Top 10 Adobe Illustrator Free & Paid Alternatives 2025

» What is Adobe Illustrator?

Adobe Illustrator is a free vector graphic designing and editing tool used by millions of professional designers for free of cost. The software uses mathematical expressions to create beautiful images, lines, and perfect shapes and to the precision. Adobe Illustrator creates scalable graphics that can be drawn to the board and sized according to the billboard with no pixelation.

The software is a complete set of tools to create professional-looking flyers, logos, and mock websites for business purposes. The users can also add effects and colors to the design and make their design look professional.

» Why do You Need an Alternative to Adobe Illustrator?

Adobe Illustrator is the industry-standard software that is used by professionals for designing graphics. But by using Adobe Illustrator, you are charged for an expensive Creative Cloud Subscription, which is not feasible for all professionals. Fortunately, there are many options available online that offer similar features, user interfaces, and toolsets to create seamless and professional designs for your business.

Adobe Illustrator free alternatives mentioned here are industry standard and provide graphic designing with many file support features and are bundled with many other kinds of software. These alternatives are a good option if you do not want to spend money on an Adobe Illustrator subscription.

» List of Adobe Illustrator Alternatives

1. CorelDRAW - Professional Vector Suite for Print and Web

CorelDRAW is intuitive software that is used to create vector graphics from any device. There are hundreds of layout and design projects that can be used to make any graphics designs instantly and precisely. Create unique illustrations for your business or use designer typography tools for creating business logos.

The app is available for Windows and Mac users and can be used on mobile with the CorelDRAW app. You can also use the app to collaborate with your teams and clients and share your ideas on the go. The application is a bundled suite containing all productive and design tools for vector designing passion.

• Platform: Windows, macOS
• Price: Subscription or one-time purchase
• Key Features: CMYK, Pantone support, print-ready output
• Best for: Print designers, ad agencies, branding professionals

2. GNU Image Manipulation Program (GIMP) - Free & Powerful Open-Source Alternative for Image Editing and Vector Work

GIMP offers sophisticated tools for professional image editing. Graphic design is straightforward with GIMP. Transform your images into graphic creativity with the tools provided by GIMP. The software has features and tools to create icons, elements for graphic designs, and artistic tools for mockup websites.

• Platform: Windows, macOS, Linux
• Price: Free
• Key Features: Layer-based editing, custom brushes, vector paths, plugin support
• Best for: Designers looking for Photoshop/Illustrator-like features without cost

3. Inkscape - Best Free Open-Source Illustrator Alternative

Inkscape is an industry-based and powerful graphic designing package that is available for professional graphic designers and web designers. The application is power-packed with tools that let you design vector graphics with ease. The drawing tools are flexible and available free of cost. The software also boasts spiral tools, pattern tools, and advanced manipulation tools that make Inkscape popular.

With the free and open-source code, you can make a few changes in the application and integrate it with your software and projects. Although some users have reviewed the software as a little slow and sluggish, you can make the necessary changes if you have the technical know-how.

4. Sketch - macOS-Based Illustrator Alternative for Designers

The drawing tools and text alignment tools are unmatchable and help you create vector graphic designs quickly. Sketch also offers hundreds of plugins and extensions that will automate your workflow and create animations with one click. Sketch also features collaboration tools to make your work sharable and receive feedback from your team and clients right in the app. It also saves time for easy project management.

5. Snappa - Easy-to-Use Graphic Design Tool for Non-Designers

Snappa is a quick graphics designing option that helps you create high-definition images in a snap. The software can be used by a novice and create social media ads, blog banners, and more with Snappa without special knowledge about graphics design. Snappa saves time and energy as it offers several templates in the gallery for you to use on the go. Just make some changes according to your needs and publish them.

If you are a blogger or novice in graphic designing, Snappa will help you; as it is also stocked up with high-definition photos and images for you to use. Snappa comes with image editing tools like aligning tools, removing the backgrounds, and adding graphics and text to your images.

6. Pixlr - Fast & Free Online Photo Editor with Vector Support

Pixlr is an innovative and powerful vector graphic design tool that supports online photo editing. There is no need to download the app; just use the application right from your browser. Pixlr, the perfect Adobe Illustrator alternative, is the best option for professionals who have small budgets and do not need high-level tools.

There are two types of editors in Pixlr. Pixlr E is equipped with advanced photo editing tools, while Pixlr X has advanced and basic editing tools. Create and align layers to your graphics and add intuitive navigation to your designs. The application is easy to use and just need to click buttons for faster editing.

7. Affinity Designer - Premium One-Time Purchase Illustrator Alternative

Affinity Designer is a revolutionary graphic designing package with smart tools and features to offer high-definition graphics for your websites and business. The application is designed for serious professionals who need smart tools with no bloats and no gimmicks. Affinity Designer is an Illustrator alternative that can be used to get the job done with efficiency.

Many professionals have reviewed the software as live and responsive. You can pan and zoom the images to 60 fps and effects to photos for optimization. You can add 1000 layers or objects to the photos without worrying about the performance of the software. Also, manage color groups and tagging in one go.

8. BoxySVG - Clean & Fast SVG Editor for Web Designers

BoxySVG graphic designing software is the best Illustrator alternative with a scalable vector graphics editor. The software allows editing tools for the vector graphics of SVG files. The application is pretty straightforward, as it does not require you to import/export the files every time. Simply use the SVG files to add details to your design.

The developer’s tool in the application allows the underlying CSS SVG codes for web developers and designers online. BoxySVG offers plenty of editing tools for graphics and vector designing.

9. Figma - AI-Enhanced Vector Tool for UI/UX Collaboration

Figma is yet another Abode Illustrator alternative that allows you to create, test, and publish graphic designs with better precision. The software is fast and flexible with ARC tools and vector networks or creating web designs for your clients. Millions of professionals use the software as it’s easy to use and very intuitive.

You can also create a fast prototype with Figma as it is very easy to add animations and images to the project with tools. Figma also lets you create a shareable link with your teammates and clients and get their feedback quickly. The best part of using Figma is that once you have created the project, you can re-use them or edit them anytime.

10. Gravit - Cross-Platform Vector Design Software

Gravit is an Adobe Illustrator Alternative that is fully featured and works with all the platforms. The software is easy to use and has a user-friendly interface. The application is used for vector graphic designing by professional designers. It also offers drawing tools for vector graphics that create perfect and precise lines and shapes for your design. You can create illustrations, web UI, and apps with the help of Gravit. The software is loaded with tools that let you create wireframes and mockups for your clients' UI designs.

Gravit is an all-in-one application that lets you create banners, images, advertisement posts, and vector designs for various purposes. The user interface is easy to use, and all the tools are available in the UI of the application. Create exquisite typography designs and add effects to your images for optimization.

» Final Words

As AI continues to revolutionize design workflows, tools like Figma have launched AI-assisted features like text-to-design and auto-layout improvements. While Inkscape and Affinity are yet to add native AI tools, they offer stable performance and manual precision, making them great for users who prefer full creative control.

» Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)