Image & Design comparison · 2026

Microsoft Designer vs Palette

Compare Microsoft Designer and Palette as Image & Design tools on fit, pricing, and the capabilities that actually overlap in 2026. Pick Microsoft Designer for small business owners and social media creators who need a publish-ready post or invitation from a written prompt without hiring a designer or learning a full editor.. Pick Palette for teams colorizing inherited family photographs for genealogy records and printed albums and preparing archival stills for documentary and broadcast production.

Updated Aug 22, 2026

Microsoft Designer
designer.microsoft.com

Stunning designs in a flash

Starts at $0/month·Image & Design

Palette
palette.fm

AI colorization for black-and-white photos with 21+ filters and keyword-level color control

Starts at $0/month·Image & Design

At a glance

Microsoft DesignerPalette
CategoryImage & DesignImage & Design
PricingStarts at $0/monthStarts at $0/month
Free tierYesYes
PlatformsWeb, Windows, iOS, AndroidWeb
Suitable forSmall business owners and social media creators who need a publish-ready post or invitation from a written prompt without hiring a designer or learning a full editor.Teams colorizing inherited family photographs for genealogy records and printed albums and preparing archival stills for documentary and broadcast production
Company——
Founded2022—

How they differ

Shared Image & Design rubric, filled from each listing. Not a score.

Generate

Microsoft DesignerPalette
Text to imageYesNo
Image to imageNot publishedYes
Inpaint / outpaintLimitedNo
UpscaleNot publishedNot published
VariationsYesLimited
Background removalYesNo

Control

Microsoft DesignerPalette
Style referenceNot publishedLimited
Character consistencyNot publishedNot published
Pose / structure controlNot publishedNot published
Negative promptsNot publishedNot published
Seed controlNot publishedNot published
Custom model trainingNot publishedNot published

Design

Microsoft DesignerPalette
TemplatesYesYes
Brand kitLimitedNot published
Vector / SVGNot publishedNo
LayersNot publishedNot published
TypographyYesNo
MockupsNot publishedNo

Rights & output

Microsoft DesignerPalette
No watermark on paidNot publishedYes
Print resolutionNot publishedYes
Transparent PNGNot publishedNot published
Batch generateNot publishedYes
Training opt-outNot publishedNot published
IP indemnityNot publishedNot published

Access

Microsoft DesignerPalette
Public APINot publishedYes
Official SDKNot publishedNot published
Self-serve signupYesYes
Free trialNot publishedYes
Team workspaceNot publishedNot published
SSO / SAMLNot publishedNot published
Mobile appsYesNo
Browser extensionLimitedNot published
Self-host / on-premNoNot published

Commercial

Microsoft DesignerPalette
Commercial licenseNot publishedNot published
Usage-based pricingNot publishedYes
Invoice / PONot publishedNot published
SOC 2Not publishedNot published
GDPR / DPANot publishedNot published
Audit logNot publishedNot published
Role-based accessNot publishedNot published

Features

These listings describe different capabilities. What each one ships:

Only Microsoft Designer

  • Prompt-to-design generation that turns a text description into finished layouts
  • AI image generation for original visuals inside the same canvas
  • Templates for social media posts, invitations, digital postcards, and graphics
  • Multiple design variations produced from a single prompt
  • Photo editing helpers including background removal and object erase
  • Text restyling and typography effects for headlines
  • Brand color and palette adjustment across a generated design
  • Browser-based editor that requires no desktop install

Only Palette

  • AI colorization of black-and-white photos in seconds
  • 21+ ready-made color filters such as Light, Flowers, Interior, History, and Clothes
  • Keyword-based color adjustment: click the adjust icon, describe the colors, and re-colorize
  • Batch upload by dragging and dropping multiple images at once
  • Full-resolution, logo-free output up to 5000x5000 pixels on paid credits
  • Unlimited free color previews at 500x500 pixels with a Palette watermark
  • One free trial credit on sign-up for a clean full-resolution download
  • Pro filter workflow with auto-loading, pinning, organizing, and duplicating filters

Use cases

These listings describe different use cases. What each one ships:

Only Microsoft Designer

  • Producing an Instagram or LinkedIn post graphic from a short prompt
  • Designing a birthday, wedding, or event invitation without a designer
  • Making digital postcards and holiday greetings for family or customers
  • Creating promotional graphics for a small business sale or launch
  • Cleaning up a phone photo with background removal before posting
  • Generating original AI imagery when stock photos do not fit the message
  • Building a quick flyer or announcement for a club, class, or community group
  • Resizing and restyling one concept into several social formats

Only Palette

  • Colorizing inherited family photographs for genealogy records and printed albums
  • Preparing archival stills for documentary and broadcast production
  • Digitizing and colorizing local history or museum collections in batches
  • Giving photo restorers a first-pass color layer before manual retouching in Photoshop
  • Producing colorized historical imagery for social media, blogs, and YouTube channels
  • Embedding colorization into a third-party product through the Palette API
  • Reprinting colorized versions of wedding, military, or portrait photos as gifts

Integrations

These listings describe different integrations. What each one ships:

Only Microsoft Designer

  • Microsoft account sign-in
  • Microsoft 365
  • Microsoft Copilot
  • Microsoft Edge
  • Windows
  • OneDrive

Only Palette

Nothing exclusive in this list.

Plans

Microsoft Designer

  • Free with a Microsoft account $0/mo

    Access to the Microsoft Designer web app at designer.microsoft.com · Prompt-to-design generation for social posts, invitations, postcards, and graphics · Template-based editing, text restyling, and photo editing tools · AI image and design generation limited by a monthly AI credit allowance · No pricing page was published on designer.microsoft.com at crawl time, so credit counts are not stated

  • Microsoft 365 subscription uplift Not published on designer.microsoft.com

    Larger monthly allowance of AI credits for image and design generation in Microsoft Designer · Billed through a Microsoft 365 consumer subscription rather than a Microsoft Designer plan · Exact credit counts and the subscription price are not stated on the Microsoft Designer homepage

Palette

  • Free $0/mo or $0/yr

    Unlimited color previews at no cost · Images resized to a maximum of 500x500 pixels, keeping their shape · Palette logo watermark in the bottom-right corner · Over 21 color filters · Keyword-based color customization via the adjust icon · Ads shown in the interface · One free trial credit on sign-up for a logo-free, full-resolution file

  • Subscribe (480 photos) $72/yr

    480 credits per year, one credit per image up to 5000x5000 pixels · Displayed as $6/month with annual billing, $72 per year, vendor states Save 28% · Credits refresh automatically each month or year · Unused credits roll over up to five times the monthly plan amount · Up to 10 times faster processing · Watermark-free previews and downloads · Pro filter workflow: auto-loading, pinning, organizing, and duplicating filters · No ads · Cancel anytime; credits valid while the subscription is active

  • Subscribe (2400 photos) Not published on the homepage

    2400-photo annual tier selectable on the Palette subscription widget · Price for the 2400-photo tier is not printed on the Palette homepage · Same watermark-free, full-resolution, faster-processing benefits as the 480-photo tier

  • Subscribe (6000 photos) Not published on the homepage

    6000-photo annual tier selectable on the Palette subscription widget · Price for the 6000-photo tier is not printed on the Palette homepage · Same watermark-free, full-resolution, faster-processing benefits as the 480-photo tier

  • Pay once (75 photos) $49

    75 credits for $49, listed at $0.65 per credit · One-time payment with no subscription · Logo-free colorization in full resolution up to 5000x5000 pixels · Vendor states one-off packs are available for years; terms state one-off credits expire 24 months after purchase · Pack sizes of 1, 10, 75, 200, and 500 photos offered · Limited ads · All free benefits included

Microsoft Designer strengths

  • Free entry point with a Microsoft account, so testing Microsoft Designer costs nothing
  • Prompt-to-layout flow produces usable social graphics in a few minutes
  • AI image generation and layout editing live in the same Microsoft Designer canvas
  • Runs entirely in the browser with no install or high-end hardware requirement
  • Ties into an existing Microsoft account, avoiding a separate creative login
  • Photo cleanup tools such as background removal reduce round trips to another editor

Watch-outs

  • Microsoft Designer publishes no pricing page on designer.microsoft.com, so plan names, credit counts, and prices are not verifiable from the product site
  • AI generation is metered by AI credits that reset on a cycle rather than accumulating, so heavy prompt use stalls mid-project
  • The larger credit allowance is bundled into a Microsoft 365 consumer subscription instead of a standalone Microsoft Designer plan, forcing a broader purchase
  • Brand kit, shared asset library, and multi-seat approval features are thinner than tools built for marketing teams
  • Commercial usage rights for AI-generated output depend on Microsoft service terms rather than a clear statement on the Microsoft Designer homepage
  • Template and stock libraries are smaller than long-established design catalogs
  • No published offline or desktop application for Microsoft Designer; the workflow assumes a live browser session
  • AI image and design generation limited by a monthly AI credit allowance

Palette strengths

  • Palette sells genuine one-time credit packs, so buyers are not forced into a recurring plan
  • Palette allows unlimited free previews, so filter experimentation costs nothing before purchase
  • Palette's keyword adjustment box gives per-object color steering instead of a single fixed style
  • Palette outputs up to 5000x5000 pixels with no watermark once a paid credit is used
  • Palette's terms overview explicitly grants users ownership and unrestricted commercial use of generated images

Watch-outs

  • Palette plan limits come from the published pricing table.
  • Palette packaging is recorded from the vendor pages available at analysis time.

Microsoft Designer vs Palette verdict

Who each product is for, then labeled AI takes. Not a generic winner.

Bottom line

Pick Microsoft Designer for small business owners and social media creators who need a publish-ready post or invitation from a written prompt without hiring a designer or learning a full editor.. Pick Palette for teams colorizing inherited family photographs for genealogy records and printed albums and preparing archival stills for documentary and broadcast production.

Who Microsoft Designer is for

Small business owners and social media creators who need a publish-ready post or invitation from a written prompt without hiring a designer or learning a full editor.

Stunning designs in a flash

Who Palette is for

Teams colorizing inherited family photographs for genealogy records and printed albums and preparing archival stills for documentary and broadcast production

AI colorization for black-and-white photos with 21+ filters and keyword-level color control

AI take on Microsoft Designer

As of August 2026, Designer’s appeal is its unusually direct idea-to-post workflow; its trade-off is a lighter, credit-metered creative environment.

AI take on Palette

As of August 2026, the strongest argument for Palette is structural: real one-time credit packs, free unlimited previews, and clean commercial rights.

Microsoft Designer vs Palette FAQ

Common questions when choosing between Microsoft Designer and Palette.

Is Microsoft Designer or Palette the better Image & Design tool?

Pick Microsoft Designer for small business owners and social media creators who need a publish-ready post or invitation from a written prompt without hiring a designer or learning a full editor.. Pick Palette for teams colorizing inherited family photographs for genealogy records and printed albums and preparing archival stills for documentary and broadcast production.

Which is cheaper, Microsoft Designer or Palette?

Microsoft Designer starts at $0/month. Palette starts at $0/month. Confirm current pricing on each vendor site.

Who should choose Microsoft Designer?

Small business owners and social media creators who need a publish-ready post or invitation from a written prompt without hiring a designer or learning a full editor.

Who should choose Palette?

Teams colorizing inherited family photographs for genealogy records and printed albums and preparing archival stills for documentary and broadcast production

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