Here are the top 8 free adobe illustrator alternatives. If you can’t use adobe illustrator then you may use these free alternatives for free. Adobe Illustrator is an industry standard for creating vector graphics that never lose their quality when scaled up or down.
Whether you pay by the month or yearly, to use illustrator can be quite expensive. Thankfully there are free alternatives with most of the features you would ever need.
So coming up I’ll count down the top 8 free programs to create and edit vector graphics for any size project let’s get started.
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Top best free Adobe Illustrator Alternatives
Inkscape
This open-source vector editor has a huge toolset for graphic and web designers. It can do just about everything that illustrator can and best of all its completely free. There are tools for object creation and manipulation, various filters including overlays textures and bevels.
It’s perfectly compliant with the SVG file format including support for pdf eps cdr and the ai adobe illustrator file types. The primary tools are located along the left with additional tools on the right and there’s a color palette along the bottom of the window.
For first time users, Inkscape can be intimidating. Thankfully on their website, they have tutorials that will help you to get started. Inkscape is available on desktop for the three major operating systems Windows, Linux, and mac os.
Gravit Designer
This program is similar to Adobe Illustrator yet more user-friendly with many of the same tools. It is feature-packed it lets you create custom shapes with smart controls.
Their freehand tool lets you draw with automatic smoothing. There is a pen tool and also includes the non-destructive editing of your images. Numerous vector and raster file types are supported. You can import Illustrator AI files SVG and Sketch files.
You can also export your projects as an SVG, PNG, pdf, or jpeg file type. It has a modern-looking layout with the primary tools at the top. Along the left is where you’ll find the individual layers for your project. A graphic designer uses the premium model but the free version does offer most of the features. Most people would ever need the pro plan.
Lets you work offline include better quality, export options, and unlimited cloud storage. You can use Gravit designer online in your favorite web browser and it’s also available for download on windows mac os Linux and chrome os.
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LibreOffice draw
This free and open-source vector graphics editor is not a standalone program. It’s one of the programs included with the LibreOffice office suite.
While it does not support layers it does let you produce just about anything using graphics and diagrams to create technical drawings brochures posters and a whole lot more. The file types supported include SVG PSD and the CorelDRAW cdr file format.
The interface is fairly straightforward and simplified for novice users. You can find video tutorials to learn how to use it. LibreOffice draw gets extra points from us because it’s completely free with no restrictions.
It’s available for Windows Linux and mac os. If you’re looking for free vector art to edit Vectz, with over a million vectors in their database is a fantastic resource for both personal and commercial use.
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Vecteezy editor
While still in beta this in-browser vector graphics editor is one of the best you can use cost-free with no hidden paywalls. You can create your own designs from scratch or import and edit SVG files that you have on your computer.
It’s amazingly easy to use and well suited for beginners. You might even discover that it’s so simple to use that you won’t need to watch any tutorials. The user interface is intuitive you’ll find every tool available located in the left pane.
Currently, they have support for chrome chromium and opera. I can also confirm it works great in the new chromium-based Microsoft edge with no issues.
Vectr
Vectr is one of the best free Illustrator alternatives. It’s completely free and available online in your favorite web browser. It’s easy to use without a massive learning curve.
Your projects can be saved online or you can export it to your computer in SVG jpeg or png file formats. You’ll find pages and layers on the left to the right of layers as your toolbar and in the right pane are additional settings to fine-tune your creation.
If you need help getting started on the Vectr website there are dozens of tutorials that will teach you how to use it.
CorelDRAW
CorelDRAW is one many of you are familiar with; it launched way back in 1989 and has a very loyal following.
It includes all the tools you would need to create professional graphics and lets you easily import and export adobe illustrator AI files. They offer various products for more casual users.
Sketch
The sketch is a vector graphics editor. Featuring a user-friendly interface it’s not recommended for complex illustrations but it’s great for those of you interested in digital design.
They offer a 30-day free trial after which there’s a one-time payment of 99 with one year of free updates. once the year is up you can still use sketch but you’ll no longer receive updates unless you renew the license.
Affinity designer
It is developed in the UK for professional designers. This may be the best program for you if you’re looking for an interface that is similar to Illustrator with a much lower price point.
It fully featured to create complex designs and even includes tools illustrator does not have including the ability to quickly switch between vector and raster workspaces.
Comment below which one you liked the most and which one is not perfect in this list.
