They say you never get a second chance to make a first impression, and in retail, packaging is that first impression.
In fact, a 2018 study found that 72% of consumers are influenced by packaging design when deciding what to buy.
That’s because packaging isn’t just a visual — it’s an introduction, a tactile experience, and often the deciding factor between a product being picked off the shelf or passed over.
That’s why mockups are essential.
They let designers and brands preview packaging in the real world before a single label is printed.
In this guide, we’ll explore the best tools and templates for packaging mockups, whether you’re new to packaging design or ready to take your workflow to the next level.
Keep Exploring:
- Don’t let simple packaging design mistakes hold your product back — check out these seven to avoid.
- And if you’d rather leave it to the experts, we’ve rounded up the top 10 packaging design agencies that can take your brand further.
10 Packaging Mockup Tools and Templates for Beginners to Pros
We’ve rounded up 10 of the best packaging mockup resources, from free template libraries to advanced design software, organized by skill level to help you find the right fit:
- Beginner-Friendly Packaging Mockup Templates (Free & Paid)
- Intermediate Tools: 3D & Custom Packaging Mockup Generators
- Advanced Tools: Creating Packaging Mockups in Photoshop & Illustrator
A. Beginner-Friendly Packaging Mockup Templates (Free & Paid)
New to packaging design? These free and paid mockup tools make it simple to create pro-looking packaging in minutes:
1. Freepik
Freepik is a beginner-friendly design hub offering a wide range of packaging mockup templates for bottles, boxes, and bags.
It recently added AI tools to help you generate visuals, remove backgrounds, and upscale images, making it a handy one-stop shop for quick, polished packaging designs.
Key Features:
- Thousands of packaging mockups across industries
- AI design tools: generator, remover, upscaler
- Online editor for easy tweaks
- PSD, JPG, AI download formats
Pricing:
- Free: Limited downloads, attribution required.
- Essential: $8.50/mo ($5.42/mo annual) for basic AI tools, no premium stock.
- Premium: $17/mo ($10.83/mo annual) for stock content + unlimited downloads.
- Premium+: $39/mo ($24.33/mo annual) for unlimited AI generation + extras.
- Pro: $250/mo ($158.33/mo annual) for large-scale AI credits + merchandising license.
2. Pixpine
Pixpine offers high-quality PSD mockups (boxes, bags, pouches, etc.) that are easy to drop your designs into, great for beginners who want pro-looking packaging without the fuss.
Key Features:
- Free & paid PSD mockups across product categories (including packaging)
- Some 100% free mockups available for download
- Smart-object layers for easy customization
- Monthly subscription with download rollover
Pricing:
- Free: select PSD mockups (limited)
- Pack of 4: $12 one-time
- Pack of 8: $16 one-time
- Monthly: $22/month for 46 downloads, rollovers allowed
- Quarterly: $50/quarter for 46 downloads/month, rollovers allowed
- Yearly: $99/year for unlimited downloads
3. Envato
If you want sheer variety, Envato Elements is the place to go.
With one subscription, you unlock thousands of packaging mockups, from sleek product boxes to coffee cups, plus a ton of other design assets to round out your projects.
Key Features:
- Huge range of packaging mockups (boxes, bottles, bags, labels, and more)
- Professional PSDs with smart-object layers for quick edits
- Realistic scenes with multiple views and angles
- One subscription covers all Envato assets, not just mockups
Pricing:
- $16.50/month (billed annually) for unlimited downloads
- No per-mockup charges — once subscribed, you can grab as much as you want
4. Creatoom
Creatoom is a budget-friendly source for polished packaging mockups, from boxes to pouches and jars. Its PSD templates are easy to customize with smart objects.
Beginners can try the free plan, while pros unlock the full library through an affordable monthly or yearly subscription.
Key Features:
- Free & paid packaging mockups (boxes, pouches, jars, labels, etc.)
- Smart-object layers for easy drag-and-drop customization
- Wide range of templates & scenes
- Premium plan unlocks all mockups and bundle discounts
Pricing:
- Free: limited access to select mockups
- Pro: $20/month or $120/year for unlimited mockups and full library access
B. Intermediate Tools: 3D & Custom Packaging Mockup Generators
When you’re ready to move past simple templates, these tools let you build custom dielines, spin your packaging in 3D, and even preview how it looks in action:
5. Pacdora
Think of Pacdora as your online packaging playground.
You can upload dielines, adjust artwork, and watch your designs instantly morph into 3D boxes, pouches, tubes, etc. It’s ideal when you want more control than a flat mockup.
Key Features:
- Upload and edit custom dielines in-browser
- Generate realistic 3D previews and packaging shapes (boxes, tubes, pouches)
- AI-powered tools & credits system built-in
- Export in common formats (PNG, etc.) and integrate with design workflow
Pricing:
- Free: 3,000+ dielines, 5,000+ mockups, 50 AI credits; limited, watermarked exports.
- Lite: $14/mo ($9 annual) for 15 dieline exports, 2K images, 720p video, 300 AI credits.
- Pro: $29/mo ($17 annual) for unlimited dielines, 4K images, 1080p video, 3,000 AI credits, no watermark.
- Business: $99/mo ($59 annual) for 8K images, 2K video, 10,000 AI credits, commercial license.
6. Mockey.ai
Mockey.ai is like having a pocket-sized design assistant!
It uses AI to create 3D packaging mockups and realistic scenes right in your browser.
No downloads, no watermarks, and super beginner-friendly, making it great for quick, professional-looking results.
Key Features:
- AI-powered 3D mockups and scene generation
- 1,000+ free mockups, new ones added weekly
- Multiple formats (JPG free, PNG/HD with Pro)
- Extra AI perks: video mockups, background remover, AI animate, and more
- Browser-based, no software installs needed
Pricing:
- Free: 1,000+ mockups, JPG format, new weekly updates
- Pro: $9.90/month or $5.70/month (annual) for HD downloads, PNG, unlimited downloads, ad-free, pro mockups, exclusive backgrounds
- Max: $19/month or $15.20/month (annual) for 200 AI credits, video mockups, AI animate, photoshoot, background remover/blur
- Lifetime Pro: $199 one-time for forever access to Pro features (no AI credits)
- Enterprise: From $500/month for tailored plans for agencies & brands
7. Boxshot
Boxshot is for anyone who wants their packaging to look like it just rolled out of a professional photo studio.
It’s a 3D rendering tool built for high-res box and product shots, giving you full control over lighting, angles, and camera settings.
Key Features:
- 70+ customizable shapes (boxes, bottles, bags, pouches, etc.)
- High-quality rendering engine with realistic lighting and shadows
- Full control over camera angles, zoom, and scene setup
- Import your own dielines or 3D models for custom packaging
- Supports PSD, AI, and PDF artwork
Pricing:
- Online: $9.99–$19.99 per high-res render — best for one-off projects.
- Subscription: $16/month (annual billing) or $192/year per user for unlimited renders with updates.
- Permanent License: $499 one-time for unlimited renders forever, 1 year of updates, optional renewal $249/year.
8. Canva
Canva isn’t built just for packaging, but if you’re after speed and simplicity, it delivers.
With ready-made packaging templates and drag-and-drop editing, you can mock up boxes, labels, and more in minutes — perfect for beginners or quick pitches.
Key Features:
- Pre-designed packaging templates (boxes, labels, bags, etc.)
- Drag-and-drop editor — no design skills needed
- Integrates with Canva’s massive design library (fonts, graphics, stock photos)
- Instant previews inside your design projects
Pricing:
- Free: Basic tools, 5GB storage, limited templates
- Pro: $12.99/month or $119.99/year for premium templates, Brand Kit, 100GB storage, background remover
- Teams: $14.99/month or $149.90/year for all Pro features + team collaboration (up to 5 users)
- Enterprise: Custom pricing for advanced controls, SSO, asset management, dedicated support
C. Advanced Tools: Creating Packaging Mockups in Photoshop & Illustrator
If you’re comfortable with design software, Photoshop and Illustrator give you total freedom to create packaging mockups from scratch:
9. Photoshop
Photoshop is the classic go-to for packaging mockups.
With PSD templates and Smart Objects, you can drop your design in seconds and tweak lighting, depth, and shadows for a realistic finish.
Perfect for flat product shots, box covers, or label wraps that need polish.
Key Features:
- Smart Object support: drop in your artwork quickly
- Light, shadow & depth adjustment for realism
- Layer styles, masks & blending for texture on boxes/labels
- Mockup compositing and post-effects (gloss, emboss, etc.)
Pricing: $22.99/month (annual plan, billed monthly)
10. Illustrator
Illustrator shines for building dielines and labels from scratch, but it’s not stopping there.
With the new 2025 Mockup Beta Feature, you can now place your artwork on editable 3D packaging shapes inside Illustrator in real-time. That means less back-and-forth between apps.
Key Features:
- Create precise dielines, labels, and packaging layouts
- 2025 Mockup Beta: place vector art on editable 3D shapes right inside Illustrator
- Perspective grid, automatic adjustments to art based on curvature
- Full vector control (scaling, alignment, clean exports)
Pricing: $22.99/month (annual plan, billed monthly)
Bonus Tool: Adobe Dimension
Adobe Dimension takes your packaging beyond flat designs.
Drop in your Illustrator artwork, set the scene with lighting and shadows, and create realistic 3D mockups — all at no extra cost with Creative Cloud.
5 Packaging Mockup Tutorials Worth Watching
If you’d rather learn by watching, these tutorials break down the design process of building packaging mockups step by step.
From Illustrator to Photoshop, you’ll see how to move from flat artwork to realistic 3D visuals.
Illustrator Mockup Tutorials:
- NEW Mockup Tool in Illustrator 2025 (3D packaging): Learn how to use Adobe’s latest feature to place your packaging designs directly onto editable 3D shapes.
- Packaging Design in Illustrator (with dielines): A practical walkthrough of how to design dielines and apply your artwork for packaging mockups.
- Adobe Dimension + Illustrator Workflow: See how to integrate Illustrator designs with Adobe Dimension to create professional 3D renders.
Photoshop Mockup Tutorials:
- How to Use Smart Objects in Mockups: Quickly swap in your designs using Smart Objects for realistic packaging previews.
- Create Product Packaging in Photoshop: A full guide to building polished packaging mockups from scratch in Photoshop.
How to Choose the Right Packaging Mockup Tool for Your Brand
With so many packaging mockup tools out there, the best choice really comes down to your skills, budget, and what you need the mockups for.
Here’s how to narrow it down:
- Skill level: Just starting out? Go for drag-and-drop platforms like Canva or Mockey.ai. More advanced? Photoshop, Illustrator, or 3D tools like Pacdora will give you the control you want.
- Budget: Free templates are a great entry point, but paid tools usually bring sharper customization, more realism, and export options that look pitch-ready.
- Project scope: Need quick visuals for an ecommerce store? A simple PSD template works. Running a big client pitch? You’ll want the polish of advanced 3D mockups.
- Customization needs: If you need specific dielines or want to showcase unique packaging formats, look to 3D generators or Illustrator’s new mockup features.
- Scalability: Think long-term. Choose a tool that grows with you, from quick one-off visuals to detailed, high-quality presentations.
Unbox Better Packaging Mockups with Designity
The right packaging mockup tool can take your design from flat concept to polished, real-world presentation.
Free templates offer quick wins, 3D tools bring your ideas to life, and Adobe’s suite gives pros unmatched flexibility.
But juggling tools, learning curves, and design tweaks can eat up more time than you planned.
With Designity’s Creative-as-a-Service model, you get access to the top 3% of vetted creatives, a dedicated Creative Director, and flexible subscription plans that scale with your needs.
Ready to bring your packaging designs off the screen and onto the shelf?
Book a demo call today and explore our 100+ creative services with a two-week free trial.
.png)
