What is Stencil?
Stencil is a lightning-fast online graphic design tool purpose-built for creating social media images and visual content at speed. Developed by Stencil and launched in 2016, it is listed as a freemium AI Social Media solution.
Stencil
Stencil is a lightning-fast online graphic design tool purpose-built for creating social media images and visual content at speed.
Key Highlights
Create Graphics in 60 Seconds
A typical social media graphic can be created in under a minute thanks to the minimal interface optimized for speed.
Instant Design with Chrome Extension
Select any image or text from any webpage and convert it directly into a graphic in Stencil's editor.
Inspirational Quotes Database
Thousands of ready-made inspirational and motivational quotes can be added to designs with one click, a great resource for content ideas.
About
Stencil is a focused online graphic design tool developed by Stencil that has earned a loyal following among social media professionals who value speed above all else. Since its launch in 2016, the platform has refined its single-purpose approach to become one of the fastest ways to create shareable visual content for social media and blogs.
The core philosophy behind Stencil is that most social media graphics don't need complex design tools. A compelling quote overlaid on a beautiful photo, a promotional banner with clean typography, or a branded announcement graphic can be created in under a minute with the right template and assets. Stencil optimizes every aspect of its workflow for this reality.
The asset library is comprehensive despite the tool's simplicity. Over 5 million royalty-free photos sourced from Unsplash, Pixabay, and other premium collections are searchable directly in the editor. Thousands of icons and graphics can be layered onto designs. Google Web Fonts provides access to hundreds of typography options. A unique quotes database offers thousands of inspirational and motivational quotes that can be added to designs with one click.
Stencil's Chrome extension is a standout feature that no competitor matches in execution. While browsing the web, users can right-click any image or highlight any text and instantly open it in Stencil's editor. This transforms content curation from a multi-step process into a seamless workflow where discovered content becomes shareable graphics in seconds.
The platform offers three tiers. The free plan allows 10 images per month with limited access to photos and templates. The Pro plan at $9/month unlocks unlimited images, the full photo library, all templates, and Buffer integration. The Unlimited plan adds team features, priority support, and the ability to upload custom fonts and maintain brand kits.
Use Cases
Daily Social Media Posts
Quickly producing quotable, branded, and eye-catching visuals for Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook every day.
Content Curation Workflow
Instantly converting interesting content discovered on the web into shareable graphics through the Chrome extension.
Blog Featured Images
Quickly creating blog post featured images using stock photos and typography.
Pros & Cons
Pros
Cons
Features
- 5 million+ royalty-free stock photos
- Chrome extension for instant graphic creation from any webpage
- Thousands of curated inspirational quotes database
- Google Web Fonts integration for typography
- Optimal preset sizes for all social media platforms
- Buffer integration for direct social scheduling
- Thousands of icons, shapes, and graphic elements
- One-click background removal and image filters
Benchmark Results
Source: getstencil.com
Source: getstencil.com
Source: getstencil.com
Pricing
$0
- 10 images per month
- Limited stock photos
- Basic templates
- Limited icons
$9/month
- Unlimited image saves
- Full stock photo library
- All templates and icons
- Buffer integration
$18/month
- Everything in Pro
- Team collaboration
- Custom font uploads
- Priority support