Free Postcard Makers (2026): 10 Tools Compared

Postcards are having a quiet comeback. Inboxes are crowded, and a card on the doormat gets read by everyone who picks it up, which is why estate agents, local trades and charities still rely on them.

The ten tools below cover design, printing and mailing. They're listed alphabetically and in no particular order, and every description comes from the vendor's own website, read this week. If you're planning a campaign, my guide to using direct mail for lead generation covers the strategy side.

Postcard makers side by side

I checked the free plan column on each tool's own website, as of Oct 2026. Yes means the site says the tool, or a plan or version of it, is free or open source. Trial only means a time-limited trial. Not stated means the pages I read named neither, even where there's a button inviting you to try it, so check the vendor's page before you sign up.

Tool	Type	Good for	Free plan
Adobe Express	Online design tool	Designing a postcard from a template	Yes
Canva	Online design tool	Promotional postcards for local customers	Yes
MOO	Online printing service	Postcards printed with business cards	Not stated
MyPostcard	Postcard app with printing and mailing	Holiday photo postcards from your phone	Not stated
Postalytics	Direct mail automation software	Automated postcard campaigns	Yes
PostcardMania	Direct mail marketing company	Every Door Direct Mail campaigns	Not stated
PostGrid	Print and mail API	Developers sending postcards by API	Not stated
PostSnap	UK photo printing service	Photo postcards printed in the UK	Not stated
Thanks.io	Handwritten-style direct mail	Handwritten-style postcards from a CRM	Not stated
TouchNote	Personalised card and postcard app	Personal postcards for family	Not stated

Ten postcard makers to try

Adobe Express

Best for: Anyone who wants to pick a postcard template, add photos and text and download it for printing.

Canva

Best for: Local businesses that want professionally designed postcard templates, AI help with content and media, and easy downloading or sharing.

MOO

Best for: Brands that want to design and print custom postcards online, next to their business cards and stickers from the same printer.

MyPostcard

Best for: Travellers who want to turn a phone photo into a real postcard that's printed and mailed internationally for them.

Postalytics

Best for: Marketers who want to design, print and send personalised postcards automatically from customer data, like email in the physical world.

PostcardMania

Best for: Local service businesses that want postcard design, printing and mailing lists, including Every Door Direct Mail, handled together.

PostGrid

Best for: Software teams that want to send postcards, letters and cheques through an API and check addresses before anything is printed.

PostSnap

Best for: UK customers who want photo cards and postcards printed alongside their photo prints, posters and photo books.

Thanks.io

Best for: Sales teams that want handwritten-style postcards triggered from their CRM or a CSV, printed, stamped and mailed for them.

TouchNote

Best for: Families who want to make personalised postcards and greeting cards from their own photos for birthdays and holidays.

Which postcard maker fits your mailing

• Designing from a template to print yourself: Adobe Express or Canva.
• Postcards printed with your business cards: MOO.
• Holiday postcards from your phone: MyPostcard or TouchNote.
• Automated postcards from customer data: Postalytics or Thanks.io.
• Neighbourhood campaigns by mail route: PostcardMania.
• Sending postcards through an API: PostGrid.
• Photo postcards printed in the UK: PostSnap.

The size rule that turns a postcard into a letter

USPS rules in the Domestic Mail Manual say a card mailed at the card rate must be rectangular, at least 3-1/2 inches high, 5 inches long and 0.007 inch thick, and no more than 4-1/4 inches high, 6 inches long or 0.016 inch thick. A card outside those limits is charged as a letter.

That catches a lot of small businesses. The popular 5 by 7 inch size looks like a postcard and prints like one, but in the US it travels as a letter. That isn't wrong, as bigger cards get noticed, but it should be a choice you make before you design rather than a surprise at the post office. Other countries set their own sizes, so check your postal service's rules if you're mailing outside the US.

If the occasion calls for a folded card rather than a postcard, our guide to free greeting card makers compares ten tools for ecards, group cards and printables.

Design tool, photo app or direct mail service?

A design tool gives you templates and a canvas, and you download a print-ready file. It's the most flexible option if you already have a local printer.

A photo app turns a picture from your phone into a real postcard and posts it for you. It's made for personal cards, one or a few at a time.

A direct mail service designs, prints and mails postcards in bulk, sometimes triggered automatically from your customer list. It's built for marketing campaigns.

Stickers are a small extra to slip into a mailing, and our comparison of sticker makers looks at tools for designing and printing them.

Six checks before you send a postcard

1. Is the size within your postal service's postcard limits?
2. Is there clear space for the address and stamp?
3. Does the front make sense in two seconds?
4. Is there one clear thing you want people to do?
5. Have you checked every address before printing?
6. Do you know how you'll track the response?

Signs your postcard needs another draft

• There are three offers on it. Keep one.
• The address side is cluttered. Leave clear space.
• You can't tell who responded. Add a code.
• The photo is dark. Brighten it before printing.

Do you make a postcard maker? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.

My plain advice on postcards that get a response

Put one offer and one action on the card, and make the action easy to track: a short web address, a code or a phone number used nowhere else. Send a small test batch to a few streets first and count the replies before you mail the whole area. A postcard that can't be tracked can't be improved.

If you're mailing locally, my guide to hyperlocal marketing has more ideas for reaching the streets around you.

Frequently asked questions

What is a postcard maker?

It's a tool that helps you design a postcard from a template or photo, then download it, have it printed or have it printed and posted.

Are postcard makers free?

Design tools often have a free version. Printing and postage are charged by print and mail services. Check the free plan column above.

What size is a postcard in the US?

USPS rules say a card mailed at the card rate must be between 3-1/2 by 5 inches and 4-1/4 by 6 inches, and between 0.007 and 0.016 inch thick.

Is a 5 by 7 inch card a postcard?

In the US it's bigger than the USPS postcard limits, so it's charged as a letter rather than at the card rate.

Can I send postcards automatically from my CRM?

Yes. Some direct mail services send postcards automatically from your customer data or a spreadsheet.

Can I post a postcard from my phone?

Yes. Photo postcard apps print your picture on a real card and post it for you, including abroad.