Vector graphics is a digital art form based on geometrical primitives such as points, lines and polygons. Vector graphics provides better resolution at small sizes and allows scaling without losing resolution or clarity of the image. This article has been prepared to guide you to the best free vector graphics software online.
Here, I have compiled the best vector graphic softwares.
Krita
Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux
Krita is an open-source graphics editor that has historically specialized in raster graphics editing. However, an update in Krita 4.0 meant that it’s had an overhaul of the vector tools at its disposal and has become a pretty handy app for the creation of vector graphics.
You can create vector layers, draw all kinds of special shapes, and use the calligraphy and text tool to make more bespoke vectors resembling brush strokes and other fine shapes.
A big part of Krita’s recent development has been its move from the ODG to the more popular SVG file format, which makes it much more versatile for importing and exporting vector graphics.
Boxy SVG
Platforms: Web app, macOS, Linux, Chrome
Boxy SVG may not be a terribly complex app with a ton of tools and tweaks for you to make, but that’s its strength. It’s very simple to use and can be either downloaded as a desktop app or used through your browser.
You’ll find all the drawing tools you need to create elegant vector images using pens, shapes, curves and text. If you want to dig a bit deeper, there are also various options based around typography, geometry, masks, and (crucially) the option to export your SVGs in other formats.
With its sparing and non-overwhelming amount of options and UI elements, BoxySVG is a great lightweight tool if you want to get straight into making vectors with minimal messing around.
Also read:The Best Photoshop Alternatives for Mac
SVG-Edit
Platforms: Web
Don’t want to go through the rigmarole of downloading software that may lump in a whole pile of other software you don’t want? SVG-edit is a robust browser-based vector editor that uses the open-source SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) format. It has most of the fancy image-manipulation stuff you’d expect and works in every major browser.
Inkscape
Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux
Inkscape is a free open-source program with an amazing set of features. It is also the best cross-platform vector editor. Inkscape is used by many professional designers and is a full-fledged desktop vector editor available for Linux, Windows, and macOS.
Platforms: Web
If you like Inkscape but don’t want to install it on your computer, you can try RollApp. RollApp is the online version of Inkscape, and all you need is a browser. It has all the features of Inkscape, plus integration with Dropbox, Google Drive, One Drive, and a few other cloud storage providers.
However, if you work with large files and/or your Internet connection is unreliable, you may not be able to work as smoothly as on your desktop, but this applies to almost any other online vector editor as well.
Vectr
Platforms: Web, Windows, Linux
Vectr doesn’t have all the perks of Inkscape or RollApp, but it’s a good editor you can use for almost any vector task. The fact it doesn’t have as many features as Inkscape is not all bad – in fact, only having the basics makes it easier for beginners. Still, you can use Vectr to create images and apply basic operations, such as add layers, borders, shadows, or text.
Vectr is a very fast online editor (if your Internet connection is good, of course), but if you prefer to use it offline, you can download it for Linux, Windows, Mac, and Chromebook.
LibreOffice Draw
Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux
LibreOffice Draw is a good desktop vector editor for Linux, Windows, and macOS. It’s worth trying, especially if you already use the LibreOffice suite. You can use it to create vector images from scratch or to modify existing ones. One of the cool uses of LibreOffice Draw is for technical drawings, flowcharts, and diagrams because it has the right tools for the purpose. For more complex graphic editing, I personally prefer Inkscape.
Fatpaint
Platforms: Web
Fatpaint isn’t only a vector editor – you can use it to edit raster photos, too. It’s a web tool, so you only need a browser to use it. It’s great for creating logos and other small vector graphics and doesn’t have as many features as its desktop counterparts, but for quick edits, it’s more than okay. You can use it to create new vector files and objects, edit them, manipulate paths, add text, etc. One of the special features of Fatpaint is its 3D text manipulation abilities.
Adobe Photoshop.
Adobe Photoshop is synonymous with photo editing for graphic designers. It is one of the most popular photo editing software tools in the market in a robust package that offers excellent graphic design capabilities.
Key Features:
- Design Tools: Offers a lot of design tools for both mobile apps and web
- Creative Cloud: Its active synchronization with Adobe Creative Cloud offers a lot of unique features, including Content-Aware Crop, Face-Aware Liquify, Artboards, the Design Space view, synced libraries, a glyph panel, Cloud Documents, touch, and stylus input support, among others.
- User Interface: Adobe is continuously working on delivering a more customizable user interface. It offers several targeted workspace layouts, including Graphic and Web, Motion, 3D, Painting, and Photography, Designer can also create your own custom layout of panels and windows.
- Open-Source GIMP Software: If you don’t want to pay a dime, then you can download and install this software for free. Consider installing it on a powerful machine to avoid lag and other performance issues.
Pros:
- It offers a complimentary mobile application
- Its slick user interface offers a lot of assistance for easy use
- Got a rich set of typography and drawing tools
- Comes loaded with 3D design capabilities
- Offers a library and photo management with Adobe Creative Cloud
- Efficient file transfer between different programs
- Multiple design tools come with responsive graphics
- Ability to edit animation and video layers
- Users can define the size of the canvas, create custom brushes, work in 3D, isolate elements from backgrounds, among others.
Cons:
- Adobe now offers Photoshop along with the subscription of Creative Cloud. The recurring payment turns out to be more costly, and people who want to buy software forever don’t have the option to buy a perpetual license
- A plethora of features might overwhelm a new user
- Offers lessor support for raster and vector images like SVG files
Pricing Plans:
Adobe offers Photoshop at a subscription price of US$33.99 per month per license.
Get started with Adobe Photoshop today.Try Adobe Photoshop
Adobe InDesign.
Adobe InDesign is a must-have software tool if you are in the business of publishing. It offers excellent capabilities to design stunning magazines, info sheets, and brochures while easily exporting them to PDF or HTML.
Key Features:
- Easy To Use: Unlike PhotShop, InDesign requires a low learning curve. That means new users can quickly learn how to combine text and graphics to achieve the best results.
- Adjust Layout: The ‘Adjust Layout’ feature empowers the designer just to change the text of the template, and design gets adjusted automatically, which is great for infographics.
- Sensei Technology: Adobe’s AI-powered Sensei technology ensures automatic resizing and arrangement of images.
- Adobe InCopy: Designers can leverage InCopy to work with other members of the team by sharing text, colors, and graphics.
Pros:
- Graphic designers can efficiently combine graphics and texts for easier streamlining and optimizations of files.
- It allows users to add tags to indexes, keywords, anchor text frames, footnotes, table of contents, and captions with hyperlinks.
- It supports HTML exporting that enables web developers to export clean and simple codes during the implementation of the website’s layout designs. This works great for WordPress sites.
- It can help you eliminate redundant div tags in HTML files along with insignificant content grouping.
- Has the capability of resizing multiple objects and change the width and height at the same time.
- Designers can leverage its Eyedropper tool to apply position or size instantly to another object within the document.
- It is an industry-standard for desktop publishing.
Cons:
- The less intuitive user interface can make things overwhelming for new users.
- Not positioned for general users. Suitable for enterprise use only.
- Relatively expensive than other similar software available in the market.
- PDF comment integration needs perfection
Pricing Plans:
Adobe offers InDesign at a monthly subscription of $20.99. The full Creative Cloud costs $52.99 per month.
Get started with Adobe InDesign today.Try Adobe InDesign
CorelDraw Graphics Suite.
CorelDraw Graphics Suite packs some pro-level features and offers a highly accessible interface that is easy to use. It is a bundle of multiple applications that deliver powerful editing features.
Key Features:
- Content Exchange: It is Corel’s online digital library through which registered users can get access to thousands of high-resolution photographs and digital images. It also offers over 2000 vehicle templates, 1000 fonts, 350 professionally designed templates, more than 500 interactive frames, over 600 gradients, vector, and bitmap fills.
- Flexible Payment: Corel offers three payment programs through which users can buy the software along with nominal charges for regular upgrades. It also offers an upgrade program for existing users.
- Customizable UI: You get a customizable UI environment for the desktop, icon sizing, toolboxes, options for how your documents open, and window border color scheme. Users can also visit Corel’s developer community website to design macros that suit their workflow.
- New Pointilizer: Corel’s new pointilizer offers a lot of variable parameters that are not just limited to regular dots.
Pros:
- It offers app-wide workflow and under-the-hood innovation and performance enhancements to boost productivity
- Works perfectly without any lag with Surface Pen
- Users get the option to choose GPU acceleration over the default CPU while working with system-intensive sophisticated vector graphics
- Smooth transition from desktop to tablet mode to leverage touch features
- It offers better EPS and third-party PDF importing capabilities and leverages with their GPL Ghostscript feature
- It is capable of exporting files in up to 48 file types, including AutoCAD, JPG, PNG, SVG, AutoCAD, JPG, and TIFF. It can also open 35 file types, including EPS, HTML, AutoCAD, PDF, PowerPoint, SVG, and even old FreeHand files
Cons:
- Unlike Adobe, there are no complimentary mobile applications offered by Corel
- Two many payment options might confuse the user
- Not easy to operate for beginners
Pricing Plans::
CorelDraw is available for a 15-day free trial. Its full version is available for $474 with a 30-days money-back guarantee. You can also pay for an annual subscription for $198, or just $16.50/month.
Get started with CorelDraw Graphics Suite. Try CorelDRAW
Conclusion
If you create vector graphics and looking for a full featured solution with low hardware requirements, Inkscape is probably the best alternative to Adobe Illustrator. It doesn’t have Illustrator’s finesse and professional pedigree but it is steadily improving and has most of the features you will find in the industry standard.