Who ever considered free graphics design tools bad have no experience with using GIMP. There's nothing you can't do on GIMP. I'm not trying to discredit premium tools but there are so many good free tools which get job done 100%.
Free tools can never been said to be bad. This is because they equally get the job done 100% perfect. For example, Canva and GIMP are free too but they can do any graphics jobs they work on decently.
I wouldn't say that using free tools is bad when it comes to graphics design. I have been known to use both GIMP and the free version of Canva a few times and have never had any issues or complaints after using these.
I believe what is important is your skill and creativity and not whether the tools you used were free or paid.
If you are getting started you can make use of free tools to get the basics of design. But eventually you will need to get sophisticated tools which are mostly paid if you want to be a professional.
I don't think it is right to categorize free graphic design softwares as been bad. This is because when you look at how good Canva have been for designers over the years, you will understand how effective that tool is for designers.
Canva is not a bad graphic design tool or software and also GIMP is not a bad graphic design software because it is also free. Both of them have been very helpful when it comes to my progress in graphic designing as a professional.
