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Free alternatives to Adobe Illustrator

Top pick: Affinity. Switching saves about $264 USD a year.

Adobe Illustrator, Illustrator single app, annual plan

$263.88 USDa year

$347.88 CAD

Every pick below has a free version.

Runs on
  • Windows
  • macOS
  • iOS
Key file formats
.ai.svg.pdf.eps

Filter alternatives

4 alternatives

Top pick

2 tools

The editor’s first choice for most people switching.

  1. Rank 1: Affinity

    Best for a polished vector app with print tools

    License: Freeware
    • Windows
    • macOS
    Status: Verified
    • PSD: opens and saves, partial fidelity. Layers and adjustment layers import; smart objects are rasterized unless smart-object import is turned on
    • PSB: opens only, partial fidelity. Opens PSB files
    • TIFF: opens and saves, full fidelity
    • PNG: opens and saves, full fidelity
    • JPG: opens and saves, full fidelity
    • +5 more

    Free since 30 Oct 2025 with a Canva account, on Windows and macOS only. Opens AI files through their PDF content and cannot save AI.

  2. Rank 2: Inkscape

    Best for open-source vector drawing on any desktop

    License: Open source
    • Windows
    • macOS
    • Linux
    Status: Unknown
    • AI: opens only, partial fidelity. Opens the PDF content saved inside AI files; cannot save AI
    • SVG: opens and saves, full fidelity
    • PDF: opens and saves, partial fidelity. Import turns pages into editable objects; fonts and complex effects can change
    • EPS: opens and saves, partial fidelity. EPS import needs Ghostscript installed
    • CDR: opens only, partial fidelity. Imports CorelDRAW files through libcdr; newer files may not open

    SVG is its native format. Opens AI files only through their PDF content and cannot save AI. Print work that needs CMYK usually goes through Scribus.

Situational

2 tools

Right for specific needs, or not yet mature enough to recommend widely.

  1. Rank 3: VectorCraft

    Best for testing an open-source Illustrator clone

    License: Open source
    • Windows
    • macOS
    • Linux
    • Self-hosted
    Status: Unknown
    • AI: opens and saves, partial fidelity. PDF-compatible AI files only; native Illustrator data is not read
    • SVG: opens and saves, full fidelity
    • PDF: opens and saves, partial fidelity. PDF and PDF/X output; import has not been independently checked
    • EPS: opens and saves, partial fidelity. EPS import and export are in; round trips have not been independently checked

    Alpha (v0.4.0, October 2026). A clean-room take on the Illustrator workflow that reads and writes SVG, PDF and PDF-compatible AI. Its makers rate it at about 70% of Illustrator's features.

  2. Rank 4: Graphite

    Best for trying node-based procedural vector art

    License: Open source
    • Web
    • Self-hosted
    Status: Unknown
    • SVG: opens and saves, partial fidelity. Basic SVG import and export; broader SVG support, including filters, is planned

    Alpha. The web app is live; the desktop apps are still in release-candidate testing. No PDF export yet, so it does not suit print or AI file work.

Sponsor this page: $149 for 30 days. Sponsors appear above the ranking, labeled; the ranking itself is not for sale.

Feature parity

How each alternative covers what people use Adobe Illustrator for. Numbers link to editor notes.

Feature parity with Adobe Illustrator
FeatureAffinityInkscapeVectorCraftGraphite
Drawing
Pen tool and Bezier path editingYesYesYesPartialNote 1
Pathfinder and Shape BuilderYesNote 2YesNote 3YesNote 4PartialNote 5
Type
Type on a path and text stylesYesNote 6PartialNote 7PartialNote 8NoNote 9
Tracing
Image Trace (bitmap to vector)PartialNote 10PartialNote 11PartialNote 12NoNote 13
Layout
Multiple artboardsYesYesNote 14PartialNote 15PartialNote 16
Color
Gradients, mesh and blendsPartialNote 17PartialNote 18PartialNote 19PartialNote 20
Output
CMYK, spot colors and PDF/X exportYesNote 21NoNote 22PartialNote 23NoNote 24
AI
Generative vectors and recolorNoNote 25NoNoNo
Parity score75%56%56%25%
  1. Graphite, Pen tool and Bezier path editing: Basic vector drawing tools in an alpha editor
  2. Affinity, Pathfinder and Shape Builder: Shape Builder tool and Boolean operations
  3. Inkscape, Pathfinder and Shape Builder: Shape Builder tool since 1.3 plus the path operations
  4. VectorCraft, Pathfinder and Shape Builder: Pathfinder and Shape Builder
  5. Graphite, Pathfinder and Shape Builder: Basic path Boolean operations; more robust ones are planned
  6. Affinity, Type on a path and text styles: Text on a path, plus text styles
  7. Inkscape, Type on a path and text styles: Text on path and flowed text, but no saved character or paragraph styles
  8. VectorCraft, Type on a path and text styles: Type on a path and text styles are in; vertical and complex type are still being filled in
  9. Graphite, Type on a path and text styles: Text on a path is planned for a later alpha
  10. Affinity, Image Trace (bitmap to vector): Auto trace turns flat artwork into vectors with fewer controls than Image Trace
  11. Inkscape, Image Trace (bitmap to vector): Trace Bitmap does color with multiple scans, with fewer controls than Image Trace
  12. VectorCraft, Image Trace (bitmap to vector): Image Trace with presets; its makers list it as in progress
  13. Graphite, Image Trace (bitmap to vector): Automatic image trace is planned for a later alpha
  14. Inkscape, Multiple artboards: Multiple pages of different sizes since 1.2
  15. VectorCraft, Multiple artboards: Multiple artboards work; its makers list the area as in progress
  16. Graphite, Multiple artboards: Artboards exist in the alpha editor
  17. Affinity, Gradients, mesh and blends: Gradients and mesh gradients; blends between objects are limited
  18. Inkscape, Gradients, mesh and blends: Linear, radial and mesh gradients; blends between objects need the Interpolate extension
  19. VectorCraft, Gradients, mesh and blends: Gradients and live blends work; gradient mesh is listed as in progress
  20. Graphite, Gradients, mesh and blends: Gradient fills only; mesh gradients and blends are not listed
  21. Affinity, CMYK, spot colors and PDF/X export: CMYK, ICC profiles and PDF/X export
  22. Inkscape, CMYK, spot colors and PDF/X export: Previews CMYK through ICC profiles, but exports stay RGB with no spot colors or PDF/X
  23. VectorCraft, CMYK, spot colors and PDF/X export: CMYK swatches and ICC color management; separations are listed as in progress
  24. Graphite, CMYK, spot colors and PDF/X export: CMYK, spot colors and ICC profiles are planned for beta
  25. Affinity, Generative vectors and recolor: Generate Image and Vector need a paid Canva plan

Not covered by any free alternative yet: Image Trace (bitmap to vector), Gradients, mesh and blends, Generative vectors and recolor. See all feature gaps

File formats

Can each alternative open and save Adobe Illustrator files?

Opening and saving Adobe Illustrator files
FormatAffinityInkscapeVectorCraftGraphite
.aiOpens onlyNote 1Partial fidelityOpens onlyNote 2Partial fidelityOpens and savesNote 3Partial fidelityNoNote 4
.svgOpens and savesFull fidelityOpens and savesFull fidelityOpens and savesFull fidelityOpens and savesNote 5Partial fidelity
.pdfOpens and savesFull fidelityOpens and savesNote 6Partial fidelityOpens and savesNote 7Partial fidelityNoNote 8
.epsNoNote 9Opens and savesNote 10Partial fidelityOpens and savesNote 11Partial fidelityNoNote 12
  1. Affinity, .ai: Opens the PDF content saved inside AI files
  2. Inkscape, .ai: Opens the PDF content saved inside AI files; cannot save AI
  3. VectorCraft, .ai: PDF-compatible AI files only; native Illustrator data is not read
  4. Graphite, .ai: AI import is planned for later releases
  5. Graphite, .svg: Basic SVG import and export; broader SVG support, including filters, is planned
  6. Inkscape, .pdf: Import turns pages into editable objects; fonts and complex effects can change
  7. VectorCraft, .pdf: PDF and PDF/X output; import has not been independently checked
  8. Graphite, .pdf: PDF export is planned for a later alpha
  9. Affinity, .eps: EPS is not among the import and export formats Affinity lists; convert to PDF or SVG first
  10. Inkscape, .eps: EPS import needs Ghostscript installed
  11. VectorCraft, .eps: EPS import and export are in; round trips have not been independently checked
  12. Graphite, .eps: EPS import is planned for later releases

What switching saves

Switching saves about $264 USD / $348 CAD a year. Prices checked .

Based on Illustrator single app, annual plan. Price source.

About this page

Last verified . Ranking: tier first, then the published score.

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Related

Adobe Illustrator is a product of Adobe, named here for comparison only. Platforms listed for Adobe Illustrator: Windows, macOS, iOS.