Adobe Illustrator is certainly one of the most powerful software but most of its audience does not consider it worth the price. In this article, we’ve mentioned the Best Adobe Illustrator Free Alternatives for you to consider before you decide to invest.
Adobe Illustrator is widely used for professional as well as personal purposes by almost everyone. Be it creating logos or creating a new design for your brand, adobe illustrator is always up for the rescue.
It is a highly recommended and qualitative tool to create business cards for companies, blog post templates, Facebook ads, video game formats, social media graphics, etc. It is the perfect software for artists and graphic designers to work on and produce new creative content daily.
But its great performance comes with a hefty price and it might not be a very successful investment if you’re just exploring your interests. But no worries! Here are a few Adobe Illustrator Free Alternatives that you can try before deciding to proceed with the investment.
Benefits of Adobe Illustrator
There’s a long list of valuable aspects of this application other than vector graphics creation. This application is not only very convenient but also has a number of features that allow the creation of high-quality graphics. This application consists of
- All-inclusive vector designing solution
- Features to create content for many other major applications
- Support and control of custom brushes through a touch.
- A long list of publishing and listing features.
- A comprehensive range of filters and effects present that can be added to the designs.
- Quality workflow and detailing with advanced features.
The only drawback of this amazing application is that it can exceed the budget of many users. It might not be worth it if you do not use this application on a regular basis. But fortunately, there are many other graphic design software or illustrators you can give a try for free. Even though all these other illustrators might not have exactly the same features as adobe illustrator but these illustrators have many tools and features that make them comparable.
Best Adobe Illustrator Free Alternatives
Before you start your search for the best Adobe Illustrator Free Alternatives, you need to note down all the features that are needed by you related to your collaborations and designs. Figure out what you exactly are looking for in the application and how you are planning to use it before starting your search.
Once your all objectives are crystal clear, you’re ready to start your search for different adobe illustrator free alternatives. We’ve mentioned here six Adobe Illustrator Free Alternatives that are trending in the market at this point for you to choose from. Let’s dive deeper before wasting more time.
1. Inkscape
Inkscape is one of the most popular choices for adobe illustrator free alternatives. This open-source and SVG-centered software is best for beginners. It comes with a complete set of features that make designing scalable vectors and manipulating the images extremely easy. Cloning, bitmap tracing, text designing, etc can be easily performed by this software so if you’re looking for advanced editing with no extra money to spare then this application is for you. It has all the features of adobe illustrator so it can make you accomplish your goals and also meet your needs.
This application mainly is for SVG creators and can function in Windows, Linux, and Mac operating systems.
Pros
- SVG files can be edited by this application
- Files from Inkscape can be exported in pdf, open document drawing, PNG, postscript formats, etc
Cons
- With EPS and AI files, it is not compatible
- Lack of options for superior graphics
2. Vectr
Vectr is the best option for people who are looking for the best adobe illustrator free alternatives and are beginners in this field. This application is not only present as a web extension but also as desktop software with each of these two options being extremely easy and convenient to use. Though it lacks a lot of features of Adobe Illustrator and does not have a big curve for learning, it still is a good option to introduce beginners to the field of graphic design.
This software not only takes very little space on your system opening the opportunity for you to multitask but also owns the URL sharing feature that allows several collaborations. This application is highly user-friendly and quick and has all the basic features that a beginner would need. Vectr works best with the web, Chromebook, Windows, and Linux operating systems.
Pros
- Provides multiple formats
- Simple user interface
- Has inbuilt tutorials
- Imports are direct
Cons
- Only provides the basic features
- Lack customer support
3. Figma
With this Adobe Illustrator free alternative, you can create interfaces, and personalized shapes, design animate prototypes as well as collaborate. It is one of the best adobe illustrator free alternatives for you.
This application lets you use Google fonts and even allows you to import your personalized fonts. Your work is saved in Figma’s cloud so don’t even have to worry about losing your progress. You can optimize your workflow as this application is capable of flexibly accepting the plugins.
A good RAM as well as a graphics card is needed for a stress-free user experience for this software. PNG, SVG, and JPEG files or CSS code can be exported. You can master this software extremely easily with just some patience, time, and resources.
This application works with Windows, Linux, Chrome, and Mac.
Pros
- It is cloud-based
- Provides all the website design tools that would be needed by you
- Multiple members of a team can work simultaneously on the same project
- Provides all prototype design creation tools
Cons
- Without a graphic card or effective RAM, it lags on heavy prototypes
- Global colors are present in Figma’s module
- There’s no offline version and a connection to the internet is necessary
4. Vectornator
Next on our list of best adobe illustrator free alternatives is the Vectornator. It has Stress-free masking along with an advanced vector toolkit. This application is especially best for Mac users as it has high compatibility with the M1 chip and allows Mac users to design interfaces and illustrators all through it without needing to install any other application.
The main motive of this application is to fulfill the artistic requirements of Mac, iPad, and iPhone users by providing them with great tools and features. This application works with iOS 13, iPad operating systems, and newer and macOS Big Sur or later versions.
Pros
- The capability of quick and easy designs
- Can export files in multiple formats and individual layers
- Capable of accepting imported Figma designs
Cons
- Quick action buttons lack tooltips
- Has a Lag time compared to its counterparts
5. CorelDRAW
Thousands of vectors, mockups, IU designs, and wireframes are made available for you to play by CorelDRAW. It is one of the best adobe illustrator free alternatives and has as much punch as adobe illustrator. This is a good alternative for beginners as well as professional designers.
CorelDRAW, just like adobe illustrator can create shapes and has vector tools (i.e. slice, knife, pen, line, etc). Not only this but gravit designer also provides live filters, path editing modes, layers, etc to serve your needs. Cloud integration, SVG editing tool, and live boolean operations tool are a few of its noteworthy features. This application along with all the previously mentioned remarkable features, also provides a user-friendly interface and video tutorials for learning the proper application of this software.
Designers and illustrators who are looking for a robust design tool should certainly check out this application. CorelDRAW is compatible with Chrome, the web, Windows, Mac, and Linux operating systems.
Pros
- Flawless dashboard navigation is offered by this application
- Color customization available
- For exporting/ importing files, many formats are available
- Easy and fast keyboard shortcuts are available
- Costless library of wireframes and mockups
Cons
- While working on complex designs, this application might lag
- Lacks the feature to provide real-time collaborations
6. GIMP
It is one of the best adobe illustrator free alternatives for beginners as a good introduction to the world of design and vector creation is provided by it. Its feature for design and vector edition is similar to Photoshop. The compatibility of the GIMP-GNU image manipulation program is with multiple plugins through which you can add modules and features that are required for efficient advanced graphics.
This open-source platform offers tutorials for newcomers. Though it only offers limited back-end vector features, it offers other capable features that make it one of the best adobe illustrator alternatives. For professional designers that require custom tools for their graphics and designs, this is the perfect free alternative. It is compatible with Windows, Linux, and Mac operating systems.
Pros
- The learning curve is short and simple
- With the use of multiple layers, it is capable of creating GIF files
- Various file formats are supported
Cons
- The using of tools is a bit difficult
- Lacks customer support
- Has fewer features compared to other applications that charge money
Paid Alternatives To Adobe Illustrator
If you’re looking for adobe illustrator alternatives that can provide you with more advanced features than a free alternative of the application then we have a few options for you. Here are three paid alternatives to the adobe illustrator.
1. Affinity designer
This application is compatible with Mac, iPad, and Windows operating systems and costs $49. It is almost similar to adobe illustrator and is compatible with Adobe’s software. A large range of graphics along with ample resources are offered by the affinity designer.
It helps you in creating amazing vector designs at an affordable price but it is a bit complex to learn and lacks a few features that might be needed by you.
2. BOXY SVG
Boxy-SVG is compatible with the Windows and Mac operating systems including the web. For only 9.99$ yearly, it provides keyboard shortcuts, a user-friendly interface, and a clear-cut experience to its users. It is one of the top adobe illustrator alternatives however, it only works with scalable vector graphics (SVG).
3. Sketch
Sketch is compatible with Mac and is perfect for UI design. It requires a one-time investment of $99 for its multipurpose usage and collaborative capabilities. It provides plugin integration and is extremely easy to learn.
The drawback of this application is that it lags a few times and has not-so-stable prototyping. However, it is perfect for Mac users who are looking for an application to work on team projects.