A Pinterest pin maker is a design tool that turns a photo and a headline into a tall 2:3 pin. Most of them hand you templates and leave the writing to you. SiteToSocial’s free Pin Maker works the other way round: paste a blog post or product page and it designs three pins from the page’s own photos, with headlines built on phrases people search. For hand-made designs, Canva is still the best free editor. Here’s how all nine options compare, and how to make a pin that actually gets clicked.
The best free Pinterest pin makers compared
| Pin maker | How you make a pin | Writes the text | Free version | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. SiteToSocial Pin Maker | Paste a link; 3 designs from the page’s photos | Headline, title, description | 3 uses a day, no signup | Blogs and shops |
| 2. Canva | Edit a template | AI helpers on some plans | Free plan, thousands of pin templates | Full creative control |
| 3. Adobe Express | Edit a template | AI helpers | Free plan | Quick branded pins |
| 4. Pinterest’s pin editor | Crop and add text inside Pinterest | No | Free, built in | One-off pins |
| 5. Pixlr | Edit a template in the browser | No | Free templates | Photo editing |
| 6. Snappa | Edit a template | No | Free plan with a download cap | Simple, fast designs |
| 7. Tailwind Create | Generates designs from your photos | Some | Free plan | Tailwind users |
| 8. Picmaker | Paste a URL, then edit | Headlines | Free to start | Fast variations |
| 9. BrandCrowd | Edit a template | No | Free to try | Logo-led brand pins |
1. SiteToSocial Pin Maker: from a link to finished pins
No canvas, no dragging text boxes around. You paste a public post, recipe or product page with at least one good photo. SiteToSocial reads it, finds the phrases people search on Pinterest for that topic, and draws three different headlines onto the page’s own photos in three layouts, with colors picked for the topic. Each pin comes with a title and description. Because the pins use your photos, the click lands on exactly what the pin showed. That’s good for trust and for saves.
It’s free for 3 uses a day. Its paid plans do the same for every page on your site and post the results automatically, from $10 a month.
2. Canva: the best free editor
Canva’s free plan has thousands of Pinterest templates, and you can change every pixel. The price of that freedom is time: you pick the template, write the headline, swap the photo, export, then write the pin title and description somewhere else. Fine for five pins a week. Painful for fifty.
3. Adobe Express and 5. Pixlr
Both give you free pin templates and a browser editor. Adobe Express is the more polished of the two for branded templates; Pixlr is handier when the photo itself needs work.
4. Pinterest’s own pin editor
Already inside Pinterest and completely free. You can crop to 2:3, add text in around 20 typefaces and schedule up to 30 days ahead. Text can only sit in a few positions, so it suits simple pins with a clean photo.
6. Snappa, 7. Tailwind Create, 8. Picmaker, 9. BrandCrowd
Snappa is quick and simple, with a few hundred pin templates on its paid plan and a capped free plan. Tailwind Create makes several designs from your photos and fits neatly into Tailwind’s scheduler. Picmaker turns a URL into editable pin designs. BrandCrowd leans on brand templates built around your logo.
How to make a Pinterest pin, step by step
- Pick the page the pin should send people to, and the one phrase you want it found for. A Pinterest keyword tool helps here.
- Choose a tall photo from that page. Bright, sharp, and showing the result: the finished room, the plated dish, the dress on a person.
- Set the canvas to 1000 x 1500 pixels (2:3). See the Pinterest image size guide for other formats.
- Add a headline of four to eight words that contains the keyword. Big enough to read on a phone at arm’s length.
- Add your website small at the bottom. Optional, but it helps people recognise you over time.
- Export as JPG or PNG and write the pin title (keyword first, up to 100 characters) and description. Our title formulas speed this up.
- Check it in the Pin Preview & SEO Checker, then post it to the board that matches the keyword.
Pin design rules that matter
- Tall wins. 2:3 fills the feed. Square and wide images shrink next to everything else.
- One message. One headline, one photo, one idea. Collages work for lists (“9 small living room ideas”), not for everything.
- Contrast for the text. Put headlines on a solid band or a darkened area of the photo, never straight on a busy background.
- Two fonts, maximum. A bold sans-serif for the headline, and maybe one accent font.
- Consistent, not identical. Reuse your colors and fonts so people recognise you, but change the photo and layout every time. Pinterest favors fresh images.
- Honest preview. The pin should show what the page delivers. Disappointed clickers don’t save.
Make more than one pin per post
One pin per post leaves traffic on the table. Each pin can target a different search: a recipe post might get “one pan chicken dinner”, “lemon garlic chicken thighs” and “30 minute dinner ideas”, each with its own photo and headline, published a week or two apart. That’s why SiteToSocial’s Pin Maker returns three designs instead of one. It’s also the routine its paid automation repeats for every page, with up to 100 different pins per page over time. More on that in our list of the best Pinterest automation tools, and on AI-made pins in our Pinterest pin generator comparison.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best free Pinterest pin maker?
SiteToSocial's free Pin Maker is the best if your pins promote your own posts or products: paste the page and it makes three finished pins from the page's photos, headlines and pin text included. Canva is the best free choice if you want to design every pin by hand from templates.
Can I make Pinterest pins on Pinterest itself?
Yes. Pinterest's own pin editor lets you crop an image to 2:3, add text in about 20 typefaces and schedule the pin up to 30 days ahead. It is basic, with only a few text positions, but free and built in.
What size should a Pinterest pin be?
Make pins 1000 x 1500 pixels, a 2:3 ratio. Taller pins get cropped in the feed, and square or wide images look small next to everyone else's.
Do I need design skills to make Pinterest pins?
No. Template tools like Canva and Adobe Express do the layout for you, and SiteToSocial's Pin Maker skips the editor altogether by designing pins from a link.
What fonts work best on Pinterest pins?
Bold, simple sans-serif fonts for the headline, at a size you can read on a phone without zooming. Pair them with at most one script or serif font for accents, and keep to two fonts per pin.
Should I use stock photos or my own?
Your own photos where you can. They match what people see after the click, which builds trust. Stock photos are fine for concepts and tips, as long as they fit the page.
How many pins should I make for one blog post?
More than one. Make several pins with different images and headlines, each aimed at a different search, and publish them over weeks rather than all at once.
