Are you looking for some good quality free editing software? Need an alternative to Adobe Illustrator, then check out this list of best software that you can use because we compiled a list of top free Adobe Illustrator alternatives. You might even find your next favorite vector editing software.
Why pay for Illustrator? Why pay for Adobe? When the answer is no. There are many free alternatives to Adobe programs like Adobe Illustrator which come with a ton of useful features. So don’t wait or spend hundreds on editing software. Want to learn about free editing software like illustrator or about free software like illustrator? To get started, let’s take a look at some potential apps you can use to replace Illustrator.
Pixlr
Pixlr offers plenty of features for editing, creating, and sharing creative images. While it’s less advanced in function than Illustrator, it’s cloud-based and supported on mobile, desktop, or the web.
Pixlr has two options: Pixlr E for photo editing and Pixlr X for graphic design. Pixlr X includes regularly updated templates for social media, presentations, resumes, business cards, newsletters, and event invitations. Pixlr E includes a photo collage maker that combines your favorite photos into a clean, cohesive design.
Best used for:
Individuals whose position requires them to work from different devices to create images
Platform:
Windows, Mac, Web, Mobile
Sketch
Built for UI design, prototyping, and wireframing, Sketch also gives users powerful vector graphics editing abilities. Users report that it is fairly easy to use and has strong organizational/breadcrumb features. Plus, Sketch has a diverse suite of educational resources.
Compatible format: PNG, JPG, TIFF, WebP, SVG, EPS and PDF. AI and PSD with limited support
Operating system/device: MacOS
Pricing: You can try Sketch for 30 days. After that, it’s $99 one-time payment for individual or $9 per contributor per month (or $99 billed annually) for their team plan.
For a free Sketch alternative for Windows, check out Lunacy from icons8.
Pixelied
Many people who use Illustrator rely on tools like Canva when they need to create graphics quickly. And one of the top Canva alternative in the market is Pixelied. While it doesn’t have the same deep vector editing features as Illustrator, the tool boasts an impressive range of assets, vector icons, templates, and ready-made design solutions.
You can upload your vector files from Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop to Pixelied to use in your designs.
Operating system/device: Cloud-based web application
Pricing: Pixelied starts free and with Pro plan at $7.95 per month. But for a limited time, you can get Pixelied Pro starting at $59 for life at AppSumo.
Boxy SVG
Boxy SVG is available free of charge as a desktop app for Linux, but a paid subscription gives access to a Google Chrome extension making the web app compatible on any device and operating system.
It is a very suitable tool for beginners because of the simplicity of its UI, narrowing down the list of options to only include the fundamental features. Overall, it is easier to work with than Adobe Illustrator, and its uncomplicated interface means it’s also simple to master.
Details:
• Price: 15-day free trial. Linux desktop app: Free / macOS desktop app: $9.99 / Cloud-based web app: $9.99 per year for a standard subscription or $9.99 per month for a premium subscription
• Operating systems: Linux, macOS, Windows, web browser
• Project goals: Create and stylize icons, charts, illustrations with an SVG editor.
• Compatible formats: SVG, SVGZ, PNG, JPG, GIF, WebP, PDF and HTML
• Convert bitmap: Yes
• Core features: Integration with Open Clip Art Library, Pixabay stock photos and Google Fonts. 100+ keyboard commands. “Vectorize,” “pixelate,” “triangulate” and “primitivize” generators for converting bitmap images to vector artwork using various effects. Tools for web developers.
Inkscape
Inkscape is an open-source vector editor and it is available for free. It operates on Windows, macOS and Linux and supports a wide range of design formats, including Adobe Illustrator’s AI format, Boxy SVG format and CorelDRAW’s CDR format, among others. Its core format allows it to run well even on low-end computers.
Its variety of features makes it a useful tool for both artistic and technical illustrations for designers of all kinds. Also, being open-source means that technically skilled users can customize some features and incorporate the app into other software.
Details:
• Price: Free
• Operating systems: macOS, Windows, Linux
• Project goals: Object creation and manipulation. Export PDFs with clickable links and metadata. Use across a variety of industries including marketing/branding, engineering/CAD, web graphics and cartooning.
• Compatible formats: SVG, PNG, JPG, PDF, PSD, EPS, TIFF, AI and EXR
• Convert bitmap: Yes
• Core features: Open-source. Vectorize line drawings in “Trace Bitmap” dialog. Live Path Effects (LPEs) including “Offset,” “PowerClip” and “PowerMask. Node editing. Duplicate guides, corners and hairlines for technical drawings. Flexible canvas with “X-ray” and “Split-view” modes for more freestyle drawing.
Affinity Designer
Built and continuously improved as Serif’s pièce de résistance, Affinity Designer is designed to be intuitive for the experienced Adobe user. With one of the most comprehensive vector design toolsets on this list, plus raster finishing, Affinity Designer might be the alternative you’re looking for.
With full compatibility with Adobe’s Suite, Affinity Designer supports standards: 10-bit, CMYK, CIELAB, and Pantone. Affinity Designer has some capabilities similar to Photoshop, like bitmap functions. Users like that the program is not too heavy and doesn’t take up too much RAM.
Compatible format: EPS, JPEG, PDF, SVG, PSD, PNG, TIFF, and GIF
Operating system/device: MacOS, Windows, and iPad
Pricing: Affinity Designer lets you try free for 90 days. After that, it costs a one-time payment of $49.99 (for both Mac or Windows) and $19.99 for iPad.
CorelDRAW
Compatible with other tools in the Corel graphic suite including Photo-Paint, a Photoshop competitor, CorelDRAW gives you a robust set of vector illustration tools. Get vectors ready for print fast and easy, edit multi-page documents, convert bitmap to vector non-destructively, and generate QR codes.
Check out the LiveSketch feature on touch-enabled devices to turn sketching into precise vector graphics. CorelDRAW is the go-to software for many printing industries in certain parts of the world.
Compatible format: AI, PSD, PDF, JPG, PNG, SVG, DWG, DXF, EPS, TIFF, and more
Operating system/device: MacOS and Windows
Pricing: CorelDRAW offers a 15-day free trial. You can get its annual subscription for $198 per year or a full license for $669.
Figma
As a collaborative wireframing and UI design tool, Figma isn’t a direct Adobe competitor, but its collaborative, web app-based approach might be worth your consideration. Share files with links, instead of exporting each time you need another pair of eyes on your work.
Speaking of collaboration, Figma might be most well-known for offering real-time teamwork-friendly possibilities. This Adobe Illustrator alternative is focused in on design made for the web, so its tools for pure vector graphic creation are more basic. But you’ve still got your pen tool, vector networks, and smart components.
Compatible format:PDF, PNG, JPG, SVG, and more
Operating system/device: MacOS with cloud-based web application (no downloads required)
Pricing: Figma is free for up to 2 editors and 3 projects. Paid plans start at $12 per editor per month, billed annually.
Conclusion:
There are some great editing software like illustrator that can do an amazing job at editing your images. More importantly, you don’t need to spend a dime to get these fantastic tools. Most of these tools offer more capabilities than the paid software, and you don’t have to shell out hundreds of dollars for the paid version.