with | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Want one payment and real vector files | Looka Premium | SVG, EPS and PDF at a one-time price |
| Hate subscriptions and want the lowest fixed cost | Brandmark | $35 to $195 one-time |
| Manage several brands | Zoviz | Brand assets under one plan |
| Are forming an LLC too | Tailor Brands | Business setup and logo together |
| Need something free right now | Adobe Express | Free export, but small |
Free logo makers: what you really get
Most free plans let you design, not download. Looka, Brandmark and Zoviz charge when you want the file. Tailor Brands gives a low-res download. Adobe Express is the only one here that states a free export outright, and it’s capped at 500×500. If you need to print the logo on a sign, a van or packaging, you need a vector file, and that means paying.
If you’re still sketching ideas, our guide to Canva alternatives covers general design tools that can also make simple marks.
Owning and protecting your logo
None of these vendors says its logos are trademarkable. Looka and Zoviz say copyright covers the finished logo but not individual icons or fonts, and Zoviz’s standard licence is non-exclusive, meaning another business could end up with a similar design. Tailor Brands sells trademark registration separately. If your brand matters, search existing trademarks before you commit, and talk to a lawyer about registering it. We’re not lawyers, and this isn’t legal advice.
Mistakes that cost money
- Buying the cheapest package, then discovering it has no transparent or vector file.
- Assuming a subscription is cheaper than a one-time purchase without counting renewals.
- Finalizing the business name after buying a logo that locks the text.
- Skipping a trademark search and rebranding later.
- Not saving the original files somewhere safe.
FAQs
What is the best free logo maker?
Adobe Express offers a free export, though it’s small at 500×500. Looka and Brandmark are free to design but charge for the download.
Which logo maker gives you vector files?
Looka’s Premium package includes SVG, EPS and PDF. Tailor Brands’ paid download includes EPS and SVG, and Brandmark says its packages include vector files.
Can I trademark a logo I made with an online logo maker?
None of these vendors promises that you can. Looka and Zoviz tell you to check with a trademark office, and their licences don’t cover individual elements like icons.
Is a one-time payment better than a subscription?
For a single logo, usually yes. Subscriptions like Zoviz’s make more sense if you need ongoing brand assets or several brands.
Do I need a designer instead?
If your logo is central to your brand or you need exclusivity, a designer is worth a quote. Logo makers are best for early-stage and low-budget needs.
Final verdict
Buy Looka Premium if you want the simplest path to a usable, professional file set. Pick Brandmark for the lowest fixed price, Zoviz if you’ll use the brand assets, and Tailor Brands only if the business-formation bundle appeals. Use Adobe Express as a free placeholder, not the final answer. Whatever you choose, confirm the file formats and price at checkout, since vendors change them.
More guides: Alternatives and all software categories.
