Adobe Illustrator ($580)
Inkscape - Vector graphics are a staple of logo and Web design. Create top-notch vector images with this powerful free program.

Adobe Lightroom ($300)
RAWTherapee - For high-quality photos, many photographers shoot in RAW format. This program gives plenty of editing tools for turning your RAW files into quality finished products.

Maya ($3,500)
Blender - Interested in 3-D computer modeling? Look no further than this powerful, free modeling program. It contains all the tools you need to make 3-D models, scenes, animations and even games.

Adobe Premier Elements/Premier ($100/$800)
Live Movie Maker - Even personal home videos can benefit from some editing. This simple program lets you arrange your video, add sound, create credits and more.
Lightworks - Want to take your videos to new heights? This free, professional video-editing software was good enough to be used on last year's Oscar-winning movie, The King's Speech.